List of Changes and Explanation for Changes (Revisions)

NIST MEP Supporting Statement

OMB Control No. 0693-0032

List of Changes/Requirements

Data Requirement Added

Reason

Client File - DUNS Number required with client file submission – must match with Manufacturing NAICS Codes (31-33) or Research and Development NAICS Codes 541711 and 541712

In May 2008 the Office of Management and Budget began requiring the use of DUNS numbers as the unique identifier for all financial assistance and procurement awards under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. OMB saw the importance of a unique identifier to understand, track, and communicate about transparent financial assistance and procurement awards. Similarly, NIST MEP has recognized the importance of using a unique identifier for all manufacturing clients for reporting purposes and began requiring the use of DUNS numbers in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2012 (October 1, 2011.) There are several reasons for this requirement.  Target and serve U.S. manufacturers (NAICS codes 31, 32, or 33) and those doing manufacturing-related research in the areas of physical, engineering, and life sciences (NAICS codes 541711 and 541712.) Many of our MEP centers make investments in third party databases to identify and reach out to manufacturers in their communities. By providing them free access to one of the largest databases in the nation, NIST MEP anticipates greater cost efficiencies. Use the economic analysis available through the Dun and Bradstreet database to better understand the economic impact of clients served through the MEP system. As one of the leading public sector voices on the importance of U.S. manufacturing and U.S. manufacturers, policy and research staff at NIST MEP hope to use the connectivity of data systems to better understand and explain the overall economic impact of manufacturing in regional economies, and the important role that the MEP system plays in helping to grow those regional economies. Increase our understanding and increase the efficiency of service delivery to national firms with locations in multiple states. Through the D&B database we are able to understand the complex relationships of intra-firm locations and dependencies (e.g. corporate headquarters, sales office, plant location, etc.) and can also analyze the supply chain relationships between firms. Understanding this supply chain relationship could lead to an increased ability to work with entire industries, such as “auto parts suppliers” or “wind energy suppliers.” This is an area in which we want to do further analysis to determine how to maximize our approach to supply chains in critically important industries. Prevent the “double-counting” of client firms served by our centers because they may have different “doing business as” names for different firm or plant locations. Because we are better able to understand the relationships of intra-firm locations and dependencies we can understand where there is a “parent-child” relationship between two or more firm sites and make a more strategic connection that prevents duplication of services or duplication of the way we track and measure clients served and the impacts we achieve.

Additional Competitive Awards to MEP centers – centers are required to report on each award in much the same detail as the base funding awards	Additional funding was made available through budget authority to focus on projects integrating two or more of MEP’s Strategic Growth Areas and to address the new and emerging competitive needs of manufacturers in these areas. Also funds were made available to seed commercialization and manufacture of new energy efficiency technologies and train a highly skilled new workforce to build and install them. Other Agency funds also were made available. It is extremely important for centers to take the time to make certain that projects are not co-mingled between the different funding agreements i.e. keeping projects from base funding separate from other Competitive Agreements.
Project File – We now require a detailed description of the project to supplement the title. Also, the Primary Strategic Area for each project is a requirement.	To assist us in further capturing and analyzing the type of projects in which the centers engage.
Progress Plan – At the request of MEP Centers, the Progress Plan has been revised to provide detailed information on the specific tasks and elements that centers are working on so that they can accurately describe their work and outcomes.	To assist us in further capturing and analyzing the type of projects in which the centers engage (more units for analysis).
Progress Plan – In addition to approving the Operating Plan on a quarterly basis, centers now must upload and approve their SF425 (Federal Financial Form) with the Progress Plan.	To ensure that the SF425 is submitted to Grants in a timely manner and MEP can follow the Competitive Agreement Recipient’s financial progress on the award.