97-22251. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 44489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22251]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


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 preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed an/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 Department of 
Labor is soliciting comments concerning the proposed new collection, 
the Applicant Background Questionnaire. A copy of the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the 
office listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before October 20, 1997. 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: Anderson Glasgow, U.S. Department of Labor, Human Resources 
Services Center, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W. Room C-5516, Washington, 
D.C. 20210; Phone: [phone] ext. 115; fax: [phone]; internet: 
[e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its obligation to provide equal 
employment opportunities, is charged with ensuring that qualified 
individuals in groups that have historically been underrepresented in 
various employments, are included in applicant pools for Department 
positions. See 5 U.S.C. 7201(c); 29 U.S.C. 791; 29 U.S.C. 2000e-16; 5 
C.F.R. 720.204; 29 C.F.R. 1614.101(a). To achieve this goal, DOL 
employment offices have outreach to a variety of sources, including 
educational institutions, professional organizations, newspapers and 
magazines. DOL has also participated in career fairs and conferences, 
that reach high concentrations of Hispanics, African Americans, Native 
Americans, and persons with disabilities.
    At the present, DOL does not have the ability to evaluate the 
effectiveness of any of these targeted recruiting strategies because 
collection of racial and national origin information only occurs at the 
point of hiring. DOL needs to collect data on the pools of applicants 
which result from the various targeted recruitment strategies listed 
above. After the certification and selection process has been 
completed, it is necessary to verify individual applications by name 
and social security number within a merit staffing file in order to 
analyze the data collected. With the information from this new 
collection, DOL can adjust and redirect its targeted recruitment to 
achieve the best result. DOL will also be able to respond to requests 
for information received from OPM in the course of OPM's evaluation and 
oversight activities.

II. Current Actions

    This new collection will consist of a series of questions to be 
answered by all job applicants external to DOL, and submitted together 
with the job application. The collection will request the applicant's 
name, sex, race and/or national origin, whether or not disabled, and 
the source of information about the vacancy applied for (e.g., 
newspaper, school recruitment, internet, etc.)
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: U.S. Department of Labor.
    Title: Applicant Background Questionnaire.
    Agency Number: 1225-0000.
    Affected Public: Applicants for positions in the Department of 
Labor who are not current DOL employees.
    Total Respondents: 5000 per year (estimate).
    Frequency: one time per respondent.
    Total Responses: 5000 per year (estimate).
    Average Time per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 417 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $2285.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $2238.
    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: August 18, 1997.
Larry K. Goodwin,
Director of Human Resources.
[FR Doc. 97-22251 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-M