[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4899-4901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1751]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 3090-0290;Docket No. 2010-0002; Sequence 20]


Submission for OMB Review; OMB Control No. 3090-0290; Central 
Contractor Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients

AGENCY: Office of Technology Strategy/Office of Governmentwide Policy, 
General Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding a new OMB 
information clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and 
approve an emergency new information collection requirement regarding 
Central Contractor Registration Requirements for Prime Grant 
Recipients.
    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the Central Contractor Registration Requirements for Prime 
Grant Recipients, whether it will have practical utility; whether our 
estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is 
accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use 
of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Submit comments on or before February 28, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 3090-
0290, Central Contractor Registration Requirements for Prime Grant 
Recipients by any of the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by inputting ``Information 
Collection 3090-0290, Central Contractor Registration Requirements for 
Prime Grant Recipients'' under the heading ``Enter Keyword or ID'' and 
selecting ``Search''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 3090-0290, Central Contractor 
Registration Requirements for Prime Grant Recipients''. Follow the 
instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please 
include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection 
3090-0290, Central Contractor Registration Requirements for Prime Grant 
Recipients'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (MVCB), 1275 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20417. ATTN: 
Hada Flowers/IC 3090-0290.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 3090-0290, Central Contractor Registration Requirements for 
Prime Grant Recipients, in all correspondence related to this 
collection. All comments received will be posted without change to 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal and/or business 
confidential information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Janice Miller, Program Analyst, 
Office of Technology Strategy/Office of Governmentwide Policy, at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    This information collection requires information necessary for 
prime awardee registration into the FFATA Subaward Reporting System 
(FSRS) and review of its entity-related information. This will allow 
for prime awardee reporting of subaward and executive compensation data 
pursuant to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act 
(FFATA, or Transparency Act). This information collection requires that 
all prime grant awardees, subject to reporting under the Transparency 
Act register and maintain their registration in CCR.

B. Discussion of Public Comments

    Rename the Central Contractor Registration to more accurately 
reflect its new purpose. Four comments were received expressing concern 
regarding the name of the Central Contractor Registration. Two 
respondents suggested that if it is necessary to have prime grantees 
maintain registration in a centralized database of all Federal 
awardees, that the registry be renamed to reinforce the statutory 
distinction between acquisition and assistance awards. Since 
nongovernmental organizations accept only assistance awards 
(cooperative agreements) from the U.S. Government, they are recognized 
as an independent, non-state actor that provides technical assistance 
through a people-to-people approach. As they are not agents of the U.S. 
Government, they feel that requiring grantees to register in a 
``contractor'' registry would, by virtue of association, negate the 
distinction between assistance and acquisition, and could result in 
confusion about their role in implementing programs overseas. Two 
respondents believe that OMB should recognize that use of the term 
``contractor'' in a requirement that is now being applied to recipients 
of grants and cooperative agreements is likely to have a problematic 
impact because of the documented tendency on the part of some Federal 
agencies to improperly differentiate between acquisition and assistance 
instruments, and that this has often been the case in Federal agencies 
that fund projects that are performed overseas. These respondents 
suggest that OMB consider changing the nomenclature, at some future 
date, to the Central Contractor and Grantee Registry to reinforce the 
statutory distinction derived from the Federal Grant and Cooperative 
Agreement Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-224).
    Response: GSA acknowledges that the Central Contractor Registration 
(CCR) is now used by and supports both the contracts and grants 
communities. The registration services it provides are no longer 
limited to contractors alone. GSA also acknowledges the name CCR is not 
inclusive of the full range of registration services provided. Instead 
of renaming the system, however, GSA is

[[Page 4900]]

