[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71623-71624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34368]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 9000-0041]
Proposed Collection; Comment Request Entitled Technical Proposal-
Two-Step Sealed Bidding
AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding an extension to
an existing OMB clearance.
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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently
approved information collection requirement concerning Technical
Proposal-Two-Step Sealed Bidding. The clearance currently expires on
April 30,1999.
DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before March 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, should be submitted to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102,
NEOB, Washington, DC 20503, and a copy to the General Services
Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVRS), 1800 F Street,
[[Page 71624]]
NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-
0041, Technical Proposal-Two-Step Sealed Bidding, in all
correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph DeStefano, Federal Acquisition
Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-1758.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
Two-step sealed bidding is a method of contracting designed to
obtain the benefits of sealed bidding when adequate specifications are
not available. An objective is to permit the development of a
sufficiently descriptive and not unduly restrictive statement of the
Government's requirements, including an adequate technical data
package, so that subsequent acquisitions may be made by conventional
sealed bidding. This method is especially useful in acquisitions
requiring technical proposals, particularly those for complex items. It
is conducted in two steps:
(a) Step 1 consists of the request for, submission, evaluation, and
(if necessary) discussion of a technical proposal. No pricing is
involved. The objective is to determine the acceptability of the
supplies or services offered. As used in this context, the word
``technical'' has a broad connotation and includes, among other things,
the engineering approach, special manufacturing processes, and special
testing techniques. It is the proper step for clarification of
questions relating to technical requirements.
(b) Step 2 involves the submission of sealed price bids by those
who submitted acceptable technical proposals in step 1.
The requested information is needed, in the absence of adequate
specifications, to develop a sufficiently descriptive and not unduly
restrictive statement of the Government's requirements and to determine
the acceptability of proposals received. The contracting officer
evaluates the acceptability of the information received, based on the
criteria in the request for proposals.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 8 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,
3,225; responses per respondent, 1; total annual responses, 3,225;
preparation hours per response, 8; and total response burden hours,
25,800.
OBTAINING COPIES OF PROPOSALS: Requester may obtain a copy of the
justification from the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat
(MVRS), Room 4035, 1800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405, telephone
(202) 208-7312. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0041, Technical
Proposal-Two-Step Sealed Bidding, in all correspondence.
Dated: December 22, 1998.
Victoria E. Moss,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 98-34368 Filed 12-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-34-U
