NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (MEP) Program
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM
OMB CONTROL NO. 0693-0032
Supporting Statement
Sponsored by NIST, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a national network of locally-based manufacturing extension centers working with small manufacturers to assist them improve their productivity, improve profitability, and enhance their economic competitiveness. The information collected will provide the MEP with information regarding MEP Center performance regarding the delivery of technology and business solutions to U.S.-based manufacturers.
The collected information will assist in determining the performance of the MEP Centers at both local and national levels, will provide information critical to monitoring and reporting on MEP programmatic performance, and will assist management in policy decisions. Responses to the collection of information are mandatory per the regulations governing the operation of the MEP Program (15 CFR parts 290, 291, 292, and H.R. 1274 – section 2). The information collected will include center inputs and activities including services delivered, clients served, center staff, quarterly expenses and revenues, partners and affiliates, strategic plan, operating plans, and client success stories. No confidentiality for information submitted is promised or provided.
NIST MEP provides funding to the Centers through Cooperative Agreements. To ensure that Cooperative Agreements recipients are effectively disseminating modern technical and business solutions to small and medium-sized manufacturers in the United States, MEP will collect and analyze information from the MEP Centers. MEP is mandated to collect this information by the regulations governing the operation of the MEP program (15 CFR 290, 291, and 292) and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA, 5 CFR 1320).
NIST MEP collects information from centers on a quarterly and yearly basis. This information is used for the following purposes:
Program Accountability
Analysis and Research
Reports to Stakeholders
Continuous Improvement
K knowledge Sharing
Identification of Distinctive Practices
To support these needs, the “NIST MEP Management Information Reporting Procedures,” provides explicit instructions on how to complete applicable procedures. Version 5.1 of the Management Information Reporting Procedures provided.
Center Information
Center Information will provide NIST MEP with general information such as addresses of the Center and Center locations, Center contacts and representatives, phone numbers, fax numbers, mailing addresses and e-mail addresses. This information will be used by MEP as a Center Contact List and as a vehicle to enhance communication among Centers through the use of mailing lists and working groups.
Client Information File (CIF) and Project Information File (PIF)
The MEP Client Information Files (CIF) and Project Information Files (PIF) will contain performance and market research data relative to each activity performed by the respondent Centers during the reporting cycle. The CIF and PIF data will be analyzed and benchmarked to provide the organization with performance information needed to support continued investment in Centers, and to identify areas of strength and weakness. The client and project files will also provide MEP with data regarding the markets being served by the Centers, and the system. This type of data will be used to support MEP product and service selection.
Progress Data Sheet
The Progress Data Sheet (PDS) will be used by NIST MEP to generate standard sets of reports that will be used for Center reviews. Center Reviews will monitor the Centers’ performances compared to the operating plans, goals and objectives. The PDS will collect information on Center operations that include accounting data, number of employees, and activity levels for the quarter.
Operating Plan
The Center’s annual operating plan will provide the NIST MEP Account Manager with general information about the operations of the Center. This information will be used by Account Managers in their day-to-day role as the consultant to the Center.
Progress Narrative Sheet
The Progress Narrative Sheet (PNS) will be a narrative-based submission. The PNS will provide NIST MEP qualitative information on the following:
Highlights of activities/services provided by the Center but not reported elsewhere (MEP refers to theses activities as non-substantive activities)
New services or service delivery strategies
Updates on services/activities that were initiated or completed in conjunction with another organization through formal agreements (MEP refers to theses organizations as partners)
Discussion of Center’s Marketing Plan as part of overall Operating Plan
Information and discussion of the Center’s market which includes:
Descriptions of promotional and marketing activities initiated by the Center that include metrics such as number of print ads, direct mailings, etc. The Center should also describe the associated service/events with the promotional and marketing activities.
Description of Centers’ customized marketing materials with an emphasis on the use of materials provided by NIST MEP
Discussion of Operating Plan (other than the Marketing Plan)
The PNS will inform NIST MEP of progress achieved towards specific items contained in the Center’s operating plan, which will be established during Center reviews. The PNS will serve as a diagnostic tool in monitoring the Centers rather than measuring actual performance.
Partner and Affiliates Entries
MEP will use the Partner and Affiliates Entries to identify successful market distribution models and disseminate this information to the other Centers. The Partner and Affiliates Entries are intended to provide the Center an easy-to-use and readily available mechanism to catalogue organizations (other than the regional Centers).
