Agency Information Collection Activities: Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) Solicitation of Proposal Information for Award of Public Contracts, 10865-10867 [2018-04970]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 13, 2018 / Notices
Comments must be submitted on
or before May 14, 2018.
ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate
submissions to the docket, please use
only one of the following means to
submit comments:
(1) Online. Submit comments at
www.regulations.gov under Docket ID
FEMA–2018–0018. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
(2) Mail. Submit written comments to
Docket Manager, Office of Chief
Counsel, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW,
8NE, Washington, DC 20472–3100.
All submissions received must
include the agency name and Docket ID.
Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov,
and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore,
submitting this information makes it
public. You may wish to read the
Privacy Act notice that is available via
the link in the footer of
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dante Randazzo, Supervisory
Emergency Management Specialist,
FEMA, National Preparedness
Assessment Division, Dante.Randazzo@
fema.dhs.gov. You may contact the
Information Management Division for
copies of the proposed collection of
information at email address: FEMAInformation-Collections-Management@
fema.dhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
package is a revision to the collection
titled THIRA/SPR, OMB Control
Number: 1660–0131. Although initially
titled the State Preparedness Report
(SPR), FEMA changed the name of the
collection to the THIRA/SPR Unified
Reporting Tool to more accurately
reflect the information gathered and
method of collection. The Post-Katrina
Emergency Management Reform Act of
2006 (PKEMRA), as amended by the
Implementing Recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Act of 2007,
established an annual requirement for
the 56 States and Territories to submit
a State Preparedness Report. Because
this reporting now includes States,
Territories, urban areas, and Tribes,
FEMA has revised the name of the
report as the Stakeholder Preparedness
Review (SPR). States, Territories, urban
areas and Tribes receiving non-disaster
preparedness grant funds administered
by DHS submit the SPR annually, and
this encompasses the requirements of
the State Preparedness Report while
also reflecting the updated reporting
needs. The legislation requires a report
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on current capability levels and a
description of targeted capability levels
from all States, Territories, urban areas
and Tribes receiving non-disaster
preparedness grant funds administered
by DHS. Each report must also include
a discussion of the extent to which
target capabilities identified in the
applicable State homeland security plan
and other applicable plans are unmet,
and an assessment of resources needed
to meet the preparedness priorities
established under PKEMRA Section
646(e), including: (i) An estimate of the
amount of expenditures required to
attain the preparedness priorities; and
(ii) the extent to which the use of
Federal assistance during the preceding
fiscal year achieved the preparedness
priorities. To meet this requirement,
States, Territories, Tribes, and urban
areas first identify capability targets
through the Threat and Hazard
Identification and Risk Assessment
(THIRA) and then assess against these
targets in the SPR. Through the SPR,
these jurisdictions estimate their current
capabilities, identify and describe gaps
between current capabilities and targets,
indicate their intended approach for
addressing gaps in the future, and report
on the impact of Federal grant dollars in
building and sustaining capabilities. It
is also important to note that completing
the THIRA and SPR are allowable
expenses under the grant awards.
Collection of Information
Title: Threat and Hazard
Identification and Risk Assessment
(THIRA)—Stakeholder Preparedness
Review (SPR) Reporting Tool.
Type of Information Collection:
Revision of a currently approved
information collection.
OMB Number: 1660–0131.
FEMA Forms: FEMA Form 008–0–19
(THIRA), Threat and Hazard
Identification and Risk Assessment
(THIRA) Reporting Tool; FEMA Form
008–0–20 (SPR), Stakeholder
Preparedness Review (SPR) Reporting
Tool; FEMA Form 008–0–23, THIRA/
SPR After-Action Call Questions.
Abstract: The assessment is structured
by the 32 core capabilities from the 2015
National Preparedness Goal. States,
Territories, urban areas, and Tribes
provide information on capability
targets, their current capability levels
and capability gaps for each core
capability. Respondent States,
Territories, Tribes and urban areas
gather the information and complete the
THIRA and SPR following the
‘‘Comprehensive Preparedness Guide
(CPG) 201, Third Edition.’’
Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal
Government.
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10865
Estimated Number of Respondents:
113.
Estimated Number of Responses: 113.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 84,414.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent
Cost: $4,328,749.92.
Estimated Respondents’ Operation
and Maintenance Costs: $12,404,962.
Estimated Respondents’ Capital and
Start-Up Costs: $0.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to the
Federal Government: $2,648,063.63.
Comments
Comments may be submitted as
indicated in the ADDRESSES caption
above. Comments are solicited to (a)
evaluate whether the proposed data
collection is necessary for the proper
performance of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) 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;
(c) enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) 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 submission of
responses.
Dated: March 7, 2018.
William H. Holzerland,
Senior Director for Information Management,
Office of the Chief Administrative Officer,
Mission Support, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2018–04994 Filed 3–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–46–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
[DHS–2018–0012]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Homeland Security
Acquisition Regulation (HSAR)
Solicitation of Proposal Information for
Award of Public Contracts
Office of the Chief Procurement
Officer, Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
ACTION: 60-Day Notice and request for
comments; Extension of a Currently
Approved Collection, 1600–0005.
AGENCY:
The DHS Office of the Chief
Procurement Officer, will submit the
following Information Collection
SUMMARY:
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10866
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 13, 2018 / Notices
Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. The information collection is
necessary for compliance with the
HSAR and the Small Business
Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
programs.
Comments are encouraged and
will be accepted until May 14, 2018.
This process is conducted in accordance
with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number DHS–
2018–0012, at:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Please follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name and
docket number DHS–2018–0012. All
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov.
DATES:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Harvey, (202) 447–0956,
Nancy.Harvey@hq.dhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DHS
collects information, when necessary,
when inviting firms to submit bids,
proposals, and offers for public
contracts for supplies and service. Using
solicitation methods such as requests for
proposals (RFP), requests for
information (RFI), and broad agency
announcements (BAA), the Government
requests information from prospective
offerors such as pricing information,
delivery schedule compliance, and
evidence that the offeror has the
resources (both human and financial) to
accomplish requirements. The
information collection is necessary for
compliance with the HSAR, 48 CFR
Chapter 30, and the SBIR and STTR
programs, 15 U.S.C. 628. The collections
under the HSAR include:
• 3052.209–70 Prohibition on
Contracts with Corporate Expatriates
(Required in all solicitations and
contracts). The offeror must disclose
whether it is a foreign incorporated
entity that should be treated as an
inverted domestic corporation.
• 3052.209–71 Reserve Officer
Training Corps and Military Recruiting
on Campus (Required in all solicitations
and contracts with institutions of higher
education) Requires that the Contractor
represent that it does not now have, and
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17:47 Mar 12, 2018
Jkt 244001
agrees that during performance of the
contract that it will not adopt, any
policy or practice described in
paragraph (b) of the clause.
• 3052.209–72 Organizational
Conflict of Interest, paragraphs (c), (d)
and (e) (Required in all solicitations and
contracts where a potential
organizational conflict of interest exists
and mitigation may be possible). The
offeror must disclose whether it is aware
of any facts which create any actual or
potential organizational conflicts of
interest; and, provide information as
required by the Government and a
mitigation plan relating to the conflict,
if applicable.
• 3052.209–74 Limitations on
Contractors Acting as Lead System
Integrators (Required in solicitations for
the acquisition of a major system when
the acquisition strategy envisions the
use of a lead system integrator). The
offeror must disclose whether it
proposes to perform this contract as a
lead system integrator with system
responsibility, and whether it has a
direct financial interest in the system
that is the subject of the solicitation;
and, provide evidence, as needed.
