Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2003-0017-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2003-03-11T05:00Z

1
1.
IDENTIFICATION
OF
THE
INFORMATION
COLLECTION
(
a)
This
information
collection
request,
which
EPA
is
tracking
under
Information
Collection
Request
(
ICR)
1910.02,
covers
the
procedures
for
requesting
information
in
response
to
Agency
published
synopses
and/
or
full
or
selected
text
of
anticipated
procurements
and
market
research
related
to
anticipated
procurements.
OMB
control
number
is
2030­
0039.

(
b)
The
Office
of
Acquisition
Management
of
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency
publishes
synopses
and/
or
statements
of
work
of
upcoming
Agency
requirements
in
an
effort
to
identify
competent
potential
sources
of
supply.
Likewise,
the
Office
of
Acquisition
Management
conducts
market
research
through
questions
to
the
general
public
in
an
effort
to
identify
alternative
commercial
supplies
and
services
to
fulfill
Agency
requirements
and
to
identify
competent
potential
sources
of
supply.
The
methods
for
publicizing
contract
actions
are
set
forth
in
the
Federal
Acquisition
Regulation
(
FAR).
FAR
5.201
and
5.205
set
forth
the
individual
circumstances
when
publication
of
a
proposed
contract
action
is
either
mandatory
or
desirable.
FAR
10.001
sets
forth
the
instances
when
market
research
is
mandatory
or
desirable.

2.
NEED
FOR
AND
USE
OF
THE
COLLECTION
(
a)
The
legal
authority
for
this
collection
is
15
U.
S.
C.
637(
e)
(
The
Small
Business
Act),
41
U.
S.
C.
416
(
The
Office
of
Federal
Procurement
Policy
Act),
and
41
U.
S.
C.
253.
Collection
of
responses
to
Agency
presolicitation
requests
for
comments
and
information
is
essential
to
the
Agency's
mission.
The
procurement
of
contractor­
provided
supplies
and
services,
upon
which
the
Agency
relies,
must
begin
with
market
research
and
fact­
finding
conducted
according
to
regulation.
The
contracting
office
constructs
Requests
for
Proposals
(
RFPs)
and
Invitations
for
Bids
(
IFBs)
based
upon
the
findings
in
the
presolicitation
stage.

(
b)
Information
obtained
in
response
to
synopses
and
market
research
is
necessary
to
determine
which
sources
will
be
solicited
during
the
formal
solicitation
process.
Information
received
may
lead
the
Agency
to
set
aside
certain
procurement
actions
exclusively
for
small
and/
or
small
disadvantaged
business
concerns.

3.
THE
RESPONDENTS
AND
THE
INFORMATION
RECEIVED
(
a)
The
respondents
will
normally
be
large
and
small
businesses,
profit
making
and
nonprofit
which
are
interested
in
selling
their
goods
or
services
to
the
Agency.
Typically,
these
respondents
fall
into
one
of
the
following
Standard
Industrial
Classifications:
1629
­
dredging
and
surface
cleanup
activities,
3821
­
laboratory
apparatus,
7379
­
computer
related
services,
8748
­
business
consulting
services,
and
1542
­
construction
services.

(
b)
FAR
Parts
5
and
10
set
forth
the
types
of
information
requested
in
a
synopsis
or
a
market
research
inquiry
respectively.
This
information
collection
request
will
discuss
information
requested
in
presolicitation
publications
and
market
research
related
activities
that
are
not
2
specifically
addressed
in
FAR
clauses
or
certifications
already
cleared
through
the
Office
of
Management
and
Budget
(
OMB).

(
c)
The
Office
of
Acquisition
Management
publishes
synopses
of
anticipated
requirements,
statements
of
work,
and
other
similar
summary
procurement
notices,
for
the
purpose
of
alerting
the
business
community
to
upcoming
federal
contract
opportunities,
or
to
solicit
comment
from
the
same
community
on
upcoming
federal
contract
requirements.
The
comments
solicited
may
be
general
or
specific.
Normally
respondents
will
indicate
their
interest
in
being
invited
to
participate
in
the
competition
for
the
contract
and
may
be
required
to
submit
a
capability
statement.
In
order
to
submit
the
information
requested,
the
respondent
will
have
to
gather
available
data
from
their
internal
records
such
as
history
of
previous
similar
contracts.
They
may
have
to
research
and
analyze
company
financial
records.