One of NIST MEP’s objectives is to help Centers continually improve the delivery of services to smaller U.S. manufacturers. The Partner and Affiliates Entries will be a tool that NIST MEP and the Centers will study to identify which Centers have the most effective and efficient organizations. The organizational structure of Centers varies by region, by state, and by market and the form of organizational structure may include a formalized agreement or may simply be a working relationship that developed over time. The existence of a formal agreement determines if the organization is a partner or the absence there of indicates the organization is an affiliate. NIST MEP will use this information to inform DOC, NIST, Centers, and Congress about whom is in the MEP program. At NIST, the information is reported to the Director's Office, the Program Office, Legislative Affairs, and through the NIST public website, the general public. MEP informs both NIST and the DOC because they both use the information to evaluate the program. The Partner and Affiliates Entries will also be a general resource for providing information about the Centers.
Board of Directors
Center Boards are working groups comprised of advisory (technical) and oversight (operations) boards. The Center Boards information will include names, positions, board meeting dates, and meeting minutes. NIST MEP Account Managers in their day-to-day role as the consultants to the Centers will use this information.
Locations
Locations are physical addresses where Center staff or partner staff are based or deliver service. The Locations are intended to provide NIST MEP with general information such as address information of the Center’s locations. Some locations can be partner’s service delivery locations. MEP will use this information to communicate our national coverage area with our various stakeholders.
Staff
The Staff listing will provide the Center an easy-to-use and readily available mechanism for reporting on its active workforce. The Staff listing will be a compilation of Center personnel that includes headcount and demographic information. The Staff listing will assist NIST MEP in tracking Center employee turnover. This information can be used to gauge the effects of the Centers operating plans and assist in the reviews and budgeting process.
Anyone devoted to the Center, either through cash or in-kind payments, as delineated in the Center’s current Operating Plan, will be considered part of the Center’s staff and should be reported. Workers, indirectly paid through a subcontract, to work for the Center for a set amount of time per year or for a set amount of money per year, will be included as well. The Staff listing will initially be submitted when the Centers register for access to the MEP Web site. NIST MEP will use the staffing and demographic information contained in the Staff listing for reports to DOC, NIST, NIST MEP, Centers, and Congress and as a general resource for providing information about personnel at the Centers. At NIST, the information is reported to the Director's Office, the Program Office, Legislative Affairs, and through the NIST public website, the general public. MEP informs both NIST and DOC because they both use the information to evaluate the program.
Contacts
Center Contacts information is collections of Center staff designated by the Center to represent the Center at working group meetings, special topic meetings and events. This information will provide NIST MEP with general information such as addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses for Center representatives. This information will be used by MEP to communicate with Centers through the use of mailing lists and working groups.
Success Stories
Success Stories will be an effective way to share experiences between NIST MEP, the Centers and the Client Manufacturing Establishments (CMEs). Success Stories will communicate the value of MEP’s services to stakeholders and potential clients. Centers will select stories that best describe the value and quality of their services to CMEs. Success Stories will be used as part of presentations for the NIST MEP budgeting process and demonstrate to Congress and the public how the MEP program operates. Additionally, NIST MEP will create promotional materials using Success Stories that best describe the value and quality of their services to potential clients.
State Funding Partners
The State Funding Partners entries are intended to provide the Center a readily available mechanism for reporting on its relationships with State and Local Government Officials. State Funding Partners are the primary funding decision officials for the program within the state or local government for the Center.
Strategic Plan
Annually, each Center will submit a copy of its Strategic Plan. The Center will also provide the effective dates of the plan. This information will be used by Account Managers in their day-to-day role as the consultant to the Center.
Annual Reviews will be used by NIST MEP to assess each Center’s progress towards the goals and objectives in its annual operating plan. Annual Reviews are mandated by GPRA, 15 CFR 290, 291, and 292. The review will be based on the MEP Criteria for Center Performance Excellence and will be the part of the basis for determining the Centers’ future funding. This review may focus on the prior year’s activities, progress, lessons learned, resource expenditures, activities planned for the next year, and any proposed changes to the project plan or budget. The results of the Program Review will be incorporated into the Operating Plan for the next year of the project and submitted to MEP for approval.
