0125 Ss

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
U.S. Department of Commerce
Bureau of Industry and Security
BIS Program Evaluation
OMB Control No. 0694-0125

A. Justification
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
Feedback from seminars is a vital to ensuring the quality and relevance of BIS’s outreach
program. By getting immediate feedback on various program elements from seminar
participants, BIS is able to improve and adjust its course offerings to meet the needs of the
exporting community. BIS typically conducts over 40 seminars each year. In addition, BIS holds
an annual Update conference and Update West conference.

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be
used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support
information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection
complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.
Fourteen similar forms are being used by BIS seminar instructors at various seminar programs
throughout the year. Courses are offered between three to four times per month in locations
around the country. Seminar participants are asked to fill out the evaluation form during the
program and turn it in at the end of the program. The responses to these questions provide useful
and practical information that BIS can use to determine that it is providing a quality program and
gives BIS information useful to making recommended improvements. It also shows attendees
that BIS cares about their training experience and values their viewpoint.
With respect to the specific questions on the form, it is important for BIS to know the objectives
of the participant so that BIS can determine from the form how well the course did in meeting
those objectives. It is important that BIS know if the price of the program is reasonable to the
exporter, as it is BIS’s goal to ensure that exporters can take advantage of training at a reasonable
cost. Knowing which concept or skill was most and least important helps BIS to determine what
adjustments may be made in its program in terms of amount of time spent on a topic and whether
a topic continues to be relevant to the program attendees.
Knowing how attendees found out about the program assists BIS in its outreach efforts and
improves avenues of information sharing with exporters. Knowing if attendees has attended
previous seminars and knowing the time they have spent in the export control field assists BIS in
determining their level of expertise which is important when considering their comments, as
those new to exporting may have a different view of program material than those more

experienced. This also assists BIS in ensuring that varying degrees of educational requirements
are considered and met. Knowing the attendees level of comfort with the material before and
after a program helps BIS in determining whether or not it has met its goal in improving the
attendees understanding of export control policies and procedures. Knowing if the information
will assist attendees in their export compliance responsibilities ensures that BIS is improving this
essential responsibility of the exporting community. Determining whether the information in the
program met the expectations of the goals set out in the course description helps BIS to know
whether or not it is describing its program appropriately to ensure that the attendees are getting
what they expect out of the program.
A well organized agenda is important to ensure that attendees understand the thought process in
determining their export compliance responsibilities. BIS uses hands-on learning activities to
assist in the attendees understanding of program material and it is essential that BIS know
whether or not attendees find these activities to be an effective learning tool. Knowing whether
or not the attendees would recommend a BIS program to others helps BIS to determine if the
quality of its programs will result in word-of-mouth promotion. BIS spends a great deal of effort
in ensuring that the quality of its program material can serves as a useful reference guide to
exporters, so it is important that attendees provide feedback on the quality of the material.
Knowing if the appropriate time is spent on each topic assists BIS in making adjustments to the
program agenda to suit the needs of the exporting community. Asking attendees to rate each
seminar topic for clarity provides valuable feedback to the BIS representatives. These topics
vary depending on the specific BIS program presented (only about one third of these topics are
included on an evaluation form for a particular program) and other questions may be substituted
depending on adjustments made to a particular program based on the program location or
audience. An overall program rating provides BIS with an immediate sense of the attendees
overall impression of the seminar which is used to measure the overall quality of BIS’s
programs. Asking attendees to provide any other suggestions for improvement or any other
comments ensures that attendees are given every opportunity to comment on the program and to
include information that BIS may have missed.
Allowing attendees the option of providing their name and company information (including
address, telephone number and fax) allows BIS to respond to any direct questions or issues the
attendee wants to discuss with BIS, while giving the attendees the decision on whether to remain
anonymous.
Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use
3.
of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of
information technology.
This collection does not involve the use of any technology. The e valuations are provided as part
of handout material to the program attendees. It is not const effective for BIS to provide seminar
attendees with personal computers and electronic versions of our survey forms at each seminar
location in order to complete the surveys electronically.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
This collection is not duplicated elsewhere. The respondents are exporters and importer who
attend a specific BIS program. This information is not available from any source other than from
the respondent.

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
This collection would not have a significant impact on small entities, as the program is open to
any attendees, regardless of size and industry. Participation in the evaluation is voluntary.

6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
If the collection was not conducted, BIS would be limited in its ability to get feedback from
attendees on the quality and value of its program and ways to make improvements to ensure that
exporters are being properly educated on their export control responsibilities. To ensure the
overall quality of its program, it is necessary to collect the evaluations at each program, as each
audience has different background and needs.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
The only special circumstance regarding the collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6 is that BIS
asks respondents to complete the evaluation form before leaving the seminar because their
recollection of the program quality is best made immediately following the program. If an
attendees wishes to mail the response at a later date, BIS would accommodate such a request.

8. Provide a copy of the PRA Federal Register notice that solicited public comments on the
information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received
in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those
comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their
views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and
recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be
recorded, disclosed, or reported.
The notice requesting public comment was published in the Federal Register on April 17, 2006,
p. 19695. No comments were received.

9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than

remuneration of contractors or grantees.
There is no plan to provide any payment or gift to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
Respondents are not required to provide their name when completing the evaluation form which
provides for some confidentiality of their response. There is no assurance of confidentiality for
this voluntary survey data in statute, regulation or agency policy.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered
private.
There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
This collection of information consists of approximately 3,000 responses annually. Based on an
average time of 10 minutes for preparing each response, the annual burden for this collection is
500 hours.
Responses – 3,000 @ 10 minutes each = 500 hours
The annual cost to the respondents is estimated to be $0. Respondents attend the program
voluntarily and the evaluations are part of the program activities.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or
record_keepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in
#12 above).
Not applicable.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
The total annual cost to the Federal Government is estimated to be $2,550. This based on an
average recording, copying and analysis time of 2 minutes for each of the 3,000 evaluations at an
average salary of $23.00 per hour. The total cost also includes approximately $250 per year for

the equipment used for copying and recording the data.
Salaries (2 minutes each = $23 per hour)
3000x2 = 6000 minutes/60 = 100 hours x $23.00 per hour = $ 2,300
Equipment
250
TOTAL
$ 2,550

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or
14 of the OMB 83_I.
This decrease in the number of responses from 4000 to 3000 is projected based on the number
received November 2005 through May 2006. This is consistent with the previously expected
estimate of a 75% response rate.

16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
There are no plans to publish this information for statistical purposes.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
BIS is seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information
collection because the collection is ongoing. Having the form reprinted each time the OMB
authorization lapses serves only to make otherwise good forms become obsolete.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of the
OMB 83_I.
Not applicable.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
Not applicable.