Glossary of Terms

An abbreviated set of specification requirements normally included early in the design process.

The phase of the A/E's services in which the architect consults with the agency/institution to ascertain the requirements of the project and prepares schematic design studies consisting of drawings and other documents illustrating the scale and relationships of the project components for approval by the agency/institution. The A/E also submits a preliminary estimate of construction cost based on current area, volume or other unit costs.

An activity is something an organization does to accomplish its goals and objectives. An activity consumes resources and produces a product, service or result. One way to define activities is to consider how agency employees describe their jobs. What do you do? For whom? Why is it valuable? For the Activity Inventory, an agency’s work should be broken down into its discrete functions or services.

A legally binding electronic agreement with terms of service to be accepted with caution by the user in the middle of an installation process requiring the clicking of acceptance on-screen to proceed.

An ESCO is an energy service company that contracts with a facility owner or a utility to acquire, design, install, maintain and/or finance energy conservation, cogeneration or renewable energy projects. ESCO’s primarily develop, own and operate energy projects with no technical or financial risk to the facility owner or utility. The ESCO can guarantee the energy savings, utility payments, and overall cost of the project.

A fund type used to report activities that provide goods or services to other funds, departments, or agencies of the state on a cost reimbursement basis. Internal service funds are used where the state is the predominate participant in the activity.

Inbound Transaction Interface (AFRS legacy name)

A commitment of budgeted funds that is typically recorded when processing a purchase requisition for goods and services. A preencumbrance can be converted into an encumbrance once a purchase order has been generated from the requisition.

Statements of the methods for achieving goals and objectives. Strategies guide the near-term work and activities that an agency undertakes to achieve specific goals and objectives.

A formal or official change made to a contract that adds, removes, or updates parts of the agreement such as performance period, pricing, scope adjustments, adds or removes products or services.

A contractual arrangement in which an owner employs an agent-consultant called a construction manager to coordinate and manage all of the construction trades. This additional management expertise is usually used on larger, more complex construction projects. However, an owner on a smaller project may retain a construction manager for that person’s construction expertise to act as the representative for the owner on the project.

Business must be: A for-profit business. A small business according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Eligible owner(s) must: Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Own at least 51% of the business. Control managerial and day-to-day operations. Be female, African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian-Pacific American, or Subcontinent Asian American. (Other individuals may be found to be socially and economically disadvantaged on a case-by-case basis.) Have personal net worth of less than $1.32 M.

Capital projects that cost $5 million or more, or projects that meet the following criteria: have particularly costly elements, are undertaken on a tight design budget or short design schedule, have significant policy implications to a program, or involve state of the art technology.

An enterprise data warehouse (EDW) is a modern reporting and data analysis solution that is scalable to meet current and future business needs. The new OFM EDW will help to set the foundation for strategic information and analysis across multiple data sources to support emerging data needs. 

A fund classification used to account for the state’s ongoing organizations and activities that are similar to those often found in the private sector. These funds are considered self-supporting in that the services rendered by them are financed through user charges or on a cost reimbursement basis. There are two types of proprietary funds: enterprise funds and internal service funds.

Revenue received which has not been appropriated by the Legislature. The Governor has the authority to approve the allotment of such money within the guidelines of the intent in which they were received and the statutory guidelines of RCW 43.79.270.

A plan of financial operation embodying an estimate of proposed expenditures for a given period of time or purpose and the proposed means of financing them.

The actual usage of the mappings in support of technical requirements. The mappings provide the information to build a ‘crosswalk’ that can be used to systematically convert COA data to FDM data and FDM data back to COA data, where possible. Reverse crosswalks can be problematic if multiple COA data elements are being used to derive a single FDM data element, or multiple values for a single COA element are mapping to a single FDM data element value. The ability to recreate that reverse mapping is not possible if multiple Legacy COA element values are mapped to a single FMD value.

Future state describes the ideal, “desired state” of high-functioning systems after the transformation is complete.

A common grouping of expenditures made on the basis of homogenous activity, goods or services purchased, or type of resource to be used. Applies to the character of the article purchased or service obtained (rather than the purpose).

This is the phase or process prior to beginning the contract life cycle when purchasers seek authority, approval or assistance with a procurement or purchase. Typically includes scope, estimated cost, funding source, timeline, proposed solution.

Tangible or intangible assets held and used in state operations which have a service life of more than one year and meet the state’s capitalization policy. Capital assets of the state include land, infrastructure, improvements to land, buildings, leasehold improvements, vehicles, furnishings, equipment, collections and all other tangible and intangible assets that are used in state operations.

An established dollar threshold in which agencies may acquire goods and services directly from a vendor without requiring a competitive process. In the absence of an existing qualified master contract, agencies are authorized to purchase goods and services up to a cost of $10,000 (excluding sales tax) directly from a vendor and without competition. In addition, agencies are authorized to purchase goods and services up to a cost of $13,000 (excluding sales tax) directly from a vendor and without competition if the purchase is being made from a microbusiness, mini-business, or small business as those terms are defined by RCW 39.26.010 (19), (20) and (21).

The cost to test and balance designed heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, including water flows, at the completion of construction.

An indicator of how much work has been completed. The number of units of a product of service produced or delivered.

Scope refers to the extent of the work that will be done based on capacity and funding. For instance, phase 1 of the One Washington program focuses only on finance processes.

A written or graphic instrument issued by the architect before execution of the construction contract that modifies or interprets the bidding documents by additions, deletions, clarifications, or corrections.

Client Service Contracts are for services provided directly to agency clients by contractors, including but not limited to, medical and dental services, employment and training programs, residential care, education and subsidized housing. Clients are those individuals whom the agency has statutory responsibility to serve, protect or oversee. Clients are the targeted individuals in the public that an agency is responsible to serve.

Encompassing the entire state of Washington as a single organization, rather than separate groups, departments, agencies or functions.

A reason or explanation that defends why your agency should retain a computer system/application.