FPDS Query Library
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Description of Contract Requirement

Human-readable text describing the contract requirement and scope for the award. It captures what the contractor is being asked to do, at a descriptive level, rather than a coded classification.

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

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__contractData__descriptionOfContractRequirement
Title
Description of Contract Requirement
FPDS Path
award/contractData/descriptionOfContractRequirement
Description
Human-readable text describing the contract requirement and scope for the award. It captures what the contractor is being asked to do, at a descriptive level, rather than a coded classification.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts understand the substantive mission need behind an award and compare similar procurements across agencies, categories, or periods. It is useful for identifying work type, validating award purpose, and supporting narrative-based research when code fields are too coarse.
Example Value
OPERATION OF LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY
Observed Non-Null Count
101,381,579

FPDS Compare

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

Use Cases

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

Common Usage

  • Text filtering for known program or requirement names
  • Manual classification of award scope or service type
  • Reviewing award narratives for anomalies or vague descriptions

Common Mistakes

  • Treating the text as a controlled code or normalized category
  • Aggregating exact values without accounting for spelling and wording variation

Query Guidance

Use LIKE, ILIKE, or full-text search to find keywords and phrases, and normalize text only if needed for custom grouping. Do not join or group on this field as a key; instead, pair it with coded attributes for reliable analysis.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__descriptionOfContractRequirement AS description_of_contract_requirement
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__descriptionOfContractRequirement IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__descriptionOfContractRequirement AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__descriptionOfContractRequirement 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.