What are Data Item Descriptions (DIDs)? This question recently cropped up when one of our Document Center Inc. customers wanted a report with a DID title. He didn’t realize that the DID describes the expected content of a particular report, not the report itself. This is a common misconception. So let’s take a look at DIDs.
You’ll spot a Data Item Description by it’s document number. Each DID always begins with “DI-“. Older DIDs used to be formated like this: DI-X-0000, that is, the DI, then a single letter, and a 4 digit number. Now they look like this: DI-XXXX-00000. The 4 middle letters are one of the alpha FSC codes, showing the area that the DID addresses. So you may have a number that look like this: DI-MISC-81458, Instructor Planning Document.
With this example, we can now talk about what a DID is. In this case, the DID-MISC-81458 is a 4 page document. It describes how to generate a planning document for instructors. The document is part of the deliverables for a given contract. Since there are many kinds of documents defined by DIDs, these deliverables are given the generic title “Data Items.”
So to recap, a DID is a definition document. It tells contractors how to format a particular data deliverable. It defines the information (data) to be included. It also provides guidance on the intended use of this data.
For more information about DIDs are written, take a look at MIL-STD-963. It is titled Data Item Descriptions (DIDs). It’s used by the DoD personnel and others who develop DIDs. It show how they should be formatted, what information should be included, and so on.
Just remember, the DID is not the deliverable. It is not the report itself, nor the directory, nor any other data document. It is a description of a report, or a directory, etc. If you need the actual content that was generated during the fulfillment of a contract, you will not be able to find it in the DID.
Data Item Descriptions are an unusual collection. Most have been cancelled, since contractual needs change over time. You will likely never require one unless you are working with a specific contract. However, if a DID is called out for the work you’re doing for the Department of Defense, be sure to review it carefully. It’s bad form to provide any government deliverable incorrectly!
If you have standards questions, please reach out to me and my Document Center Inc. staff. We’ve been working with standards since 1982. We can help your standards questions. And we have many products and services to assist with your compliance requirements. Our catalog of standards is available on the web at www.document-center.com. Or reach out to us by phone (650-591-7600) and email (info@document-center.com). We’d like to be your Standards Experts!
