[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20570-20571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9059]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review, 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''), has submitted a public information 
collection request (ICR) entitled the Community Stakeholder Assessment 
of Senior Corps RSVP Grantees to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). 
Copies of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be 
obtained by calling the Corporation for National and Community Service, 
Katharine Delo Gregg at (202) 606-6965. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-TDD) may call (202) 606-
3472 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk Officer for the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, by any of the following 
two methods within 30 days from the date of publication in this Federal 
Register:
    (1) By fax to: (202) 395-6974, Attention: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk 
Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
    (2) Electronically by e-mail to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB is particularly interested in 
comments which:
     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;
     Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and
     Propose ways to 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.

Comments

    A 60-day public comment Notice was published in the Federal 
Register on January 12, 2010. This comment period ended March 15, 2010. 
A total of 12 commenters submitted 33 comments.
    Comment 1. The Corporation is urged to take a step back and 
consider other ways in which ``true stakeholder support'' can be 
obtained.
    Response--Corporation disagrees and believes that the proposed 
collection is at least one valid method assessing stakeholder support.
    Comment 2. The federal registry explains the purpose of the survey 
is to help provide TTA to existing projects. The purpose statement on 
the survey does not talk about TTA.
    Response--Instrument instructions will be edited per comment.
    Comment 3. Two commenters suggested that the language needs to be 
simplified.
    Response--Instrument instructions and questions edited per comment.
    Comment 4. The tool asks assessments that I believe may be well 
beyond the reach of our stakeholders to properly assess.
    Response--The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify why the intended recipients should be able to adequately 
respond.
    Comment 5. The burden of administrative demand far exceeds any 
perceived benefit from my perspective.
    Response The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify that the benefit of the survey depends on its use by the 
grantee.
    Comment 6. Speaking more generally, this assessment should reflect 
how successfully respondents feel their respective RSVP's are doing to 
fulfill their missions and provide volunteers and services that have a 
meaningful and significant impact on the needs of the communities they 
operate in.
    Response--Instrument instructions and questions edited per comment.
    Comment 7. Questions should better address the processes and 
guidelines applied to RSVP projects.
    Response--Instrument instructions and questions edited per comment.
    Comment 8. Three commenters suggested that there should be fewer 
questions about how projects are perceived by the community and a few 
more about the operations of the project.
    Response--The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify that the purpose of the instrument is to measure community 
impact of RSVP grantees.
    Comment 9. Three commenters suggested that there are some 
similarities of the current questions.
    Response--Instrument instructions and questions edited per comment.
    Comment 10. I would also like to have the issue of a project that 
does not have a formal advisory council addressed.
    Response--Instrument instructions have been edited per comment.

[[Page 20571]]

    Comment 11. Advisory Council members should answer the questions 
only with a ``yes'' or ``no.''
    Response--Several of the instrument questions were simplified as 
suggested.
    Comment 12. Not all methodology and assumptions are valid.
    Response--We have reviewed the methodology and assumptions as you 
suggest to ensure accuracy.
    Comment 13. In order to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information collected, certain terms used in the questions 
should be better defined.
    Response--We clarified general terms as defined by Senior Corps. We 
cannot enhance the definition of most terms used beyond what is stated 
in the tool as they will be interpreted from each respondent's 
perspective and that is okay for this assessment.
    Comment 14. To minimize the burden of the collection of information 
tool should be shortened; be user friendly; and be filled out by 
project director not Advisory Council.
    Response--We have adjusted the length of the instrument and have 
expanded deployment via electronic survey and email attachment. The 
purpose tool is to assess how the project is interacting with its 
community partners and impacting the community from the community 
partners' perspective so it is not appropriate for the project director 
to fill out the survey.
    Comment 15. Two commenters suggested that an Assessment Tool is not 
needed for the performance of the projects that already have a high 
rating, but only for those that are weak or satisfactory.
    Response--Corporation disagrees because an assessment of all 
programs is needed to properly evaluate RSVP.
    Comment 16. We believe that one way to enhance the quality of 
information to be collected is to ask questions that require community 
partners to provide the Corporation with information it currently 
lacks.
    Response--The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify that the purpose of the instrument is to measure community 
impact of RSVP grantees and to clarify that the benefit of the survey 
depends on its use by the grantee not the Corporation for National and 
Community Service.
    Comment 17. The assessment misses the substance of what RSVP is all 
about.
    Response--A team of RSVP projects have been consulted and the 
instructions for the instrument have been edited to clarify that the 
purpose of the instrument is to measure community impact of RSVP 
grantees.
    Comment 18. One way to minimize the burden of information 
collection on all concerned is to collect it only once.
    Response--We concur.
    Comment 19. Assume that community partners who are disappointed in 
their experience with RSVP ``will walk with their feet'' and that those 
community partners who remain affiliated with RSVP are, by definition, 
satisfied and not have to fill out the assessment.
    Response--The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify that the purpose of the instrument is to measure community 
impact of RSVP grantees.
    Comment 20. To minimize the burden of collecting this information 
would be to design a survey instrument that would sample the universe 
rather than distribute it to the Community Advisory Councils.
    Response--The instrument is required to be completed by all 
grantees.
    Comment 21. Concerned with the level of knowledge that advisory 
council members would need to complete this assessment.
    Response--Program regulations require that grantee advisory 
councils be knowledgeable in the areas covered by the instrument.
    Comment 22. For continuity, it would also be helpful if the format 
was a response to a statement versus a response to a question--there's 
a mix in this document.
    Response--In order to procure the most useful responses the tool 
best lends itself to a variety of query and response formats.
    Comment 23. The [respondents] will be partial to their RSVP program 
and answer the question to support their program and the RSVP Director 
needs to help explain and give advice to the [respondents] to be able 
to answer the questions.
    Response--The instructions for the instrument have been edited to 
clarify that the benefit of the survey depends on its use by the 
grantee. Program regulations require that grantee advisory councils be 
knowledgeable in the areas covered by the instrument.

Description

    The Corporation is seeking approval of Community Stakeholder 
Assessment of Senior Corps RSVP Grantees. The information collection is 
intended to be completed by the Community Participation Groups of 
current RSVP grantees. The information collection will be used to 
collect data to assist grantees in self-improvement and to enhance 
technical assistance for current grantees. The Corporation will not use 
the results of this information collection for decision-making purposes 
regarding grant awards.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Community Stakeholder Assessment of Senior Corps RSVP 
Grantees.
    OMB Number: None.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: Community Participation Groups of current 
recipients of Senior Corps RSVP Grants.
    Total Respondents: 700.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Average Time per Response: 2.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1750 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

    Dated: April 14, 2010.
Angela Roberts,
Acting Director, Senior Corps.
[FR Doc. 2010-9059 Filed 4-19-10; 8:45 am]
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