This request is for the clearance of a
survey instrument to assess the state of operational and
organizational performance among homebuilding product manufacturers
(both large and small) with regard to product development and
innovations.
US Code:
12 USC 170z-1 et seq. Name of Law: The Housing and Urban
Development Act of 1970
The Department of Housing and
Urban Development's (HUD's) Annual Performance Plan (APP) specifies
six strategic goals. They are: (1) increase homeownership
opportunities; (2) promote decent affordable housing; (3)
strengthen communities; (4) ensure equal opportunities in housing;
(5) embrace high standards of ethics, management, and
accountability; and (6) promote the participation of faith based
and community organizations. The advancement of new technological
innovations for housing production has been viewed as a critical
component of the homeownership goal. As a consequence, HUDs
Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has actively
sought 3 programmatic goals in support of HUDs strategy,
including: (1) study, reduce, and eliminate institutional barriers
to technological innovation; (2) invest in collaborative
technological research as well as improve the investment rate in
housing research and development; and (3) improve the level of
information and education regarding housing technology. Associated
with each PATH goal are several strategic objectives, and these in
turn are linked to specific desired outcomes, PATH activities, and
needed inputs and resourcesall with individual measurable
indicators. The third PATH goal is particularly focused on the
basic market research with regard to behaviors, motives, and
practices surrounding innovation adoption and diffusion. Several of
the most critical indicators for this PATH goal involve
understanding both the level of manufacturer capacity for producing
technological changes in housing, and whether that capacity
actually translates into appropriate innovation in the market.
Though both general industry knowledge and a variety of PATHs
industry and policy roundtables, anecdotal evidence abounds that
supports the idea that homebuilding product manufacturers bifurcate
significantly in size and capacity. On one end, small manufacturers
(with aggregate product market penetration rates of less than 10%
and single market control rates of less than 30%) often have no
resources to perform major development, prototyping, and
commercialization. Further, they often are not even familiar with
what those processes entail. As such, they cannot even estimate the
amount of resources they need to acquire to fully develop and
diffuse their innovations. Large manufacturers, on the other and
seemingly obvious hand, have well-organized, interdisciplinary
staffs to promote diffusion
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
12USC1701z1.doc
Survey of Homebuilding Product Manufacturers