[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 239 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86622-86623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27487]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 86622]]



AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT


USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements

AGENCY: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: USAID invites public comment on our intent to request the 
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for a new 
information collection. The Foreign Assistance Transparency and 
Accountability Act (2016) and The Foundations for Evidence Based 
Policy-Making Act (2019) enhance the transparency, accuracy, and 
reliability of USAID program and activity evaluations and processes of 
data collection and reporting. To comply with these Acts, USAID is 
currently revising the policy associated with its Evaluation Report 
Requirements. The requirements collect information from evaluators to 
establish the validity of research methodologies, standardize the 
presentation of research, ensure accuracy, and identify any conflicts 
of interest that could create bias or influence data analysis, 
findings, or recommendations. USAID is soliciting comments for this 
collection.

DATES: Comments are due January 16, 2024.

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: Tania Alfonso, [email protected], 
202-712-0144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USAID, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the 
general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on 
the proposed information collection. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register (88 FR 
18292) on March 28, 2023.\1\ This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments.
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    \1\ USAID initially published a Notice of the proposed 
information collection, ``USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation 
Report Requirements,'' in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023 [88 
FR 18292]. Due to a clerical error, the comment period closed after 
56 days on May 23, 2023, and therefore did not meet not the 
statutory 60-day comment period required by the PRA. A Federal 
Register Notice published on [INSERT DATE] reopened the comment 
period for an additional 4 days.
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    Title of Collection: USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report 
Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: To be issued by OMB.
    Type of Review: A new information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: USAID evaluation contractors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 32.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 4.25.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8.25 hours.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,195 per year.
    Abstract: After a contractor is hired to evaluate a program or 
activity, USAID issues to the contractor three standardized information 
collection forms that are designed to ensure compliance with data 
quality and reporting standards as outlined in USAID's Automated 
Directives System (ADS) 201 and its annexes, including: one of three 
optional Evaluation Design Matrices; an Evaluation Report Template to 
be used for the submission of the final, and; a Disclosure of Conflicts 
of Interest to be completed by the contractor's team leaders and 
researchers. The Evaluation Design Matrix provides a structured format 
for the contractor to present the overall approach and methodology for 
the contracted evaluation. Specifically, the optional form asks 
contractors to detail key research questions, sources of information, 
scope and methodology, and study limitations in the form of a table. 
The Evaluation Report Template guides the evaluator in submitting a 
final draft of the research report, including requiring the use of 
appropriate branding and marking on the cover page, style and 
formatting of the report, and required information and order of 
sections. Finally, external evaluators and evaluation team members are 
required to complete and submit to USAID a Disclosure of Conflicts of 
Interest form to disclose all relevant facts regarding real or 
potential conflicts of interest that could lead reasonable third 
parties with knowledge of the relevant facts and circumstances to 
conclude that the evaluator or evaluation team member is not able to 
maintain independence and, thus, is not capable of exercising objective 
and impartial judgment on all issues associated with conducting and 
reporting the work. USAID uses the data from the collection of 
information in these three types of forms for internal decision-making 
and external reporting requirements to the U.S. Congress. Copies of the 
information collection forms can be found in USAID's Learning Lab in 
the Evaluation Toolkit. The data collected in the required forms will 
be available to the public when the Final Report is posted on the 
Development Experience Clearinghouse.
    USAID and the Office of Management and Budget are particularly 
interested in comments that:
    1. 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;
    2. 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;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. 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,

[[Page 86623]]

e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Tania Alfonso,
PPL/LER, Program Cycle Supervisory Team Lead, USAID.
[FR Doc. 2023-27487 Filed 12-13-23; 8:45 am]
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