[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 158 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49712-49713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17830]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 11173]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Department of 
State TechWomen Evaluation Survey

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. 
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are 
requesting comments on this collection from all interested individuals 
and organizations. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for 
public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: The Department will accept comments from the public up to 
October 13, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following method:
     Web: Persons with access to the internet may comment on 
this notice by going to www.Regulations.gov. You can search for the 
document by entering ``Docket Number: DOS-2020-0033'' in the Search 
field. Then click the ``Comment Now'' button and complete the comment 
form.
    You must include the DS form number (if applicable), information 
collection title, and the OMB control number in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information regarding the collection listed in this notice, including 
requests for copies of the proposed collection instrument and 
supporting documents, to Natalie Donahue, Chief of Evaluation, Bureau 
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, [email protected] who may be 
reached at (202) 632-6193 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
     Title of Information Collection: TechWomen Evaluation 
Survey.
     OMB Control Number: None.
     Type of Request: New collection.
     Originating Office: Educational and Cultural Affairs 
(ECA).
     Form Number: No form.
     Respondents: TechWomen program mentors, program staff from 
ECA and the implementing partner (IP), and small sample of additional 
stakeholders.
     Estimated Number of Mentor Survey Respondents: 946.
     Estimated Number of Mentor Survey Responses: 709.
     Average Time per Mentor Survey: 30 minutes.
     Total Estimated Mentor Survey Burden Time: 21,270 minutes.
     Estimated Number of Mentor Key Informant Interview (KII) 
Participants: 40.
     Average Time per Mentor KIIs: 60 minutes.
     Total Estimated Mentor KIIs Burden Time: 2,400 minutes.
     Total Estimated Burden Time: 23,670 minutes.
     Frequency: Once.

[[Page 49713]]

     Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.
    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department.
     Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost 
burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Please note that comments submitted in response to this Notice are 
public record. Before including any detailed personal information, you 
should be aware that your comments as submitted, including your 
personal information, will be available for public review.

Abstract of Proposed Collection

    The TechWomen program seeks to ``empower, connect, and support the 
next generation of women leaders in STEM'' by providing opportunities 
for them to reach their full potential and become role models for women 
and girls in their communities. Through mentorship and exchange, the 
TechWomen program is designed to strengthen participants' professional 
capacity, increase mutual understanding between key networks of 
professionals, and expand women and girls' interest in STEM careers by 
exposing them to female role models. During the five-week program, 
foreign participants engage with female leaders in project-based 
mentorships at leading companies in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area, 
participate in professional development workshops and networking 
events, and travel to Washington, DC for targeted meetings and special 
events to conclude the program. After their completion of the program, 
emerging leaders and mentors have the opportunity to reconnect during 
delegation trips to program countries in Africa, South and Central 
Asia, and the Middle East, which focus on expanding networks of women 
in STEM fields, creating and strengthening partnerships, encouraging 
girls to pursue STEM careers and ensuring the sustainability of mentor-
fellow relationships. This program is funded pursuant to the Mutual 
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
    To evaluate the impacts of the program, the U.S. Department of 
State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) intends to 
conduct an evaluation of the program covering the period of 2011 
through 2019. The evaluation will determine the strength and 
sustainability of professional networks created by the program and the 
extent to which these networks have been leveraged for collaborations 
between Alumnae to enact change. In order to do so, ECA contracted 
Social Impact (SI) in early 2020 to conduct an evaluation of the 
TechWomen program.

Methodology

    The evaluation will use a mixed-methods design including a 
quantitative survey and key informant interviews (KIIs). Data from 
these methods will be used to assess the strength of mentor-alumnae 
networks as a result of the TechWomen project. The evaluation's 
approach prioritizes ECA utilization of recommendations to maximize the 
reach and impact of the TechWomen program. The evaluation will include 
40 Key Informant Interviews in the Silicon Valley/Bay Area. The 
sampling will include Professional Mentors, Cultural Mentors, and 
Impact Coaches. The Evaluation Team (ET) will gather survey data using 
the network survey platform ONASurveys.com and will use data from the 
online survey to provide visual representations and analytic data of 
the TechWomen network structure.

Aleisha Woodward,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2020-17830 Filed 8-13-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P