Supporting Statement A for 2133-0029 9.4.2024

Department of Transportation

Maritime Administration

Information Collection Request (ICR)

OMB 2133-0029

Shipbuilding Orderbook and Shipyard Employment

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION: This submission is to request a three-year extension from the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) for the information collection entitled OMB 2133-0029 (Shipbuilding Orderbook and Shipyard Employment), which expires on September 30, 2024. There are no changes to this collection which will be submitted as an extension of a currently approved collection.

1. JUSTIFICATION

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

Quality Shipbuilding information from the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Navy is absolutely necessary for the Administration and Congress to formulate national shipbuilding policies. To comply with Agency directives more effectively, MARAD, in joint effort with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and major U.S. commercial shipyards, need to define and continuously monitor this country's active shipbuilding industrial base in an accurate, uniform, comprehensive, and timely manner. This data collection effort through OMB 2133-0029 (Shipbuilding Orderbook and Shipyard Employment) (OMB 2133-0029), though MA-832 Schedule of Current Orderbook Construction, will assist in addressing these problems, respond to a major request from the shipbuilding industry itself, and aid in supplying quality shipbuilding information to OMB for their budget analysis cycles.

In compliance with the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, as amended, MARAD conducts this survey to obtain information from the shipbuilding and ship repair industry to be used primarily to determine if an adequate mobilization base exists for national defense and for use in a national emergency. The following sections directly apply:

46 United States Code (U.S.C.) 50102 (2007). Survey of merchant marine. (a) In general. The Secretary of Transportation shall survey the merchant marine of the United States to determine whether replacements and additions are required to carry out the objectives and policy of section 50101 of this title. The Secretary shall study, perfect, and adopt a long-range program for replacements and additions that will result, as soon as practicable, in: (1) an adequate and well-balanced merchant fleet, including vessels of all types, that will provide shipping service essential for maintaining the flow of foreign commerce by vessels designed to be readily and quickly convertible into transport and supply vessels in a time of national emergency; (2) ownership and operation of the fleet by citizens of the United States insofar as practicable; (3) vessels designed to afford the best and most complete protection for passengers and crew against fire and all marine perils; and (4) an efficient capacity for building and repairing vessels in the United States with an adequate number of skilled personnel to provide an adequate mobilization base.

46 U.S.C. 50106 (2007). Studies on the operation of vessels: (a) Relative Costs. The Secretary of Transportation shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of the relative cost of marine insurance, maintenance, repairs, wages and subsistence of officers and crews, and all other items of expense, in the operation of comparable vessels under the laws and regulations of the United States and those of the foreign countries whose vessels are substantial competitors of American vessels. (b) Shipyards. The Secretary shall investigate, determine, and keep current records of the number, location, and efficiency of shipyards in the United States. (c) Navigation Laws. The Secretary shall examine the navigation laws and regulations of the United States and make such recommendations to Congress as the Secretary considers proper for the amendment, improvement, and revision of those laws and for the development of the merchant marine of the United States.

Specifically, this report will support the Maritime Administrative Order 72‑1, Section 3.05, that charges MARAD's, Office of Business and Finance Development with the following tasks:

1. Maintaining current records on shipyard facilities, workload, employment, and suppliers in the U.S.;

2. Developing ship contract delivery dates, analysis of shipbuilder's planned and

actual performance, and scheduling and expediting key event activities scheduling a mobilization ship program;

3. Measuring shipyard capacity and production and maintaining shipyard reporting

and information systems; and

4. Analyzing specific shipbuilding programs and extensions of contract delivery dates.

2. Purpose and Use of the Information Collection

OMB 2133-0029 is used to provide essential information for the following reports, services, projects, and database:

1. Shipyard Activity Report: A report for related shipbuilding industry use that monitors current U.S. commercial ship construction and is distributed to both government agencies and private organizations;

2. Shipyard Reporting and Information System: A report issued upon MARAD or industry request, that provides basic construction and ship characteristic information on commercial vessels built in U.S. shipyards from 1951 to present time;

3. Shipyard Electronic Catalog: A computer program developed by MARAD to display shipyard facility, capability and orderbook information and updated periodically.

4. Official Shipbuilding Information Base: a database utilized in varying degrees by all the previously mentioned reports, services, and projects.

In particular, the most important function of this information is the Shipyard Electronic Catalog. This system will be utilized by the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide information on shipyards and their orderbooks to those with the need to know.

The preceding reports and analyses either could not be generated or would be of significantly reduced integrity without the availability of this data collection.

3. Automation or Use of Information Technology

MARAD has provided respondents with the option of responding electronically to this collection by various means including e-mail, fax, fillable pdf(s), and spreadsheets.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

MARAD personnel are in frequent contact with their counterparts in the Navy, Military Sealift Command (MSC), Coast Guard, and private organizations, to assure that information collected from the public is available to all entities, while avoiding duplicative data collection.

No other entity in the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry collects any similar data to this collection.

5. Impacts on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

This collection has minimal impact on small businesses.