(
d)
The
Office
of
Acquisition
Management
conducts
a
form
of
market
research
which
surveys
the
business
community
especially
with
respect
to
the
commercial
availability
of
supplies
and
services
required
by
the
Agency.
Survey
type
questions
addressing
issues
such
as
price,
quantity,
delivery
schedule,
current
research
and
development
efforts,
future
availability,
etc.
may
also
be
included
under
the
market
research
umbrella.
Many
market
research
efforts
are
conducted
telephonically,
and
the
respondent
is
required
to
draw
upon
his
or
her
knowledge
of
the
business
operation
to
provide
on­
the­
spot
responses
to
specific
questions.
In
other
cases,
market
research
is
conduced
in
writing,
typically
through
the
survey
method.
In
order
to
submit
the
information
requested,
the
respondent
will
have
to
gather
available
data
from
their
internal
records
such
as
history
of
previous
similar
contracts.
They
may
have
to
research
and
analyze
company
financial
records.

4.
THE
INFORMATION
COLLECTED:
AGENCY
ACTIVITIES,
COLLECTION
METHODOLOGY,
AND
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
(
a)
AGENCY
ACTIVITIES:

(
1)
The
Agency
activities
in
preparing
the
synopsis
include
the
following
tasks:
identifying
the
requirement,
preparing
the
specification
or
statement
of
work,
determining
the
information
to
be
collected,
and
preparing
the
publication
notice.

(
2)
The
Agency
activities
in
preparing
a
market
research
request
include
composing
specific
questions,
determining
the
best
forum
for
conducting
the
research,
and,
if
required,
preparing
publication
notices.

(
3)
The
data
submitted
by
respondents
will
be
reviewed
by
a
contract
specialist
and,
if
required,
a
technical
specialist.
The
data
will
be
used
to
make
subsequent
procurement
decisions
which
may
include
issues
such
as:
what
supply
or
service
to
procure,
which
sources
to
procure
from,
extent
of
small
business
set­
aside,
type
of
contract
vehicle,
timing
of
solicitation,
etc.
3
(
b)
COLLECTION
METHODOLOGY
AND
MANAGEMENT
(
1)
The
information
is
collected
on
a
one­
time
basis
when
the
Agency
has
a
requirement
or
anticipated
requirement
for
supplies
or
services.
Both
synopses/
publicized
requirements
and
market
research
are
aimed
toward
respondents
who
are
interested
in
providing
products
or
services
to
the
Government.
Many
respondents
have
a
standard
prepared
capability
statement,
or
prepared
literature
on
products
and
services.
Other
responses
to
these
requests
for
information
will
be
prepared
individually
and
tailored
to
the
specific
procurement
or
the
specific
question
asked.

(
2)
Submissions
are
accepted
in
any
format
so
long
as
they
include
the
requested
data.

(
3)
Submissions
are
voluntary.
No
one
is
required
to
respond
to
either
a
synopsis
or
publicized
contract
action,
nor
a
request
for
information
in
connection
with
market
research.

(
c)
SMALL
ENTITY
FLEXIBILITY
(
1)
Separate
or
further
simplified
requirements
for
small
entities
are
not
practical,
because
the
stated
objectives
cannot
be
met
under
such
alternatives.
All
responses
are
voluntary,
and
the
information
collection
is
only
the
minimum
necessary
to
ensure
that
the
respondent
has
the
potential
capability
to
supply
the
Agency
with
goods
or
services.

5.
NONDUPLICATION,
CONSULTATION,
AND
OTHER
COLLECTION
CRITERIA
(
a)
Information
requested
in
a
publicized,
presolicitation
contract
action
is
unique
to
a
specific
procurement;
this
information
cannot
be
obtained
from
any
other
source.

(
b)
To
determine
contractor
burden
associated
with
the
information
collection
identified
in
this
request,
the
following
vendors
were
contacted:

Representative
Firm
Phone
Mr.
Kevin
Cooley
Resource
Management
Concepts
(
301)
862­
7501
Mr.
Thomas
Walker
Industrial
Economics
(
617)
354­
0074
Mr.
Jack
Pooley
Igov.
com
(
800)
777­
9375
Ms.
Kimberly
Bradbury
Veritas
Software
Corp.
(
800)
327­
2232
Each
individual
consulted
indicated
that
he/
she
understood
the
need
for
the
information
collection
and
did
not
find
the
collection
excessively
burdensome.
Estimated
time
to
complete
the
information
collection
was
considered
in
"
Respondent
Burden
Estimate."