Panel Reviews
The Panel Reviews are conducted on MEP Centers every two years. The Panel Review is staffed by a panel of experts and chaired by an official of NIST MEP. Panel Reviews are necessary to comply with GPRA and 15 CFR 290. The purpose of the Panel Reviews is to promote:
Program Accountability
NIST MEP is responsible for ensuring that the taxpayers’ investment in the MEP Centers is providing efficient and effective support to smaller manufacturers in the United States. The results of the Panel Reviews provide NIST MEP with key information to determine future funding levels.
Continuous Improvement
NIST MEP is committed to providing support to the Centers thereby increasing their capacity to serve smaller manufacturers. The reviews with Centers from across the country provide the MEP program with an archive of lessons learned for the national program. The MEP Center Directors receive recommendations on how to improve their Center’s strategic agenda, operations and service delivery performance.
Intra-MEP System Learning
The Panel Review process is a mechanism for sharing information and best practices across the MEP system. Reviews provide an exchange of experiences, knowledge and insights for both Centers and panelists. Centers benefit from the review itself, as well as the experiences and insights provided by panelists. Panelists benefit by learning about diverse markets, technologies and Center strategic priorities and operations. NIST MEP staff benefit by gaining in-depth knowledge about manufacturing issues and activities across the entire Nation.
NIST MEP Management Information Reporting system will make maximum use of computer technology to minimize the response burden. Centers will submit collections in electronic files (i.e., excel files) and where possible, use the World Wide Web (Web) to submit the required information through the Internet with specially developed software. Security controls will ensure that Centers can only access their own data.
Collections made via electronic files will facilitate respondents’ data entry; ensuring correct and complete data collections while reducing the need for edit follow-ups. One of the key features of the Web-based NIST MEP Management Information Reporting system is the thorough editing of all submitted data for completeness, validity, and consistency. This editing is performed as the data are entered. The possibility of invalid data and all questionable or incomplete entries are called to respondents’ attention before they are entered into the system.
Collections made via electronic files will utilize such user-friendly features as automated tabulation; data entry using custom controls such as pick lists, option menus, and check boxes; and data verification with error messages for easy on-line correction. In addition, a built-in reporting system allows NIST MEP to monitor the progress of the collection as well as to generate special reports on key items.
All Centers have access to the Web. As a result, all reports are currently being submitted via the Web. Centers that lack access to the Web will be provided an appropriate electronic and/or paper version of the data collection instrument.
Due to the unique partnership relationship between MEP and the Centers, comparable data are not collected from these local Centers. Consultation with other offices within the Department of Commerce have been used to gather background information about topics and about previously used approaches to increase knowledge base for the local Centers. As a result, the information to be collected through this system will not duplicate any existing collection efforts.
Eligible institutions under the MEP program include state, and local governments, school districts, libraries, museums, universities, public organizations, nonprofit community-base organizations, and other nonprofit entities. We do not anticipate any of the respondents will be considered a small business or other small entity as defined in the Instructions For Requesting OMB Review Under The Paperwork Reduction Act.
Removal of the “Sunset Provisions” (H.R.1274), have made NIST MEP a long-term investor in the Regional Centers with a need to establish the Management Information Reporting system. The data collected will help NIST MEP monitor and evaluate the Centers' participation in the program and to provide Congress with quantitative information that it requires from government-supported programs. These requirements are clearly stated in the MEP program legislation and the GPRA. Some of these data will be collected on a quarterly basis and will enable NIST MEP to identify Centers in need of immediate assistance. Less frequent collection of data would result in the unacceptable situation of making significant policy decisions on the basis of obsolete and potentially misleading information. It might also delay the provision of assistance to the Centers.
If the information is not collected, NIST MEP staff will be unable to monitor Center performance and ensure that the MEP program is meeting the goal of “strengthening the global competitiveness of smaller U.S. manufacturers.” Additionally, national stakeholders, including Congress and Federal agencies use the information to make annual funding decisions regarding the MEP national appropriation. These stakeholders need information on which to base their decisions. Information demonstrating compelling evidence of program effectiveness is a critical component of that decision. The NIST MEP reporting and survey systems are designed to collect this information so that it can be made available to stakeholders. Finally, MEP would be unable to fully comply with the GPRA mandate that all Federal agencies evaluate their programs’ outcomes.
