SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR OMB APPROVAL
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act and 5 CFR 1320
Corporation for National and Community Service's
Enrollment Form and Exit Form
JUSTIFICATION
The Enrollment Form is the official form used to document that an AmeriCorps member is enrolled in an approved national service position and has begun to earn an education award from the Corporation's National Service Trust. The form also provides the Corporation with demographic information for evaluative purposes, allows it to project future liabilities for the Trust, and allows the enrollee to self-certify personal information. The Exit Form is used to record that the AmeriCorps member has completed an approved term of national service and whether he is eligible for an education award from the National Service Trust Fund. The form also provides members an opportunity to indicate whether they wish to be contacted by organizations related to their AmeriCorps service.
These purposes are mandated by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, as amended (P.L. 103-82), which requires that individuals who successfully complete a term of service in an approved national service position be granted an education award. Requirements relating to the education awards are detailed in 42 USC §12501 and 42 USC §12594 through §12604. Requirements relating to the evaluation of members' experiences and development are provided in 42 USC §12639 (see attachments).
Need for Data Collection
The Enrollment Form is the means by which AmeriCorps programs certify that a member is eligible to serve in AmeriCorps and has begun his or her term of service. Secondly, it provides the Corporation, grantees, and program managers with valuable demographic information with which the Corporation can assess and report on member placement. The Exit Form documents program certification of whether the member has completed all the terms of his service agreement and is eligible for an education award, as well as a record of the member’s contact information.
Use of Information to be Collected
The office of the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation will use data collected from this form to maintain an up-to-date database of AmeriCorps members enrolled in the National Service Trust. The information will allow the Corporation to report on the numbers and demographics of AmeriCorps members, their placements, and award criteria. Since, by law, AmeriCorps members have seven years to use their education awards, the data will allow the Corporation to anticipate liabilities that will be incurred by members in the future. The Corporation will provide alumni and service organizations with member information for those members who elect to receive it.
Use of Improved Technology to Reduce Burden
Beginning in 1999, the Corporation began collecting enrollment and exit information for AmeriCorps members electronically. Currently, more than half of the AmeriCorps programs nationwide are directly entering information into a database which is then downloaded to the Trust's database. Programs require members to complete and sign the member portion of the Enrollment and Exit Forms. The forms are maintained at the program site for audit purposes
Efforts to Identify Duplication
This information is not being requested by any other means.
Burden on Small Entities
Only AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps program staff fill out portions of this form. The form requests only the most pertinent information not available elsewhere. If the program is not transmitting data electronically, the forms are mailed to the National Service Trust. If the data is downloaded to the Trust electronically, this information is taken from the form and entered into a database from which it is transferred to the National Service Trust.
While some AmeriCorps projects may fall under OMB's definition of small entities, completing and forwarding the information should not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Consequences of Less Frequent or No Data Collection
AmeriCorps members cannot serve more than two terms of national service for which an education award is a possibility. Since each of their terms has different attributes--different dates or programs or hours required--enrollment information is necessary for each term. Education awards cannot be processed until the member is certified by a program official as having met all program requirements. If data were not collected, the Corporation would not be able to report to Congress and the President on the types, number, and locations of AmeriCorps members. Nor would the Corporation be able to project liabilities of the National Service Trust.
Special Circumstances
No special circumstances exist with respect to this form.
Federal Register Publication and Comments Received
On January 30, 2007, a notice was placed in the Federal Register for a 60 day pre-clearance public comment period. One response was received.
9. Provisions of Payments or Gifts
No payments or gifts are provided.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality
Confidentiality of information supplied by respondents is ensured by the Privacy Act. A Privacy Act notice appears on the form. Privacy Act- Information provided for this collection may be shared with federal, state, and local agencies for law enforcement purposes.
11. Sensitive Questions
No sensitive questions are included on the form.
Estimates of Hour Burden of the Collection of Information
17032 for both forms, 8516 hours for each one (4 minutes for AmeriCorps members to complete their section and 3 minutes for program staff to complete their section, totaling 7 minutes times 73,000 forms).
Estimate of Total Annual Cost
The estimated total annual cost is $83,465 for each form ($166,930.00 total).
4867 hours for members x $5.15/hr = $25,065.00.
3650 hours for staff x $16.00/hr = $58,400.00.
14. Annualized Cost to Federal Government.
There will be no additional costs to the federal government.
15. Reasons for Program Changes or Adjustments
N/A
16. Outline of Plans for Tabulation and Publication
There will be no publication of the data from the forms.
17. Display of Expiration Date
The Corporation will display the expiration date.
18. Exception to Certification Statement
No exceptions are requested
B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
Statistical methods will not be used.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR OMB APPROVAL |
| Author | Levon Buller |
| Last Modified By | lshelton |
| File Modified | 2007-04-30 |
| File Created | 2007-04-06 |