[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 44244-44245] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-22077] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [OMB Control No. 9000-0020] Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Entitled Qualification Requirements AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), [[Page 44245]] and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ACTION: Notice of request for an extension to an existing OMB clearance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning Qualification Requirements. A request for public comments was published at 63 FR 29187, May 28, 1998. No comments were received. DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before September 17, 1998. ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102, NEOB, Washington, DC 20503 and a copy to the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat, 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph DeStefano, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-1758. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Purpose 10 U.S.C. 2319 and 41 U.S.C. 253c prescribe policies and procedures which are to be followed by Federal agencies before they may establish any prequalification requirement with which a prospective contractor must comply before his offer will even be considered by the agency for a contract award. Three basic requirements are prescribed. First, the agency must examine the need for establishing the prequalification requirement, given its adverse impact on free and open competition. Having established that a need for a prequalification requirement exists, the agency must prepare a written justification which explains that need. Second, the agency must specify the standards which a prospective contractor, or its product or service, must satisfy in order to be qualified. The agency is directed to limit such standards to those essential to ``meet the purposes necessitating the establishment of the prequalification requirement.'' Third, the executive agency imposing the prequalification requirement must promptly provide a prospective contractor with the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to meet the standards the agency has specified for qualification. The contracting officer uses the information to determine eligibility for award when the clause at 52.209-1, Qualification Requirements, is included in the solicitation. The offeror must identify the offeror, manufacturer, source, product or service, as appropriate, that has been prequalified and test number as evidence that the qualification requirement has been met. Alternatively, an offeror not meeting the qualification requirement may be considered for award upon the submission of evidence that the qualification requirement has been satisfied. B. Annual Reporting Burden Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average .17 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The annual reporting burden is estimated as follows: Respondents, 2,700; responses per respondent, 10; total annual responses, 27,000; preparation hours per response, .17; and total response burden hours, 4,590. Obtaining Copies of Proposals Requester may obtain a copy of the justification from the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVRS), 1800 F Street, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0020, Qualification Requirements, in all correspondence. Dated: August 11, 1998. Edward C. Loeb, Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division. [FR Doc. 98-22077 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6820-34-P