All data will be collected in a manner consistent with the guidelines in 5CFR 1320.6.
As required by 5CFR 1320.8(d), MEP’s notice soliciting comments on the information was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 36, pp. 9311-9312, on February 23, 2006
The development of the data collections and Management Information Reporting system is the result of extensive collaboration between NIST MEP and the Centers. NIST MEP received input regarding data availability and frequency of the collection from its Evaluation Working Group, consisting of members of academia, consultants, and representatives of the Centers. This group provided their professional opinions and expertise in developing the survey questions and protocol. Consultants continue to meet periodically and communicate electronically in a continuing effort to maximize response rates and ensure high levels of data quality. Potential information collections are discussed/reviewed by the National Advisory Board, which meets three times per year. In addition, Center representatives will be able to comment on the collection process at the annual MEP National Conference and through meetings with user groups and information technology development specialists. The conference offers the opportunity for attendees to view presentations, receive the procedures in a bound format to take back to the Centers. Center staff has an opportunity to review and discuss the materials among themselves before suggesting changes/revisions to NIST MEP.
No payments or gifts will be provided to respondents.
For all collections, the confidentiality of all responses will be maintained to the extent permitted by law. To protect the Centers’ privacy, only composite data or graphical representations will be included in the public reporting of the collection’s findings. A statement to this effect will be presented to the Centers prior to their submission of information.
Not applicable, the types of questions asked in the survey are not likely to be considered sensitive. Questions focus on institutional or organizational information rather than on individuals.
Summary of Hour Burden
Number of Respondents (Centers) 59
Burden per Respondent 120
Total 7,080
Annualized Cost to Respondents at $50/hour
Annualized Cost per Respondents $6,000
Total Annualized Cost to Respondents $389,400
Exhibit 1: Hour Burden of Information Collected
The information to be collected is information that the respondents must develop pursuant to their normal budget and strategy planning. What a Center needs to prepare is minimal beyond what a Center is expected to do in their normal course of operations. Therefore, the costs to respondents will be minimal and the only expenses will be those required to review this information for consistency with NIST MEP Management Information Reporting Procedures to enter this information into the appropriate collection form, and submit it to NIST MEP.
The total estimated response burden for the grant recipients that receive MEP funding in FY 2009 is 7,080 hours, the overall burden on any given grant recipient would be approximately 120 hours over their participation in the MEP program. The differences between the information above and the information provided in the last PRA submission are a result of both program changes and adjustments.
It is not anticipated that respondents will incur any start-up or capital costs as a result of these collections.
The organization already has in place the necessary computing infrastructure, web development and database tools to support this effort, as well as, trained staff whom are familiar with developing and maintaining web based financial and knowledge sharing systems for MEP.
The total annualized cost to the federal government for developing, analyzing, and maintaining the NIST MEP Management Information Reporting System should not increase significantly, as a result of this effort. As previously stated, a number of complementary activities already exist within the organization that will support the collection, management, and dissemination of the data from the respondent Centers. Following the initial investment of labor to create the forms and supporting databases to collect and store the information, as well as, develop the supporting documentation and training, the annual costs should be absorbed by the organization through realignment of roles, responsibilities, and priorities.
However, it is anticipated that the NIST MEP Management Information Reporting System will require 2 people, 4 tasks per year, 40 hours per task at a rate of $100 per hour for an estimated total of $32,000 for work performed by MEP staff for the NIST MEP Management Information Reporting System.
The reporting processes and the required data elements were streamlined. Therefore, the amount of time anticipated to perform the task was reduced. Also, the dollar rate amount was raised to reflect more current economic conditions.
The data will be collected indefinitely for internal review purposes and to monitor the Centers, as well as for reporting to Congress. Reports dealing with the characteristics and performance of the Centers will include trends, benchmarks, statistical tables and charts generated from the database. Information will be presented in the following methods:
Reports to Congress
Promotional/marketing brochures
Center Reports
Internal Reports
Presentations to MEP stakeholders
Center Reviews
Not applicable, the collections will display the expiration date for OMB approval.
Not applicable, there are no exceptions to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I.
Not applicable.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | dyonder |
| Last Modified By | dyonder |
| File Modified | 2009-06-26 |
| File Created | 2009-06-26 |