[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30263-30264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12394]



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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 (CNCS), 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. Sec. 
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, CNCS is soliciting comments concerning its proposed data 
collection for the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) National Evaluation. 
Research questions for the evaluation are categorized into 5 major 
topic areas:
     Documenting SIF's outcomes for people served;
     Strengthening the evidence base;
     Expanding the reach of programs that work;
     Using intermediaries to strengthen the capacity of 
nonprofits to implement and expand programs; and
     Assessing SIF's influence on policy, funding and practice.
    The evaluation seeks to understand whether and how the SIF has met 
its intended goals by assessing the extent to which: (1) Outcomes for 
those in need have improved; (2) the evidence base has been 
strengthened; (3) nonprofit capacity to implement and expand programs 
has increased; and, (4) SIF has influenced the use of evidence, the 
flow of capital and the scaling of promising program models within the 
public, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. The evaluation will focus 
on the initial group of 11 intermediaries (grantees) and 138 community 
nonprofits (subgrantees) funded by the SIF in 2010. These 
intermediaries and their subgrantees will be providing information for 
the SIF National Evaluation.
    Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed in the addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the individual and office 
listed in the ADDRESSES section by July 23, 2012.

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, Attention: Joscelyn Silsby, Project Director, SIF Evaluation, 
Office of Strategy and Strategic Initiatives, Corporation for National 
and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue NW., Room 10906A 
Washington, DC, 20525.
    (2) By hand delivery or by courier to the CNCS mailroom at Room 
8100 at the mail address given in paragraph (1) above, between 9:00 
a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    (3) By fax to: (202) 606-3464 Attention: Joscelyn Silsby, Project 
Director, SIF Evaluation.
    (4) Electronically through the CNCS email system: [email protected]. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-TDD) 
may call 1-800-833-3722 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joscelyn Silsby (202-606-6772), or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CNCS is particularly interested in comments 
that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of CNCS, 
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

    During 2010, 11 intermediaries received SIF grants across the three 
priority areas. As of July 1, 2011, the 2010 intermediaries had funded 
138 sub grantees in 31 states and the District of Columbia. These 
intermediaries and sub grantees will be providing the information for 
the SIF National Evaluation. Some of the information will be collected 
electronically and other information will be collected from 
intermediaries and subgrantees through telephone or in-person 
interviews.
    The following data collection activities are planned for Year 2 of 
the evaluation:
     Intermediaries will provide data on the 138 sub grantees 
to document the changes in outputs and outcomes that occur as a result 
of SIF, beginning in the fall of 2012. This will be an annual data 
collection and will be conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The 
information that will be collected includes characteristics of the 
populations served, the number of clients receiving each type of 
service, how new and underserved populations are reached, how people's 
lives have potentially changed with SIF-funded services, total funding 
available for subgrantee programs (including matching funds), cost of 
providing services (including direct costs and indirect costs), and 
number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members.
     Conduct brief telephone surveys with 138 sub grantees to 
obtain contextual and explanatory information (clarification of the 
data received from the annual program activity data collection). This 
data collection will occur in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
     Conduct in-depth discussions over the telephone with 11 
grantees in 2013. These discussions will focus on the capacity 
strengthening needs of the sub grantees and how the grantees are or are 
planning to meet those needs as well as program expansion strategies 
the subgrantees are or will be implementing.
     Conduct in-person discussions with selected sub grantees 
to better understand the implementation of the SIF. This will result in 
development of 15 case studies. The first set of case studies will 
focus on understanding the types of strategies used by intermediaries 
and subgrantees to expand program reach and the subgrantee capacities 
that are needed or are in place to do this effectively.

Current Action

    This is a new information collection request.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Social Innovation Fund (SIF) National Evaluation.
    OMB Number: TBD.

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    Agency Number: NA.
    Affected Public: The affected public will be the intermediaries and 
the subgrantees who received SIF funding from CNCS, stakeholders 
(representatives from partnering organizations, volunteers, and perhaps 
local evaluators).
    Total Respondents: 250.
    Frequency: The annual program activity data collection instrument 
will be completed once annually during 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. 
Telephone surveys with subgrantees will occur in 2012, 2013, and 2015. 
Site visits and discussions will occur once in 2013 and 2015 with 
approximately 15 subgrantees (program director and staff), and 
stakeholders to develop case studies focused on program expansion 
strategies and capacity strengthening work.
    Average Time per Response: Average response time of the 11 grantees 
to compile the data for each sub grantee for the annual program 
activity data collection instrument will be 3 hours per subgrantee. The 
follow-up survey with sub grantees will be 30 minutes; interviews with 
SIF intermediaries will take 1.5 hours; and the discussions with SIF 
Program directors and staff, and stakeholders for the case studies will 
be 1 hour per respondent.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 589.5 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

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                                                     Number of     Frequency of    Burden hours    Total annual
   Data collection activity        Respondents      respondents      response      per Response    burden hours
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Annual program activity data    SIF                          138               1             3.0             414
 collection instrument.          intermediaries.
Follow-up telephone surveys...  SIF subgrantees.             138               1             0.5              69
In-depth interviews...........  SIF                           11               1             1.5            16.5
                                 intermediaries.
Case studies of 15 sub grantee  SIF Program                   90               1               1              90
 programs.                       director and
                                 staff, and
                                 stakeholders.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................             250  ..............             6.0           589.5
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    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.

    Dated: May 16, 2012.
Marlene Zakai,
Deputy Chief of Staff, Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-12394 Filed 5-21-12; 8:45 am]
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