[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43264-43265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18189]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NIST MEP Client 
Impact Survey

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 19, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Christopher Carbone, (301) 975-2952, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and technology 
(NIST), the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a national 
network of locally-based manufacturing extension centers working with 
small manufacturers to assist them to improve their productivity, 
profitability, and enhance their economic competitiveness. The 
information collected will provide the MEP with information regarding 
MEP Center performance in the delivery of technology, and business 
solutions to U.S.-based manufacturers. The collected information will 
assist in determining the performance of the MEP Centers at both local 
and national levels, provide information critical to monitoring and 
reporting on MEP programmatic performance, and assist management in 
policy decisions. Responses to the collection of information are 
mandatory per the regulations governing the operation of the MEP 
Program (15 CFR Parts 290, 291, 292, and H.R. 1274--section 2). The 
information collected will include MEP customer inputs regarding their 
sales, costs, investments,

[[Page 43265]]

employment, and exports. Customers will only be surveyed annually under 
this collection. Data collected in this survey is confidential.

II. Method of Collection

    Information will be collected electronically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0021.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,500.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    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 
(including hours and cost) 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.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: July 14, 2011.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-18189 Filed 7-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P