supportingstatement19 qtns 2007[4]

Rev 5-08-2007

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency

Kansas City Commodity Office

OMB No. 0560-0225

The Farm Service Agency (FSA), Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) is requesting a consolidated 3-year approval for the Food Aid Request Entry System (FARES), a web-based application, which begins the information collection process to procure, sell, transport agricultural commodities, and obtain discharge/delivery survey information. This document is a revision and extension request for information collections of OMB Number 0560-0225 through August 31, 2007.

1. Circumstances making collection of information necessary:

The Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954, as amended, (for Title II, P.L. 480), Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended, (for Section 416(b)), Food for Progress Act of 1985, as amended (for Food for Progress), and the international school lunch program, known as the Global Food for Education and Child Nutrition Act, authorizes CCC's Export Operations Division and Bulk Commodities Division to procure, sell, transport agricultural commodities and obtain discharge/delivery survey information. Commodities are delivered to foreign countries under the above mentioned programs through voluntary agencies, United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the Agency for International Development (AID). The program information will be electronically captured, requirements validated, and improved commodity request visibility will be provided via the web-based application. Information gathered includes: the name of the Private Voluntary Organization (PVO), the program, the types of commodities being requested for export, quantities of commodities, destinations of commodities, special requirements for packaging.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is information used:

The FARES web-based application automates the entry of commodity requests from USAID, voluntary agencies, WFP, FAS, and FSA. FARES captures the commodity order information, and downloads the data to the Electronic Bid Entry System (EBES), Process Commodities Inventory Management System (PCIMS), the Ketron Linear Program (bid evaluation system), to allow information visibility and access to AID, FAS, FSA, Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs), and other interest entities and systems.

3. Use of information technology:

The FARES is a technology tool for the customers to submit commodity requests (CR) electronically and to access the CR information online. The FARES begins the information collection process to procure, sell, and transport agricultural commodities, and obtain discharge/delivery survey information. This allows information visibility and access to the government, PVOs, and other interested entities. It also feeds PCIMS. FARES automates and replaces the paper flow of the commodity requests which were previously submitted on form AID 1550-4. A total of 3,660 responses are received annually and all of them are submitted electronically.

4. Efforts to identify duplication:

To the best of our knowledge similar information is not collected from any other government office. These collections are necessary to support the procurement of agricultural commodities for CCC's domestic and export food aid programs. The information required is available only from participants, and is not accessible to KCCO unless provided by participants from their private records.

5. Methods to minimize burden on small business or entities:

Since the information requested is readily available form participant's records, these collections do not impose a special burden on small businesses or entities.

6. Consequences if information collection were less frequent:

The commodity request begins the information collection process to procure, sell, and transport agricultural commodities, and obtain discharge/delivery surveys. Without this information collection process, KCCO would not be able to meet program requirements.

7. Special circumstances:

1. requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

Yes, the commodity requests are submitted monthly and more frequently as required for responding to urgent and emergency situations. Storage restrictions and logistics are not conducive to receive commodities on a quarterly basis.

2. requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it; No

3. requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document; No

4. requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years; No

5. in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study; No

6. requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB; No

7. that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for confidential use; No or

8. requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information confidentiality to the extent permitted by law. No

8. Federal Register Notice, summarization of comments and consultation with persons outside the agency:

A Federal Register notice was published on February, 27, 2007, Volume 72, Number 38, page 8682. This notice requested interested parties to submit comments before April 30, 2007, regarding this extension with revision. No comments were received.

We consulted with the three PVOs listed below and they indicated that the estimate of public burden outlined in the notice is accurate. No suggestions were made for revising the collection methods.

1) Catholic Relief Services 2) Cooperative for Relief Everywhere 3) World Vision

Pat Engers Robert Bell Rachel Grant

410-625-2220 404-979-9110 210-497-1697

9. Decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents:

There are no plans to provide any payment or gifts to respondents.

10. Confidentiality provided to respondents:

Confidential business-related information is collected. Some users provide their home phone number, which is used when business related problems arise after hours. All data collected is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act under FSA/KCCO procedures.

11. Questions of a sensitive nature:

Questions of a sensitive nature are not asked on the information collections or solicited by any method.

12. Estimates of Burden:

See attached FSA-85-1. The total reporting burden is 1,708 hours.

This figure represents 305 respondents electronically completing 12 reports filed annually (305 x 12 = 3,660 x 28 minutes = 1,708 hours).

The estimated cost to the public is $47,824 (1,708 hours x $28.00).

13. Total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers:

There are no capital/start-up costs. The requested information is part of our program participant's normal business records.

14. Estimates of annualized cost to the federal government:

The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is: $10,300.00

This figure consists of: Productions Operations: $5,150

Support Staff: $5,150

15. Reasons for changes in burden:

The burden decreased by 105 hours since the last submission in 2004 which had 1,813 burden hours (1,813 – 1,708 = 105). This number will fluctuate depending on the number of FAS and PVO accounts that contract with KCCO. Please note, there is a difference of 1,037 burden hours with this OMB submission package hours and those in the Federal Register Notice published on February 27, 2007. This decrease is due to a calculation error. For the Notice, the average time to respond was calculated using the manual submission estimate of 45 minutes instead of the electronic submission estimate of 28 minutes.

16. Tabulation, analysis, and publication plans:

The order and purchase award information is available on the Internet.

17. Reasons display of expiration date of OMB approval is inappropriate:

The agency is seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date associated with this information collection because FSA/KCCO needs to do application programming in the FARES to include the expiration date which changes every three years.

18. Exceptions to 83-1 certification statement:

The agency is able to certify compliance with all provisions under Item 19 of OMB

Form 83-1.

19. How is this information collection related to the Customer Service Center? Will this information be part of their one stop shopping?

This information collection is not related to the USDA Customer Service Center. Our customers are PVOs, freight forwarders, and other government agencies. The customers have direct contact with KCCO.