[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8331-8332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3877]


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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 [email protected].

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