FPDS Query Library
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Contract Action Type Description

Human-readable label for the coded Contract Action Type value in FPDS award data. It identifies the kind of procurement action represented by the record, such as a definitive contract or other action category.

Family: Award
Category: Contract Data
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: description
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description
Title
Contract Action Type Description
FPDS Path
award/contractData/contractActionType/description
Description
Human-readable label for the coded Contract Action Type value in FPDS award data. It identifies the kind of procurement action represented by the record, such as a definitive contract or other action category.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts interpret contract action records without relying on abbreviated or coded source values. It is useful for grouping awards by action type, validating coding consistency, and distinguishing initial awards from other procurement actions in reporting.
Example Value
DEFINITIVE CONTRACT
Observed Non-Null Count
111,509,025

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description
FPDS XML Path
award/contractData/contractActionType/description
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/contractData/contractActionType/description' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building

Common Usage

  • Labeling contract action categories in reports and dashboards
  • Grouping awards by action type for trend analysis
  • Validating coded Contract Action Type values against observed descriptions

Common Mistakes

  • Treating the description as a stable code for joins or filters
  • Assuming similar labels always mean the same business rule across all FPDS extracts

Query Guidance

Select this field for display, but use the paired Contract Action Type code for filtering, joins, and aggregation logic. When analyzing data quality, compare distinct descriptions to the corresponding codes to detect inconsistent or unexpected labels.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description AS contract_action_type_description
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__contractActionType__description IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY value
ORDER BY record_count DESC
LIMIT 25

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.