[Federal Register: July 16, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 136)]
[Notices]
[Page 42777-42779]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy04-135]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations; ETA Management Information and
Longitudinal Evaluation (EMILE) Reporting System
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, the
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, the
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments on
the establishment of a single, streamlined reporting and recordkeeping
system, formally called the ETA Management Information and Longitudinal
Evaluation (EMILE) reporting system, to replace the current data
collection and reporting requirements for the following 12 employment
and training programs: Employment Service (ES) program, including
reports for the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
program, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title I-B Adult program,
Dislocated Worker program, and Youth program, National Emergency Grant
(NEG) program, Trade Adjustment Assistance program, National Farm
Worker Jobs Program (NFJP), Indian and Native American program, Senior
Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), H-1B Technical Skills
Training grant (H-1B) program, and the Responsible Reintegration of
Youth Offenders program.
DATES: Submit comments on or before September 14, 2004.
ADDRESSEE: Send comments to: Ms. Esther Johnson, Performance and
Results Office, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-5206, Washington, DC
20210; telephone: (202) 693-3420 (this is not a toll-free number); fax:
(202) 693-3490; e-mail: ETAperforms@dol.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Staha, Performance and
Results Office, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S-5206, Washington, DC
20210; telephone: (202) 693-3420 (this is not a toll-free number); fax:
(202) 693-3490; e-mail: ETAperforms@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
This is a request by ETA to replace current quarterly reporting
requirements for 12 ETA programs with a single, streamlined system of
reporting performance results. In 2002, under the President's
Management Agenda, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other
Federal agencies developed common performance measures to be applied to
certain Federally-funded programs with similar strategic goals. As part
of this initiative, ETA issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter
(TEGL) 15-03, Common Measures Policy. This policy guidance, however,
becomes effective only when it is implemented through changes to the
program reporting systems. The proposed EMILE reporting system
streamlines 12 ETA program reporting systems into one comprehensive
reporting structure that will allow for consistent, comparable analysis
across ETA funded employment and training programs, using the
definitions for common measures established in TEGL 15-03.
States and other grantees are currently required to submit separate
performance reports for each of the programs they administer. There are
no standard forms, definitions, instructions, or submission procedures.
In some instances, there is confusion regarding the time periods used
for calculating program performance, what data are to be reported, and
how the data are prepared for submission to the Department on a timely
basis. The lack of standardized data collection and report preparation
procedures imposes a burden on grantees that seek to coordinate service
delivery and performance measurement in a local One-Stop environment.
Equally important, these reporting inconsistencies frustrate many of
the Department's stakeholders and the general public at large who want
to understand how to interpret ETA program performance results and
access the most up-to-date performance information to effectively
inform program planning and accountability and resource allocation
decisions.
The need for a comprehensive and standardized reporting system was
also underscored in reviews conducted by external oversight agencies,
including the Department's Office of Inspector General and the General
Accounting Office. These oversight agencies have questioned the
validity and comparability of data reported by ETA to Congress. To
address these issues, ETA is using its statutory and regulatory
authority to redesign and strengthen its various program performance
reporting systems into a single comprehensive system, formally called
the ETA Management Information and Longitudinal Evaluation (EMILE)
reporting system, to replace the current quarterly reporting
requirements of 12 employment and training programs. This comprehensive
reporting structure features a single quarterly report format and
establishes a common language that will standardize data collection for
program participants and employer customers, based on a core set of
information for all program customers. These standardized individual
records will include information on demographic characteristics, type
of services received, and common measures of outcomes defined
consistently across all programs. In some cases, additional data
collection requirements are necessary for federal oversight or to
comply with existing statutory requirements, and these are also
included in the proposed EMILE reporting system.
The EMILE reporting system consists of three components:
(1) A Workforce Investment Quarterly Summary Report that provides
aggregate performance information on program participants, participants
who exit the program, and performance outcomes for the most recent
four-quarter period. This rolling four-quarter data collection
methodology provides ETA and the grantees with greater flexibility in
discussing annual performance results according to any four-quarter
reporting period (e.g., Calendar Year, Program Year, and Federal Fiscal
Year). The quarterly report format has been designed in such a way that
grantees who administer multiple ETA grants can utilize a single report
format to certify program accomplishments on a quarterly basis. This
uniform report format will not only help facilitate consistent
performance calculations and reporting by grantees, but provide
management information to the Administration, Congress and other
stakeholders that focus on the core functions of the workforce system:
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employment for adults and skills for youth.
