[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10703-10704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04126]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Solicitation of Proposal Information for Award of Public 
Contracts

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, DHS.

ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; extension without 
change of a currently approved collection, 1600-0005.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief 
Procurement Officer, will submit the following Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). DHS previously published this 
information collection request (ICR) in the Federal Register on 
Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 79 FR 73329 for a 60-day public comment 
period. No comments were received by DHS. The 60 Day in error 
identified the OMB Control No. as 1601-0005. The correct OMB Control 
No. for this collection is 1600-0005. The purpose of this notice is to 
allow additional 30-days for public comments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until March 30, 
2015. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be 
addressed to OMB Desk Officer, Department of Homeland Security and sent 
via electronic mail to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 
395-5806.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
and the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) collect 
information when inviting firms to submit bids, proposals, and offers 
for public contracts for supplies and services. The information 
collection is necessary for compliance with the Homeland Security 
Acquisition Regulation (HSAR), 48 CFR Chapter 30, and the Small 
Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology 
Transfer (STTR) programs 15 U.S.C 628.
    For solicitations to contract made through a variety of means, 
whether conducted orally or in writing, contracting officers normally 
request information from prospective offerors such as pricing 
information, delivery schedule compliance, and whether the offeror has 
the resources (both human and financial) to accomplish requirements. 
Examples of the kinds of information collected can be found in the HSAR 
in Part 9, Part 19 and Part 47, along with associated solicitation 
provisions and contract clauses.
    Examples where collections of information occur in soliciting for 
supplies/services include the issuance of draft Requests for Proposal 
(RFP), Requests for Information (RFI), and Broad Agency Announcements 
(BAA). The Government generally issues an RFP using the uniform 
contract format with the intent of awarding a contract to one or more 
prospective offerors. The RFP can require those interested in making an 
offer to provide information in the following areas: Schedule (FAR 
15.204-2); contract clauses (FAR 15.204-3); list of documents, exhibits 
and other attachments (FAR 15.204-4) or representations and 
instructions (15.204-5). Examples of collections under the HSAR 
include:

3052.209-70 Prohibition on Contracts with Corporate Expatriates
3052.209-72 Organizational Conflict of Interest
3052.209-74 Limitations on Contractors Acting as Lead System 
Integrators
3052.209-76 Prohibition on Federal Protective Service Guard Services 
Contracts with Business Concerns Owned, Controlled, or Operated by an 
Individual Convicted of a Felony
3052.219-72 Evaluation of Prime Contractor Participation in the DHS 
Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program
3052.247-70 F.o.b. Origin Information

    The DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate issues BAAs 
soliciting white papers and proposals from the public. DHS S&T 
evaluates white papers and proposals received from the public in 
response to a DHS S&T BAA using the evaluation criteria specified in 
the BAA through a peer or scientific review process in accordance with 
FAR 35.016(d). White paper evaluation determines those research ideas 
that merit submission of a full proposal and proposal evaluation 
determines those proposals that merit selection for contract award. 
Unclassified white papers and proposals are typically collected via the 
DHS S&T BAA secure Web site, while classified white papers and 
proposals must be submitted via proper classified courier or proper 
classified mailing procedures as described in the National Industrial 
Security Program Operating Manual (NSPOM).

[[Page 10704]]

    Federal agencies with an annual extramural research and development 
(R&D) budget exceeding $100 million are required to participate in the 
SBIR Program. Similarly, Federal agencies with an extramural R&D budget 
exceeding $1 billion are required to participate in the STTR Program.
    Federal agencies who participate in the SBIR and STTR programs must 
collect information from the public to:
    (1) Meet their reporting requirements under 15 U.S.C. 638(b)(7), 
(g)(8), (i), (j)(1)(E), (j)(3)(C), (l), (o)(10), and (v);
    (2) Meet the requirement to maintain both a publicly accessible 
database of SBIR/STTR award information and a government database of 
SBIR/STTR award information for SBIR and STTR program evaluation under 
15 U.S.C. 638g(10), (k), (o)(9), and (o)(15); and
    (3) Meet requirements for public outreach under 15 U.S.C. 
638(j)(2)(F), (o)(14), and (s).
    The prior information collect request for OMB No. 1600-0005 was 
approved through February 28, 2015 by OMB in a Notice of OMB Action.
    The information being collected is used by the Government's 
contracting officers and other acquisition personnel, including 
technical and legal staffs to determine adequacy of technical and 
management approach, experience, responsibility, responsiveness, 
expertise of the firms submitting offers, identification of members of 
the public (i.e., small businesses) who qualify for, and are interested 
in participating in, the DHS SBIR Program, facilitate SBIR outreach to 
the public, and provide the DHS SBIR Program Office necessary and 
sufficient information to determine that proposals submitted by the 
public to the DHS SBIR Program meet criteria for consideration under 
the program.
    Failure to collect this information would adversely affect the 
quality of products and services DHS receives from contractors. 
Potentially, contracts would be awarded to firms without sufficient 
experience and expertise, thereby placing the Department's operations 
in jeopardy. Defective and inadequate contractor deliverables would 
adversely affect DHS's fulfillment of the mission requirements in all 
areas. Additionally, the Department would be unsuccessful in 
identifying small businesses with research and development (R&D) 
capabilities, which would adversely affect the mission requirements in 
this area.
    Many sources of the requested information use automated word 
processing systems, databases, and web portal to facilitate preparation 
of material to be submitted and to post and collect information. It is 
common place within many of DHS's Components for submissions to be 
electronic as a result of implementation of e-Government initiatives.
    Information technology (i.e., electronic web portal) is used in the 
collection of information to reduce the data gathering and records 
management burden. DHS uses a secure Web site which the public can 
propose SBIR research topics and submit proposals in response to SBIR 
solicitations. In addition, DHS uses a web portal to review RFIs and 
register to submit a white paper or proposal in response to a specific 
BAA. The data collection forms standardize the collection of 
information that is necessary and sufficient for the DHS SBIR Program 
Office to meet its requirements under 15 U.S.C. 638.
    There has been no change in the information being collected. The 
reduction in the total annual burden is based on agency estimates. 
First, the estimate is based on the number of expected contract awards 
requiring the submission of information has been declining in the last 
three years.
    The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in 
comments which:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    Analysis:
    AGENCY: Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, DHS.
    Title: Solicitation of Proposal Information for Award of Public 
Contracts.
    OMB Number: 1600-0005.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Private Sector.
    Number of Respondents: 13,612.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 7 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 285,852.

Carlene C. Ileto,
Executive Director, Enterprise Business Management Office.
[FR Doc. 2015-04126 Filed 2-26-15; 8:45 am]
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