9000-0062 Supporting Statement

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR INFORMATION COLLECTION SUBMISSION

9000-0062, MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP

A. Justification.

1. Administrative requirements. This is a request for extension of the information collection requirement currently approved under OMB Control Number 9000-0062 for Material and Workmanship, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.505.

Under Federal contracts requiring that equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, generators, chillers, etc.) be installed in a project, the Government must determine that the equipment meets the contract requirements. Therefore, the contractor must submit sufficient data on the particular equipment to allow the Government to analyze the item, in accordance with the FAR clause at 52.236-5.

2. Uses of information. The Government uses the submitted data to determine whether or not the equipment meets the contract requirements in the categories of performance, construction, and durability. This data is placed in the contract file and used during the inspection of the equipment when it arrives on the project and when it is made operable.

3. Consideration of information technology. We use improved information technology to the maximum extent practicable. Where both the Government agency and contractors are capable of electronic interchange, the contractors may submit this information collection requirement electronically.

4. Efforts to identify duplication. This requirement is being issued under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) which has been developed to standardize Federal procurement practices and eliminate unnecessary duplication.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other entities, describe methods used to minimize burden. The burden applied to small businesses is the minimum consistent with applicable laws, executive orders, regulations, and prudent business practices.

6. Describe consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently. Collection of information on a basis other than solicitation-by-solicitation is not practical.

7. Special circumstances for collection. Collection is consistent with guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8. Efforts to consult with persons outside the agency. Under the procedures established for development of the FAR, agency and public comments were solicited before finalization of the text. Two notices published in the Federal Register at 80 FR 8650, on February 18, 2015, and at 80 FR 33497, on June 12, 2015, made this requirement available to the public. No comments were received.

9. Explanation of any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or guarantees. Not applicable.

10. Describe assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents. This information is disclosed only to the extent consistent with prudent business practices and current regulations.

11. Additional justification for questions of a sensitive nature. No sensitive questions are involved.

12 & 13. Estimated total annual public hour and cost burden, Time required to read and prepare information is estimated at 15 minutes per completion.

GSA Public Building Service management specialists indicate that there is no centralized database system that maintains statistics on the number of contractors that supply the Government with information regarding the machinery, mechanical and other equipment to be incorporated into the work under construction contracts. They estimate that 3,160 contractors a year submit the required information. GSA estimates that it takes approximately 15 minutes for each contractor to read and prepare the information needed for the material and workmanship descriptions. The cost per response is $12.

Annual Public Burden and Cost

Estimated respondents/yr 3,160

Responses annually x 2.0

Total annual responses 6,320

Estimated hrs/response x .25

Estimated total burden/hrs 1,580

Cost per hour (+ 36.25% overhead) x $48

Estimated annual cost to public $75,840

* Based on the salary table for GS-11/step 5 salary ($34.60 an hour) plus 36.25 percent burden, rounded to the nearest dollar, or $48 an hour. The burden rate used is that mandated by OMB memorandum M-08-13 for use in public-private competition, as updated by OMB for the current year. Reference Salary Table 2015-GS, Effective January 2015, found at www.opm.gov).

14. Estimated cost to the Government. Time required for Government-wide review is estimated at 30 minutes per response.

Annual Reporting Burden and Cost

Total annual responses 6,320

Reviewing time/hr x .50

Total annual review time 3,160

Average wages/hr (+ 36.25% overhead) x $48

Total Government cost $151,680

* Based on the salary table for GS-11/step 5 salary ($34.60 an hour) plus 36.25 percent burden, rounded to the nearest dollar, or $48 an hour. The burden rate used is that mandated by OMB memorandum M-08-13 for use in public-private competition, as updated by OMB for the current year. Reference Salary Table 2015-GS, Effective January 2015, found at www.opm.gov).

15. Explain reasons for program changes or adjustments reported in Item 13 or 14. This submission requests an extension of OMB approval of an information collection requirement in the FAR. The information collection requirement at FAR clause 52.236-5 has increased due to the rounding up of the responses annually from 1.5 to 2.0, as you cannot have .5 of a response per year.

16. Outline plans for published results of information collections. Results will not be tabulated or published.

17. Approval not to display expiration date. Not applicable.

18. Explanation of exception to certification statement. Not applicable.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods.

Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.

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