SUPPORTING STATEMENT
LOAN PROGRAMS OFFICE
OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 1910-5134
This supporting statement provides additional information regarding the Department of
Energy (DOE) request for processing of proposed information collection by the Loan Programs Office.
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating
or authorizing the collection of information.
Approval of this Information Collection Request (ICR) is being requested to effectively manage projects receiving Loan Programs Office (LPO) funds and ensure the Department meets public transparency and accountability standards.
In order to adequately manage and evaluate LPO funds, DOE has identified information that recipients need to report on a monthly and/or quarterly basis. Moreover, guided by government and private industry project management best practices, the Department has identified project areas that require monthly and/or quarterly reporting to support sound management of project risks. These information collections are also necessitated by requirements and requests for timely information on program activities to OMB, Congress and the public.
A significant focus of the Department’s implementation of Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05) has been making information available to the public, the Administration, and Congress on a timely basis. There have been public announcements of the achievement of significant milestones as they take place. This transparency has been a factor in driving process improvements and a heightened awareness of accountability on the part of Department for responsible program execution. Similar benefits can be expected during the all-important post-award phase during which program and project progress are tracked against cost, schedule and other milestones and metrics. Title XVII was amended by Section 406 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the “Recovery Act”) to create the Section 1705 loan guarantee program. Section 1512 of the Recovery Act requires reporting from the prime recipients of Federal funding, including as to number of jobs created or saved.
2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.
Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the
information received from the current collection.
The information collected will be used by DOE to plan, manage and evaluate its loan
guarantee programs. Moreover, the information will be used to answer congressional, budget and public inquiries. The information will be stored in DOE databases and files.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the
use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of
collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to
reduce burden.
DOE has requested that information be submitted electronically via email to the LPO. All data sent to the LPO will be forwarded to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at DOE Headquarters.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar
information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.
Information regarding projects supported by the LPO, such as numbers of jobs created or saved by the project, project schedules and costs, and other metrics, are unique to the individual projects and may change over time and therefore there is no duplication of information.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities
(Item 5 of OMB Form 83-I), describe any methods used to minimize burden.
Small businesses are not impacted, because the Program does not involve any projects sponsored by small businesses.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection
is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal
obstacles to reducing burden.
If the information is not collected, DOE will be unable to effectively respond to congressional, budget and general public inquiries about LPO program activity and the deployment of funds. Heightened reporting expectations are evidenced by requirement and requests for timely information on program activities to OMB, Congress and the public. Without monthly reporting, LPO will be unable to effectively track the management of program funds and the impact of these funds on national
job creation and other metrics. In addition, Section 1512 of the Recovery Act requires reporting from prime recipients of Federal funding.
Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines. (a) requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly; (b) requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it; (c) requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document; (d) requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years; (e) in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to product valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study; (f) requiring the use of statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB; (g) that includes a pledge of confidentially that is not supported by authority established in stature of 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 compatible confidential use; (h) requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information’s confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
There are none. The package is consistent with OMB guidelines.
8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of
publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR
1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to
OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe
actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address
comments received on cost and hour burden. Describe 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. Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to
be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3
years - even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation.
These circumstances should be explained.
The Department published a proposed rule and request for comment in the Federal Register on November 2, 2011 (76 FR 67622). The notice describes the collection and invites interested parties to submit comments or recommendations regarding the collection. The comment period closes on December 2, 2011.
9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than
reenumeration of contractors or grantees.
No payment or gift to respondents is being proposed under this information collection.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis
for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
There are no questions within this collection of a sensitive nature.
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. This justification should include the reasons why the
agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the
information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is
requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.
No questions of a sensitive, personal or private nature will be asked.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.
The estimate of hour burden of the information collection is as follows:
Total number of unduplicated respondents: 100
Reports filed per person: 12
Total annual responses: 1200
Total annual burden hours: 4400 hours
Average Burden Per Collection: 3.67 hours
Per Applicants: 3.67 hours
Currently LPO has no open solicitations for loan guarantee applications and as such LPO is not currently taking loan applications for this program so the burden comes from existing loan recipients and expected loan recipients based on applications already filed.
The remaining burden is monthly and falls under project information under Section 609.17(a)(1) and under financial and operation data under Section 609.17(b), in 10 CFR Part 609.
13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or
recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost
of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).
No costs are known to be associated with this collection.
14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government.
There are no costs associated with this collection that will impact the Federal government.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items
13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.
There is a significant decrease in respondents/responses and burden hours from the previous program submission because since that submission, funding and loan guarantee authority for a major portion of the program – Section 1705 under Title XVII – have expired (the sunset date for that program was September 30, 2011) and there fore the number of respondents/responses and burden hours have been adjusted accordingly.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for
tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be
used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and
ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication
dates, and other actions.
This package contains no collection whose results will be published for statistical use.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
DOE is not seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB
approval of this information collection.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19,
"Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions," of OMB Form 83-I.
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | leongal |
| Last Modified By | roulech |
| File Modified | 2011-11-07 |
| File Created | 2011-11-07 |