U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of the Procurement Executive
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
OMB CONTROL NUMBER 1505-0081
Solicitation of Proposal Information for Award of Public Contracts
JUSTIFICATION
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.
Treasury Response: Treasury Bureaus and the Office of the Procurement Executive collect the information when inviting firms to submit proposals for public contracts for supplies and services. The information collection is necessary for compliance with the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (41 U.S.C. 251 et seq.), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1) and applicable acquisition regulations. Note: the FAR is too voluminous to include all of the Parts that govern pre-award procedures. The complete FAR can be viewed on the internet at http://www.acquisition.gov/far/.
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.
Treasury Response: The information requested is used by the Government’s contracting officer and other acquisition personnel, including technical and legal staffs, to determine adequacy of technical and management approach, experience, responsibility, and expertise of the firms submitting offers. This is done to determine which firm’s offer is in the Government’s best interest. Selection of the firm results in contract award. If this information were not collected, the Government would not be able to make sound decisions in awarding contracts.
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.
Treasury Response: Many sources of the requested information utilize automated word processing systems, databases, spreadsheets, and other commercial software to facilitate preparation of material to be submitted. It is commonplace within many of Treasury’s Bureaus for submissions to be electronic.
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.
Treasury Response: Treasury Bureaus are encouraged to consolidate their own respective similar transactions for internal administrative economies (which would benefit suppliers of the information as well). In addition, options and indefinite delivery contracts are used to avoid the need for successive repetitive contracts. The Department supports and encourages strategic sourcing of products/services required by multiple Bureaus.
If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities describe any methods used to minimize burden.
Treasury Response: Information collection may or may not involve small business contractors, depending on the particular transaction. The burden applied to small businesses is the minimum, consistent with the goals of an efficient and effective proposal evaluation and award process.
Describe the consequences 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.
Treasury Response: Less frequent incidence of collecting such information as offerors’ management approach, technical approach, experience statements, and resumes indicating level of expertise would negatively affect the quality of products and services Treasury receives from contractors. Potentially, contracts would be awarded to firms without sufficient experience and expertise, thereby placing the Department’s operations in jeopardy. Defective and inadequate contractor deliverables would adversely affect Treasury’s mission requirements in all areas.
Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner
requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;
requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;
requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;
requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;
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;
requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;
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 compatible confidential use; or
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.
Treasury Response: N/A. There are no special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in any manner indicated.
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 tin 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.
Treasury Response: A notice was published in the Federal Register on March 23, 2012, at 77 FR 17122, soliciting public comment on this information collection and no comments were received. This information collection contains no periodic or repetitive reporting requirements. Respondents are those contractors who choose to respond to solicitations and requests for proposals. Content of contractor responses is defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
Treasury Response: Not applicable. No payments or gifts are made to respondents, other than contract payments made in accordance with contract terms and conditions.
Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
Treasury Response: Disclosure/non-disclosure of information is handled in accordance with Federal Acquisition and agency regulations as well as the Freedom of Information Act.
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.
Treasury Response: Not applicable. Questions of a personal or private nature are not included in contractor proposals.
Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should
Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.
If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens.
Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included in Item 13.
Treasury Response: Estimated burden hours:
Number of Respondents 32,345
Frequency of Response Various, depending on proposal type and proposal
requirements. Average burden estimate is 9 hours
per submission.
Total Burden 291,105 Hours
This estimate is based on FY 2011 contract award information. Treasury continues to encourage Bureaus to implement programs that use less paper-oriented methods in contracting practices, such as the use of oral proposals and automated systems for contract solicitations. There is ongoing use of FedBizOpps for posting of contracting opportunities, and of other electronic tools, such as Bureau-specific procurement web sites among the larger Bureaus, and of other electronic systems to facilitate better communications with industry and decreased burdens for both the acquisition and vendor communities.
Issuance of solicitations over the internet or electronic systems, as allowed by FAR 15.203(c), increased use of oral presentations in lieu of written proposals, as allowed by FAR 15.102, and increased use of combined contract action notices/requests for proposals, as allowed by FAR 12.603, are in practice as well.
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).
Treasury Response: N/A. Such costs could not be estimated, as the size and complexity of each contract award varies, requiring varying levels of technical, administrative, and program staffing in support of information collection.
Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies may also aggregate costs estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.
Treasury Response: Not applicable. Such costs could not be estimated, as the size and complexity of each agency acquisition is dependent upon the circumstances of the particular acquisition, the level of technical expertise involved, the grade levels of the acquisition team (depending on complexity), legal staff, etc.
Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
Treasury Response: There are no program changes at this time. An adjustment from 28,384 respondents to 32,345 respondents is due to the change in the number of proposals estimated to be submitted to Treasury based on FY 2011 data. The estimated burden for each contract at 9 hours remains unchanged. The adjustment in the total annual hours required from 255,456 to 291,105 is due to the increase in the estimated number of contractor proposals received in FY 2011.
For collection 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.
Treasury Response: Not applicable. There is no planned publication of information for statistical use.
If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
Treasury Response: Treasury is seeking approval not to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, since most Bureau procurement offices have automated procurement systems that automatically print the number.
Explain each exception to the certification statement.
Treasury Response: Not applicable. There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
The collection does not employ statistical methods.
June 2012
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Modified | 2012-06-25 |
| File Created | 2012-06-25 |