[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20419-20421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5935]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Reporting and Performance Standards System 
for the Indian and Native American Programs Under Title I-D, Section 
166 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998

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 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.
    The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting 
comments on modified reporting requirements for the Indian and Native 
American programs. This information collection request is necessary in 
order to collect data for calculating a set of common performance 
measures of the outcomes achieved by the Indian and Native American 
programs. A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) 
can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee 
section of this notice and also by accessing this Web site: http://www.doleta.gov/Performance/guidance/OMBControlNumber.cfm. In addition 
to the proposed ICR, ETA is requesting the extension of ETA Form 9080 
(Financial Status Report). No changes are made to this form. Submit 
written comments to the office listed in the addressee section within 
60 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. Comments may 
also be submitted via e-mail at: [email protected] by using ``OMB 
1205-0422'' in the subject line of the e-mail.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Ms. Athena R. Brown, Program Manager, 
Indian and Native American Programs, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Room C-4311, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-3737 (this is 
not a toll-free number); fax: (202) 693-3818; e-mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Same information as ADDRESSES listed 
above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Each grantee administering funds under the Indian and Native 
American programs is currently required to submit a Comprehensive 
Services Program (CSP) Semi-Annual and Annual Program report (ETA Form 
9084), a Supplemental Youth Services (SYS) Semi-Annual and Annual 
Program report (ETA Form 9085), a Standardized Participant Record Data 
report, and Financial Status reports (ETA Form 9080) for both programs. 
The ETA Form 9084 provides adult participation data regarding agreed 
upon performance goals for the program year, information for system-
wide reporting, and an evaluation for program improvement, and is the 
key means for measuring success in achieving goals of the program. The 
ETA Form 9085 provides cumulative data on youth participation, 
termination, performance outcomes, and socio-economic characteristics 
of participants. The information is used to determine the levels of 
program service and program accomplishments for the reporting program 
year. The ETA Form 9080 provides cumulative expenditure and obligation 
amounts for each funding stream. This information is used to ensure the 
appropriate use and management of Federal funds.
    In 2001, under the President's Management Agenda, OMB and other 
Federal agencies developed a set of common performance measures to be 
applied to certain federally-funded employment and training programs 
with similar strategic goals. As part of this initiative, ETA recently 
issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 17-05, 
``Common Measures Policy for the Employment and Training 
Administration's Performance Accountability System and Related 
Performance Issues.'' The value of implementing common measures is the 
ability to describe, in a similar manner, the core purposes of the 
workforce system--how many people found jobs; did they keep their jobs; 
and what were their earnings. Multiple sets of performance measures 
have burdened states and grantees as they are required to report 
performance outcomes based on varying definitions and methodologies. By 
minimizing the different reporting and performance requirements, 
implementing a set of common performance measures can facilitate the 
integration of service delivery, reduce barriers to coordination among 
programs, and enhance the ability to assess the effectiveness and 
impact of the workforce investment system, including the performance of 
the system in serving individuals facing significant barriers to 
employment.
    The common measures are an integral part of ETA's performance 
accountability system and ETA will continue to collect from grantees 
the data on program activities, participants, and outcomes that are 
necessary for program management and to convey complete and accurate 
information on the performance of workforce programs to policymakers 
and stakeholders.
    This revision to the Indian and Native American programs' reporting 
system identifies changes in the level of information collection that 
is necessary to comply with Equal Opportunity requirements, holds 
grantees appropriately accountable for the Federal funds they receive, 
assesses

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progress against the common performance measures, and allows the 
Department to fulfill its oversight and management responsibilities. It 
also requires grantees to submit all program reports on a quarterly 
basis; at this time they are required to report on an annual and semi-
annual basis.
    The ETA has implemented similar changes to the reporting 
requirements for the WIA Title I-B, Wagner-Peyser Act, and Trade 
Adjustment Assistance programs to incorporate the use of common 
performance measures for these programs.
    Grantees are currently required to submit data according to 
measures established under the Government Performance and Results Act 
(GPRA), which are entered employment and positive termination rates for 
the CSP. For the SYS programs, current measures emphasize the 
attainment of academic skills and certificates, increases in literacy 
and numeracy skills, and other basic occupational competencies 
necessary for youth to compete for and obtain employment. While the 
adult GPRA measures for the Indian and Native American programs are 
similar to the common measures, the data elements that are needed to do 
the calculations are different, requiring modifications to the 
definitions and record layout of the current electronic reporting 
system used by grantees to report on program performance. Important 
changes include the following:
     Revising the current reporting forms;
     Revising the timeline of reporting to a quarterly basis;
     Elimination of data collection fields associated with the 
current Indian and Native American programs' performance standards 
system, and inclusion of data elements for calculating common measures;
     A change in the field that tracks the reason the 
participant exited the Indian and Native American program, because 
participants who exited due to certain reasons, such as becoming 
institutionalized, are excluded from calculations of common measures;
     Addition of three fields to track whether the participant 
was employed in the first, second, and third quarters after program 
exit, which are used to calculate the common measures; and
     The addition of fields to capture average earnings 
achieved by the participant over a six-month period following program 
participation for those employed during that period, to calculate the 
average earnings measure.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    Currently, the Department is soliciting comments concerning the 
revised information collection request for the Indian and Native 
American programs in order to:
     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

    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.
    Title: Reporting and Performance Standards System for the Indian 
and Native American programs authorized under Title I-D, section 166 of 
the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998.
    OMB Number: 1205-0422.
    Recordkeeping: Grantees shall retain all necessary documents 
related to the compilation and submission of the subject reports for 
three years after the submission of the final financial report for a 
specific grant reporting period.
    Affected Public: Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Alaska Native 
entities, Indian-controlled organizations serving Indians, or Native 
Hawaiian organizations.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public 
Law 105-220)/section 166(e)/ETA Form 9084 and ETA Form 9085.
    Total Respondents: This ICR will be used by approximately 142 WIA 
section 166 CSP grantees as the reporting and performance measurement 
mechanism for programs serving adult participants. For the SYS program, 
this ICR will be used by approximately 98 WIA section 166 SYS grantees 
as the reporting and performance measurement mechanism for programs 
serving youth participants. Labor-funded grantees participating in the 
demonstration project under Public Law 102-477 will not be affected by 
this ICR and have not been included in the following burden estimates.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Total Responses: 240 submissions quarterly and 240 annually.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 83,510.

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                                                                                          Average       Annual
      Required section 166 activity/report        Number of    Responses      Total      hours per      burden
                                                 respondents    per year    responses     response      hours
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ETA Form 9084 (CS).............................          142            4          568           24       13,632
SPIR Data......................................          142            4       18,277          2.5       45,693
ETA Form 9085 (SYS)............................           98            4          392           24        9,408
ETA Form 9080-CSP..............................          142            4          568         9.67        5,493
ETA Form 9080-SYS..............................           98            4          392         9.67        9,284
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    Totals.....................................          240           20       20,197          348       83,510
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
    Costs associated with this collection will vary widely among 
grantees, from nearly no additional cost to some higher figure, 
depending on the size of individual grantee allotments, the state of 
automation attained by each grantee, and the wages paid to the staff 
managing the data collection, validation, and reporting process. 
However, since expenditures associated with the preparation and 
submittal of these reports should come from the associated Federal 
grant funds, there should be minimal additional costs, if any, to the 
grantees. The grantees will not be obligated to expend their own (i.e., 
non-DOL) resources to fulfill these reporting

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requirements. All costs associated with the submission of these forms 
are allowable grant expenses.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this ICR. Comments 
will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: April 12, 2006.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. E6-5935 Filed 4-19-06; 8:45 am]
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