OMB SUPPORTING STATEMENT-0f 306 - Final_DAM

OMB SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Declaration for Federal Employment

Optional Form 306

 

1. Justification

 

1. Information contained in sections 1302, 3301, 3304, 3328 and 8716 of title 5, U.S. Code, allows for the collection of employment information from applicants to the Federal Government.  Section 1104 of title 5 allows the Office of Personnel Management to delegate personnel management functions to other Federal agencies. The form is to be completed by applicants at any time during the hiring process.  It is used to determine acceptability and qualifications of applicants for Federal and Federal contract employment, and to ensure compliance with laws related to employment.  Without this information agencies could unknowingly make unacceptable appointments. 

 

2. The Optional Form (OF) 306 is completed by individual applicants during the hiring process.  It is a fillable form that collects information about an applicant’s selective service registration, military service, and general background.  The information collected on this form is mainly used to determine a person’s acceptability for Federal and Federal contract employment.  However, if necessary, and usually in conjunction with another form or forms, the information on this form may be used in conducting an investigation to determine a person’s suitability or ability to hold a secret clearance, and it may be disclosed to authorized officials making similar, subsequent determinations. 

 

This information is collected by human resources professionals during the hiring process.

 

However, the current information collection expired due to inadvertent administrative error and needs to be reinstated with four changes.

 

        INSTRUCTIONS-delete… and your enrollment status in the Government’s Life Insurance program.

        PRIVACY ACT-delete 8716; and Public Law 104-134 (April 26, 1996) and replace with Executive Order 9397 (November 22, 1943).

        PUBLIC BURDEN-change Reports and Forms Manager to OPM Forms Officer

        APPOINTEE QUESTIONS-delete reading and completing questions 18, 18a, 18b, 18c

 

3. The collection of information does not involve automated, electronic, mechanical or other technical collection techniques, although it is available on the internet in a pdf file format.  The OF 306 must be signed by the applicant, so although the form is available in an electronic formation on the web, it must be signed by the applicant to certify that all information provided is true, correct, complete and made in good faith.  Improved technology will do little to reduce the burden because the applicant’s signature is required.

 

4. Information collected on the OF 306 about a person’s selective service information, military service and general background information is used to determine the acceptability for Federal employment.  Other forms, specifically the SF-85 and SF-86, may request the same information, but these information collections are for the purpose determining an eligible employee’s suitability for a position of trust or access to National Security information.  Information collected directly from a person on their prior enrollment status in the Government’s Life Insurance Program is probably unreliable and inaccurate and has to be verified through other sources during the hiring process.  More reliable and accurate information is already available through a review of the former Federal employee’s Official Personnel File, leave and earning statements or Notifications of Personnel Actions (SF-50’s).  Obtaining information directly from a more reliable source eliminates any duplicative effort.

 

5. This information collection has no impact on small businesses or other small entities because job applications are received only from the members of the general public and (former) Federal employees and Federal contractors.

 

6. If this information is not collected in some or all cases, the impact to the Federal Government could result in agencies making unacceptable appointments.  The impact could also contribute to increasing costs to the Federal Government associated with the human resources processes of hiring and terminating people. 

 

7. The information collection is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.  However, the applicant may be asked to respond in fewer than 30 days in order to expedite the hiring process.

 

8. A 60-day notice of the proposed information collection was published in the Federal Register on September 13, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 176, page 54094) as required by 5 CFR 1320 giving persons outside the agency an opportunity to comment on the form.  No comments were received on this notice.

 

9. No payment or gift is made to the respondents.

 

10. The OF 306 contains a Privacy Act Statement, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a.  OPM and other Federal Agencies have the responsibility to protect an individual’s personal information.  That protected information is maintained in confidential files, subject to review only by those who have an official need to know.

 

11. This information collection does request what could be commonly considered private information but only as to how the behavior or belief pertains to illegal acts which hold legal ramifications or other acts that are bound by legal or regulatory consequences.  This information is necessary to determine a person’s acceptability for Federal or Federal contract employment.  While this form may be used in conducting an investigation to determine a person’s suitability for a position of trust or eligibility to hold a national security position and it may be disclosed to authorized official, making similar, subsequent determinations, it is usually used in conjunction with another form or forms and only if necessary.   The form does not ask about religious beliefs.

 

12. Approximately 474,000 forms were processed in 2004.  The form required approximately 15 minutes to be completed.  Burden of 118,500 hours was estimated.  Applicants provide this information when going through the hiring process.  Due to the expiration of the form, the burden was adjusted.

 

13. There is no cost to the respondents.

 

14. The annualized cost to the Federal government is $23,700. 

 

15. The adjustment of +118,500 in annual reporting and recordkeeping hour burden is required as the information collection expired due to inadvertent administrative error. 

 

16. The results of this collection will not be published.

 

17. Since we cannot always reprint the whole supply of forms, to change the OMB clearance expiration date, we seek approval not to display the date on the form.

 

18. There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

 

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

 

            This information collection does not employ statistical methods.