OAA Supporting Statement for 309-1 8-17-2020_

Supporting Statement for Request for Approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act

Section A. JUSTIFICATION

1. The United States Agency for International Development’s statutory and regulatory authority to enter into personal services contracts is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act, Pub. L. 87-165, as amended; the Annual Foreign Operations Appropriations; 48 CFR 37.104, personal services contracts; and 48 CFR Ch. 7, Appendix D, Direct USAID Contracts with a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Resident Alien for Personal Services Abroad; and 48 CFR Ch. 7, Appendix J, Direct USAID Contracts with a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad. This collection is to document the offer and acceptance of the personal services contract and obtain the required signatures. This information collection will serve as the cover page for the contract. This form will be utilized to collect information regarding the type of personal services contract, the salary, the position, accounting and classification codes as well as the signature of the contractor and contracting officer. This information is being gathered to maintain a standardized form as the cover page of a binding contract between the government and the personal service contractor. A cover page form for personal services contractors was previously approved in the AIDAR. Previous form numbers were AID1420-36A, AID1420-36B, and 309-1.

2. Existing collection in use with OMB control number 0412-0602. This form is a cover sheet for a personal service contract. It serves to document the offer and acceptance of the terms and conditions of the contract between the individual and the U.S. Government.

3. Historically, USAID contracting officers were required to physically sign the form (Box 23) and scan them. The contractors have signed/mailed, signed/scanned, and in rare occasions (due to technology constraints overseas) digitally signed Box 22. Recently electronic signatures from both parties are acceptable, though this is not codified in policy. Most submissions from contractors are being signed/scanned and transmitted via email.

4. The Agency uses information from the solicitation documentation and the individual’s application to complete the form. The individual is not required to provide duplicative information. The individual is required to review the information on the form to validate its accuracy and confirm acceptance of the contract by signing the form.

5. Not applicable.

6. The consequence to the U.S. Government is that it will not have a fully authorized and valid contract without completion of this cover page.

7. No special circumstances apply to this information collection. It is required for the individual to obtain and retain benefits under the contract.

8. The 60-day Notice of Public Information Collection was published in the Federal Register on 3/24/2020 – Doc. 2020-06120. No comments were received. The 30-day notice was published in the Federal Register on 6/30/2020 – FR Doc. 2020-13922. No comments were received; therefore no further action was necessary.

9. Not applicable: there were no decisions to provide any payments or gifts to respondents.

10. There is no assurance of confidentiality.

11. There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. The estimated number of respondents per year is 550, and the average frequency of response time is once a year. We estimate the annual burden to be 137.50 hours, based on 15 minutes for each form. The estimated time is based on the amount of time needed to read and review the certification. We estimate the annual cost to respondents to be about $9,125.88. The respondents do not include local hires overseas.

(1) Preparation by respondents:

Average salary per hour $64.17

Based on a GS 13/10 equivalent

550 forms at 15 min. each x 137.50 hrs.

Preparation cost for respondent: $8,823.38

(2) Additional mailing costs:

$0.55 (price of a stamp) x 550 forms = $302.50.

TOTAL COST for Respondents: $9,125.88

Form Number	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Average. Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Annual Burden (in hours)	Average Hourly Wage Rate	Total Annual Respondent Cost
AID 309-1	550	1	.25 hrs (15 min.)	137.50	$64.17	$9,125.88

13. There are no start-up or maintenance costs.

14. We estimate the annual cost to the Federal Government to be approximately $13,574.00 per year based on the following breakdowns:

Prepare the form and Review that the certification and acceptance of the contract has been signed

GS 13, step 1 per hour $49.36

Hours to review 550 forms at 30 min. each x 275 hrs.

TOTAL Cost to the Government: $13,574.00

15. USAID is requesting the use of AID Form 309-1 as the award cover page for all personal services contract awards.  Existing collection has been in use without a control number.

16. The results of this information collection will not be published.

17. Not applicable

18. No exceptions are taken to the provisions of item 19 of OMB Form 83-1

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

This collection of information does not employ statistical methods.