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Revenue Recognition
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue as, or when, we satisfy performance obligations under a contract. The majority of our contracts have performance obligations which are satisfied over time. In most cases, we view our performance obligations as promises to transfer a series of distinct services to our customer that are substantially the same and which have the same pattern of service. We recognize revenue over the performance period as a customer receives the benefits of our services.
Disaggregation of revenue
In addition to our segment reporting, we disaggregate our revenues by service, contract type, customer type and geography. Our operating segments represent the manner in which our Chief Executive Officer reviews our financial results which is further discussed in "Note 2. Segment information."
By operating segment and service
Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)2020201920202019
Program administration$236,436  $219,732  $473,343  $438,705  
Assessments and appeals29,916  33,331  63,747  70,552  
Workforce and children services28,734  23,898  58,120  47,801  
Other13,612  13,776  25,769  27,892  
Total U.S. Health and Human Services$308,698  $290,737  $620,979  $584,950  
Program administration$304,367  $209,996  $586,055  $350,117  
Technology solutions44,508  37,993  88,114  76,876  
Assessments and appeals44,516  41,747  85,793  79,730  
Total U.S. Federal Services$393,391  $289,736  $759,962  $506,723  
Workforce and children services$34,683  $69,759  $91,922  $143,037  
Assessments and appeals62,286  67,771  124,929  130,081  
Program administration16,945  15,922  34,039  31,242  
Other2,132  2,595  4,533  5,106  
Total Outside the U.S.$116,046  $156,047  $255,423  $309,466  
Total revenue$818,135  $736,520  $1,636,364  $1,401,139  

By contract type
Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)2020201920202019
Performance-based$275,669  $261,592  $568,427  $574,479  
Cost-plus398,973  298,133  761,784  473,431  
Fixed price100,504  139,871  219,720  287,022  
Time and materials42,989  36,924  86,433  66,207  
Total revenue$818,135  $736,520  $1,636,364  $1,401,139  
By customer type
Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)2020201920202019
New York State government agencies$100,222  $89,858  $197,445  $181,570  
Other U.S. state government agencies217,195  197,870  427,081  396,772  
Total U.S. state government agencies317,417  287,728  624,526  578,342  
United States Federal Government agencies374,909  270,623  726,742  468,901  
International government agencies107,460  146,292  238,276  289,073  
Other, including local municipalities and commercial customers18,349  31,877  46,820  64,823  
Total revenue$818,135  $736,520  $1,636,364  $1,401,139  

By geography
Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)2020201920202019
United States of America$702,089  $580,473  $1,380,941  $1,091,673  
United Kingdom63,722  78,334  136,724  151,752  
Australia24,540  50,997  61,975  104,370  
Rest of world27,784  26,716  56,724  53,344  
Total revenue$818,135  $736,520  $1,636,364  $1,401,139  

Contract balances
Differences in timing between revenue recognition and cash collection result in contract assets and contract liabilities. We classify these assets as accounts receivable — billed and billable and unbilled receivables; the liabilities are classified as deferred revenue.
In many contracts, we bill our customers on a monthly basis shortly after the month end for work performed in that month. Funds are considered collectible and are included within accounts receivable — billed and billable.
Exceptions to this pattern will arise for various reasons, including those listed below.
•Under cost-plus contracts, we are typically required to estimate a contract’s share of our general and administrative expenses. This share is based upon estimates of total costs which may vary over time. We typically invoice our customers at an agreed provisional billing rate which may differ from actual rates incurred. If our actual rates are higher than the provisional billing rates, an asset is recorded for this variance; if the provisional billing rates are higher than our actual rates, we record a liability.
•Certain contracts include retainage balances, whereby revenue is earned but cash payments are held back by the customer for a period of time, typically to allow the customer to confirm the objective criteria laid out by the contract have been met. This balance is classified as accounts receivable - unbilled until restrictions on billing have been lifted.
•In certain contracts, we may receive funds from our customers prior to performing operations. These funds are typically referred to as “set-up costs” and reflect the need for us to make investments in infrastructure prior to providing a service. This investment in infrastructure is not a performance obligation which is distinct from the service that is subsequently provided and, as a result, revenue is not recognized based upon the
establishment of this infrastructure, but rather over the course of the contractual relationship. The funds are initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized over the term of the contract. Other contracts may not include set-up fees but will provide higher fees in earlier periods of the contract. The premium on these fees is deferred.
•Some of our contracts, notably our welfare-to-work contracts in the Outside the U.S. Segment, include payments for outcomes, such as job retention, which occur over several months. We are required to estimate these outcome fees ahead of their realization and recognize this estimated fee over the period of delivery.
Of our revenue for the three and the six months ended March 31, 2020, approximately $22.1 million and $40.1 million were from cash payments made to us prior to October 1, 2019. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2019, we recognized revenue of $10.2 million and $32.0 million from payments made prior to October 1, 2018.
Contract estimates
We are required to use estimates in recognizing revenue from some of our contracts. As discussed in "Note 1. Organization and Basis of Presentation", the calculation of these estimates has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reduced our ability to use past results to estimate future performance.
Some of our performance-based contract revenue is recognized based upon future outcomes defined in each contract. This is the case in many of our welfare-to-work contracts in the Outside the U.S. Segment, where we are paid as individuals attain employment goals, which may take many months to achieve. We recognize revenue on these contracts over the period of performance. Our estimates vary from contract to contract but may include estimates of the number of participants, the length of the contract and the participants reaching employment milestones. We are required to estimate these outcome fees ahead of their realization and recognize this estimated fee over the period of delivery. In almost all of the jurisdictions in which we operate, the employment markets have experienced significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For our existing program participants, many employment opportunities have been terminated or are no longer available. Our volume of new program participants is expected to increase but it is unclear as to when these populations will be in a position to seek employment in many industries which have been curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, we anticipate that we may be unable to place individuals in employment in the short-term.
Other performance-based contracts with future outcomes include those where we recognize an average effective rate per participant based upon the total volume of expected participants. In this instance, we are required to estimate the amount of discount applied to determine the average rate of revenue per participant. Our revised estimates of participant numbers are based upon our updated evaluation of probable future volumes. We are required to use estimates in recognizing certain revenue.
Where we have changes to our estimates, these are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis. In the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, we reported reductions in revenue of $6.3 million and $7.7 million from changes in estimates as of September 30, 2019. In the three and six months ended March 31, 2019, we reported reductions in revenue of $6.5 million and $8.0 million, respectively, from changes in estimates.
Deferred contract costs
For many contracts, we incur significant incremental costs at the beginning of an arrangement. Typically, these costs relate to the establishment of infrastructure which we utilize to satisfy our performance obligations with the contract. We report these costs as deferred contract costs and amortize them on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful economic life of the asset or the anticipated term of the contract.
Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)2020201920202019
Deferred contract cost capitalization$2,666  $5,113  $3,995  $8,212  
Deferred contract cost amortization1,321  1,4783,497  2,820
This amortization was recorded within our "cost of revenue" on our consolidated statements of operations.
Remaining performance obligations
At March 31, 2020, we had approximately $270 million of remaining performance obligations. We anticipate that we will recognize revenue on approximately 55% of this balance within the next 12 months. This balance excludes contracts with an original duration of twelve months or less, including contracts with a penalty-free termination for convenience clause, and any variable consideration which is allocated entirely to future performance obligations including variable transaction fees or fees tied directly to costs incurred.