[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3721-3722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00911]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; the 
Employment and Training Administration Quick Turnaround Surveys

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed 
extension for the authority to conduct the information collection 
request (ICR) titled, ``Employment and Training Administration Quick 
Turnaround Surveys.'' This comment request is part of continuing 
Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by 
March 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation, 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden, may be obtained free by 
contacting Charlotte Schifferes by telephone at (202) 693-3655, TTY 
(202) 693-7755, (these are not toll-free numbers) or by email at 
[email protected].
    Submit written comments about, or requests for a copy of, this ICR 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, 
Attention: Charlotte Schifferes, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-
5641, Washington, DC 20210; by email: [email protected]; or 
by Fax (202) 693-2766.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Schifferes by telephone at 
(202) 693-3655 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOL, as part of continuing efforts to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation 
program to provide the general public and Federal agencies an 
opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of 
information before submitting them to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for final approval. This program helps to ensure 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 can be properly 
assessed.
    ETA is soliciting comments regarding a revision and extension of a 
currently approved generic information collection. The collection would 
allow for a quick review process by OMB, over the next three years, of 
a series of 8 to 20 short surveys relevant to the broad spectrum of 
programs administered by ETA, including those authorized by the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 and other 
statutes. The surveys would cover a variety of issues, including but 
not limited to the governance, administration, funding, service design, 
and delivery structure in programs. Each survey would be short 
(typically 10-30 questions) and, depending on the nature of the survey, 
may be administered to state workforce agencies, local workforce 
boards, American Job Centers, employment service offices, or other 
entities involved in employment and training or related activities 
relevant to ETA. Each survey will be designed on an ad hoc basis and 
will focus on topics of pressing policy or research interest. Examples 
of broad topic areas include but are not limited to:
     State and local management information systems,
     New processes and procedures,
     Services to different target groups,
     Integration and coordination with other programs, and
     Local workforce investment board membership and training.
    ETA is seeking an extension and revision of the current collection 
in order to fulfill a continuing need to conduct these ``quick 
turnaround'' surveys in order to obtain timely information that 
identifies the nature, scope and magnitude of various practices or 
problems, and to meet its obligations to develop high quality policy, 
research, administrative guidance, regulations, and technical 
assistance. ETA will request data in these surveys that are 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, including quarterly or annual 
data reported by states and local areas do not provide information on 
key operational practices and issues of interest. Thus, ETA has no 
alternative mechanism for collecting information that identifies the 
scope and magnitude of emerging issues and provides the information on 
a quick turnaround basis. ETA will make every effort to coordinate the 
``quick turnaround'' surveys with other data collections in ETA or 
other parts of the Department of Labor, in order to ease the burden on 
local, state, and other respondents, to avoid duplication, and to fully 
explore how interim data and information from each study can be used to 
inform other studies. Information from the quick turnaround surveys 
will complement but not duplicate other ETA reporting requirements or 
evaluation studies. Section 169 of WIOA), P.L. 113- 128, authorizes 
this information collection for both evaluations [Section 169 (a)] and 
research activities [Section 169 (b)].
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA and displays a 
currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6.
    Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments to the 
contact shown in the ADDRESSES section. Comments must be written to 
receive consideration, and they will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure 
appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB control number 
1205-0436.
    Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this 
ICR and posted on the internet, without redaction. DOL encourages 
commenters not to include personally identifiable information, 
confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information 
in any comments.
    DOL is particularly interested in comments that:
     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

[[Page 3722]]

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 submission of responses).
    Agency: DOL-ETA.
    Type of Review: Revison of Currently Approved Collection.
    Title of Collection: Employment and Training Administration Quick 
Turnaround Surveys.
    Form: Not Applicable.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0436.
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private 
Sector--businesses or other for-profit and not-for profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,000.
    Frequency: Various.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 2,333.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: Varies.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,500 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

John Pallasch,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2020-00911 Filed 1-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FM-P