[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 7750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2820]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERViCES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more 
information on the proposed project or to obtain copy of the data 
collection plans and draft instruments, call the HRSA Reports Clearance 
Officer on (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
Awardee Application and Reporting Tool (AART): (New)

    The Awardee Application and Reporting Tool (AART) will be an online 
system allowing the 62 Awardees participating in the National 
Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program (NBHPP) to electronically 
submit a continuing cooperative agreement application (CAA), mid-year 
progress report on annual activities, a final report on annual 
activities and progress indicator report to HRSA's Healthcare Systems 
Bureau, Division of Healthcare Preparedness. The CAA will be a 
standardized application consisting of 16 Critical Benchmarks (CBM). 
For each CBM, Awardees will be required to provide a goal, objectives, 
and a budget outlining how funding provided by HRSA will be spent 
during the coming year. On the mid-year progress report, Awardees will 
indicate the progress they have made toward each of the objectives they 
noted on their CAA. For the final report on annual activities, Awardees 
will provide additional details on how their objectives were being 
achieved and how the program monies were spent. On the progress 
indicator report, Awardees will indicate the progress they have made to 
date toward achieving the program's CBM. Currently, the submission of 
the CAA and progress reports is a manual process by which Awardees 
submit paper-based submissions or electronically transmit text files to 
HRSA project officers (POs). These files are then reviewed manually and 
data analysis is difficult. The AART system will provide POs with the 
ability to review and approve applications, review progress reports, 
and generate reports online. In addition, the reporting interface will 
allow HRSA to quickly and efficiently analyze data, identify trends, 
make timely program decisions, and provide the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS), Congress, or other Agencies with any specific 
data or metrics requested.
    The burden estimate for Awardees to complete and submit a 
submission is as follows:

 
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                                     Number of     Responses per   Total number      Hours per     Total burden
         Submission type            respondents     Respondent     of responses      response          hours
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Cooperative Agreement                         62               1              62             120           7,440
 Application....................
Mid-year Report.................              62               1              62             124           7,688
Final Report on Annual                        62               1              62             124           7,688
 Activities.....................
Progress Indicator Report.......              62               1              62             124           7,688
                                 -----------------
    Total.......................              62               4             248  ..............          30,504
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    Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance 
Officer, Room 14-45, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 
MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: February 8, 2005.
Steven A. Pelovitz,
Associate Administrator for Administration and Financial Management.
[FR Doc. 05-2820 Filed 2-14-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P