Supporting Statement
For
Great Lakes Pilotage
1625-0086
Justification.
This collection of information relating to the Rate-making requirements is required pursuant to 46 CFR parts 401 and 404 and discussed in the following paragraphs.
Circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
Pursuant to 46 CFR part 404, the Director of the Great Lakes Pilotage is required to set pilotage rates on the Great Lakes. In meeting this requirement, the Director requires that pilot associations provide data relating to bridge hours; vessel delay, detention, cancellation, and movage; pilot travel; revenues; and pilot availability. Presently this data is being recorded and provided to the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage via hard copy source forms that each pilot association prepares immediately following each completed pilot assignment. Copies of the source forms are mailed to the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage on a monthly basis. Pilot availability is reported monthly on a separate form. In an effort to improve the timeliness and accuracy of the data collection and to utilize enhanced data collection technology, the Director mandated the use of electronic data collection.
In March 2006, the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage commenced its use of electronic data collection with the implementation of the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System software. A web based system, it provides the three U.S. pilot associations electronic capabilities in entering and storing pilotage data relating to bridge hours; vessel delay, detention, cancellation, and movage; pilot travel; revenues; and pilot availability. This software also makes this data readily available and retrievable by the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage for use in the course of daily operational oversight and rate-making.
By whom, how and for what purpose the information is to be used.
The Director uses the data stored in the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System to carry out operational and rate making oversight of pilotage activities on the Great Lakes.
Considerations of the use of improved technology.
The Office of Great Lakes Pilotage has commenced electronic tracking of vessels and pilot assignments on the Great Lakes using real time data via the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System. This system enables the program to accurately and quickly answer queries from pilots, industry, or the general public regarding operations and/or retrieve information that previously was not always readily available. Additionally, the use of the pilotage software program enables the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage to access and view all foreign vessel traffic in the Great Lakes and to determine pilot availability at any given time. The three U.S. pilots association have unlimited access to the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System through the use of a username and secured passwords. Furthermore, the system has added firewall security measures that allow the host server to recognize only those remote servers with pre-registered IP addresses. The five (5) screen shots named below are provided as separate files to indicate the capabilities of the system:
Screen Shot No. 1 – Vessel Table
Screen Shot No.2 – Vessel Scheduling and Dispatch with Window of Vessel Specifics
Screen Shot No.3 – Summary Dispatch Report
Screen Shot No. 4 – Map of the Great Lakes with Real Time Location of Vessels and Job Status Window
Screen Shot No. 5 – Pilot Rotation Window
Efforts to identify duplication. Why similar information available cannot be used.
No similar information is available.
Methods used to minimize the burdens of small business if involved.
To minimize the burden of this collection, the three U.S. pilot associations have been provided on site training on the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System and will be provided follow-on training and site-visits to ensure continued proficiency with the pilot software program.
Consequences to the Federal program if collection were conducted less frequently.
The Coast Guard pilotage regulations require annual reviews of pilotage rates and the creation of a new rate at least once every five years, or sooner, if the annual review shows a need. To facilitate this process, the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage must rely on the pilot associations to submit timely and accurate data that includes financial reports; bridge hours; vessel delay, detention, cancellation, and movage; pilot travel; revenues; and pilot availability. From an operational standpoint, quick access of the pilotage data on a daily basis allows the Director to make accurate assessments and informed decisions on pilotage activities on the Great Lakes immediately. Similarly, from a rate making standpoint, immediate entry, access, and retrieval of the pilotage data allows the Office to calculate and make proper adjustments to pilotage rates as required.
Special Collection Circumstances.
The Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System provides the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations the ability to enter bridge hour related data which is required by regulations and which in turn enables the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage to make decisions on the need for rate adjustments. The Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System also allows the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage to access foreign vessel traffic and pilot assignment data that its Canadian counterpart, the Canadian Great Lakes Pilotage Authority, maintains. Similarly, the Canadian Great Lakes Pilotage Authority has similar access capability to view U.S. foreign vessel traffic and pilot assignments only.
Consultation.
A request for comment was published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2006, Volume 71, Number 190, page 57986, no comments were received.
Provide any payment or gift to respondents.
No payments or gifts of any kind are provided to respondents.
Assurances of confidentiality provided to respondents.
The data that is collected from the Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System is required in order for the Director to determine whether rate adjustments are needed. This data is public data and therefore requires no confidentiality.
Additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature (e.g. sexual behavior, attitudes, religious beliefs, other private information).
There is no additional information being sought that will require respondents to provide personal information of a sensitive nature as described in Question No. 11.
Estimate of the hour burden of collection of information.
There is no added burden respecting the collection of information. The Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System software provides the three U.S. pilot associations an electronic capability to collect data that, up until now, has been conducted on a manual basis. There was no standardization of process amongst the three U.S. pilot associations in the collection and maintenance of this information. The Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System standardizes this process and transfers the process from a manual system to an electronic system.
Because there is no added burden under this revision, the original estimate of hour burden remains the same as noted under the existing and currently approved OMB 1625-0086. Under this OMB 1625-0086 approval, the original hour burden was arrived at as follows:
“There are three respondents who might provide a maximum of 60 responses per year at an average time of .3 hours per response, for a total of 18 hours per year for the industry. The hour burden for each of the three respondents is expected to be the same so each respondent is expected to have 6 hour yearly. The total annual cost burden to industry is estimated to be $900, which is calculated by multiplying $50 (the average hourly salary of a mid-level independent accountant) by the 18 hours total hour burden for the industry.”
Estimate of total annualized capital and start-up cost.
The Great Lakes Electronic Pilot Management System is being provided to the three U.S. Great Lakes Pilot associations at no cost to the associations with respect to equipment, software, and training. These expenses are absorbed by the Office of Great Lakes Pilotage located at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. Because the management system is web-based, the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations use their existing computer equipment to execute the management system program.
Estimate of annualized cost to the Federal Government.
Annualized cost, minus the initial cost of system acquisition of $150,000, of the Great Lakes Pilotage Electronic Management System is estimated at $25,000. This amount is an agreed upon figure listed in the performance contract between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Klein Systems Group, and it covers the cost of server support of 24 hours a day and maintenance related to the upkeep of the system.
Explain the reasons for any program changes, or adjustments.
N/A
Plans for tabulation, statistical analysis and publication.
N/A
Approval for not explaining the expiration date for OMB approval.
N/A
Exception to the certification statement.
There are no exceptions to the certification statements.
Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods
This information collection does not employ statistical methods.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Supporting Statement |
| Author | msakaio |
| Last Modified By | aarequina |
| File Modified | 2007-02-06 |
| File Created | 2007-02-05 |