[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 44759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18513]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Department of Commerce Business Forum

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is seeking 
vendors that currently conduct business with, or have previously 
conducted business with or hope to conduct business with DOC. 
Interested parties are asked to offer comments on the DOC acquisition 
function for the purpose of strengthening the process. Parties may 
offer oral comments at a public meeting to be held on August 10, 2010. 
Parties are also encouraged to provide written comments.

DATES: A public meeting will be conducted on August 10, 2010, at 1 p.m. 
Eastern time and will end no later than 4 p.m. Eastern time.
    The public is asked to pre-register by 5 p.m. Eastern time on 
August 6, 2010, due to security precautions and seating limitations. 
Registration is on a first-come first-served basis and space is 
limited. To preregister, please send an e-mail to 
[email protected] with attending personnel names, 
business represented, along with contact information and the topics of 
interest (see topics below). Please put ``Registration'' in the subject 
line of the e-mail. Registration on August 10, 2010 at the meeting 
location will begin at 12 p.m. Eastern time on August 10, 2010 and the 
meeting will start at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the Department 
of Commerce. The auditorium is located off the main lobby of the 
Department of Commerce building at 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington DC 20230.
    The public meeting will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Request for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to 
[email protected] by August 6, 2010. Please put 
``Accommodations'' in the subject line.
    In lieu of, or in addition to, participating in the public meeting, 
interested parties may submit written comments to 
[email protected] by August 31, 2010. Please put 
``Comment'' in the subject line. Because DOC would like to implement 
possible suggestions to strengthen acquisition relations within the 
business community, interested parties wishing to have their comments 
considered in connection with this process must submit their comments 
by 5 p.m. Eastern time on August 31, 2010. Comments received after this 
date, but before DOC completes its work, may be considered in follow-up 
implementation efforts, as appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For clarification of the subject 
matter related to the memorandum: E-mail 
[email protected]. Please put ``Question'' in the 
subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to encourage 
public comment on ways DOC can improve its acquisition processes and 
relationship with the business community. A list of topics are provided 
at the end of this notice. Parties wishing to make oral or written 
comments are especially encouraged to provide comment on these issues 
for DOC consideration.
    DOC welcomes public comments on DOC's acquisition function best 
practices, opportunities for improvement, and challenges related to 
business contracting and seeks public input on the issues described 
below:
    General Impressions of the DOC Acquisition function: DOC is looking 
to strengthen the acquisition function and would like to hear your 
comments and suggestions on improving the DOC acquisition process to 
help businesses, thoughts on developing well defined solicitations, 
suggestions to ensure DOC's evaluation criteria is well defined, making 
debriefings useful and your thoughts and suggestions on some key 
processes that can be implemented to improve the DOC acquisition 
function.
    DOC Acquisition Personnel: In order to strengthen the acquisition 
function key personnel such as contracting officers, contracting 
specialist and purchasing agents are vital to maintain a healthy 
acquisition function. DOC wants to hear your thoughts, suggestions and 
comments on accessibility, helpfulness and knowledge of the acquisition 
personnel, program offices, OSDBU and small business specialists when 
seeking to gain a contract with DOC. Additionally, DOC would like to 
hear your thoughts, comments, suggestions on the availability of 
forecasting opportunities, the best practices from other agencies that 
can be utilized by DOC and some improvement opportunities DOC could 
implement to help businesses when using the acquisition process.
    Training, outreach, and technology: DOC understands that training 
is essential to any organization and would like your thoughts, 
comments, suggestions on the types of training for DOC acquisition 
personnel or businesses that improve businesses' ability to participate 
in the DOC marketplace. Additionally, DOC would like to know your 
thoughts, comments and suggestions on the best ways to deliver this 
training to the business community and learn what other Federal 
organizations do to improve their business outreach strategies. 
Furthermore, DOC would like your thoughts, comments and suggestions on 
available technology systems and applications are most helpful to 
businesses in finding contracting opportunities, and available 
technological improvements that can be made to existing technologies, 
or what new applications might be considered to make doing business 
with DOC more attractive.
    An agenda will be posted at Web site http://oam.ocs.doc.gov/ no 
later than July 31, 2010, with additional details on the structure of 
the meeting. The meeting may include break-out sessions that focus on 
individual topics, such as those described at the end of this notice. 
Therefore, parties may be asked to focus their oral comments on the 
topic of greatest interest to them.

    Dated: July 22, 2010.
Helen Hurcombe,
Senior Procurement Executive, Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2010-18513 Filed 7-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-17-M