Glossary of Terms

The mapping of security roles, positions, and employees from present security roles in agencies to map employees to security roles through positions.

Any state office or activity of the executive and judicial branches of state government, including state agencies, departments, offices, divisions, boards, commissions, institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, and correctional and other types of institutions.

As opposed to systems maintained on-premise, the Cloud is a network of remote, internet-based systems hosted on the internet used to store and process data.

Permission for agencies to disburse moneys or accrue liabilities during specific fiscal periods, up to specified amounts, from specific accounts. Authority is provided by the Legislature, through appropriations or inclusion of nonappropriated account moneys in the legislative budget, and by the executive through allocations, approval of unanticipated receipts, or across-the-board spending reductions.

Asset, liability, equity, revenue and expense accounts. Balance sheet accounts are entered directly on transactions and revenue and expense accounts default from the Spend/Revenue Categories of the Pay Component.

To help assist agencies with getting outbound information, a new process has been created to give agencies within the SGN access to Statewide Titles and Agency Descriptor tables. Agencies will be able to query data and then create their own unique outbound interfaces using this new server. Agencies who plan to create automated processes will need to refer to OFM Planned Server maintenances to help reduce potential outages.  See Production Schedule here:  Server Patching Schedule. Once agencies create their new AFRS Outbound interface jobs we will request removal of current jobs in AFRS or Enterprise Reporting that agencies are using to gather this data. AFRS Outbound Interface Server

A maintenance strategy where inspections are made or actions are taken on a scheduled basis to reduce service interruptions, reduce the premature failure of facilities, systems, and equipment, and continue efficient operations. Actual inspection and maintenance is performed on pre-specified schedules established by manufacturer or facility manager.

A refined breakdown of object of expenditures relating to particular items or item categories.

A legal authorization to make expenditures and incur obligations for specific purposes from a specific account over a specific time period. Appropriations typically limit expenditures to a specific amount and purpose within a fiscal year or biennial timeframe. Only the Legislature can make appropriations in Washington State.

A party to a contract to provide professional architectural and/or engineering design services to an agency or institution.

A contract is a promise that is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.

A process in accounts payable where the invoice from the vendor is matched against the purchase order, the shipping documents, and the quantity and price tolerance defined, before it is posted. The goal is to highlight any discrepancies in the purchasing process in order to save agencies from overspending or paying for an item that they did not receive.

Accounts related to the state General Fund as defined in RCW 43.88.055; includes the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account and Education Legacy Trust Account.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation that receives state or federal public funds, organized for charitable purposes.

An estimate of the total time that an asset is usable and in service.

Caseload, economic, or demographic factors that have a significant effect on the state budget. Examples include inflation rate changes and state population changes in certain age groups.

Data cleansing typically refers to a set of activities that ensures all data in a system is standardized. This will be necessary to move data from old systems (AFRS, HRMS, etc.) into a new ERP.

Uniform minimum standards for financial accounting and reporting. They govern the form and content of the financial statements of an entity. GAAP encompass the conventions, rules, and procedures necessary to define accepted accounting practice at a particular time. They include not only broad guidelines of general application but also detailed practices and procedures.

Creation of a biennial plan for the revenues and expenditures necessary to support the administrative and service functions of state government.

The portion of expenditure authority not expected to be used because of circumstances such as the Governor’s across-the-board allotment reductions, technical corrections, or proviso compliance.

An enterprise application that allows development and submittal of agency capital budget requests online.

A measure that shows the relationship between inputs (dollars or FTEs) to output or outcome.

The same as "first cost" or the cost to provide the service or product in today’s dollars for a project. Different from life cycle costs, or future costs.

Inbound Transaction Interface (AFRS legacy name)

Granular view of payroll earnings and deductions.

The City of Seattle recognizes firms who self certify as minority owned or women owned.

These positions are part of the One Washington OCM Team and coordinate with and support agencies’ OCM efforts.

A mutual obligation of the state and of employees' exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times and bargain in good faith to reach agreement on wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment as defined in RCW 41.80.

The three-character code assigned by OFM to identify each legislative or executive authorization to incur expenditures. Agencies are to use only those expenditure authority codes that have been authorized in writing by OFM. The assigned codes are valid only for the biennium for which they are established.

A legacy system is an old method, technology, computer system, or application program of, relating to, or being a previous or outdated computer system yet still in use.