[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53010-53011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18619]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a revision of a 
currently approved collection for the authority to conduct the 
information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Employment and Training 
Administration Quick Turnaround Surveys and Site Visits.'' 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 
October 31, 2022.

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 (this is 
not a toll-free number), TTY (202) 693-7755, (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, 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 of a series of 8 to 20 short 
surveys or site visit protocols relevant to the broad spectrum of 
programs administered by

[[Page 53011]]

ETA, including those authorized by the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 and other statutes. The surveys and 
interviews would cover a variety of issues, including but not limited 
to governance, administration, funding, service design and delivery, 
and participant experiences. Each survey and site visit protocol would 
be short (typically 10-30 questions for different groups of 
respondents). Depending on the purpose for collecting the information, 
these may be conducted with state workforce agencies, local workforce 
development boards, American Job Centers, partner programs, other 
entities involved in activities relevant to ETA, and customers of the 
workforce system and related programs. Each survey instrument and site 
visit protocol 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, and their effectiveness with, 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 
to be able to obtain quick approval to conduct surveys and site visits 
so that it can collect and analyze, on a timely basis, information on 
various programs, practices, or problems, and to meet its obligations 
to develop high quality policy, research, administrative guidance, 
regulations, and technical assistance. ETA will request information in 
these surveys and site visits that is not otherwise available. Other 
research and evaluation efforts, including long-range evaluations, 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 sufficient information on key operational 
practices, staff, or participant perspectives, and new or rapidly 
emerging issues. ETA will make every effort to coordinate the ``quick 
turnaround'' surveys and site visits 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 data and information from each study can be used to 
inform other studies. Information from the quick turnaround surveys 
will thus complement but not duplicate other ETA reporting requirements 
or evaluation studies.
    Section 169 of WIOA, Public Law 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 No. 
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 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: 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; 
customers of the workforce system and other programs.
    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).

Brent Parton,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2022-18619 Filed 8-29-22; 8:45 am]
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