FPDS Query Library
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Reason for Modification

This field records the stated reason a contract action was modified. In FPDS, it is a coded or abbreviated value representing the modification rationale rather than a free-text narrative.

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__reasonForModification
Title
Reason for Modification
FPDS Path
award/contractData/reasonForModification
Description
This field records the stated reason a contract action was modified. In FPDS, it is a coded or abbreviated value representing the modification rationale rather than a free-text narrative.
Business Meaning
It helps analysts classify why contract actions changed over time, such as funding adjustments, scope changes, administrative corrections, or exercise of options. The field is useful for monitoring contract lifecycle activity, identifying amendment patterns, and segmenting modifications for obligation and performance analysis.
Example Value
C
Observed Non-Null Count
23,912,115

FPDS Compare

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

Use Cases

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

Common Usage

  • Classifying modification types for portfolio analysis
  • Separating administrative changes from substantive contract changes
  • Grouping amendments in trend or frequency reporting

Common Mistakes

  • Reading the value as a full narrative explanation instead of a code
  • Using it without checking the valid code set or description mapping

Query Guidance

Use this field as a categorical filter or grouping key, and join or decode it to a reference table when available. In SQL, compare against the observed code values for your dataset, not against assumed labels, and aggregate by the code after standardizing nulls and unknowns.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__contractData__reasonForModification AS reason_for_modification
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__contractData__reasonForModification IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

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