[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 102 (Thursday, May 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29187-29188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14117]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

General Services Administration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

[OMB Control No. 9000-0020]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request Entitled Qualification 
Requirements

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding an extension to an 
existing OMB clearance (9000-0020).

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 
Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently 
approved information collection requirement concerning Qualification 
Requirements. The clearance currently expires on September 30, 1998.

COMMENTS: Comments may be submitted on or before July 27, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ralph DeStefano, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-
1758.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden, to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102, NEOB, 
Washington, DC 20503 and a copy to the General Services Administration, 
FAR Secretariat, 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    10 U.S.C. 2319 and 41 U.S.C. 253c prescribe policies and procedures 
which are to be followed by Federal agencies before they may establish 
any prequalification requirement with which a prospective contractor 
must comply before his offer will even be

[[Page 29188]]

considered by the agency for a contract award. Three basic requirements 
are prescribed.
    First, the agency must examine the need for establishing the 
prequalification requirement, given its adverse impact on free and open 
competition. Having established that a need for a prequalification 
requirement exists, the agency must prepare a written justification 
which explains that need.
    Second, the agency must specify the standards which a prospective 
contractor, or its product or service, must satisfy in order to be 
qualified. The agency is directed to limit such standards to those 
essential to ``meet the purposes necessitating the establishment of the 
prequalification requirement.''
    Third, the executive agency imposing the prequalification 
requirement must promptly provide a prospective contractor with the 
opportunity to demonstrate its ability to meet the standards the agency 
has specified for qualification.
    The contracting officer uses the information to determine 
eligibility for award when the clause at 52.209-1, Qualification 
Requirements, is included in the solicitation. The offeror must 
identify the offeror, manufacturer, source, product or service, as 
appropriate, that has been prequalified and test number as evidence 
that the qualification requirement has been met. Alternatively, an 
offeror not meeting the qualification requirement may be considered for 
award upon the submission of evidence that the qualification 
requirement has been satisfied.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average .17 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. The annual reporting burden is estimated as 
follows: Respondents, 2,700; responses per respondent, 10; total annual 
responses, 27,000; preparation hours per response, .17; and total 
response burden hours, 4,590.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requester may obtain a copy of the 
justification from the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat 
(MVRS), 1800 F Street, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 
501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0020, Qualification 
Requirements, in all correspondence.

    Dated: May 21, 1998.
Sharon A. Kiser,
FAR Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 98-14117 Filed 5-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-34-M