[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 178 (Tuesday, September 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55411-55412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23098]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Small Business Administration.
ACTION: 30-Day Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) is publishing this
notice to comply with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), which requires agencies to submit proposed
reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and
approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the
public that the agency has made such a submission. This notice also
allows an additional 30 days for public comments.
DATES: Submit comments on or before October 15, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the information collection by name
and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: Agency Clearance
Officer, Curtis Rich, Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street
SW., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20416; and SBA Desk Officer, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curtis Rich, Agency Clearance Officer,
(202) 205-7030 [email protected]
Copies: A copy of the Form OMB 83-1, supporting statement, and
other documents submitted to OMB for review may be obtained from the
Agency Clearance Officer.
[[Page 55412]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 1, 2014, the Small Business
Administration (SBA)'s Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED)
began the ScaleUp America initiative to expand the delivery of proven
best practices in entrepreneurship education to reach more growth-
oriented small business owners. Through this initiative, organizations
in eight communities across the U.S. have been selected to deliver
targeted and intensive assistance to established, growth-oriented small
businesses and entrepreneurs. ScaleUp program goals include the growth
of participating businesses, the strengthening of local entrepreneurial
ecosystems (e.g. the network of supportive resources available to the
entrepreneur), and the creation of jobs and economic growth in targeted
communities.
SBA is conducting an evaluation of the ScaleUp America initiative
to assess the education services provided to the participants, the
effect of the assistance on achieving the business goals of the
participants, participant satisfaction with the assistance, and lessons
learned and recommendations provided by the participants. Through the
quarterly and annual reports provided by ScaleUp administrators, SBA
has the ability to collect some data on the participants and program
activities. However, in order to develop a more systematic analysis on
the full range of topics mentioned above, including the participants'
feedback, SBA needs to collect survey and interview data from
participants who attended the program, as well as from individual
entrepreneurs who are recruited as members of a community-specific
comparison group.
Specifically, SBA proposes the use of four instruments for data
collection and analysis. These instruments are: (1) Participant Intake
Survey, (2) Comparison Group Member Intake Survey and (3) Participant
Follow-up Survey. SBA plans to administer each of these survey
instruments to more than nine individuals. In addition, SBA plans to
interview two participants or community members in each of the eight
ScaleUp communities regarding program impact and successes or
challenges.
Each of the proposed surveys will be administered electronically
and will contain both open- and close-ended questions. The types of
information that will be collected in the instruments can be found in
the ``Summary of Information Collection'' section below. Quantitative
analysis (the primary method of data analysis for the survey data) and
qualitative analysis (the primary method of data analysis for the
interview data) will be used on the data collected. Quantitative
analysis will consist of univariate and multivariate statistical
analyses, while qualitative analysis will consist of establishing clear
rules for interpretation and finding themes in the qualitative data.
The information collected and analyzed from these instruments will
contribute to performance metrics and program goals, as well as
recommendations on improving program practices.
Solicitation of Public Comments: Comments may be submitted on (a)
whether the collection of information is necessary for the agency to
properly perform its functions; (b) whether the burden estimates are
accurate; (c) whether there are ways to minimize the burden, including
through the use of automated techniques or other forms of information
technology; and (d) whether there are ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information.
Summary of Information Collections:
Title: Scaleup America Initiative.
Description of Respondents: Growth oriented Small Business Owners.
Form Number: N/A.
Estimated Annual Responses: 1,792.
Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 1,232.
Curtis B. Rich,
Management Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2015-23098 Filed 9-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P