1.4 Scope

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This section defines the scope of the Federated Data Interpretation Systems Reference Architecture (FDIS-RA) by identifying the classes of architectural concerns, system responsibilities, and standards-related considerations addressed by this specification, as well as those intentionally excluded.

The scope operates at the architectural level. It focuses on responsibilities, component interactions, interfaces, and the treatment and governance of semantic meaning rather than on specific technologies, products, platforms, or implementations.

The Reference Architecture addresses concerns common to environments that operate downstream of regulated data submission and intake processes. These environments include systems that support agency-specific implementation of the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) joint data standards after an implementing agency applies those standards to a specific data collection.

Such environments interpret, validate, compare, and analyze reported data to support regulatory oversight, supervision, longitudinal analysis, and related institutional responsibilities. An environment may operate within a single organization or span multiple agencies, jurisdictions, and independently governed systems. Implementations may use heterogeneous technologies while preserving common architectural responsibilities and governed boundaries.

FDIS-RA does not determine which FDTA joint standards an agency applies to a particular collection of information. It does not replace agency-specific rulemaking, alter reporting obligations, or assign legal effect to interpreted data. Instead, it provides an architectural framework for systems that implement, govern, and assess interpretation after the appropriate authority establishes the applicable reporting and data-standard requirements.

In addition to informing system design and evaluation, the Reference Architecture supports acquisition and procurement activities for systems that process regulated data. Procurement and contracting officers may use the architecture, in consultation with appropriate subject-matter experts, to assess the architectural responsibilities, governance mechanisms, interface obligations, and system capabilities appropriate to a given acquisition context. Such assessments account for statutory obligations, operational risk, jurisdictional authority, intended use, and applicable conformance criteria.

The boundaries defined in this section preserve clarity of architectural intent while supporting diverse realisations, incremental adoption, and the controlled evolution of standards and interpretive practices over time. By explicitly identifying architectural responsibilities and exclusions, the Reference Architecture provides a stable foundation for coordinating semantic standards, architectural practices, governance decisions, and system designs without unnecessarily constraining implementation choices.

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