§ 0.101   Functions of the office.

   (a) The Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO), as a staff
   office to the Commission, develops, coordinates, evaluates, and recommends
   to  the  Commission,  policies,  programs,  and practices that promote
   participation by small entities, women, and minorities in the communications
   industry. A principal function of the Office is to lead, advise, and assist
   the Commission, including all of its component Bureau/Office managers,
   supervisors,  and  staff,  at  all  levels, on ways to ensure that the
   competitive concerns of small entities, women, and minorities, are fully
   considered by the agency in notice and comment rulemakings. In accordance
   with this function, the Office:

   (1) Conducts independent analyses of the Commission's policies and practices
   to ensure that those policies and practices fully consider the interests of
   small entities, women, and minorities.

   (2) Advises the Commission, Bureaus, and Offices of their responsibilities
   under the Congressional Review Act provisions regarding small businesses;
   the  Report  to  Congress  regarding  Market  Entry Barriers for Small
   Telecommunications Businesses (47 U.S.C. 257); and the Telecommunications
   Development Fund (47 U.S.C. 614).

   (b) The Office has the following duties and responsibilities:

   (1) Through its director, serves as the principal small business policy
   advisor to the Commission;

   (2) Develops, implements, and evaluates programs and policies that promote
   participation by small entities, women and minorities in the communications
   industry;

   (3) Manages the Regulatory Flexibility Analysis process pursuant to the
   Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement
   Fairness Act to ensure that small business interests are fully considered in
   agency actions;

   (4)  Develops  and recommends Commission-wide goals and objectives for
   addressing the concerns of small entities, women, and minorities and reports
   of achievement;

   (5) Acts as the principal channel for disseminating information regarding
   the Commission's activities and programs affecting small entities, women,
   and minorities;

   (6) Develops, recommends, coordinates, and administers objectives, plans and
   programs to encourage participation by small entities, women, and minorities
   in the decision-making process;

   (7) Promotes increased awareness within the Commission of the impact of
   policies on small entities, women, and minorities;

   (8) Acts as the Commission's liaison to other federal agencies on matters
   relating to small business.

   [ 69 FR 7376 , Feb. 17, 2003]

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