Justification - Demographic Reporting Elements (2)

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation) awards grants to states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories to operate AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps National, AmeriCorps NCCC, and Senior Corps programs. This information collection tool consists of demographic indicators upon which AmeriCorps State and National grantees will report on an annual basis. The Corporation’s strategic initiatives were finalized in July of 2007. The strategic initiatives focus on leveraging volunteers, youth from disadvantaged circumstances, education, baby boomers, and disaster recovery and response. This information collection is the primary tool by which the AmeriCorps State and National can measure the success of these initiatives.

A2.  Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.

The demographic reporting indicators are aligned to the Corporation’s strategic initiatives, and will provide information for Corporation staff to monitor grantee progress, and to respond to requests from Congress and other stakeholders. Some information provided may be used by the Corporation’s Office of Public Affairs to promote service.

 

 A3.  Minimize Burden: Use of Improved Technology to Reduce Burden

The Corporation will be eliciting and accepting grantees response to these demographic indicators electronically via eGrants, the Corporation’s secure online application system. If applicants are unable to report on-line, they can use the attached form and instructions to submit their demographic report. 

A4.  Non-Duplication

There are no other sources of information by which the Corporation can meet the purposes described in A2 (above).

 

A5.  Minimizing for economic burden for small businesses or other small entities.

This collection of information does not impact small businesses because they are not eligible to apply for grants. There is no economic burden to any other small entities beyond the cost of staff time to collect and report the data. This is minimized to the degree possible by only asking for the information absolutely necessary to measure progress towards the Corporation’s strategic initiative benchmarks.

A6.  Consideration of Collection

 The Corporation will be unable to measure national progress towards achieving the goals articulated in the strategic plan without this data.

A7.  Special circumstances that would cause information collection to be collected in the specified ways.

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in any other ways specified.

A8.  Provide copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency’s notice.

The Notice soliciting comments was published on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 on page 393855.

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents

  

A10.  Confidentiality

Information provided by this collection may be shared with federal, state, and local agencies for law enforcement purposes. Information provided by respondents is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

A11.  Sensitive Questions

 The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

We expect approximately 154 respondents to use these instructions to provide demographic data regarding the Corporation’s strategic initiatives. The frequency of response will not be greater than annually, and should not exceed 5 hours of effort per respondent. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

 

A13. Cost burden to the respondent

The total cost burden based on an average cost of $18.77 per hour (value of a volunteer hour according to Independent Sector) is $14,453. The cost of reporting this data is covered by the grants awarded by the Corporation.

 

A14. Cost to Government

The Corporation is required by law to require grantees to provide annual progress reports. The Corporation’s review of the data will be accomplished by internal teams of staffs as part of their regular job functions and will not result in the incurring of additional costs.

A15. Reasons for program changes

Not applicable.

 

 A16.  Publication of results

Not applicable because the responses to this information collection will not be published. 

 

A17.  Explain the reason for seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

Not applicable.

 

 A18.  Exceptions to the certification statement

There are no exceptions to the certification statement in the submitted ROCIS form.

3