[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77018-77019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30080]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Agency Information Collection Activities: Regulation on Agency
Protests
AGENCY: Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and
Legislation Office, DHS.
ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; Extension without
Change, 1600-0004.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Chief
Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, will
submit the following Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35 DHS previously published this information collection request
(ICR) in the Federal Register on Monday, October 6, 2014 at 79 FR 60178
for a 60-day public comment period. One comment was received by DHS.
The purpose of this notice is to allow additional 30 days for public
comments.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until January 22,
2015. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be
addressed to OMB Desk Officer, Department of Homeland Security and sent
via electronic mail to [email protected] or faxed to (202)
395-5806.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); 48
CFR Chapter 1 provides general procedures on handling protests
submitted by contractors to federal agencies. This regulation provides
detailed guidance for contractors doing business with acquisition
offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement
the FAR. FAR Part 33.103, Protests, Disputes, and Appeals prescribe
policies and procedures for filing protests and for processing contract
disputes and appeals.
DHS will not be asking for anything outside of what is already
required in the FAR. Should anything outside the FAR arise, DHS will
submit a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
The prior information collect request for OMB No. 1600-004 was approved
through May 31, 2014 by OMB in a Notice of OMB Action.
The information being collected will be obtained from contractors
as part of their submissions whenever they file a bid protest with the
Department's Components. The information will be used by DHS officials
in deciding how the protest should be resolved. Failure to collect this
information would result in delayed resolution of agency protests.
According to Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), the number of
protest has increased each year over the past two years in annual
respondent and burden hours. This increase in current protest activity
is not the result of a deliberate program change, but from a new
estimate of actions that are not controllable by the Federal
government. Although, the number of protest has increased, there has
not been any change in the information being collected.
The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in
comments which:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
[[Page 77019]]
e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.
Analysis
AGENCY: Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and
Legislation
Office, DHS
Title: Regulation on Agency Protests
OMB Number: 1600-0004
Frequency: Annually
Affected Public: Private Sector
Number of Respondents: 95
Estimated Time per Respondent: 2 hours
Total Burden Hours: 190
Dated: December 11, 2014.
Carlene C. Ileto,
Executive Director, Enterprise Business Management Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-30080 Filed 12-22-14; 8:45 am]
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