(
c)
Contract
actions
are
publicized,
and
market
research
is
initiated,
only
when
the
Agency
has
a
need
for
a
particular
supply
or
service.
Respondents
only
reply,
or
are
only
4
solicited,
if
they
are
interested
in
selling
products
or
services
to
the
Government.

(
d)
This
information
is
in
accordance
with
the
Office
of
Management
and
Budget's
general
guidelines
for
federal
data
collection.

(
e)
Information
collected
under
this
request,
particularly
cost
and
pricing
data
and
contractor
capability
statements,
is
treated
as
Confidential
Business
Information
(
CBI).
This
information
is
protected
from
public
release
in
accordance
with
the
Agency's
confidentially
regulation,
40
C.
F.
R.
Part
2.201
et
seq.

(
f)
Public
Notice
Required
Prior
to
ICR
Submission
to
OMB:
The
Federal
Register
document
required
under
5
CFR
1320.8(
d),
soliciting
comments
on
this
collection
of
information
was
published
on
July
5,
2002,
67
FR
44826.
No
comments
were
received.

6.
ESTIMATING
THE
BURDEN
AND
COST
OF
THE
COLLECTION
(
a)
ESTIMATION
OF
RESPONDENT
BURDEN
(
1)
Labor
costs
Burden
respondent
estimates
for
this
collection
are
divided
into
two
categories:
burden
hours
for
responding
to
an
synopsized
procurement
notice,
and
burden
hours
for
responding
to
a
request
for
information
associated
with
market
research.
Synopses
relate
almost
exclusively
to
major
contracts,
while
market
research
frequently
includes
simplified
acquisition
procurements
and/
or
purchase
orders.
Both
types
of
requests
for
information
may
vary
widely
in
the
amount
of
information
they
request,
but
generally,
in
the
presolicitation
stage,
the
questions
are
few,
and
the
responses
are
not
detailed.
Requests
for
general
comment
are
common.

Respondent
Burden,
Cost
Estimate
for
Responses
to
Publicized
Contract
Actions
Collection
Activity
Burden
Hours
Cost
1.
Read/
research
information
requested
1
hour
$
89.32
2.
Create/
gather
information
.5
hour
$
26.98
3.
Compile
review
information
.5
hour
$
44.66
4.
Type
response
.5
hour
$
19.39
2.5
hours
$
180.35
Steps
1
and
3
of
the
information
collection
are
completed
by
an
administrative
manager
responsible
for
coordinating
with
the
technical
and
financial
personnel.
Technicians,
both
financial
5
and
scientific
would
be
responsible
for
completing
step
2,
and
clerical
personnel
would
be
responsible
for
completing
step
4.
The
U.
S.
Department
of
Labor,
Bureau
of
Labor
Statistics,
estimates
loaded
hourly
labor
rates
for
the
labor
categories
involved
to
be
as
follows:
administrative
manager,
$
89.32;
technician,
$
53.96;
and
typist
$
38.18.
These
rates
have
increased
from
those
contained
in
the
initial
ICR
issued
in
1999
due
to
labor
escalation.
The
estimated
time
to
complete
each
step
is
based
upon
consultation
with
contractors
and
Agency
contracting
staff.

Based
on
the
Agency's
automated
contract
system,
there
have
been
203
contracts
awarded
in
FY
2002
through
August.
It
is
estimated
that
approximately
40
more
contracts
will
be
awarded
by
the
end
of
the
fiscal
year.
This
will
make
a
total
of
243
contracts
awarded
in
FY
2002.
There
have
been
8,244
purchase
orders
awarded
in
FY
2002
through
August.
It
is
estimated
that
another
1,400
will
be
awarded
by
the
end
of
the
fiscal
year.
This
will
make
a
total
of
9,644
purchase
orders
awarded
in
FY
2002.
These
figures
were
utilized
to
project
burden
estimates.
These
number
have
increased
slightly
since
the
initial
ICR
because
they
are
based
on
historical
actuals
which
fluctuate
year
to
year.

