All current SBLF participants (328) will be surveyed to obtain their viewpoints of the SBLF program, its administration and what specific factors contributed to their use of the SBLF funds. This is necessary for us to carry out the oversight responsibilities assigned to us by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.
The Treasury Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is requesting an expedited clearance for three reasons. First, under §4107 of the Act, the Special Deputy Inspector General for SBLF Program Oversight is responsible for audit and investigations related to the SBLF program; and must report at least twice a year to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress on the results of oversight activities, including recommended program improvements. We are concerned about meeting this requirement timely and for 2013 and would therefore request to expedite the clearance process for this information collection. Second, The SBLF program had its one-year anniversary in September 2012, and we would like to report on the programÂs results one year after implementation. If the information collection occurs later in 2013, we would need to update an extensive amount of audit work that relies on figures as of September 2012 and it could delay our report. Finally, this information collection requests respondentÂs opinions and viewpoints and has an estimated time burden of 2 hours which is relatively modest. We did not consult with persons outside the agency regarding the survey but plan to test it with a small number of SBLF banks and make appropriate revisions prior to sending it to the entire population.
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.