(2) An Employer Individual Record that provides a list of
standardized data elements, definitions, and specifications that are
considered important to the management of the programs and the
provision of services to employer customers. The use of an employer
individual record reflects the current focus on becoming more demand-
driven as an effective way to provide good career opportunities for job
seekers and improve economic conditions. Information contained on the
employer individual record will provide a more complete picture of the
total impact of the One-Stop system by including the characteristics of
employers served and the type and frequency of services being
delivered; and
(3) A Job Seeker Individual Record that provides a list of
standardized data elements, definitions, and specifications that can be
used to describe the characteristics, services and activities, and
outcomes of job seekers across ETA programs. This individual record
incorporates data needed to calculate common measures defined in TEGL
15-03 as well as other statutorily required indicators of performance,
and establishes a common language that will standardize data collection
for program participants, based on a core set of information for all
job seeker customers. The job seeker individual record has been
designed in such a way that grantees who administer multiple ETA grants
can utilize this single record layout to report additional
characteristics, services and activities, and outcomes for the same
program customer. Information contained on the job seeker individual
record will facilitate meaningful evaluation, realistic planning, and
effective management of ETA funded programs.
The EMILE Handbook provides detailed reporting specifications and
instructions on each of the three reporting system components. It is
available at http://www.doleta.gov/performance or by requesting an electronic copy through e-mail at ETAperforms@dol.gov or by contacting
the office listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this notice.
The EMILE reporting system will ensure there is consistency across
all ETA programs so all programs are evaluated using the same criteria.
When job seeker and employer data are collected, maintained and
reported consistently and accurately at a basic level (e.g., grantee
field office or One-Stop Career Center), data can be aggregated from
each program and reported to higher levels with greater confidence that
the data are comparable from customer to customer, from program to
program, and from year to year. EMILE also incorporates provisions to
ensure the integrity of reported data, and resolve data collection and
reliability issues raised by OIG and GAO regarding the Department's
ability to accurately evaluate program performance. The quarterly
report and standardized individual records contained within the
proposed EMILE reporting system will replace the following 21 ETA
reports: ETA 9090 WIA Quarterly Report; WIA Customer Satisfaction
Survey; WIA Standardized Record Data; ES 9002 A, B, C, D, and E
Quarterly Reports; ES Customer Satisfaction Survey; VETS 200 A, B, and
C Quarterly Reports; ETA 563 Quarterly Determinations, Allowance
Activities, and Reemployment Services Under the Trade Act Report; Trade
Act Participant Report; ETA 9095--Section 167 NFJP Status Report; ETA
9098--Section 167 NFJP Youth Status Report; WIA Standardized Program
Report; ETA 5140 Quarterly Progress Report; SCSEP Customer Service
Survey; ETA 9084 Comprehensive Services Program Report; and ETA 9085
Supplemental Youth Program Report. The EMILE reporting system will also
establish quarterly reporting requirements for the H-1B, NEG, and
Responsible Reintegration of Youth Offenders grant program.
While the proposed standardized individual records and quarterly
report represent a comprehensive data collection and reporting
approach, it is important to note that every effort has been made to
establish common data definitions and formats with minimum burden to
grantees. At its foundation, the proposed reporting structure organizes
information that is maintained by states and grantees in order to run
their day-to-day operations. The proposal streamlines and makes
consistent information that ETA currently collects from states and
grantees. The proposal describes a minimum level of information
collection that is necessary to comply with Equal Opportunity
requirements, hold states and grantees appropriately accountable for
the Federal funds they receive, including common measures, and allow
the Department to fulfill its oversight and management
responsibilities.