It
is
estimated
that
80%
of
future
contracts
will
have
some
form
of
presolicitation
publication
whether
it
be
a
synopsis,
a
sources
sought
notice,
or
a
request
for
comment
on
statement
of
work
requirements.
We
estimate
that
less
than
7.5%
of
purchase
orders
would
have
any
type
of
presoliciation
publication.
Therefore,
approximately
199
contracts
and
723
purchase
orders,
or
922
total
orders
will
be
subject
to
presolicitation
publication.

The
Agency
further
estimates
that
an
average
of
two
(
2)
members
of
the
public
will
respond
to
each
notice,
yielding
1,844
as
the
total
number
of
respondents
(
922
total
orders
X
2
respondents
=
1,844).
With
each
response
taking
2.5
hours
to
complete
at
an
average
cost
of
$
180.35,
the
annual
cost
to
respondents
is
$
332,565.40
(
1,844
respondents
X
$
180.35
per
response
=
$
332,565.00)
The
total
annual
burden
hour
estimate
for
publicized
contract
actions
is
4610
hours.
(
2.5
hours
X
1,844
total
responses
=
4610
hours)

Respondent
Burden,
Cost
Estimate
for
Responses
to
Market
Research
Inquiries
Collection
Activity
Burden
Hours
Cost
1.
Read
or
listen
to
information
request
.5
hour
$
44.66
2.
Create/
gather
information
1
hour
$
53.96
3.
Compile
review
information
.5
hour
$
44.66
4.
Type
response
1
hour
$
38.18
3
hours
$
181.46
6
Steps
1
and
3
of
the
information
collection
is
completed
by
an
administrative
manager
who
is
responsible
for
coordinating
with
the
technical
and
financial
personnel.
Step
2
is
completed
by
technicians,
and
step
4
is
completed
by
clerical
personnel.
The
U.
S.
Department
of
Labor,
Bureau
of
Labor
Statistics,
estimates
the
loaded
hourly
labor
rates
for
the
personnel
involved
to
be
as
follows:
administrative
manager,
$
89.32;
technician
$
53.96;
and
typist,
$
38.18.
The
estimated
time
to
complete
each
step
is
based
upon
consultation
with
contractors
and
Agency
contracting
staff.

Based
upon
the
Agency's
automated
contract
management
system
plus
an
estimate
of
contracts/
orders
to
be
awarded
through
the
end
of
FY
2002,
243
contracts
will
be
awarded
and
9,644
purchase
order
will
be
issued
in
FY
2002
for
a
total
of
9,
877
procurements.
Inasmuch
as
there
are
many
methods
of
market
research
which
do
not
require
information
collection
clearance,
the
type
of
market
research
which
would
require
clearance
is
not
conducted
on
a
large
scale
at
EPA.
That
is,
instances
when
an
identical
question
is
posed
to
10
or
more
members
of
the
public,
is
estimated
to
occur
on
fewer
than
20%
of
Agency
procurements
(
9,877
X
20%
=
1976).
Further,
the
Agency
estimates
that
an
average
of
two
(
2)
respondents
will
reply
to
each
market
research
notice.
Therefore,
total
annual
burden
hours
are
estimated
at
3,951
(
20%
of
9,877=
3,951),
times
two
respondents
per
notice
(
3,951
X
2
=
7,902),
times
three
hours
per
response
(
7,902
respondents
X
3
=
23,
706)
equals
23,706
hours.
The
average
annual
cost
to
respondents
is
$
1,433,897.00
(
7,902
respondents
X
$
181.46
per
response).

The
bottom
line
total
annual
burden
hours
for
respondents
is
9,746
(
1,844
respondents
for
publicized
contract
actions
plus
7,902
respondents
for
market
research
equals
9,746
respondents
total).
The
bottom
line
annual
costs
for
respondents
is
$
1,766,462
($
332,565.40
for
publicized
contract
actions
plus
$
1,433,897.00
for
market
research
inquiries
equals
$
1,766,462
in
annual
costs
for
respondents).

(
2)
Capital/
Start­
up
Costs
Because
it
will
not
be
necessary
for
respondents
to
acquire
any
capital
goods
to
provide
the
requested
information,
EPA
has
not
included
any
estimated
capital
costs.

(
3)
Operating
and
Maintenance
Costs
Operating
and
maintenance
costs,
which
include
such
items
as
file
storage,
photocopying,
and
postage,
are
negligible.

