2012-15797. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: Minority Business Development Agency.

Title: Online Customer Relationship Management (CRM)/Performance Databases, Online Phoenix Database, and Online Opportunity Database.

OMB Control Number: 0640-0002.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Request: Regular Submission.

Number of Respondents: 2,633.

Average Hours per Response: 1 to 210 minutes, depending on the function.

Burden Hours: 4,516.

Needs and Uses: As part of its national service delivery system, MBDA awards cooperative agreements each year to fund the provision of business development services to eligible minority business enterprises (MBEs). The recipient of each cooperative agreement is competitively selected to operate one of the following business center programs: (1) An MBDA Business Center or (2) a Native American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC). In accordance with the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA), MBDA requires all center operators to report basic client information, service activities and progress on attainment of program goals via the Online CRM/Performance Databases. The data collected through the Online CRM/Performance Databases is used to regularly monitor and evaluate the progress of MBDA's funded centers, to provide the Department and OMB with a summary of the quantitative information that it requires about government supported programs, and to implement the GPRA. This information is also summarized and included in the MBDA Annual Performance Report, which is made available to the public.

Additionally, NABEC program award recipients are required to list MBEs to conduct business in the United States in the Online Phoenix Database. This listing is used to match those registered MBEs with opportunities entered in the Online Opportunity Database by public and private sector entities. The MBEs may also self-register via the Online Phoenix Database for notification of potential business opportunities.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions; individuals or households; Federal, State, Local or Tribal government.

Frequency: On occasion, semi-annually, annually.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Nicholas Fraser, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Nicholas Fraser, OMB Desk Officer, FAX number [phone], or via the Internet at [e-mail].

Dated: June 22, 2012.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.