A United States data item description (DID) is a completed document defining the data deliverables required of a United States Department of Defense contractor.
The content and format requirements for DIDs are defined within MIL-STD-963C, Data Item Descriptions (2014).
[3] Within a military solicitation or contract, each DID is uniquely numbered to identify the data deliverables in terms of specific information such as: purpose, description, preparation instructions including a table of contents and descriptions of each section, and references to the Contract Statement of work (SOW).
Practices and terms where definition is given by MIL-STD-963: Since DID documents are what contract mechanics cause to be produced, the defined content guidelines and their terminologies are commonly referred to in United States Military Standards or other forms of procedural and administrative guidance of the United States Department of Defense.
Writers of a SOW often include requirements that belong in other parts of a contract.