6. Impact of Not Conducting or Less Frequent Collection of Information

The Government Performance and Results Act require Federal agencies to establish performance goals and measures, to assess progress being made toward achieving intended program outcomes. Performance goals are contained in the DOT Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026 and Maritime Administration Performance Plan with DOT. The survey of the shipbuilding industry and the collection of data on an annual basis, assists MARAD personnel to answer questions by the Office of the Secretary and Congressional representatives regarding program performance goals.

Regular required informational responses to Congress would be severely impacted without this collection. More importantly, the current health and economic well-being of the shipping industry which is critical to our national defense posture, cannot be surveyed any less frequently without significant loss of data reliability.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines 5 CFR 1320.5

MARAD requires that the respondents provide requested data within 25 days of the initial request, to facilitate with timely availability and dissemination of the data to management and other Government agencies for review.

There are no other special circumstances that require this collection of information to be conducted in a manner described below:

• Requiring respondents to report information to MARAD more often than quarterly;

• Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

• Requiring the use of statistical data that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• Requiring the use of statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• Requiring a pledge of confidentiality; or

• Requiring respondents to submit any proprietary or trade secrets

8. Public Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Outside

Consultation

MARAD published a 60-day notice and request for comments on this information collection in the Federal Register (FR 50405, Vol. 89, No. 115) on June 13, 2024, indicating comments should be submitted on or before August 12, 2024. No comments were received. A 30-day notice will now be published in the Federal Register to solicit public comments.

MARAD employees regularly communicate with the Shipbuilder’s Council of America, NAVSEA, and major U.S. commercial shipyards, in an effort to define and continuously monitor this country’s active U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. The basic content of this report is agreeable to all the concerned parties. Several respondents have verified that the requested shipbuilding data is indeed readily accessible and maintained as a matter of standard bookkeeping and management practice.

9. Explanation of Any Payments or Gifts to Respondents

There is no payment or gift provided to respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality and Protection of Privacy

The data requested is readily available in the shipbuilding industry and may occasionally be considered business sensitive. For that reason, MARAD's policy is to limit access to raw data to in-house use, which has been mutually agreed upon with the respondents.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours and Cost

1. Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours

An estimated 200 respondents will take approximately 30 minutes (.5 hours) each to respond once (i.e. collect, compile, and submit data) to the form associated with this collection, for a total 100 hours. This amount can be calculated as shown in the table below:

Form Type	Total Respondents		Total Responses per Respondent		Total Responses		Average Time Taken to Respond (Hour)		Total Burden Hours
MA-832	200	*	1	=	200	*	.5 (30 mins)	=	100

2. Estimates of Annualized Cost Burden

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS)¹ estimates that the average hourly wage for Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011) is $ 35.42. When combined with the total compensation rate ² of 29%, the total annualized hourly rate is: $ 45.69. Therefore, the total annualized cost for all individuals associated with preparing and submitting data in response to this collection is

$ 4,569.00.

Type of Respondents	Average Hourly Rate	Total Compensation Rate of 29%		Total Annualized Burden Hours		Total Annualized Cost Burden
Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011)	$ 35.42	$ 45.69	*	100	=	$ 4,569.00

13. Estimate of Total Annual Costs Burden to Respondents and/or Record Keepers

There are no capital, start-up, operation, or maintenance costs to respondents and/or record

keepers associated with this collection.

14. Estimate of Federal Government Costs

According to the Office of Personnel Management wage tables³, it is estimated that one GS-13, Step 6 employee has a Washington-Baltimore-Arlington locality hourly pay of

$ 65.94. When combined with the Federal Employee Compensation of 31%⁴, the hourly wage rate is $ 86.38. It will take 30 mins (.5 hours) to review and process each of the total 200 applications annually. Therefore, the total Federal Government costs associated with this collection is $ 8,639.00, which is calculated as shown in the table below:

FTE Grade and Step	Average Hourly Wage Rate With Compensation		Total Hours (per application)		Cost to process each application		Total Applications		Total Wages
GS-13 (Step 6)	$86.38		0.5 (30 mins)		$43.19		200	=	$8,638.00
		*		=		*

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

There were no program changes or adjustments.

16. Publication of Data Collection Results

Data is entered into a computerized database presented in tabular and graphic forms which facilitates the preparation of the Report on Survey of U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Facilities

Data collection effort commences: October 1

End of collection period: October 25

Publication of report: June 30

As previously mentioned in the Justification, the requested shipbuilding data will be utilized in MARAD's shipbuilding reports, services, projects, and databases. Only the official shipbuilding information base and the official shipbuilding status report require all the data supplied by this report. The remaining shipbuilding reports, projects, and services use only pertinent sections of the submitted form. Additionally, all shipbuilding information received is shared with NAVSEA.

17. Display of the OMB Expiration Date

MARAD is not seeking approval to omit displaying the expiration date for this collection.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement

There are no exceptions to the certificate statement.

1 The hourly wage estimate is taken from current BLS tables: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm .

2 Per BLS Employee Compensation Memo, the total compensation rate for the private sector is 29%, :https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf

3 The hourly federal government wage is taken from OPM 2024 wage tables: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/24Tables/html/DCB_h.aspx

4 Per BLS Employee Compensation Memo, the total compensation rate for the Federal Government is 31%, :https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf

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