[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 366-369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-8234]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


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 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

[[Page 367]]

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 Administration is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension with change of the Standard Job Corps 
Center Request for Proposal and Related Contracting Information 
Reporting Requirements. A copy of the proposed information request 
(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the 
addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before March 6, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Renee Evans, Office of Job Corps, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
Room N-4464, Washington, DC 20210. E-mail address: [email protected]; 
Telephone number: (202) 693-3091 (This is not a toll-free number); Fax 
number: (202) 693-2767.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Job Corps is an intensive, residential training program for 
economically challenged young people aged 16 to 24 who are out of 
school and out of work. Job Corps is authorized by Title I, Subtitle C, 
of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. WIA provides that up to 
20 percent of the individuals enrolled in the Job Corps may be 
nonresidential participants. The program is principally carried out 
through a nationwide network of 122 Job Corps centers. The centers are 
located at facilities either owned or leased by the Federal Government. 
The Department has a direct role in the operation of Job Corps, and 
does not serve as a pass-through agency for this program. It is the 
Department's responsibility to establish Job Corps centers and to 
select operators for them. Of the 122 current centers, 28 are operated 
through interagency agreements by the Departments of Agriculture and 
Interior. These centers are located on Federal lands controlled by 
these two agencies. The remaining 94 centers are managed and operated 
by large and small corporations and nonprofit organizations selected by 
the Department in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations, 
and in most cases through a competitive procurement process. Many of 
the current contractors manage and operate more than one center.

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

    The Request for Proposal (RFP) provides potential offerors with the 
Government's expectations for the development of proposals to operate 
Job Corps Centers. The proposals developed by offerors in response to 
the RFP are evaluated in terms of technical factors and costs. These 
proposals serve as the principal basis for selection of a successful 
offeror. The operation of the Job Corps program is such that many 
activities required of contractors must be coordinated with other 
organizations, both Federal and nonfederal. Most of the information 
collection requirements of Job Corps Center operators stem directly 
from operational needs or are necessary to ensure compliance with 
Federal requirements and the terms of the contract. Statistical reports 
are normally generated from source documents directly by the Federal 
Government, not the contractors. Over the years, several paper forms 
have been automated, and in many instances, eliminated. Data is entered 
directly into a database and reports are generated as a result of the 
data. Examples of these are ETA Forms 2110 (Center Financial Report), 
2181 & 2181A (Center Operations Budget), 6-127 (Job Corps Utilization 
Summary), 6-131A (Disciplinary Discharge), 6-131B (Review Board 
Hearings), 6-131C (Rights to Appeal), 6-40 (Student Profile), 6-61 
(Notice of Termination) and 3-38 (Property Inventory Transcription.) In 
addition, several forms are now provided in Portable Data File (PDF) 
format. These forms are the 6-125 (Job Corps Health Staff Activity), 6-
128 (Job Corps Health Annual Service Costs), 6-112 (Immunization 
Record), 6-135 (CM Health Record Envelope), 6-136 (CM Health Record 
Folder), 6-37 (Inspection Residential & Educational Facilities), 6-38 
(Inspection Water Supply Facilities), and 6-39 (Inspection of Waste 
Treatment Facilities Costs.)
    Type of Review: Extension of Regular Collection.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Standard Center Job Corps Request for Proposal and Related 
Contractor Information Gathering Reporting Requirements.
    OMB Number: 1205-0219.
    Recordkeeping: Center operators are required to keep accurate 
records on each Job Corps student. All records are required to be 
maintained on Center for five years.
    Affected Public: Business, for profit and not-for-profit 
institutions, and Tribal Governments.

Burden Summary

    I. The annual burden hours estimated for the preparation of the 
Standard Center Job Corps Request for Proposal submitted by new and 
experienced contractors is 15,300 hours.
    II. Data collection for the Center Financial and the Center 
Operations Budget Reports is made more than quarterly, and is essential 
to ensure contractor financial compliance with contractual requirements 
and to ensure orderly operations of the program (1,522 hours).

