[Federal Register: September 11, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 176)]
[Notices]
[Page 53634-53635]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11se03-107]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900-0422]
Proposed Information Collection Activity: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management, Department of
Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management (OA&MM),
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for
public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the
agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal
agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each
revision of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for
public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments
on information needed to administer contracts.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection
of information should be received on or before November 10, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information to
Cathy I. Dailey, Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management (95A),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20420 or e-mail cathy.dailey@mail.va.gov. Please refer to ``OMB Control
No. 2900-0422'' in any correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy I. Dailey at (202) 273-8774.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995 (Public Law 104-13; 44
U.S.C., 3501-3521), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of
information they conduct or sponsor. This request for comment is being
made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
With respect to the following collection of information, OA&MM
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of OA&MM's functions, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy
of OA&MM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of
information technology.
Titles:
a. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
72, Performance of Work by the Contractor.
b. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
81, Work Coordination. (This Clause will be renumbered as ``Alternate
1'' to VAAR Clause 852.236-80.)
c. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
82, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction Contracts (without NAS),
including Supplement 1 (which will be renamed as ``Alternate 1'').
d. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
83, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction Contracts (with NAS),
including Supplement 1 (which will be renamed as ``Alternate 1'').
e. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
84, Schedule of Work Progress.
f. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
88, Contract Changes, Supplements FAR Clause 52.243-4, Changes.
g. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.224-
70, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
OMB Control Number: 2900-0422.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: The information contained VAAR clauses 852.236-72,
852.236-81, 852.236-82, 852.236-83, 852.236-84, 852.236-88 and 852.22-
70 is necessary for the VA to administer construction contracts, and to
carry out its responsibility to construct, maintain and repair real
property for the Department. The information is also necessary for VA
to award and administer contracts involving healthcare that may involve
equipment, supplies, or services for the Department.
a. VAAR Clause 852.236-72, Performance of Work by the Contractor,
requires contractors awarded a construction contract containing Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.236-1, to submit a statement
designating the branch or branches of contract work to be performed by
the contractor's own forces. The VAAR clause implements the FAR clause
by requiring the contractor to provide information to the contracting
officer on how the contractor intends to fulfill this contractual
obligation. The contracting officer uses this information to ensure
that the contractor complies with the contract requirements.
b. VAAR Clause 852.236-81, Work Coordination. (This Clause will be
renumbered as ``Alternate 1'' to VAAR Clause 852.236-80), requires
construction contractors, on contracts involving complex mechanical-
electrical work, to furnish coordination drawings showing the manner in
which
[[Page 53635]]
utility lines will fit into available spaces and relate to each other
and to the existing building elements. The information is used by the
contracting officer and the VA engineer assigned to the project to
resolve any problems relating to the installation of utilities on
construction contract.
c. VAAR Clause 852.236-82, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction
Contracts (without NAS), requires construction contractors to submit a
schedule of costs for work to be performed under the contract. If the
contract includes guarantee period services, Supplement I (which will
be renamed as ``Alternate 1''), requires contractor to submit
information on the total and itemized costs of the guarantee period
services and to submit a performance plan/program. The information is
needed to allow the contracting officer to determine the correct amount
to pay the contractor as work progresses and to properly proportion the
amount paid for guarantee period services.
d. VAAR Clause 852.236-83, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction
Contracts (with NAS), requires construction contractors to submit a
schedule of costs for work to be performed under the contract. If the
contract includes guarantee period services, Supplement I (which will
be renamed as ``Alternate 1''), requires contractor to submit
information on the total and itemized costs of the guarantee period
services and to submit a performance plan/program. The information is
needed to allow the contracting officer to determine the correct amount
to pay the contractor as work progresses and to properly proportion the
amount paid for guarantee period services. The difference between this
clause and the one above 852.236-82 is that this clause requires the
contractor to use a computerized Network Analysis System (NAS) to
prepare the cost estimate.
e. VAAR Clause 852.236-84, Schedule of Work Progress, requires
construction contractors, on contracts that do not require the use of a
NAS, to submit a progress schedule. The information is used by the
contracting officer to track the contractor's progress under the
contract and to determine whether or not the contractor is making
satisfactory progress.
f. VAAR Clause 852.236-88, Contract Changes, Supplements FAR Clause
52.243-4, Changes. FAR Clause 52.243-4 authorizes the contracting
officer to order changes to a construction contract but does not
specifically require the contractor to submit cost proposals for those
changes. VAAR Clause 852.236-88 requires contractors to submit cost
proposal for changes ordered by the contracting officer or for changes
proposed by the contractor. This information is needed to allow the
contracting officer and the contractor to reach a mutually acceptable
agreement on how much to pay the contractor for the proposed changes to
the contract. It is also used by the contracting officer to determine
whether or not to authorize the proposed changes or whether or not
additional or alternate cost proposals for changes are needed.
g. VAAR Clause 852.224-70, Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, requires contractors, involved with the
design, development, maintenance, operation or use of any system for
the creation, gathering, use, disclosure, storage, transmission, or
deposition of any protected health information (PHI) to accomplish an
Agency function or involve the release of protected health information
to the vendor for the purposes of conducting business with VA under the
contract to protect the PHI under the regulations issued by HIPPA.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Individuals and
households; and Not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Annual Burden: 14,745 hours.
Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 1.1 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,868.
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 13,418.
Dated: September 3, 2003.
By direction of the Secretary:
Denise McLamb,
Program Analyst, Records Management Service.
[FR Doc. 03-23096 Filed 9-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P