2011-29694. Notice of Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Comment request.

SUMMARY:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Room 10222, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, be faxed to [phone] or emailed to [e-mail] with a cc: to [e-mail]. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The OMB is particularly interested in comments which: (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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.

Dated: November 10, 2011.

Darrin King,

Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.

Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development

Type of Review: New.

Title of Collection: Program Performance Data Audits Project.

OMB Control Number: Pending.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Once.

Affected Public: Not-for-Profit Institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 611.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 610.

Abstract: This clearance request is submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development's (OPEPD's) audit of grant program procedures for collecting, analyzing, and reporting performance and evaluation data. This request is necessary because OPEPD within the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has contracted with Decision Information Resources, Inc. and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. to assess the procedures for collecting and reporting program performance and evaluation data for eleven ED grant programs. These audits and assessments will provide ED with insight into (1) whether the programs' performance data are of high quality and the methods used to aggregate and report those data are sound; and (2) whether the local evaluations conducted by grantees (or their local evaluators) are of high quality and yield information that can be used to improve education programs. This OMB submission requests approval for the use of interview protocols for collecting information from program grantees and their local evaluators and program office contractors. All interview guides are designed to address the major research questions associated with this project. All other data used to address the audit's research questions will come from sources that will not require OMB approval.

Copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain or from the Department's Web site at http://edicsweb.ed.gov,, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 4647. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address [e-mail] or faxed to [phone]. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-[phone].