Notice2024-02641
Data Collection Available for Public Comments
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Small Business Administration
Abstract
The Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the data collection activities described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information to OMB, and to allow 60 days for the public to comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with such requirements and announces the SBA's proposal to conduct a survey of cluster administrators, small businesses, and partner organizations including Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESO) who participated in the SBA's Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) Initiative.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9281-9282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02641]
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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Data Collection Available for Public Comments
ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Small Business Administration (SBA) plans to seek approval
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct the data
collection activities described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act
requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information to OMB, and to allow
60 days for the public to comment in response to the notice. This
notice complies with such requirements and announces the SBA's proposal
to conduct a survey of cluster administrators, small businesses, and
partner organizations including Entrepreneurial Support Organizations
(ESO) who participated in the SBA's Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC)
Initiative.
DATES: Submit comments on or before April 7, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send all comments to Alison Evans, Office of Investment and
Innovation, 409 3rd Street SW, Suite 6300, Washington DC 20416, with
the subject line: ``Regional Innovation Cluster Program Evaluation''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alison Evans, Office of Investment and
Innovation (<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e9a885809a8687c7ac9f88879aa99a8b88c78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3475585d475b5a1a7142555a47744756551a535b42">[email protected]</span></a>), or Curtis B. Rich, Management
Analyst, 202-205-7030, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b283e393f223865392228230b38292a652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbd8cec9cfd2c895c9d2d8d3fbc8d9da95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for the extension with
changes to a currently approved collection (previous OMB number: 3245-
0392). Through the RIC Initiative, the SBA is investing in regional
clusters--geographic concentrations of interconnected companies,
specialized suppliers, academic institutions, service providers, and
associated organizations with a specific industry focus--throughout the
United States that span a variety of industries. The three primary
goals of the initiative are to (1) increase opportunities for small
business participation within clusters, (2) promote innovation in the
industries on which the clusters are focused, and (3) enhance economic
development and growth in cluster regions. To achieve these goals, the
clusters provide a host of services to the target population of small
and emerging businesses within their regional and industry focuses.
Services include direct business advising and support and sponsoring
events, such as networking opportunities with investors, partner
organizations, ESOs, and other stakeholders in the regions. This
information collection is necessary for the SBA to understand the
progress of the RIC Initiative towards achieving its goals.
The evaluation consists of two key components: an implementation
evaluation and an outcome evaluation. The implementation evaluation
focuses on how the Initiative is implemented across the fourteen
clusters and on the services that each cluster provides to its small
businesses. The outcome evaluation focuses on short and intermediate-
term outcomes linked directly to the cluster services, as well as on
long-term business outcomes that can be reasonably expected to result
from the short- and intermediate-term outcomes. The short-term outcomes
include the satisfaction and the perceived effectiveness of the program
for business management and growth. The intermediate-term outcomes
include development of new products, commercialization of new
technologies,
[[Page 9282]]
marketing and export services, improved access to capital, and industry
integration. Long-term outcomes include increased revenue and
employment. Over the previous years, evaluation results have helped to
track the program performance outcomes and provide suggestions for
program improvements to better facilitate innovation and small business
growth. Furthermore, the evaluation survey data helped the SBA to
better focus cluster activities on local contexts, particularly for
rural and agricultural small businesses. This data will not be used to
evaluate the effectiveness of an individual cluster.
The data collection effort involves three types of RIC Initiative
stakeholders: small businesses, partner organizations, and cluster
administrators. Small businesses participating in the cluster will be
sent an online survey to provide data about their cluster participation
experiences, satisfaction with the program and its components, the
performance of their firms with respect to a variety of outcomes, and
the role of cluster participation in the achievement of these outcomes.
Similarly, partner organizations will be asked to complete an online
survey to provide data about their experiences with the RIC Initiative.
The questions include reasons for the RIC participation, collaboration
with and support for small businesses, and the role of cluster
participation on key organizational outcomes associated with the RIC
Initiative participation. Small businesses and partner organizations
will also be interviewed once a year to obtain information on barriers,
facilitators, and other local influences on cluster and ecosystem
engagement, best practices to facilitate innovation, and suggestions
for potential cluster improvements (among other topics). The cluster
administrators will be asked to provide participant rosters, which
provide the framework for the surveys that the small businesses and
partner organizations are sent. The administrator survey requests
information about the services they provided to these two groups of
stakeholders, and their operations in general. Cluster administrators
will also be interviewed once a year to obtain information about how
their operations have evolved, the adjustments they made, best
practices, issues encountered, and the lessons learned.
Small Business Web Survey. Estimated Number of Respondents: 180.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Respondent: 114.7. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 344. Small
Business Interview. Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 12.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Response: 43. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 8.6. Partner
Organization Web Survey. Estimated Number of Respondents: 150.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Respondent: 71. Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 177.5. Partner
organization Interview. Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 12.
Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per
Response: 37. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 7.4. Cluster
Administrator Interview. Estimated Number of Respondents: 20. Frequency
of Response: Once per year. Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 87.
Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 29. Cluster Administrator Web Survey.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 20. Frequency of Response: Once per
year. Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 35.3. Estimated Annual
Hour Burden: 11.8 (including the time needed for administrators to
prepare their rosters). Administrative data request. Estimated Number
of Respondents: 20. Frequency of Response: Once per year. Estimated
Average Minutes per Response: 30. Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 10.
Solicitation of Public Comments: The SBA requests comments on (a)
whether the collection of information is necessary for the agency to
properly perform its functions; (b) whether the burden estimates are
accurate; (c) whether there are ways to minimize the burden, including
through the use of automated techniques or other forms of information
technology; and (d) whether there are ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information collected. Comments submitted
in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will
become a matter of public record.
Summary of Information Collection
PRA Number: 3245-0392.
(1) Title: Evaluation of the Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC)
Initiative.
Description of Respondents: Smal businesses concerns and partner
organizations involved in Regional Innovation Clusters and cluster
administrators.
Form Number: N/A.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 350.
Total Estimated Annual Hour Burden: 531.5.
Curtis B. Rich,
Agency Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-02641 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026-09-P
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