[Federal Register: February 18, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 34)]
[Notices]
[Page 8331-8332]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18fe00-29]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Procurement and Property Management; Proposed
Collection: Comment Request Concerning Collection of Acquisition
Information
AGENCY: Office of Procurement and Property Management, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments regarding a proposed extension
of approved information collection requirements.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Office of Procurement and Property Management
(OPPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a
request to review and approve an extension of five currently approved
information collections related to the award of, or performance under,
USDA contracts. OPPM invites comment on these information collections.
These information requirements are currently approved by OMB for use
through May 31, 2000. OPPM proposes that OMB extend its approval for
use through June 2, 2003.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 18, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Joseph J. Daragan, Procurement Analyst,
Office of Procurement and Property Management, STOP 9303, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9303. Comments may also be submitted via fax at (202) 720-8972,
or through the Internet at joe.daragan@USDA.GOV.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph J. Daragan, Office of
Procurement and Property Management, STOP 9303, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9303,
(202) 720-5729.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USDA is seeking OMB approval of the
following information collections:
1. Title: Procurement: Maximum Workweek--Construction Schedule.
OMB Number: 0505-0011.
Expiration Date: 5/31/2000.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Proposed use of information: Information about the contractor's
proposed hours of work is requested prior to the start of construction
so that the agency can determine when on-site representatives are
needed. A contracting office will insert this clause in a construction
contract when, because of the agency's staffing or budgetary
constraints, it is necessary to limit the contractor's performance to a
maximum number of hours per week.
Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit; small businesses or
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One (1).
Estimate of Burden: The information collected is the hours and days
of the week the contractor proposes to carry out construction, with
starting and stopping times. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average fifteen minutes per
response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 150 hours.
2. Title: Procurement: Instruction for the Preparation of Business
and Technical Proposals.
OMB Number: 0505-0013.
Expiration Date: 5/31/2000.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Proposed use of information: Technical and business proposals
received from offerors, including information about offerors'
organization and financial systems, are used when conducting negotiated
procurement to evaluate and determine the feasibility of the
prospective contractor's technical approach, management, and cost/price
to accomplish the task and/or provide the supplies or services required
under a resultant contract.
Respondents: State or local governments; businesses or other for-
profit; small businesses or organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,700.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One (1).
[[Page 8332]]
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden to prepare technical
and business proposals as part of a response to a solicitation is
estimated to average 35 hours per response. This estimate does not
include burden associated with providing information required in
accordance with information collections prescribed by the Federal
Acquisition Regulation. Only businesses submitting offers in response
to a solicitation are affected by this collection.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 94,500 hours.
3. Title: Procurement: Brand Name or Equal Clause.
OMB Number: 0505-0014.
Expiration Date: 5/31/2000.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Proposed use of information: The Agriculture Acquisition Regulation
permits the use of ``brand name or equal'' purchase descriptions to
procure commercial products. Such descriptions require the offeror on a
supply procurement to identify the ``equal'' item being offered and to
indicate how that item meets salient characteristics stated in the
purchase description. The contracting officer can determine from the
descriptive information furnished whether the offered ``equal'' item
meets the salient characteristics of the Government's requirements. The
use of brand name or equal descriptions eliminates the need for bidders
or offerors to read and interpret detailed specifications or purchase
descriptions.
Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit; small businesses or
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 51,468.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One (1).
Estimate of Burden: This information collection is limited to
solicitations for products for which other methods of product
specification are impracticable. Only businesses wishing to submit bids
or offers in response to a solicitation are affected. Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimate to average one
tenth of an hour per response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5,147 hours.
4. Title: Procurement: Key Personnel Clause.
OMB Number: 0505-0015.
Expiration Date: 5/31/2000.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Proposed use of information: The information enables the agency to
determine whether the departure of a key person from the contractor's
staff may have a deleterious effect upon contract performance, and to
determine what accommodations or remedies may be taken. If the agency
could not obtain information about departing key personnel, it could
not ensure that qualified personnel continue to perform contract work.
Respondents: State or local governments; businesses or other for-
profit; small businesses or organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One (1).
Estimate of Burden: The information collection is required only
when a contractor proposes to make changes to key personnel assigned to
performance of a contract. Consequently, information collection is
occasional. Public reporting burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average one hour per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 200 hours.
5. Title: Procurement: Progress Reporting Clause.
OMB Number: 0505-0016.
Expiration Date: 5/31/2000.
Type of request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Proposed use of information: The information is requested monthly
or quarterly from contractors performing research and development (R&D)
or advisory and assistance services, including ADP system or software
development. The information enables the contracting office to monitor
actual progress and expenditures compared to anticipated performance
and proposal representations upon which the contract award was made.
The information alerts the contracting office to technical problems, to
a need for additional staff resources or funding, and to the
probability of timely completion within the contract cost or price. If
the contracting office could not obtain a report of progress, it would
have to physically monitor the contractor's operations on a day-to-day
basis throughout the performance period.
Respondents: State or local government; businesses or other for-
profit; small businesses or organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: The frequency of
progress reports varies from monthly to quarterly depending on the
complexity of the contract and the risk of successful completion. Based
on monthly reporting, each respondent would submit 12 responses per
year.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average one and one half hours per
respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,600 hours.
Comments received will be considered in order to: (a) Evaluate
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of USDA contracting offices,
including whether the information will have a practical utility; (b)
evaluate the accuracy of OPPM's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used; (c) enhance the quality, utility and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who respond, including through the
use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology. All responses to this notice will be summarized and
included in the request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: February 11, 2000.
W.R. Ashworth,
Director, Office of Procurement and Property Management.
[FR Doc. 00-3877 Filed 2-17-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-TX-P
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