2015-32623. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe Evaluation

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the information collection request (ICR) proposal titled, “the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe Evaluation” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES:

The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives on or before January 27, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAViewICR?​ref_​nbr=​201509-1291-002 (this link will only become active on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting Seleda Perryman by telephone at 202-693-4131 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [e-mail].

Submit comments about this request by mail or courier to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-OASP, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: [phone] (this is not a toll-free number); or by email: [e-mail]. Commenters are encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information Compliance Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Seleda Perryman by telephone at 202-693-4131 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [e-mail].

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This ICR seeks PRA authority for the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe Evaluation information collection. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is one of a handful of interventions that have demonstrated positive, sustained impacts on the educational attainment and labor market outcomes of youth who are not in school or the labor force. The goal of Youth ChalleNGe, a residential program, is to build confidence and maturity, teach practical life skills, and help youth obtain a high school diploma or GED. The program's numerous activities address its eight core pillars: leadership/followership, responsible citizenship, service to community, life-coping skills, physical fitness, health and hygiene, job skills, and academic excellence. To build on the success of Youth ChalleNGe, the Employment and Training Administration issued $12 million in grants in early 2015 for three Youth ChalleNGe programs to: (1) expand the program's target population to include youth who have been involved with the courts and (2) add an occupational training component, known as Job ChalleNGe. The addition of the Job ChalleNGe component will expand the residential time by five months and offer the following activities: (1) Occupation skills training, (2) individualized career and academic counseling, (3) work-based learning opportunities, and (4) leadership development activities.

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe Evaluation will help policymakers and program administrators determine the impacts of expanding Youth ChalleNGe to court-involved youth and adding the Job ChalleNGe component to the existing Youth ChalleNGe model. The study will evaluate how these program enhancements are implemented and how effective they are, both for youth overall and for court-involved youth in particular. The study will address four research questions: (1) How were the programs implemented?, (2) What impacts did Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe have on the outcomes of participants?, (3) To what extent did participation in Job ChalleNGe change the overall impact of Youth ChalleNGe on program participants?, and (4) To what extent did impacts vary for selected subpopulations of participants? The first research question will be addressed through an implementation study of the three grantee demonstrations. The remaining three questions will be addressed through an impact study of the Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe programs. For the impact study, the feasibility of using randomized controlled trials to estimate program effectiveness will be assessed; if needed, a comparison group of youth from Youth ChalleNGe sites that did not receive grants will be included in the study. Only youth who agree to participate in the study will be allowed to participate in the Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe programs at the grantees included in the study; active consent will be obtained from youth 18 years of age or older and from a parent or guardian of youth under the age of 18.

This ICR consists of two types of proposed data collection instruments to be used in the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe evaluation. The first is a Baseline Information Form that will be included in the Youth ChalleNGe application packet and completed by youth. The form will collect demographic information as well as baseline measures of major outcome variables, including: current employment, past delinquency, expectations about future education, work experience and other topics, and detailed contact information. The second is a set of site visit protocols. Site visits will occur twice. The first will occur early in the study period and will collect information about grantees' plans and procedures, the backgrounds and experiences of youth served, the nature of employers' involvement in the programs, and other topics. The second visit will occur later in the grant and evaluation periods and will collect information on whether and how plans and activities for the Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe programs have changed since the first visit. Workforce Investment Act section 171(c)(2) authorizes this information collection. See 29 U.S.C. 2916(c)(2). A future ICR will include an 18-month follow up survey of youth in the Job ChalleNGe treatment and control or comparison groups.

This proposed information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to an information collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2015 (80 FR 43796).

Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within thirty (30) days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB ICR Reference Number 201509-1291-002. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:

• 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;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• 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 submission of responses.

Agency: DOL-OASAM.

Title of Collection: National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Job ChalleNGe Evaluation.

OMB ICR Reference Number: 201509-1291-002.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households and Private Sector—not-for-profit institutions.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 1769.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 1769.

Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 308 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

Dated: December 19, 2015.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.