[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 236 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79069-79070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26926]


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

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 11264]


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

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and submission to OMB of 
proposed collection of information.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of State has submitted the information 
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for approval. 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 
30 days for public comment.

DATES: Submit comments up to January 7, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

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, who may be reached on at 
[email protected] or at (202) 632-6193.

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.
     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 science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics (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

[[Page 79070]]

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. The authority for this 
program is the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
    To evaluate the impact of the program, the 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. 2020-26926 Filed 12-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P