[Federal Register: April 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 80)]
[Notices]               
[Page 22490]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap04-49]                         


[[Page 22490]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

 
Submission for OMB Emergency Review

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(hereinafter the ``Corporation''), submitted the following two 
information collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The Corporation 
requested that OMB review and approve its emergency request by April 
30, 2004, for a period of six months. A copy of these ICRs, with 
applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by contacting the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and 
Policy Development, Mr. Kevin Cramer, (202) 606-5000, Ext. 232 or by e-
mail at KCramer@cns.gov.
    The initial 60-day Federal Register notice for Performance 
Measurement in AmeriCorps was published on January 21, 2004. The 
initial 60-day Federal Register notice for Learn and Serve America 
Program and Performance Reporting System was published on January 9, 
2004. The comment period for these notices have elapsed, and, since the 
Corporation has requested OMB's approval of these emergency requests by 
April 30, 2004, there will be not enough time for the public to provide 
further comments through this Federal Register notice prior to the 
requested approval date.

Part I

    Type of Review: Emergency request.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Performance Measurement in AmeriCorps: Surveys of Members, 
Organizations and End Beneficiaries.
    OMB Number: None.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: Nonprofit organizations, Individuals or 
households, State, local or tribal government.
    Total Respondents: 4,000.
    Frequency: One time.
    Average Time Per Response: Ten (10) minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 676 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

Part II

    Type of Review: Emergency request.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Learn and Serve America Program and Performance Reporting 
System.
    OMB Number: None.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: Nonprofit organizations, State, local or tribal 
government.
    Total Respondents: 2668.
    Frequency: One time.
    Average Time Per Response: .95 hour.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2542 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
    Description: Under the authority of the National and Community 
Service Act of 1990, as amended, the Corporation was charged with 
employing its service programs, including AmeriCorps and Learn and 
Serve America, to address ``the unmet human, educational, 
environmental, and public safety needs of the United States;'' to 
``renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community 
throughout the United States;'' and to ``encourage citizens * * * to 
engage in full-time or part-time national service.'' In the fall of 
2003, Congress directed the Corporation to report on its efforts to 
improve its performance measurement systems.
    Moreover, on February 27, 2004, the President signed an Executive 
Order on National and Community Service ``to strengthen the ability of 
programs authorized under the national service laws to build and 
reinforce a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility 
throughout our Nation, and to institute reforms to improve 
accountability and efficiency in the administration of those 
programs.'' The Executive Order states that, as part of its continuous 
improvement, the Corporation should assist programs in adopting 
performance measures to ensure accountability for performance and 
results. This order furthers the finding of the OMB's Program 
Assessment Rating Tool (PART) that the Corporation needs to develop its 
capacity to identify demonstrable performance results.
    Because almost all of the programs under Learn and Serve America 
and a large number of programs in AmeriCorps operate on an academic 
calendar, and because the schedule for GPRA submissions has been moved 
up from February to November, it is incumbent upon the Corporation to 
have these survey instruments available to the various respondents no 
later than April of 2004. Therefore, the Corporation has requested 
OMB's emergency review and approval by April 30, 2004, so that it can 
provide outcome based data for the 2004 Performance and Accountability 
Report, as requested by Congress, by November, 2004. If the Corporation 
is granted approval by OMB for these two information collection 
activities, the Corporation will publish another Federal Register 
notice which will allow the public the opportunity to provide comments 
directly to the Corporation's OMB desk officer.

    Dated: April 19, 2004.
David Reingold,
Director, Office of Research and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 04-9342 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]