(
4)
Bottom
Line
Burden
Hours
and
Costs
for
Respondents
Total
Annual
Hours
for
Publicized
Contract
Actions
plus
Market
Research
Inquiries:
28,316
hours
(
4,610
+
23,706)
7
Total
Annual
Costs
for
Publicized
Contract
Actions
plus
Market
Research
Inquiries:
$
1,766,462.00
($
332,565.40
+
$
1,433,897.00).

(
b)
ESTIMATING
AGENCY
BURDEN
AND
COST
Agency
burden
for
responses
to
publicized
contract
action
and
market
research
information
is
presented
in
one
analysis,
as
the
actions
and
time
required
for
evaluation
of
each
are
basically
identical.

Agency
Burden,
Cost
Estimate
Collection
Activity
Burden
Hours
Cost
1.
Develop
synopsis/
notice,
3
hour
$
110.79
Develop
market
research
questions
2.
Distribution
2
hour
$
73.86
3.
Review
data
received
3
hour
$
110.79
8
hour
$
295.44
Synopses
and
market
research
questions
are
developed
jointly
by
the
contract
specialist
and
program
manager.
This
effort
is
estimated
to
be
at
the
GS
­
13
level.
The
estimate
includes
GS­
13
salary
at
$
31.84
per
hour,
multiplied
by
a
factor
of
1.16
to
reflect
benefits,
which
yields
a
loaded
rate
of
$
36.93.
This
rate
has
increase
since
the
initial
ICR
due
to
labor
escalation.
Distribution
and
review
of
data
received
is
performed
mainly
by
the
contract
specialist,
and
is
again
estimated
using
the
loaded
rate
for
a
GS­
13.

Average
Agency
burden
is
estimated
at
8
hours
per
occupancy
times
an
hourly
rate
of
$
36.93
for
a
total
of
$
295.44.
Based
on
total
annual
projections
of
922
occurrences
of
publicized
actions,
and
1976
occurrences
of
qualifying
market
research
activity,
annual
Agency
burden
is
estimated
at
$
856,185.
The
total
annual
burden
hours
are
23,184
(
8
hours
per
action
x
2898
actions).

7.
BURDEN
STATEMENT
Public
reporting
for
this
collection
of
information
is
estimated
to
average
2.75
hours
per
response
which
includes
the
time
for
reviewing
the
request,
searching
existing
data
sources,
gathering
and
maintaining
the
information
requested,
and
responding.
Burden
time
means
the
total
time,
effort,
or
financial
resources
expended
by
persons
to
generate,
maintain,
retain,
or
disclose
or
provide
information
to
or
for
a
federal
agency.
This
includes
the
time
needed
to
review
instructions,
to
develop,
acquire,
install
and
utilize
technology
and
systems
for
the
purpose
of
8
collecting,
validating,
and
verifying
information,
processing
and
maintaining
information,
and
disclosing
and
providing
information;
to
adjust
the
existing
ways
to
comply
with
any
previously
applicable
instructions
and
requirements;
to
train
personnel
to
be
able
to
respond
to
a
collection
of
information;
to
search
the
data
sources;
to
complete
and
review
the
collection
of
information;
and
to
transmit
or
otherwise
disclose
the
information.
An
agency
may
not
conduct
or
sponsor,
and
a
person
is
not
required
to
respond
to
a
collection
of
information
unless
it
displays
a
currently
valid
OMB
control
number.
The
OMB
control
number
for
EPA's
regulations
are
listed
in
40
CFR
Part
9,
and
48
CFR
Chapter
15.

Send
comments
on
the
Agency's
need
for
this
information,
the
accuracy
of
the
provided
burden
estimates,
and
any
suggested
methods
for
minimizing
respondent
burden,
including
through
the
use
of
automated
collection
techniques
to
the
Director,
Collection
Strategies
Division,
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
2822),
1200
Pennsylvania
Avenue.,
NW,
Washington,
D.
C.
20460;
and
to
the
Office
of
Information
and
Regulatory
Affairs,
Office
of
Management
and
Budget,
725
17th
Street,
NW,
Washington,
DC
20503,
Attention:
Desk
Officer
for
EPA.
Include
the
EPA
ICR
number
1910.02
and
OMB
control
number
2030­
0039
in
any
correspondence.