• 3052.209–76 Prohibition on
Federal Protective Service (FPS) Guard
Services Contracts with Business
Concerns Owned, Controlled, or
Operated by an Individual Convicted of
a Felony, paragraphs (a) through (g)
(Required in in all solicitations and
contracts for FPS guard services). The
offeror must disclose whether it is
owned, operated or controlled by an
individual convicted of any felony. A
business concern owned, operated or
controlled by an individual convicted of
any felony may submit an award request
to the Government. The request must
include information that is considered
personally identifiable information, and
any additional information the
Government deems necessary.
• 3052.215–70 Key Personnel and
Facilities (Required in solicitations and
contracts when the selection for award
is substantially based on the offeror’s
possession of special capabilities
regarding personnel or facilities). Before
removing or replacing any of the
specified individuals or facilities, the
offeror must notify the Government, in
writing, before the change becomes
effective.
• 3052.219–72 Evaluation of Prime
Contractor Participation in the DHS
´ ´
Mentor-Protege Program (Required in all
solicitations containing (HSAR) 48 CFR
´ ´
3052.219–71, DHS Mentor-Protege
Program and (FAR) 48 CFR 52.219–9
Small Business Subcontracting Plan).
The offeror must provide a signed letter
´ ´
of mentor-protege agreement, if it
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wishes to receive credit under the
source selection factor.
• 3052.247–70 F.o.b. Origin
Information (Required in solicitations as
appropriate) the offeror must provide
information related to the offeror’s
shipping point.
The DHS Science and Technology
(S&T) Directorate issues BAAs soliciting
when white papers and proposals from
the public. DHS S&T evaluates white
papers and proposals received 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). Unclassified white papers
and proposals are typically collected via
the DHS S&T BAA secure website,
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).
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 meet:
1. Applicable 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. 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. 638
g(10), (k), (o)(9), and (o)(15); and
3. Requirements for public outreach
under 15 U.S.C. 638 (j)(2)(F), (o)(14),
and (s).
The prior information collection
request for OMB No. 1600–0005 was
approved through June 30, 2018 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 staff to
determine the adequacy of technical and
management approach, experience,
responsibility, responsiveness, and
expertise of the firms submitting offers;
the identification of members of the
public (i.e., small businesses) who
qualify for and are interested in
participating in the DHS SBIR Program;
and, provide the DHS SBIR Program
Office necessary and sufficient
information to determine whether
proposals submitted by the public to the
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 13, 2018 / Notices
DHS SBIR Program meet the 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 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
portals 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 website the
public can use to 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.
DHS/ALL/PIA–006 General Contact
Lists dated June15, 2007 covers the
basic contact information that must be
collected for DHS. Other information
collected will typically pertain to the
contract itself, and not individuals. All
information for this information
collection is submitted voluntarily.
However, sensitive information (e.g.,
felony conviction information) may also
be collected through this information
collection. Due to this sensitivity, and
the sensitivities regarding the
procurement process as a whole, a new
PIA is required to document and
identify any potential risks associated
with collecting this information. There
is no assurance of confidentiality
provided to the respondents.
The burden estimates provided in
response to Item 12 above are based
upon definitive proposals reported by
DHS and its Components to the Federal
Procurement Data System (FPDS) for
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Fiscal Year 2016. No program changes
occurred and there have been no
changes to the information being
collected. However, the burden was
adjusted to reflect an agency adjustment
increase of 103,600 in the number of
respondents within DHS for Fiscal Year
2016, as well as an increase in the
average hourly wage rate. In addition,
the average response per respondent
went from 7 to 3.5 per response, a
difference of 3.5 hours. The change is a
result of the DHS Heads of Contracting
Activities’ reassessment of the response
time required for each of the applicable
clauses.
This is an extension of a currently
approved collection, 1600–0005. OMB
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: Agency Information Collection
Activities: Homeland Security
Acquisition Regulation (HSAR)
Solicitation of Proposal Information for
Award of Public Contracts.
OMB Number: 1600–0005.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Private and Public
Sector.
Number of Respondents: 117,212.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 3.5
hours.