undertaking a restructuring of the supporting architecture to define 
consolidated, streamlined business services. CCR is the first migration 
group of existing, government-wide systems moving to this new 
architecture, known as the System for Award Management (SAM). The new 
system will provide the same capabilities found in the Federal 
procurement and award systems today--streamlined for efficiency and 
supported by common services to reduce costs and improve data quality. 
The business service for entity management with SAM will incorporate a 
restructured registration process better suited to the needs of both 
the contracts and grants communities as well as the ability to manage 
certifications and representations. While CCR will cease to exist as an 
independent application, the Web address for CCR (https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx) will remain active for a period of time following the 
migration redirecting users to SAM where registration business services 
will be provided.
    Foreign Assistance Awards. One respondent urged GSA and OMB to 
withdraw this notice until consultations can be had on less burdensome 
and more appropriate accountability procedures for international 
development and humanitarian relief nongovernmental organizations 
(NGOs) implementing Federal funding that will not increase the security 
risks for organizations and staff in the field.
    Response: OMB and GSA sought to reduce burden on prime awardees 
while providing a means to report subaward activity pursuant to the 
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (Transparency Act). 
This information collection requires that all prime grant awardees 
subject to reporting under the Transparency Act register and maintain 
their active registration in CCR. The Transparency Act does not allow 
for exemptions for foreign assistance awards. This registration enables 
significant data reuse within the FSRS and other government systems, 
while increasing data quality. OMB will continue to work with all prime 
recipients' concerns to identify the least burdensome methods for 
reporting, recognizing the need to ensure the safety and security of 
certain foreign assistance recipients. As Transparency Act reporting 
matures, GSA welcomes specific recommendations on how to minimize 
reporting burden while complying with the Act's requirements.
    Burden Imposed. Three comments were received regarding the burden 
of this information collection. One respondent commented that regarding 
the GSA estimate of 23,358 respondents, each respondent is expected to 
submit one response with a calculated entry time of one hour per 
response appears only to reflect a one-time estimation of the reporting 
burden on the prime without considering the subsequent efforts that 
would need to be made over the lifetime of an award by both prime and 
subawardees to maintain the accuracy of the information. One respondent 
stated that the notice does not offer estimates of the direct or 
indirect costs associated with collection, entry and maintenance of 
prime and subawardee records and that, given the time and funding 
required to meet the requirement in full, it would be difficult for 
U.S.-based international NGOs with hundreds of subawards and limited 
budgets to meet the reporting deadline for each subrecipient without 
dedicating a substantial number of new additional administrative 
personnel. Another respondent commented that it appears from the 
precision of the data used to identify the number of respondents 
(23,358), GSA is relying on a specific source rather than simply 
estimating a number. But because there is no identification about where 
these data on respondents comes from, it is virtually impossible to 
assess whether they are accurate or based on valid assumptions and 
methodologies. The respondent requests that GSA and OMB publish 
additional information about the sources of data in the request so that 
they can be assessed in accordance with the letter and spirit of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. They also add that the simple round number of 
1 hour per response identified in the estimate belies the effort that 
they and other similarly situated organizations would be required to 
undertake. One respondent requested that the burden estimate be re-
evaluated.
    Response: The figure of 23,358 grants respondents was derived from 
the number of grantees who are not currently registered in CCR. This 
number is based on the total number of unique prime grant awardees 
reporting into USAspending.gov over all years (80,625), minus the total 
number of Recovery Act-funded prime grant awardees who are currently 
required under FederalReporting.gov to register in CCR (55,267). The 
resulting remainder, 23,358, constitutes the total number of new prime 
grant awardees who may not be currently registered in CCR, and will, as 
a result of this revision, be required to register in the system. This 
figure may be an overestimate given that prime grant awardees may also 
be Federal contractors who, under this existing collection, are 
required to register in CCR. This figure may also be an overestimate to 
the extent that any grant awardee whose award amount is reimbursed 
through the Department of the Treasury's Secure Payment System is also 
already required to register in CCR; and because not all prime grant 
awardees will be required to register in CCR, if no reporting under 
FFATA is required. Because these are new statutory requirements for 
reporting, GSA has provided its best estimates based on available 
information. Where the public is encouraged to provide specific burden 
estimates associated with this reporting requirement, GSA will continue 
to review and revise these burden estimates as more information becomes 
available.
    Purpose of the Information Collection Request. One respondent asked 
what this ICR really does and why was it an emergency new information 
collection requirement.
    Response: This information collection requires that all prime grant 
awardees subject to reporting under FFATA register and maintain their 
registration in CCR. Emergency review and clearance of this new 
information collection requirement is essential to the implementation 
of FFATA. Without expedited OMB review and approval, prime grant 
awardees would not have been able to report subaward and executive 
compensation data pursuant to FFATA's transparency requirements for new 
grant awards as of October 1, 2010. The CCR was developed to centralize 
awardee information. This collection will leverage the central 
clearinghouse capacity of CCR to ensure that prime grant awardees have 
minimal burden in providing the Federal Government with its identifying 
information. This will ensure that the information provided to the 
Federal Government once will be used multiple times to facilitate 
multiple reporting requirements for prime grant awardees pursuant to 
FFATA.

C. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 23,358.
    Responses Per Respondent: 1.
    Hours Per Response: 1.
    Total Burden Hours: 23,358.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (MVCB), 1275 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20417, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite OMB Control 
No. 3090-0290, Central Contractor Registration Requirements

[[Page 4901]]

for Prime Grant Recipients, in all correspondence.

    Dated: January 21, 2011.
Casey Coleman,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-1751 Filed 1-26-11; 8:45 am]
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