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                                                               Number of                                   Total annual      Hours per     Total burden
             Required activity               ETA form No.     respondents       Submissions per year        submissions     submission         hours
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Center Financial Report...................            2110             122  90 at 12/year...............            1240               1            1240
                                                                            28 at 4/year................
Center Operations Budget..................     2181/2181/A              94  3...........................             282               1             282
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    Total.................................  ..............  ..............  ............................  ..............  ..............           1,522
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    III. Data previously collected on the forms listed below is now 
being collected in an electronic information system (477 hours). Data 
is entered utilizing a personal computer that transmits the data 
electronically to a centralized database. From this database many 
management and performance reports are created. Student personnel 
requirements such as: Student payroll information, student training and 
education courses received, student leave, disciplinary actions and 
medical information is also being collected in an electronic 
information system. Because identical information is being collected 
for multiple purposes, the burden for additional data entry has been 
reduced. The initial data entry is maintained in the national database 
and used for multiple reporting purposes, therefore reducing the need 
to enter the data more than once.

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                                                               Number of      Submissions    Total annual                                  Total burden
             Required activity               ETA form No.     respondents      per year       submissions       Hours per submission           hours
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Job Corps Utilization Summary.............           6-127             122              12            1464  0.01875 (1 minute)..........              24
Disciplinary Discharge....................          6-131A            1500               1            1500  0.01875.....................              25
Review Board Hearings.....................          6-131B            1500               1            1500  0.01875.....................              25
Rights to Appeal..........................          6-131C            1500               1            1500  0.01875.....................              25
Student Profile...........................            6-40            1500               1            1500  0.01875.....................              25
Notice of Termination.....................            6-61            1500               1            1500  0.01875.....................              25
Property Inventory Transcription..........            3-28             126              52            6552  0.0275 (3 minutes)..........             328
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    Total.................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ............................             477
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    IV. Major recordkeeping and operational forms listed below that 
pertain to student and facility administrative matters are now provided 
in Portable Data Files or PDF forms. The total burden for processing 
these forms is 37,648 hours.

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                                                               Number of      Submissions    Total annual                                  Total burden
             Required activity               ETA form No.     respondents      per year       submissions       Hours per submission           hours
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Job Corps Health Staff Activity...........           6-125             122               1             122  0.25 (25 min)...............              51
Job Corps Health Annual Service Costs.....           6-128             122               1             122  0.25........................              51
Immunization Record.......................           6-112           71000               1           71000  0.05 (5 min)................           5,917
CM Health Record Envelope.................           6-135           71000               1           71000  0.125 (13 min)..............          15,383
CM Health Record Folder...................           6-136           71000               1           71000  0.125.......................          15,383
Inspection of Residential & Educational               6-37             122               4             488  0.05........................              41
 Facilities.
Inspection of Waste Treatment Facilities              6-39              23               4              92  1.25 (1hr. 25 min)..........             130
 Costs.
Inspection of Water Supply Facilities.....            6-38             122               4             488  1.25........................             693
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    Total.................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ............................          37,648
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    V. A total of 7,578 burden hours are estimated for the preparation 
of the Center Operating Plans listed below that are required for the 
operation of a Job Corps center.

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                                                                             Number of      Submissions    Total annual      Hours per     Total burden
                    Required activity                      ETA form No.     respondents      per year       submissions     submission         hours
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Center Operation Plan...................................  ..............              94               1              94              30            2820
Maintenance.............................................  ..............             122               1             122               5             610
C/M Welfare.............................................  ..............             122               1             122               2             244
Annual VST..............................................  ..............             122               1             122              24            2928
Annual Staff Training...................................  ..............             122               1             122               1             122
Energy Conservation.....................................  ..............             122               1             122               5             610
Outreach................................................  ..............             122               1             122               2             244
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    Total...............................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           7,578
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    Total Estimated Burden: 62,525 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (Capital/Startup): The Office of Job Corps has 
automated the data collection process for its Centers. The Center 
Information System allows all centers to directly input data into a 
national database. As a result, the burden hours associated with the 
preparation of forms has decreased significantly. The maintenance cost 
associated with the system is estimated

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to be $2.7 million a year for hardware and software.
    Total Burden Cost (Operating/Maintaining): The costs to contractors 
for accomplishing recordkeeping requirements is contracted and computed 
by the Federal government annually. While precise costs cannot be 
identified, at the present time and based on past experience, the 
annual and related costs for contractor staff are estimated to be 
$955,458, which represents an average cost of $14.00 per hour.
    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: December 22, 2005.
Grace A. Kilbane,
Administrator, Office of Job Corps.
[FR Doc. E5-8234 Filed 1-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P