Total Burden Hours: 1,230,726.
Dated: March 1, 2018.
Melissa Bruce,
Executive Director, Enterprise Business
Management Office.
[FR Doc. 2018–04970 Filed 3–12–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–9B–P
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10867
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services
[OMB Control Number 1615–0105]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Revision of a Currently
Approved Collection: Notice of Entry
of Appearance as Attorney or
Accredited Representative; Notice of
Entry of Appearance as Attorney in
Matters Outside the Geographical
Confines of the United States
U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
ACTION: 30-Day notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) will be
submitting the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. The purpose of this notice is to
allow an additional 30 days for public
comments.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and
will be accepted until April 12, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and/or
suggestions regarding the item(s)
contained in this notice, especially
regarding the estimated public burden
and associated response time, must be
directed to the OMB USCIS Desk Officer
via email at dhsdeskofficer@
omb.eop.gov. All submissions received
must include the agency name and the
OMB Control Number [1615–0105] in
the subject line.
You may wish to consider limiting the
amount of personal information that you
provide in any voluntary submission
you make. For additional information
please read the Privacy Act notice that
is available via the link in the footer of
https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy,
Regulatory Coordination Division,
Samantha Deshommes, Chief, 20
Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20529–2140,
Telephone number (202) 272–8377
(This is not a toll-free number;
comments are not accepted via
telephone message.). Please note contact
information provided here is solely for
questions regarding this notice. It is not
for individual case status inquiries.
Applicants seeking information about
the status of their individual cases can
check Case Status Online, available at
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10865-10867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04970]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
[DHS-2018-0012]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Homeland Security
Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) Solicitation of Proposal Information for
Award of Public Contracts
AGENCY: Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
ACTION: 60-Day Notice and request for comments; Extension of a
Currently Approved Collection, 1600-0005.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The DHS Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, will submit
the following Information Collection
[[Page 10866]]
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review
and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
The information collection is necessary for compliance with the HSAR
and the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business
Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until May 14, 2018.
This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-
2018-0012, at:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Please follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number DHS-2018-0012. All comments received will be posted
without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information provided.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Harvey, (202) 447-0956,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DHS collects information, when necessary,
when inviting firms to submit bids, proposals, and offers for public
contracts for supplies and service. Using solicitation methods such as
requests for proposals (RFP), requests for information (RFI), and broad
agency announcements (BAA), the Government requests information from
prospective offerors such as pricing information, delivery schedule
compliance, and evidence that the offeror has the resources (both human
and financial) to accomplish requirements. The information collection
is necessary for compliance with the HSAR, 48 CFR Chapter 30, and the
SBIR and STTR programs, 15 U.S.C. 628. The collections under the HSAR
include:
3052.209-70 Prohibition on Contracts with Corporate
Expatriates (Required in all solicitations and contracts). The offeror
must disclose whether it is a foreign incorporated entity that should
be treated as an inverted domestic corporation.
3052.209-71 Reserve Officer Training Corps and Military
Recruiting on Campus (Required in all solicitations and contracts with
institutions of higher education) Requires that the Contractor
represent that it does not now have, and agrees that during performance
of the contract that it will not adopt, any policy or practice
described in paragraph (b) of the clause.
3052.209-72 Organizational Conflict of Interest,
paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) (Required in all solicitations and
contracts where a potential organizational conflict of interest exists
and mitigation may be possible). The offeror must disclose whether it
is aware of any facts which create any actual or potential
organizational conflicts of interest; and, provide information as
required by the Government and a mitigation plan relating to the
conflict, if applicable.
3052.209-74 Limitations on Contractors Acting as Lead
System Integrators (Required in solicitations for the acquisition of a
major system when the acquisition strategy envisions the use of a lead
system integrator). The offeror must disclose whether it proposes to
perform this contract as a lead system integrator with system
responsibility, and whether it has a direct financial interest in the
system that is the subject of the solicitation; and, provide evidence,
as needed.
