# Agency/Bureau Names

The Data.gov and the GeoPlatform catalog's search services allow filtered searching using agency and bureau names. Using consistent names for agencies and bureaus improves searching for data across the catalogs. For example, a user searching for data from the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” wouldn’t find data listed under “NOAA David Skaggs Research Center”. The recommended source for agency and bureau names is Appendix C of the [OMB Circular A-11](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/a11.pdf) (“Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget”). This government circular is revised and reissued periodically. The current version is the 2016 version. The [Federal Register of Agencies](https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies) provides a searchable database.

## FGDC Technical Guidance: Data.gov and The GeoPlatform Metadata Recommendations

### Organization Name: Agency Name

Like controlled vocabularies, using naming authorities establish consistency in organizational reference. As such, federal agencies should directly and unambiguously follow guidance from those organizations whose mission and authority are to maintain lists of government and affiliated organization identifiers.

OMB agency names are available from [*Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, Circular A-11, Appendix C*](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/a11.pdf#page=813). 

Multiple *Responsibility.organizationName* elements can be used to include the agency and bureau names as shown below. ***Responsibility***

### Organization Name: Department of the Interior

***Responsibility***

***Organization Name***: United States Geological Survey

### Central Point of Contact for the Resource

While there are many opportunities within the ISO metadata record to identify contacts, the inclusion of a *Point of Contact* enables Data. gov and the GeoPlatform to direct users to a single point of inquiry for the resource. To facilitate discovery by ‘organization’ within Data.gov and the GeoPlatform, the *Point of Contact* should be the agency directly responsible for the metadata publication. In addition to designating the publishing agency as the *Point of Contact*, it is important to designate the associated *Responsible Party Role* as ‘publisher’, as shown below.

- ***Point of Contact***: the agency responsible for publishing the resource *MD\_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD\_Identification.pointOfContact>CI\_Responsibility.organizationName* (ISO 19115-1) *MD\_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD\_Identification.pointOfContact>CI\_ResponsibleParty.organizationName* (ISO 19115)
  - ***Agency Role:*** the agency should be indicated as the publisher of the resource

*MD\_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD\_Identification.pointOfContact>CI\_Responsibility.role = “publisher”* (19115-1). *MD\_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD\_Identification.pointOfContact> CI\_ResponsibleParty.role = “publisher”* (19115)*.*

## UML Diagram

![](angency-bureau-names/responsible-party.jpeg)

## More information

- [FGDC Technical Guidance](https://www.fgdc.gov/technical-guidance/metadata/fgdc-technical-guidance-datagov-geoplatform-ngda.pdf): Data.gov and The GeoPlatform Metadata Recommendations