[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32962-32963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15360]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 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 (ETA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed new collection of 
information for the Resource Justification Model (RJM). ETA would use 
the RJM to formulate a budget request for the unemployment insurance 
(UI) program from States' data and allocate appropriated funds among 
the States.
    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 
ADDRESSES section below on or before August 20, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Timothy S. Felegie, Room C4526, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210, (202) 693-2934 (this is not a toll-free 
number). E-mail address is [email protected] and fax number is (202) 
693-3229.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    ETA developed the RJM to replace an outdated budget formulation and 
allocation process for the UI program. Although the RJM entails a 
substantial data collection effort, it would provide ETA with current 
cost information to justify budget requests for State UI program 
administration. The RJM's goals are to build a credible budget from 
State-submitted data in order to obtain needed resources, allocate 
administrative funds equitably among States, and promote cost-effective 
practices.
    Using the RJM, State agencies would submit detailed data by major 
cost categories in a structured format. This would provide States with 
a means to justify their funding needs and would provide ETA with an 
objective tool to evaluate those needs. State agencies that have an 
accounting system with a relational database could build queries for 
data extraction from the accounting system; this would keep the data 
collection burden at a minimum.

II. Review Focus

    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.

III. Current Actions

    RJM consists of six modules:

--State data collection and submission
--Regional Office data review
--National Office data analysis and evaluation
--National Office budget formulation
--Resource allocation
--Monitoring

    The first module is most pertinent to this proposed data collection 
effort. Module I consists of three parts: a mandatory Microsoft 
Excel file with 39 linked spreadsheets with an optional file 
with four spreadsheets, a narrative justification that explains budget 
increases, and a narrative performance and capital improvement (PCI) 
request. State agencies would enter data into the indicated cells 
through either hand entry or through database extraction from their 
accounting systems. The spreadsheets are set up to calculate much of 
the data to minimize data entry to the extent possible. Each State 
agency would submit Module I to ETA once annually in February. For the 
first year only, State agencies would submit PCI requests two months 
earlier (December 2001) to allow time for ETA review and consultation 
with the States.
    The mandatory Excel file has three basic categories of 
cost data: workload-related staff years for each major workload 
activity (e.g., initial claims, subject employers), non-workload-
related staff years (e.g., benefit payment control), and non-personal 
services (NPS) (e.g., facilities, communications). The optional file 
relates only to more

[[Page 32963]]

detailed data for communications, utilities, ADP, and office equipment. 
The data in each file cover four fiscal years: the year just completed, 
the current year, the next year, and the budget request year. A 
Portable Document Format version of each file may be printed from 
www.ows/doleta.gov/ by clicking on the ``News'' link or the scrolling 
RJM article under the News section; this will link to a site where the 
user can select the files. Please contact Tim Felegie at (202) 693-2934 
for a paper copy of the files or for help in using the site.
    State agencies would submit a narrative justification to explain 
incremental changes from the previous year to the budget request year 
that are not related to a PCI request. Examples include personal 
services or personnel benefit increases and changes to minutes per unit 
(MPU) value.
    State agencies would have an opportunity to submit PCI requests for 
certain types of investments: program performance improvements, capital 
projects for facilities and technology, and law changes. State agencies 
would incorporate the PCI request into the RJM data file and the 
funding increase could be expressed as an increase in MPU value, an 
increase in non-workload-related staff years, or an increase in NPS. 
The funding increase could be requested for a single year or spread 
over multiple years. ETA would evaluate these requests on how they 
address performance and capital improvements, impact on customer 
service, and cost benefit/cost avoidance.

ETA would load the Excel file data into a database for 
array and analysis.

    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Resource Justification Model.
    Affected Public: State Government.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Average time
          Cite/reference                Total           Frequency           Total     per response     Burden
                                     respondents                          responses      (hours)       (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RJM 1 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53            41         2,173
RJM 2 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53            30         1,590
RJM 3 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53             6           318
RJM 4 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53            12           636
RJM 5 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53            12           636
RJM 6 ser.........................            53  Anually.............            53             7           371
Narrative.........................            53  Anually.............            53            11           583
PCI...............................            53  Anually.............            53           114         6,042
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Totals......................  ............  ....................           424  ............        12,349
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $500,000 (based on variable 
cost per State--negligible for some States and up to $60,000 for 
others).
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $375,028.
    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: June 11, 2001.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Workforce Security.
[FR Doc. 01-15360 Filed 6-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P