02-12128. Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Progress Payments

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 (9000-0010).

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 progress payments. This OMB clearance currently expires on September 30, 2002.

Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Submit on or before July 15, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVP), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, Washington, DC 20405.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeremy F. Olson, Acquisition Policy Division, GSA [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

Certain Federal contracts provide for progress payments to be made to the contractor during performance of the contract. The requirement for certification and supporting information are necessary for the administration of statutory and regulatory limitation on the amount of progress payments under a contract. The submission of supporting cost schedules is an optional procedure that, when the contractor elects to have a group of individual orders treated as a single contract for progress payments purposes, is necessary for the administration of statutory and regulatory requirements concerning progress payments.

The reduced estimate for this burden results from the lower number of respondents due to the increased threshold for use of progress payments published in FAC 97-16, FAR case 1998-400.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

Respondents: 18,000.

Responses Per Respondent: 32.

Annual Responses: 576,000.

Hours Per Response: .55.

Total Burden Hours: 316,800.

Obtaining Copies of Proposals

Requesters may obtain a copy of the information collection documents from the General Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVP), Room 4035, 1800 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone [phone]. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0010, Progress Payments, in all correspondence.

Dated: May 8, 2002.

Al Matera,

Director, Acquisition Policy Division.