3052.209-76 Prohibition on Federal Protective Service
(FPS) Guard Services Contracts with Business Concerns Owned,
Controlled, or Operated by an Individual Convicted of a Felony,
paragraphs (a) through (g) (Required in in all solicitations and
contracts for FPS guard services). The offeror must disclose whether it
is owned, operated or controlled by an individual convicted of any
felony. A business concern owned, operated or controlled by an
individual convicted of any felony may submit an award request to the
Government. The request must include information that is considered
personally identifiable information, and any additional information the
Government deems necessary.
3052.215-70 Key Personnel and Facilities (Required in
solicitations and contracts when the selection for award is
substantially based on the offeror's possession of special capabilities
regarding personnel or facilities). Before removing or replacing any of
the specified individuals or facilities, the offeror must notify the
Government, in writing, before the change becomes effective.
3052.219-72 Evaluation of Prime Contractor Participation
in the DHS Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program (Required in all
solicitations containing (HSAR) 48 CFR 3052.219-71, DHS Mentor-
Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program and (FAR) 48 CFR 52.219-9 Small Business
Subcontracting Plan). The offeror must provide a signed letter of
mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] agreement, if it wishes to receive credit
under the source selection factor.
3052.247-70 F.o.b. Origin Information (Required in
solicitations as appropriate) the offeror must provide information
related to the offeror's shipping point.
The DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate issues BAAs
soliciting when white papers and proposals from the public. DHS S&T
evaluates white papers and proposals received 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).
Unclassified white papers and proposals are typically collected via the
DHS S&T BAA secure website, 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).
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 meet:
1. Applicable 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. 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.
638 g(10), (k), (o)(9), and (o)(15); and
3. Requirements for public outreach under 15 U.S.C. 638 (j)(2)(F),
(o)(14), and (s).
The prior information collection request for OMB No. 1600-0005 was
approved through June 30, 2018 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 staff to determine the adequacy of technical and
management approach, experience, responsibility, responsiveness, and
expertise of the firms submitting offers; the identification of members
of the public (i.e., small businesses) who qualify for and are
interested in participating in the DHS SBIR Program; and, provide the
DHS SBIR Program Office necessary and sufficient information to
determine whether proposals submitted by the public to the
[[Page 10867]]
DHS SBIR Program meet the 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 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 portals 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 website the public can use to
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.
DHS/ALL/PIA-006 General Contact Lists dated June15, 2007 covers the
basic contact information that must be collected for DHS. Other
information collected will typically pertain to the contract itself,
and not individuals. All information for this information collection is
submitted voluntarily. However, sensitive information (e.g., felony
conviction information) may also be collected through this information
collection. Due to this sensitivity, and the sensitivities regarding
the procurement process as a whole, a new PIA is required to document
and identify any potential risks associated with collecting this
information. There is no assurance of confidentiality provided to the
respondents.
The burden estimates provided in response to Item 12 above are
based upon definitive proposals reported by DHS and its Components to
the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) for Fiscal Year 2016. No
program changes occurred and there have been no changes to the
information being collected. However, the burden was adjusted to
reflect an agency adjustment increase of 103,600 in the number of
respondents within DHS for Fiscal Year 2016, as well as an increase in
the average hourly wage rate. In addition, the average response per
respondent went from 7 to 3.5 per response, a difference of 3.5 hours.
The change is a result of the DHS Heads of Contracting Activities'
reassessment of the response time required for each of the applicable
clauses.
This is an extension of a currently approved collection, 1600-0005.
OMB 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: Agency Information Collection Activities: Homeland Security
Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) Solicitation of Proposal Information for
Award of Public Contracts.
OMB Number: 1600-0005.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Private and Public Sector.
Number of Respondents: 117,212.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 3.5 hours.
Total Burden Hours: 1,230,726.
Dated: March 1, 2018.
Melissa Bruce,
Executive Director, Enterprise Business Management Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-04970 Filed 3-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-9B-P
