79 FR 193 pg. 60178 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Regulation on Agency Protests
Type: NOTICEVolume: 79Number: 193Page: 60178
Page: 60178Docket number: [Docket No. DHS-2014-0050]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2014-23688 Filed 10-3-14; 8:45 am]
Agency: Homeland Security Department
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
[Docket No. DHS-2014-0050]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Regulation on Agency Protests
AGENCY:
Office of Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, DHS.
ACTION:
60-day notice and request for comments; extension without change, 1600-0004.
.
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).
DATES:
Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until December 5, 2014. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-2014-0050, by one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Please follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: dhs.pra@hq.dhs.gov . Please include docket number DHS-2014-0050 in the subject line of the message.
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 collection 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 protests 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, 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: September 24, 2014.
Margaret H. Graves,
Deputy Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-23688 Filed 10-3-14; 8:45 am]
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