[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 230 (Thursday, November 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69219-69220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20266]


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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 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 
regarding an extension of a current Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) clearance for a series of quick turnaround surveys in which data 
will be collected from state workforce agencies and local workforce 
investment areas.

DATES: Submit comments on or before January 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Richard Muller, Employment and Training 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Room N-5637, Washington, DC 20210; (202) 693-3680 (this is not a toll-
free number); e-mail: [email protected]; fax: (202) 693-2766 (this 
is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting 
comments regarding an extension of a current Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) clearance for a series of quick turnaround surveys in 
which data will be collected from state workforce agencies and local 
workforce investment areas. The surveys will focus on issues relating 
to the governance, administration, funding, service design, and 
delivery structure of workforce programs authorized by the Workforce 
Investment Act (WIA). Enacted in 1998, WIA has sought to redesign the 
workforce development system by linking over a dozen separately funded 
Federal programs and streamlining services, and establishing new 
accountability requirements.
    ETA has developed quick turnaround surveys on several aspects of 
WIA services and outreach to businesses, under the current OMB 
clearance. Other surveys are also under consideration at this time.
    The agency has a continuing need for information on WIA operations 
and is seeking a further extension of the clearance for conducting a 
series of eight (8) to twenty (20) separate surveys over the next three 
years. Each survey will be relatively short (10-30 questions) and, 
depending on the nature of the survey, may be administered to state 
workforce agencies, local workforce boards, One-Stop Centers, 
employment service offices, or other local-area WIA partners. Each 
survey will be designed on an ad hoc basis and will focus on emerging 
topics of pressing policy interest. Each survey will either cover the 
universe of respondents (for state level information) or a properly 
drawn random sample (for local level information). Examples of broad 
topic areas include:
     Local management information system developments
     New processes and procedures
     Services to different target groups
     Integration and coordination with other programs
     Local workforce investment board membership and training
    Quick turnaround surveys are needed for a number of reasons. The 
most pressing concerns the need to understand key operational issues in 
light of challenges deriving from the Administration's policy 
priorities and from the coming reauthorization of WIA and of other 
partner programs.
    Timely information, that identifies the scope and magnitude of 
various practices or problems, is needed for ETA to fulfill its 
obligations to develop high quality policy, administrative guidance, 
regulations, and technical assistance.
    The data that will be requested in the quick turnaround surveys is 
not otherwise available. Other research and evaluation efforts, 
including case studies or long-range evaluations, either cover only a 
limited number of sites or take many years for data to be gathered and 
analyzed. Administrative information and data are too limited: The 
five-year Workforce Investment Plans, developed by states and local 
areas, are too general in nature to meet ETA's specific informational 
needs and are updated infrequently. Quarterly or annual data reporting 
by states and local areas do not provide information on key operational 
practices and issues. Thus, ETA has no alternative mechanism for 
collecting information that both identifies the scope and magnitude of 
emerging WIA implementation issues and provides the information on a 
quick turnaround basis.
    ETA will make every effort to coordinate the quick turnaround 
surveys with other research it is conducting, in order to ease the 
burden on local and state respondents, to avoid

[[Page 69220]]

duplication, and to explore fully how interim data and information from 
each study can be used to inform the other studies. Information from 
the quick response surveys will complement but not duplicate other ETA 
reporting requirements or evaluation studies.

II. Review Focus

    Currently, ETA is soliciting comments, concerning the proposed 
extension of the Quick Turnaround Surveys of WIA, that:
    (a) 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;
    (b) 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;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (d) 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.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed above in the addressee section 
of this notice. It can also be accessed at http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Quick Turnaround Surveys of WIA.
    OMB Number: 1205-0436.
    Affected Public: State and local workforce agencies and workforce 
investment boards, and WIA partner program agencies at the state and 
local levels.
    Total Respondents: Annual average, based on 250 respondents for 
each of 20 surveys, 5,000.
    Total Burden Cost for capital and startup: $0.
    Total Burden Cost for operation and maintenance: $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the 
information collection request; they will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: November 21,2006.
Maria K. Flynn,
Administrator, Office of Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. E6-20266 Filed 11-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-P