1. OGE >
2. Ethics Documents >
3. Agency Model Practices >
4. Electronic Filing of Financial Disclosure Reports May Increase Timeliness, Consistency, and Accuracy of the Financial Disclosure Program

Electronic Filing of Financial Disclosure Reports May Increase Timeliness, Consistency, and Accuracy of the Financial Disclosure Program

The Department of the Army operates Financial Disclosure Management (FDM), a secure, online Web application to help SF 278 and OGE Form 450 filers accurately prepare the required financial disclosure reports. The application guides the filer through entering reportable financial information while simplifying report preparation, saving time and eliminating common errors. Repeat filers pre-populate each new report with information from the previous one, eliminating the need to retype information. FDM monitors the data entered, "flagging" missing or erroneous items. Answers to OGE-approved, context-sensitive common questions are readily available with a single click. Filers electronically sign and reviewers (supervisors and ethics counselors) review online and electronically sign the report. Filer submission and reviewer approval trigger e-mail notifications to ethics officials for their action. FDM's electronic signature technology eliminates the need to print, physically sign, and route the report

Recently, the Army was designated Executive Agent to operate FDM for the entire Department of Defense (DoD). The FDM initiative has improved report accuracy and reduced FDR processing time and physical transmittal of financial disclosure reports.

In addition to DoD agencies using FDM, OGE and the Veterans Affairs Administration have filers using FDM. The Department of Homeland Security recently signed on to start using FDM in 2009.

For information about FDM, visit the FDM web site: https://www.fdm.army.mil.

For information about electronic filing generally, consult the Interagency Ethics Council eFiling Workgroup's draft eFiling Roadmap: https://www.fdm.army.mil/PM_Reference_Docs/eFilingRoadmapDraft1.doc.

For information on another option for electronic filing, please see the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Thank you to George Hancock, Associate Deputy General Counsel and FDM Program Director, Office of the General Counsel, Department of the Army, for submitting the above information.