[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 94 (Friday, May 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28037-28039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11699]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Data Collection Available for Public Comments

ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to request 
approval, from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the new 
collection of information described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 requires federal agencies to 
publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed 
collection of information before submission to OMB, and to allow 60 
days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies 
with that requirement.

DATES: Submit comments on or before July 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments to Delcine Montgomery, Contracting Officer 
Technical Representative, Office of Native American Affairs, U.S. Small 
Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW., Suite 6700, Washington, DC 
20416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Delcine Montgomery, Contracting 
Officer Technical Representative, 202-205-6195 or 
[email protected]., or Curtis B. Rich, Management Analyst, 
202-205-7030, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October 2013, the SBA's Office of the 
Native Business Development awarded a contract to Cherokee Nation 
Technology Solutions, LLC (CNTS) to provide 8(a) Business Development 
Program training to American Indian Tribes (AITs) Alaskan Native 
Corporations (ANCs) and Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). The 
primary purpose of Native American 8(a) Business Development Program 
Workshops Training Initiative (the Native American 8(a) BD Workshops) 
is to improve the Native American business owners and entrepreneur's 
understanding of the SBA 8(a) Business Development program's 
eligibility requirements and application process, business operation 
features for successful contract management, revenue-generating/job-

[[Page 28038]]

creating capabilities as a tribal 8(a) certified federal contractor.
    SBA plans to conduct a performance evaluation of the Native 
American 8(a) BD Workshops to assess the training services provided to 
individuals who directly and indirectly obtained the information and 
knowledge from the workshops, the preliminary impact of training on the 
business goals of direct and indirect participants, participant 
satisfaction with the training provider, and lessons learned and 
recommendations by the CNTS and the participants in the workshops. One 
unique feature of the implementation of the Native American 8(a) BD 
Workshops is that a significant number of participants were 
representing tribal organizations such as Leadership, Tribal Council, 
and Economic/Business Development. With the participation of the tribal 
representatives, there is a strong possibility that the knowledge 
learned from Native American 8(a) BD Workshops could be further 
disseminated by these tribal representatives to the other members/
business owners of the tribes. Therefore, SBA plans to enhance and 
increase the data collection of performance metrics and collect survey 
data from participants who attended the workshops and the individuals 
who indirectly obtained the related knowledge from the tribal 
representatives. These data will facilitate the comprehensive 
assessment of Native American 8(a) BD workshop operations, outcomes and 
impacts.
    Specifically, SBA proposes the use of two different instruments for 
data collection and analysis: (1) The Native American 8(a) Business 
Development Program Workshops Training Initiative Direct Participant 
Survey; and (2) the Native American 8(a) Business Development Program 
Workshops Training Initiative Indirect Participant Survey. Both of the 
surveys will be administered electronically and will contain both open- 
and close-ended questions. The types of information that will be 
collected in the instruments can be found in the ``Summary of 
Information Collection'' section below. Both quantitative and 
qualitative data analyses will be conducted. Quantitative analysis will 
consist of univariate and multivariate statistical techniques to 
summarize surveys results and explore the relationships among various 
data elements. The qualitative analysis will consist of identifying and 
interpreting themes for the open-ended survey questions. The 
information collected and analyzed from the survey instruments will be 
used to develop performance metrics, establish the achievement of the 
program's goals as well as providing recommendations on improving 
program operations.

(a) Solicitation of Public Comments

    SBA is requesting comments on (a) whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the agency to properly perform its 
functions; (b) whether the burden estimates are accurate; (c) whether 
there are ways to minimize the burden, including through the use of 
automated techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) 
whether there are ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information.

(b) Summary of Information Collection

1. Native American 8(a) Business Development Program Workshops Training 
Initiative Direct Participant Outcome Survey

    Description and Number of Respondents: The web surveys will be 
conducted with participants who directly attended Native American 8(a) 
BD Program Workshops in FY2014. The direct participant survey will be 
provided to a total of 422 direct participants who attended the 
workshops in all 31 locations during FY2014. SBA is anticipating a 25% 
response rate and, as a result, it's estimated that 105 direct workshop 
participants will complete the Native American 8(a) BD direct 
participant web survey.
    The direct participants survey will consist of questions about the 
demographics of participants, their business characteristics, needs and 
goals, whether the workshop staff effectively assessed their business 
needs before conducting the training services, the types of training 
received, the training resources other than Native American 8(a) BD 
Workshops that they used, participant outcomes, impact of training, and 
participant satisfaction with the workshops.
    Estimated Responses and Hour Burden: The total estimated number of 
responses to the survey will be 105 at an estimated average completion 
time is approximately 28 minutes. The total estimated annual hour 
burden is 506.22 for the Native American 8(a) BD Workshops Direct 
Participant Outcome Survey. It includes the hour burden (48.3 hours) to 
the 105 respondents for completing the web survey, receiving thank you 
letters after completion of the survey, the hours burden for the 
pretesting conducted with 8 participants, as well as multiple contacts 
with all 422 potential respondents, such as the announcement from 
directors, the survey invite, the reminder email from the directors, 
the reminder email from community leaders, and three reminder emails. 
The total annual burden also includes compiling the indirect 
participant list by tribal representatives who attended the workshop 
and the burden of sending the survey announcement letter by the tribal 
representatives to the indirect participants.

2. Native American 8(a) Business Development Program Workshops Training 
Initiative Indirect Participant Outcome Survey

    Description and Number of Respondents: The web surveys will be 
conducted with Native American business owners and entrepreneurs who 
did not attend Native American 8(a) Business Development Program 
Workshops in FY2014, but obtained the knowledge and information related 
to the Native American 8(a) BD Program from the tribal representatives. 
SBA estimates that the sample size for indirect participants will be 
275, based on 110 tribal representatives attending the workshops, the 
25% response rate, and an average of 10 indirect participants per a 
tribal representative. The response rate for these 275 potential 
respondents is estimated to be 25%, resulting in the sample size of 69 
completed the surveys. The indirect participant's survey will consist 
of questions about the demographics of participants as well as their 
business characteristics, needs and goals, the information they 
received, the business assistance resources they used, business 
outcomes, impact of obtained information, and their satisfaction with 
the obtained information.
    Estimated Responses and Hour Burden: The total estimated number of 
responses from this survey will be 69. The estimated average completion 
time of a survey is approximately 25 minutes. The total estimated 
annual hour burden is 166.5. In addition to the hour burden (i.e. 28.98 
hours) to the 69 respondents for completing the indirect participant 
outcome survey, this annual hour burden (i.e. 166.5 hours) also 
includes the burden of 275 program indirect participants reading the 
announcement email from tribal organization representatives, reading 
survey invite and four reminder emails and 69 respondents receiving 
thank you letters after completion of the survey.
    Total Estimated Respondents for both survey instruments: 174, 
including 105 direct participants and 69 indirect participants.

[[Page 28039]]

    Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden for both survey instruments: 
Approximately 672.72 hours.

Curtis B. Rich,
Management Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2015-11699 Filed 5-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8025-01-P