[Federal Register: November 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 230)]
[Notices]
[Page 69219-69220]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30no06-47]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
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,
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
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
regarding an extension of a current Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) clearance for a series of quick turnaround surveys in which data
will be collected from state workforce agencies and local workforce
investment areas.
DATES: Submit comments on or before January 29, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Richard Muller, Employment and Training
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Room N-5637, Washington, DC 20210; (202) 693-3680 (this is not a toll-
free number); e-mail: Muller.Richard@dol.gov; fax: (202) 693-2766 (this
is not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting
comments regarding an extension of a current Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) clearance for a series of quick turnaround surveys in
which data will be collected from state workforce agencies and local
workforce investment areas. The surveys will focus on issues relating
to the governance, administration, funding, service design, and
delivery structure of workforce programs authorized by the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA). Enacted in 1998, WIA has sought to redesign the
workforce development system by linking over a dozen separately funded
Federal programs and streamlining services, and establishing new
accountability requirements.
ETA has developed quick turnaround surveys on several aspects of
WIA services and outreach to businesses, under the current OMB
clearance. Other surveys are also under consideration at this time.
The agency has a continuing need for information on WIA operations
and is seeking a further extension of the clearance for conducting a
series of eight (8) to twenty (20) separate surveys over the next three
years. Each survey will be relatively short (10-30 questions) and,
depending on the nature of the survey, may be administered to state
workforce agencies, local workforce boards, One-Stop Centers,
employment service offices, or other local-area WIA partners. Each
survey will be designed on an ad hoc basis and will focus on emerging
topics of pressing policy interest. Each survey will either cover the
universe of respondents (for state level information) or a properly
drawn random sample (for local level information). Examples of broad
topic areas include:
Local management information system developments
New processes and procedures
Services to different target groups
Integration and coordination with other programs
Local workforce investment board membership and training
Quick turnaround surveys are needed for a number of reasons. The
most pressing concerns the need to understand key operational issues in
light of challenges deriving from the Administration's policy
priorities and from the coming reauthorization of WIA and of other
partner programs.
Timely information, that identifies the scope and magnitude of
various practices or problems, is needed for ETA to fulfill its
obligations to develop high quality policy, administrative guidance,
regulations, and technical assistance.
The data that will be requested in the quick turnaround surveys is
not otherwise available. Other research and evaluation efforts,
including case studies or long-range evaluations, either cover only a
limited number of sites or take many years for data to be gathered and
analyzed. Administrative information and data are too limited: The
five-year Workforce Investment Plans, developed by states and local
areas, are too general in nature to meet ETA's specific informational
needs and are updated infrequently. Quarterly or annual data reporting
by states and local areas do not provide information on key operational
practices and issues. Thus, ETA has no alternative mechanism for
collecting information that both identifies the scope and magnitude of
emerging WIA implementation issues and provides the information on a
quick turnaround basis.
ETA will make every effort to coordinate the quick turnaround
surveys with other research it is conducting, in order to ease the
burden on local and state respondents, to avoid
[[Page 69220]]
duplication, and to explore fully how interim data and information from
each study can be used to inform the other studies. Information from
the quick response surveys will complement but not duplicate other ETA
reporting requirements or evaluation studies.
II. Review Focus
Currently, ETA is soliciting comments, concerning the proposed
extension of the Quick Turnaround Surveys of WIA, that:
(a) 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;
(b) 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;
(c) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(d) 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 techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses.
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be
obtained by contacting the office listed above in the addressee section
of this notice. It can also be accessed at http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm
.
III. Current Actions
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Quick Turnaround Surveys of WIA.
OMB Number: 1205-0436.
Affected Public: State and local workforce agencies and workforce
investment boards, and WIA partner program agencies at the state and
local levels.
Total Respondents: Annual average, based on 250 respondents for
each of 20 surveys, 5,000.
Total Burden Cost for capital and startup: $0.
Total Burden Cost for operation and maintenance: $0.
Comments submitted in response to this comment request 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.
Dated: November 21,2006.
Maria K. Flynn,
Administrator, Office of Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. E6-20266 Filed 11-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P