[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 106 (Friday, May 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47194-47195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11967]
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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Small Business Administration.
ACTION: 30-Day notice.
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SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking approval
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information
collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act and OMB procedures, SBA is publishing this notice to allow all
interested member of the public an additional 30 days to provide
comments on the proposed collection of information.
DATES: Submit comments on or before July 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for this information
collection request should be sent within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection request by selecting ``Small Business
Administration''; ``Currently Under Review,'' then select the ``Only
Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. This information collection can
be identified by title and/or OMB Control Number.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may obtain a copy of the
information collection and supporting documents from the Agency
Clearance Office at [email protected]; (202) 205-7030, or from
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for the extension with
changes to a currently approved collection (previous OMB number: 3245-
0392). Through the RIC Initiative, the SBA is investing in regional
clusters--geographic concentrations of interconnected companies,
specialized suppliers, academic institutions, service providers, and
associated organizations with a specific industry focus--throughout the
United States that span a variety of industries. The three primary
goals of the initiative are to (1) increase opportunities for small
business participation within clusters, (2) promote innovation in the
industries on which the clusters are focused, and (3) enhance economic
development and growth in cluster regions. To achieve these goals, the
clusters provide a host of services to the target population of small
and emerging businesses within their regional and industry focuses.
Services include direct business advising and support and sponsoring
events, such as networking opportunities with investors, partner
organizations, ESOs, and other stakeholders in the regions. This
information collection is necessary for the SBA to understand the
progress of the RIC Initiative towards achieving its goals.
The evaluation consists of two key components: an implementation
evaluation and an outcome evaluation. The implementation evaluation
focuses on how the Initiative is implemented across the fourteen
clusters and on the services that each cluster provides to its small
businesses. The outcome evaluation focuses on short and intermediate-
term outcomes linked directly to the cluster services, as well as on
long-term business outcomes that can be reasonably expected to result
from the short- and intermediate-term outcomes. The short-term outcomes
include the satisfaction and the perceived effectiveness of the program
for business management and growth. The intermediate-term outcomes
include development of new products, commercialization of new
technologies, marketing and export services, improved access to
capital, and industry integration. Long-term outcomes include increased
revenue and employment. Over the previous years, evaluation results
have helped to track the program performance outcomes and provide
suggestions for program improvements to better facilitate innovation
and small business growth. Furthermore, the evaluation survey data
helped the SBA to better focus cluster activities on local contexts,
particularly for rural and agricultural small businesses. This data
will not be used to evaluate the effectiveness of an individual
cluster.
The data collection effort involves three types of RIC Initiative
stakeholders: small businesses, partner organizations, and cluster
administrators. Small businesses participating in the cluster will be
sent an online survey to provide data about their cluster participation
experiences, satisfaction with the program and its components, the
performance of their firms with respect to a variety of outcomes, and
the role of cluster participation in the achievement of these outcomes.
Similarly, partner organizations will be asked to complete an online
survey to provide data about their experiences with the RIC Initiative.
The questions include reasons for the RIC participation, collaboration
with and support for small businesses, and the role of cluster
participation on key organizational outcomes associated with the RIC
Initiative participation. Small businesses and partner organizations
will also be interviewed once a year to obtain information on barriers,
facilitators, and other local influences on cluster and ecosystem
engagement, best practices to facilitate innovation, and suggestions
for potential cluster improvements (among other topics). The cluster
administrators will be asked to provide participant rosters, which
provide the framework for the surveys that the small businesses and
partner organizations are sent. The administrator survey requests
information about the services they
[[Page 47195]]
provided to these two groups of stakeholders, and their operations in
general. Cluster administrators will also be interviewed once a year to
obtain information about how their operations have evolved, the
adjustments they made, best practices, issues encountered, and the
lessons learned.
Small Business Web Survey. Estimated Number of Respondents: 180.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Respondent: 114.7. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 344. Small
Business Interview. Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 12.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Response: 43. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 8.6. Partner
Organization Web Survey. Estimated Number of Respondents: 150.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Respondent: 71. Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 177.5. Partner
organization Interview. Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 12.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Response: 37. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 7.4. Cluster
Administrator Interview. Estimated Number of Respondents: 20. Frequency
of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 87.
Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 29. Cluster Administrator Web Survey.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 20. Frequency of Response: Once per
year. Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 35.3. Estimated Annual
Hour Burden: 11.8 (including the time needed for administrators to
prepare their rosters). Administrative data request. Estimated Number
of Respondents: 20. Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated
Average Minutes per Response: 30. Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 10.
Solicitation of Public Comments
Comments may be submitted 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.
OMB Control: 3245-0392.
Title: Evaluation of the Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC)
Initiative.
Description of Respondents: Small businesses concerns and partner
organizations involved in Regional Innovation Clusters and cluster
administrators.
SBA Form Number: N/A.
Form Number: N/A.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 350.
Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 531.5.
Curtis Rich,
Agency Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-11967 Filed 5-30-24; 8:45 am]
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