[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37092-37094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12674]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service hereinafter 
the ``Corporation''), 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 requirement on 
respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning a web-
based senior service recruitment system, called ``Join Senior Service 
Now'' (JASON), that enables Americans ages

[[Page 37093]]

55 and over who are interested in volunteering to match their interests 
and talents with community homeland security and other critical 
community needs that have been identified by local Senior Corps grant 
projects. Use of the system is entirely voluntary. This system was 
deployed in 2002 and can be accessed by the public at the following Web 
site: www.joinseniorservice.org. The system is also a component of the 
USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Opportunities Search Engine.
    Copies of the information collection requests can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed in the address section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the individual and office 
listed in the ADDRESSES section August 29, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, by any of the following methods:
    (1) By mail sent to: Corporation for National and Community 
Service, National Senior Service Corps; Attention Ms. Angela Roberts, 
Associate Director, Room 9305; 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC 20525.
    (2) By hand delivery or by courier to the Corporation's mailroom at 
Room 6010 at the mail address given in paragraph (1) above, between 9 
a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    (3) Electronically through the Corporation's e-mail address system: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Roberts, (202) 606-5000, ext. 
111, or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corporation is particularly interested 
in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Corporation, 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 expected to respond, including 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).

Background

    Americans over the age of 55 are a rapidly growing segment of the 
population, and the 60-plus population will double during the first 
quarter of this century. Concurrently, older Americans are one of the 
fastest growing cohorts utilizing the Internet for a myriad of 
purposes. A logical extension of these facts is that seniors will 
increasingly turn to the Internet to locate volunteer opportunities.
    The Senior Corps' programs enroll Americans ages 55 and over, and 
more than 1,300 local Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP 
projects are engaged in ongoing volunteer recruitment. Many local 
Senior Corps project directors have indicated that a viable and 
identity-specific presence on the Internet would be beneficial to their 
recruitment efforts. The majority of Senior Corps projects indicate 
that they experience difficulties in recruiting, even with the 
expanding population of eligible participants. A web-based system can 
help to tap more efficiently into the target population.
    Senior Corps volunteers serve with local projects of the RSVP 
(Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), the Foster Grandparent Program 
(FGP) and the Senior Companion Program (SCP). Individuals learn about 
these opportunities through a variety of means, including public 
service announcements, posters, advertisements, and visits to the 
Corporation's Web site and Web sites of local projects. These media and 
others direct interested individuals to the JASON website at 
www.joinseniorservice.org.
    Prospective volunteers have the opportunity to find senior service 
projects of interest to them in two ways:
    (1) The JASON system ``Fast Match'' feature allows individuals to 
search for volunteer opportunities by providing their ZIP code and the 
distance they are willing to travel. They also have the option to 
narrow their search by selecting one or more areas of service and/or 
entering one or more key words. They receive a listing of opportunities 
within the Senior Corps grantee network that match their service, 
distance, and/or other specifications and preferences.
    (2) Prospective volunteers can also register with the system. 
Registration allows individuals the option of expressing interest in 
volunteering with senior service projects of their choosing and of 
sending certain information about themselves to the volunteer 
recruiters of those projects. To register, individuals enter the 
following four required data elements into a web-based form: (1) An e-
mail address where they can be contacted that also serves as their 
unique User ID; (2) a password of their choosing that must be correctly 
entered before allowing access to information; their current age by 
pre-defined age ranges and categories; and (4) the age at which they 
began volunteering. Individuals are required to provide their age 
because different programs have different minimum age requirements.
    Demographic information requested helps the Corporation understand 
the general aggregate profile of demographics of users, in particular, 
seniors using web-based tools. Descriptive information allow a 
potential volunteer to tell the project's recruiter any additional 
information they wish to, as well as to provide the project and the 
Corporation with information on the effectiveness of various ways of 
advertising the website. Contact information is collected for the sole 
purpose of permitting the recruiter from projects to which the 
registrant has expressed interest to contact the individual about the 
particular volunteer opportunities they are interested in.

Current Action

    The Corporation seeks to renew approval of the JASON system. The 
revised system will be used in the same manner as the existing system, 
which is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2005.
    Type of Review: Renewal.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: National Senior Service Corps ``Join Senior Service Now'' 
(JASON) web-based recruitment system: www.joinseniorservice.org.
    OMB Number: 3045-0078.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: Prospective senior volunteers.
    Total Respondents: 440,000.
    Frequency: At the discretion of respondents.
    Average Time Per Response: 0.25 hours for initial response; 0.7 
hours for subsequent responses.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 32,323.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
    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.


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    Dated: June 21, 2005.
Tess Scannell,
Director, National Senior Service Corps.
[FR Doc. 05-12674 Filed 6-27-05; 8:45 am]
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