[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14138-14139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7624]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized
Participant Information Reporting (SPIR) System; 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.
Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed extension of the Standardized
Participant Information Reporting system (SPIR). A copy of the proposed
information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by contacting the
addressee listed below.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before May 26, 1998.
The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments
which:
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 submissions of responses).
ADDRESSES: Anna Goddard, Director, Office of National Programs,
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room
N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone:
(202) 219-5500 (VOICE) (this is not a toll-free number) or INTERNET:
[email protected]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of
Labor is seeking an extension of its approved JTPA, Title IV, Section
402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized Participant
Information Reporting (SPIR) system for a period of three program years
(July 1, 1998 to June 30, 2001). This decision stems from favorable
experience during both the pilot test year (ending June 30, 1995 with
19 grantees participating) and two consecutive program years (ending
June 30, 1997). DOL is currently reviewing
[[Page 14139]]
the performance standards and reporting system for this program in an
effort to enhance program accountability and improve reporting. As a
result, future changes to the reporting format and instructions may be
necessary. However, for the purpose of this approval, only minor
modifications have been made in reporting due to cross-program changes
in the Federal Register Notice to the definition of Race/Ethnicity and
all references from AFDC to TANF.
II. Current Actions
The proposed ICR will be a continuation of an existing system
currently in place and used by all Section 402 grantees as the primary
reporting vehicle for individuals enrolled and terminated from the
program, their demographic characteristics, training and services
provided and outcomes including job placement and employability
enhancements. This is a request for an extension of an existing
collection from a previously approved ICR.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Employment & Training Administration.
Title: Standardized Participant Information Reporting system for
the JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs OMB
Number: 1205-0350.
Recordkeeping: Grantees shall retain supporting and other documents
necessary for the compilation and submission of the SPIR for three
consecutive years.
Affected Public: Not-for-profit organizations.
Cite/Reference/Form/etc: The collection instrument is the
Standardized Participant Information Record (SPIR) and Instructions. A
SPIR Form is provided for optional use in gathering information at the
grantee field office level. The SPIR itself is a computer file in a
specified form which is submitted by grantees via diskette, modem or
INTERNET.
Total Respondents: 53.
Frequency: Quarterly and One-Time Report.
Total Responses: 265 (53 times 5) (There are four quarterly
submissions per year plus a fifth submission which includes the 13-week
follow-up data obtained for individuals terminating in the last quarter
of the program year.
Average Time per Response: 3.6 additional burden hours. The average
time per response varies widely depending on the degree of automation
attained by individual grantees. Grantees also vary according to the
numbers of individuals served in each program year. If the grantee has
a fully developed MIS, the response time is limited to one-time
programming plus processing time for each response. All efforts are
being directed towards this end, so that response time for reporting
will eventually sift down to an irreducible minimum with little human
intervention. Currently, it is estimated at 3.6 hours per response.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 954 hours. (53 respondents times 5
submissions times 3.6 hours each = 954 total hours)
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): No additional Burden Cost for
capital/startup as all grantees are currently reporting using the SPIR.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): DOL's estimated annual
burden cost for maintaining a centralized SPIR database system for JTPA
Title IV-B programs is $265,000 (53 grantees times $5,000). The cost
for programs who maintain and operate their own data systems will vary
widely among grantees, from nearly no additional cost to some higher
figure depending on the state of automation attained by each grantee.
However, the majority of grantees use DOL's statistical support
contractor SPR Associates for data management. Therefore, there is no
extra burden cost to grantees unless they purchase new automated
equipment.
Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be
summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and
Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also
become a matter of public record.
Dated: March 18, 1998.
Anna Goddard,
Director, Office of National Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-7624 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-M
