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[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69688-69689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28574]

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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: 60-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).

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until January 14, 
2011. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and questions about this Information 
Collection Request should be forwarded to Office of Chief Procurement 
Officer, Acquisition Policy and Legislation Office, DHS Attn.: Camara 
Francis, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief 
Procurement Officer, Room 3114, Washington, DC 20528, 
Camara.Francis@hq.dhs.gov, 202-447-5904.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); 48 
CFR Chapter 1 provides general procedures on handling protests 
submitted by contractors to federal

[[Page 69689]]

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 
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 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, 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: 75.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 2 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 150.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $4,104.00.

    Dated: November 2, 2010.
Richard Spires,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-28574 Filed 11-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-9B-P
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