The Office of Management and Budget is expected to issue within several weeks the final version of its proposed changes in the way federal jobs are considered for possible conversion to contractor performance. OMB currently is considering comments received during a public comment period, including responses from several agencies criticizing the planned changes as imposing overly strict deadlines on consideration of jobs for contracting-out. A group of senators recently sent OMB a letter to the same effect. The proposal seeks to speed up and simplify the process of formal cost comparisons, with a goal of 12 months start to finish, compared with three or four years commonly needed under current policy. It also would encourage conversions without formal cost studies in certain situations involving small functions, among numerous other changes to OMB Circular A-76.