[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 152 (Monday, August 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48254-48255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19883]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; O*NET Data Collection Program

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, the Department of Labor, conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information. This is done 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. With this notice, the Employment and Training Administration 
is soliciting comments concerning the proposed O*NET (Occupational 
Information Network) Data Collection Program. 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 or can be 
downloaded from the Internet at:

http://www.onetcenter.org/dataCollection/ombclearance.html or from 
www.doleta.gov/programs/onet.


DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before October 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the O*NET Data Collection Program to 
James Woods, Chief, Division of Evaluation and Skills Assessment, 
Office of Policy and Research, Employment and Training Administration, 
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N5637, 
Washington, D.C. 20210. The telephone number is 202-693-3660 (this is 
not a toll-free number). Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to: 
O*[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Woods, Chief, Division of 
Evaluation and Skills Assessment, telephone number 202-693-3660. (See 
Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The O*NET Data Collection Program is planned to be a continuing 
activity to develop and maintain a current database on detailed 
characteristics of occupations. The resulting database will be the most 
comprehensive standard source of occupational information in the 
nation. O*NET will be at the center of an extensive network of 
occupational information used by a wide range of audiences, from 
individuals making career decisions, to public agencies and schools 
making workforce investment decisions, to employers making staffing

[[Page 48255]]

and training decisions. O*NET also will provide a common language and 
framework to meet administrative needs of various federal programs, 
including workforce investment and training programs of the Departments 
of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services.
    In 1999, the Employment and Training Administration received OMB 
approval to conduct the O*NET Data Collection Program Survey Pretest 
(OMB No. 1205-0400, exp. 11/99). The Pretest provided information on 
the impact of several survey features on response rates. The use of 
alternative sample sizes per establishment and the use of in-kind 
incentives were tested for their impact on response rates for 
businesses. Alternatives on outreach and types of return envelope 
postage were tested for their impact on employee response rates.
    The Pretest has been completed, and its results indicated 
significant increases in response rates were achieved with an optimum 
combination of specific tested survey features. Pretest results are 
described in the supporting documentation to this ICR.

A. Survey of Establishments and Incumbent Workers

    Information will be collected in a two-stage design, including a 
statistical sample of businesses expected to employ workers in the 
specific occupations being surveyed, and a sample of workers in the 
occupations within the sampled businesses. These workers will be asked 
to complete the survey instruments.
    For selected occupations, two alternative methods will be used.

B. Survey of Membership of Occupational Associations

    The first is to contact professional associations that include a 
majority of the occupation's incumbent workers in their membership and 
sample from their member roster. These sampled workers will be surveyed 
in the same manner as workers identified in the two-stage sample 
design.

C. Subject Matter Experts

    The second alternative is to identify subject matter experts for 
selected occupations. The experts will be asked to complete the 
questionnaires, as well as the demographic items and the task list for 
the specific occupation being surveyed.

II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
which:
     evaluate whether the proposed information collection 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, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

III. Current Action

    The O*NET Data Collection Program will collect information on up to 
300 occupations in the first year, increasing the number of occupations 
in subsequent years to allow collection on all 974 O*NET occupations 
over three to five years. The O*NET occupations either match to, or 
represent more detailed breakouts of occupations from the 1998 Standard 
Occupational Classification.
    O*NET uses five survey questionnaires: (1) Skills, (2) Generalized 
Work Activities, which are general types of job behaviors occurring on 
multiple jobs, (3) Abilities, (4) Work Context, the physical and social 
factors that influence the nature of work, and (5) Knowledge. (Copies 
of these questionnaires are also available from the Internet site 
already noted.) All but the Abilities questionnaire will be used to 
survey incumbent workers identified using the two-stage sample design. 
Abilities will be rated by analysts. While the sample of incumbent 
workers is designed to provide responses from four questionnaires, to 
reduce response burden each incumbent will be randomly assigned only 
one of the four questionnaires. Incumbents also will be asked to 
provide basic demographic information, and to complete a brief task 
inventory for their specific occupation. Incumbents will be offered the 
option of going to an Internet website to complete an on-line 
questionnaire.
    The name of incumbent respondents will not be requested on the 
survey form and all individual responses will be maintained in strict 
confidentiality. The data from job incumbents and others will be used 
to develop mean ratings on the various items.
    The resulting data will be subjected to extensive analysis, and 
will be made available to the public through scheduled updates to the 
O*NET database.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: O*NET Data Collection Program.
    OMB Number: 1205-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Employers (includes private and not-for-profit 
businesses and government); individuals (incumbent workers, subject 
matter experts).
    Total Respondents: 24,000.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Total Responses: 24,000.
    Average Time Per Response: Employer response time is 1 hour, 35 
minutes. Incumbent worker response time is 30 minutes. Subject matter 
expert response time is 2 hours, 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,183 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0
    Comments submitted in response to this notice 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.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., this 1st day of August, 2000.
Gerard Fiala,
Administrator, Office of Policy and Research, Employment and Training 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-19883 Filed 8-4-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P