[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65410-65411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32558]


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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request for Nonprofit Agency 
Surveys in the Benefit/Cost Analysis of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled.

ACTION: Submission for OMB Review; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or 
Severely Disabled (the Committee) is inviting public comment on surveys 
submitted for review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). 
The Committee is seeking public comment on surveys being conducted as 
part of a comprehensive Benefit/Cost Analysis of the JWOD Program. This 
request is for two new collections of information with a survey of 
nonprofit agencies (NPAs) participating in the JWOD Program and a 
survey of nonprofit agencies affiliated with National Industries for 
the Blind (NIB) or NISH that are not participating in the JWOD Program. 
The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on August 8, 
1997 (62 FR 42743).

DATES: Submit comments to OMB on or before January 12, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Daniel Werfel, Desk 
Officer for the Committee for Purchase, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, 
NW, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503. 
Requests for copies of the OMB submission and the proposed information 
collections should be submitted to Sheryl Kennerly, Committee for 
Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, 1215 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, Suite 310, Arlington, VA 22202-4302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheryl Kennerly, Committee for 
Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, 1215 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, Suite 310, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, telephone: 703-603-
7747, fax: 703-603-0655, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The enabling regulations for the JWOD Act 
prescribe that the Committee: ``Conduct a continuing study and 
evaluation of its activities under the JWOD Act for the purpose of 
assuring the effective and efficient administration of the JWOD Act. 
The Committee may study, independently, or in cooperation with other 
public or nonprofit private agencies, problems relating to: (1) The 
employment of the blind or individuals with other severe disabilities * 
* *.'' (41 CFR Ch. 51-2.2(g))
    As part of the effort to evaluate its activities and study the 
employment of individuals who are blind or severely disabled, the 
Committee has initiated a comprehensive analysis of benefits and costs 
of the JWOD Program. The following survey instruments included in the 
submission for OMB approval are required to collect data for 
determining the benefits and costs of the JWOD Program on nonprofit 
agencies that participate in the JWOD Program, commercial contractors, 
and society or taxpayers in general. The data from the following 
surveys will be used in conjunction with external environmental data to 
conduct analysis of before and after JWOD participation and to make 
comparisons between JWOD participating and nonparticipating nonprofit 
agencies. Comments should reference the title of the collection of 
information to which they apply.
    Title: Survey of JWOD Participating Agencies.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Frequency: One-time.
    Affected Public: State, local and private nonprofit agencies that 
were participating in the JWOD Program at the end of Fiscal Year 1996.
    Burden Estimate:
    Responses: 562.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,124 hours.
    Average Burden per respondent: 2 hours.
    Abstract: The burden estimate above is based on an estimated number 
of responses to a survey of all 624 NPAs participating in the JWOD 
Program at

[[Page 65411]]

the end of Fiscal Year 1996. The average burden per respondent was 
determined from a pretest with a small number of NPAs chosen to 
represent a variety of respondents in terms of JWOD sales and length of 
time participating in the program. The mail survey will collect data to 
measure direct and indirect financial impacts in terms of increased or 
reduced non-JWOD sales, induced or suppressed charitable donations, and 
shortfall or excess of JWOD revenues. Other potential impacts to be 
measured include effects on non-JWOD production capacity, effects on 
workplace conditions, and effects on the agencies' abilities to fulfill 
their overall missions. Data is being collected for the two years prior 
to participation in JWOD and for the five most recent years of 
participation.
    Title: Survey of Organizations Associated with NIB or NISH.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Frequency: One-time.
    Affected Public: A sample of State, local and private nonprofit 
agencies that are affiliated with NIB or with NISH that are not 
participating in the JWOD Program.
    Burden Estimate:
    Responses: 275.
    Total Burden Hours: 275 hours.
    Average Burden per respondent: 1 hour.
    Abstract: The burden estimate above is based on an estimated number 
of responses to a survey of 300 NPAs affiliated with NISH and 5 NPAs 
affiliated with NIB that are not participating in the JWOD Program. The 
average burden per respondent was determined from a pretest with a 
small number of NPAs chosen to represent a variety of respondents in 
terms of size. The mail survey collects data from NPAs not 
participating in the JWOD Program in order to make comparisons with 
participating NPAs in the ``after'' time periods and to assess any 
differences due to JWOD participation, while accounting for geographic 
and macro-economic factors using environmental data obtained from 
external sources. This survey also collects financial and non-financial 
information comparable to the information in the above survey.

    Dated: December 9, 1997.
Beverly L. Milkman,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 97-32558 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P