# What is a Pact, exactly? ## What is a Pact in FieldDoc? A pact represents as agreement between two parties, such as a grant, cooperative agreement, or other agreement (formal or informal) where one organization is sharing their records to another organization. A common example is a grant applicant applying for and then receiving a grant award. The program managers for the funding organization can only see activity records and associated data for records that have been shared via a pact. For basic FieldDoc users, a pact is the entry point to create activity records in FieldDoc. Once you have created a pact and activity records, you can add programmatic metrics and run the models available with that pact. ## **Does every project need a Pact?** No. Not every project needs a Pact. Projects were part of Legacy FieldDoc. In that version of the platform, the primary workflow was tied to funding opportunities: applicants and grantees selected a funding opportunity and created a project within it to share activity records, also known as practices, with funders. In 2024, The Commons released an updated version of FieldDoc that separated project organization from funding opportunity workflows. This change made it possible for us to expand the terms of service and open up FieldDoc for more use cases. As part of this update, we introduced a new plan: Standard. The Standard User subscription is intended to be used by organizations that want to access FieldDoc features for purposes beyond funder-required reporting, such as planning work, organizing records for analysis and reporting within FieldDoc and via external system such as ArcGIS online, and using the model library to estimate outcomes for activities that are not funded through a FieldDoc-supported program. In practice, this means: * If you are using FieldDoc to exclusively to share activity records with a funder, you will create a Pact and then add activity records to it. * If you are not sharing activity records with a funder, you do not need a Pact. Instead, you can organize your records within your portfolio using the folder structure available in the Standard Plan. Your portfolio folder tree can be organized in whatever way works best for your organization. For example, you may choose to organize records by project, by landowner or farmer, by geography, or by another system that fits your workflow. ## How is a Pact different from a project? Pacts are a method for sharing records with a funding partner that has created a funding opportunity in FieldDoc. A project is an obsolete term in FieldDoc that now describes one way that users could organize their activity records in folders. This all happens within an organization's workspace and portfolio. Organizations that had active FieldDoc accounts prior to 2024 will see pacts and portfolio folders with the same name. The pacts with the same name as the project were created during the update from Legacy FieldDoc to FieldDoc 2.0. The reason that pacts were created was because all FieldDoc Legacy projects were automatically reported to funders. That workflow has been disabled and any activity records added to a project after 2024 are not automatically shared with funders. Only activity records linked to a pact are shared with funders. The portfolio is unique to each organization and can be organized however the organization desires. We recommend reviewing the[ Build a Data Management Plan Guide](https://app.gitbook.com/s/U2H0bMK5FjBl9AKyW17a/guides/build-a-data-management-plan) to come up with a standard system for managing your data. ## Why do I need a Pact to share data with a funder? Pacts are the bridge between grant applicants/recipients and their funders. 1. Pact fields and content is managed by the program managers. This means that you can only access models and metrics that the funders want you to use once you have created a pact and associated activity records with it. 2. Funders often use the data provided via pacts in their review and analysis of their investments. Providing accurate, accessible data is paramount to meeting the grant application and reporting requirements. 3. Some activity records are reported from the funder to federal agencies. These can only be reported to their final destination if they are properly configured in FieldDoc. Every funder that uses FieldDoc has slightly different guidelins and expectations for what to provide. If you're unsure what your funder needs you to provide via the pact, check out our [Program Guides ](https://app.gitbook.com/o/KOCU6EEljHIh8ej0w4TB/s/uoqGpBtiTp05bHUD7Z3m/)or ask your program officer. ## **When should you use a Pact?** Use a Pact when you need to share activity records with a funder through FieldDoc. Typically, this is a funder-prompted effort that is undertaken at the application, award, or reporting stage of a grant. Every pact has a unique opportunity code. ## **When do you not need a Pact?** If you are not sharing records with a funder, you do not need a Pact. Instead, you can organize your activity records within your portfolio using the folder structure available in the Standard Plan. ## **How should you organize records if you are not using a Pact?** Your portfolio includes a folder tree that you can structure in the way that makes the most sense for your organization. For example, you might organize records by: * project * landowner or farmer * geography * program year * another internal system that fits your workflow A Pact is only needed when records are being shared with a funder through a FieldDoc funding program. For all other use cases, you can manage your records within your portfolio.