[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63297-63298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22172]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Joint Quarterly Narrative 
Performance Report

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed 
extension for the authority to conduct the information collection 
request (ICR) titled, ``Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Joint 
Quarterly Narrative Performance Report.'' 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 
December 7, 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 Maya Kelley by telephone at (202) 693-2805 (this is not a 
toll-free number), TTY 1-877-889-5627 (this is not a toll-free number), 
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, Division of Strategic Investments, Room C-
4526, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210; by email 
[email protected]; or by fax 202-693-3015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Maya Kelley by telephone at 
(202) 693-2805 (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.
    The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 
3101) authorizes this information collection. This ICR allows ETA's 
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to perform data 
validation on data collected and reported to ETA on program activities 
and outcomes; and provides a streamlined WIOA Joint Quarterly Narrative 
Performance Report (Joint QNR) for several grant programs. DOL seeks a 
revision of this ICR to include the following changes: ETA has added 
Office of Apprenticeship grants to the list of grant programs which use 
the Joint QNR; minor edits have been made to the Joint QNR for 
streamlining and clarification purposes; and for the SCSEP Data 
Validation, a few non-substantive changes were made.
    The Joint QNR provides a detailed account of program activities, 
accomplishments, and progress toward performance outcomes during the 
quarter. It also provides information on grant challenges and timeline 
progress, as well as the opportunity to share success stories. The 
continued use of a standardized narrative report supports WIOA 
implementation and the goal of systems alignment and consistency of 
reporting. This template also helps ensure consistent identification of

[[Page 63298]]

technical assistance needs across the discretionary grant programs that 
are reporting on WIOA performance indicators, and contributes to 
improved quality of performance information that ETA receives.
    The National Farmworker Jobs Program and YouthBuild grants are 
authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, 
which identified performance accountability requirements for these 
grants. The WIOA performance indicators and reporting requirements also 
apply to the Dislocated Worker Grants program. While H-1B Job Training, 
Reentry Employment Opportunities, and the DOL Office of Apprenticeship 
grants are not authorized under WIOA, these programs have adopted the 
WIOA performance indicators and align with WIOA data element 
definitions and reporting templates to promote consistency across these 
DOL-funded programs. The Senior Community Service Employment Program, 
authorized under the Older Americans Act, as amended (Pub. L. 114-144), 
has also adopted some of the WIOA performance measures and, for this 
reason has adopted the WIOA Joint QNR.
    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 
1205-0448.
    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 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: Revision.
    Title of Collection: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Joint 
Quarterly Narrative Performance Report.
    Form: Quarterly Narrative Performance Report Template (ETA-9179).
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0448.
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments, Private 
Sector.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,028.
    Frequency: Quarterly.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 4,112.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: Joint QNR: 10 hours; SCSEP 
Data Validation: 40.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 50,392 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $1,619,259.84.

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

John Pallasch,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training.
[FR Doc. 2020-22172 Filed 10-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P