Administration of Federal grant programs does result in a data
collection and reporting burden on states and grantees. ETA has
developed strategies to minimize this burden on grantees, especially
smaller grantees who may have limited access to technology. First, the
Department will work closely with the grantees to establish a
transition plan for each program, to phase out prior reporting
requirements to be replaced by EMILE once these new reporting
requirements have been approved by OMB. A key component of this
transition plan will include use of the Department's existing resources
to provide staff training and technical assistance on the new report
specifications. Second, the Department will enhance its current
electronic reporting system and technology infrastructure to
accommodate the new report specifications. Third, because grantees are
required to utilize wage records in order to calculate OMB common
measures, the Department will continue its financial commitment for the
national Wage Record Interchange System (WRIS) as well as other
mechanisms that will support grantee access to wage records maintained
by Federal agencies. And finally, to reduce startup costs related to
implementing EMILE, the Department is planning to update standardized
reporting and validation software and instructional handbooks, which
may be used by grantees in calculating and electronically submitting
the quarterly summary performance report and individual records.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed new
collection of information under the EMILE reporting system. A copy of
the proposed information collection request can be obtained by
contacting the office listed above in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice. The Department is particularly interested in comments that
address the following areas about the EMILE reporting and recordkeeping
specifications:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Discuss how to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
Suggest how to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection
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techniques or other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting
electronic submissions of responses).
With regard to the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, ETA is particularly interested in receiving
public comments on the efficacy of collecting a statistically valid
sample of individual records for each program instead of all individual
records. The Agency would also like to receive public comments
regarding the collection of additional information on the types of
disability of people being served in the One-Stop. More specifically,
if a person indicates that he/she has a disability, that person would
also be given the opportunity to voluntarily disclose whether he/she
has any one or more of the following types of disability that
substantially limits one or more major life activities: Specific
learning disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, speech
impairment, cognitive impairment, orthopedic impairment, mental/
emotional/psychological impairment, drug addiction or alcoholism, or
other types of disability. ETA believes that collection of types of
disability will have practical utility for focusing on, and evaluating
the effectiveness of its programs in serving persons with a disability
through the One-Stop system.
In summary, ETA's proposed reporting system, EMILE, is intended to:
(1) Eliminate 12 disparate ETA program reporting requirements and
replace them with a single performance reporting system that will
enable consistent measurement and understanding of the overall
effectiveness of ETA programs in helping job seekers find meaningful
employment and in helping employers find workers, (2) implement
standardized data collection and report submission procedures that will
allow for consistent, comparable analysis across ETA funded employment
and training programs, using the definitions for common measures
established in TEGL 15-03, (3) collect management information in order
to more fully understand how the populations served and services
provided through each program impact performance outcomes, (4) collect
participant information quarterly so the workforce system can respond
more quickly and effectively to the oversight and management needs of
Congress, the Administration and the general public, (5) ensure that
performance information is accurate and reliable, and (6) support the
establishment of a demand-driven system by organizing information on
services used by employer customers.
III. Current Actions
Type of Review: New.
Agency: Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration.
Title: ETA Management Information and Longitudinal Evaluation
(EMILE) Reporting System.
OMB Number: 1295-ONEW.
Recordkeeping: Three years for States and grantees.
Affected Public: Individuals or households, business or other for-
profit, not-for-profit institutions, Federal, State, local or tribal
government.
Cite/Reference/Form/etc: Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Wagner-
Peyser Act, Trade Adjustment Assistance Act, Older Americans Act, Jobs
for Veterans Act, American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century
Act of 2000, see table below for list of forms.
Total Respondents: 590 States and grantees.
Frequency: Quarterly.
Total Responses: 4,928 submissions annually--each State and grantee
submits job seeker individual records and a quarterly summary report
each quarter for each program. Each State also submits employer
individual records each quarter.
Average Time per Response: Varies by program and by submission
(individual record or quarterly summary report).
Estimated Total Burden Hours:
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Total annual Average annual
Form/activity Total respondents Frequency Total annual responses hours hours/response
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Job Seeker Individual Record...... 590 states, Quarterly..................... 2,360........................ 831,835 353
territories, and
grantees.
Employer Record................... 52 states, and Quarterly..................... 208.......................... 832 4
territories.
Quarterly Summary Report.......... 590 states, Quarterly..................... 2,360 \1\.................... 11,800 5
territories, and
grantees.
Customer Satisfaction............. 303 states, Quarterly..................... Included in Quarterly Summary 44,596 19
territories, and Report.
grantees.
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Totals........................ 590 (unduplicated Quarterly..................... 4,928........................ 889,063 180
count of all
respondents).
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\1\ Customer satisfaction results are reported in the Quarterly Summary Report.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $4,576,260.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $26,019,500.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the information
collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.
Signed in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2004.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. 04-16175 Filed 7-15-04; 8:45 am]
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