[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 242 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78236-78237]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32215]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).
    Title: Focus Groups on Minority-Owned Business Growth, 
Opportunities and Barriers to Global Commerce.
    OMB Control Number: 0640-0027.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (reinstatement with change of a 
previously approved information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Average Hours per Response: 3 hours.
    Burden Hours: 300.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Advisory 
Council on Minority Business Enterprise has been working on 
recommendations for the Secretary of Commerce on domestic and global 
growth strategies and programs for minority-owned businesses. The 
recommendations are also in support of the President's National Export

[[Page 78237]]

Initiative (NEI), which calls for doubling U.S. exports in five years.
    The Council, which is managed by the Minority Business Development 
Agency, will hold a series of focus groups (five to ten) to gather 
qualitative data on minority-owned businesses strategies and barriers 
to business growth domestically and through exports. The collection is 
necessary because currently there are no sources of qualitative data 
available that provide this kind of information.
    The focus groups will be held, upon approval, in January and 
February of 2012. The Council will invite minority business owners 
representing diverse geographic locations, industries, firm sizes, and 
growth performance. Findings from the Focus groups will be used to 
inform Final Recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce to be 
delivered in April 2012.
    The change from previous request is that MBDA will be conducting 
focus groups instead of using a survey to collect the same information.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations 
(minority-owned businesses, entrepreneurs).
    Frequency: One-time only.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer:. Nicholas Fraser, (202) 395-5887.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Nicholas Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, FAX number (202) 395-7285, or via 
the Internet at [email protected].

    Dated: December 12, 2011.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-32215 Filed 12-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P