NLSC Support Statement

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

National Language Service Corps Pilot

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Need for Information Collection

This submission is a request for an extension of the currently approved information collection OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0704-0449. The current OMB approval authorizes the NLSC to collect data through February 28, 2009.  This submission seeks to extend that approval through the end of the NLSC Pilot Program.

The President’s Management Agenda of FY 2002 establishes the goal that agencies will build, sustain, and effectively deploy the skilled, knowledgeable, diverse, and high-performance workforce needed to meet the current and emerging needs of government and its citizens. The following legislative history depicts the sequence of events in the years that followed the Agenda and established the National Language Service Corps (NLSC) Pilot:

• 2003: Section 325 of Public Law 107-306 (Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003) directed the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to prepare a Feasibility Study on the Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps (CLRC).

• 2004: DoD/National Security Education Program (NSEP) delivers the Feasibility Study

• 2005: Intelligence Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 108-487, Sec. 613) authorizes and funds 3-Year CLRC pilot project

• 2005: DoD incorporates concept into Language Transformation Roadmap and Quadrennial Defense Review.

• 2006: CLRC adopted as major component of President's National Language Security Initiative announced in January

• 2006: Congress transferred administration of CLRC to DoD in P.L. 109-364, Sec. 944

• 2007: DoD/NSEP awarded contract to General Dynamics Information Technology in April to implement the three-year NLSC Pilot, formerly the CLRC, as authorized and funded by the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (P.L. 109-364, Sec. 944)

• 2008: OMB approves as an emergency clearance the NLSC Pilot request to collect data and assigns Control Number 0704-0449 to the new system.

The DoD has undertaken extensive analysis of all options available to meet unanticipated/surge requirements for foreign language skills. The resulting DoD Language Transformation Plan contains a set of 40 detailed recommendations and strategies for meeting current and future requirements. The CLRC/NLSC is incorporated into this major strategy document. Furthermore, the initial work undertaken during the first year of the Pilot confirmed the CLRC/NLSC concept as one that will meet not only the needs of DoD but the broader needs of the Federal sector.

Congress has estimated the total cost of the three-year Pilot to be $23 Million and it is funded from an overall language initiative account. A major component of the second and third year of the Pilot effort is to determine a final concept of operations for a permanent NLSC and the costs associated with administering it. It is DoD’s intention to request funding for the NLSC Pilot in future appropriations. This Pilot program will develop and evaluate the best practices and procedures for establishing a NLSC. The three-year NLSC Pilot contract includes funding for the Pilot program and three activation exercises which will be used to validate processes and procedures developed in the Pilot. At the completion of the three-year program a final report will be submitted to Congress summarizing the lessons-learned, best practices, and recommendations for full implementation as a stand-alone organization.

The mission of the NLSC is to identify individuals with language skills who may potentially qualify for temporary employment or service opportunities in the public sector during periods of national need or emergency. The NLSC is established as a Pilot program which, upon becoming fully operational, will fill gaps between Federal and state requirements with available language skills. It will provide the capabilities for meeting short-, mid-, and long-term requirements through the identification and warehousing of expertise and skills in critical languages. The objectives for the Pilot are based on the aforementioned Feasibility Study and state that the NLSC should:

• Evaluate and validate interest within individual language-speaking communities

• Evaluate and validate interest within the organizations that might use this service

Create a credible organization that can execute this language service effectively

Achievement of the goals to complete the pilot depends on the approval of this submission. Congress has expressed directly to the Secretary of Defense its strong interest in seeing this effort moved as expeditiously as possible. The successful National Language Service Corps will not only address vital gaps in federal preparedness, but also serves to reinforce the importance of language skills in the American population and the U.S. education system. If this information collection is not approved, the progress of the NLSC Pilot will be severely delayed and many of those who have already expressed interest in this program will be lost. Per Congressional order in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, the NLSC Pilot is directed to start recruiting. Without the ability to collect information, there can be no recruiting of this initial cadre of language-skilled individuals. Therefore, the NLSC requests approval to collect information for the duration of the Pilot program.

This information can be disclosed to government agencies if the skills meet a requirement they have in support of national security objectives. The following codes and directives authorize the NLSC to maintain a system whereby a pool of members with specific language skills can be readily referenced: DoD Directive 5124.2, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; 50 U.S.C. 403-1b, War and National Defense; Public Law 109-364, Sec. 944, Administration of Pilot project on Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps; and Public Law 108-487, Sec. 613, Pilot Project on Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps; System of Records Notice, System ID: DHRA 07.

2. Use of Information

The NLSC Pilot requests approval to collect information to build a cadre of American citizens who can clearly speak English and specific languages of interest. Each data field in the forms described below will be used to collect contact information and background on what skills the individual has and finally, evidence to that skill. Preceding the collection of any information on potentially qualified members will be an extensive print media, advertising and online marketing campaign that will direct people interested in joining the NLSC to its website. Those unable to view the NLSC website can call, mail, fax, or e-mail inquiries and request an application. Although online applications are encouraged, all documents can be manually processed. It is critical for the Pilot program to actively recruit and utilize Charter Members in order to meet the NLSC objectives before the transition to a fully-functional organization beginning in 2010 and mitigating implementation risks in the fully-functional Federal organization. The Pilot will enroll and maintain at least 1,000 individuals who would like to volunteer their language expertise to meet the NLSC objectives. The reason for recruiting 1000 charter members is that this number would demonstrate sufficient interest among the general population to support a NLSC to justify recommending the establishment of a permanent organization. These individuals will be assigned to either the NLSC National Pool or the Dedicated Pool. Where the National Pool houses all Charter members, the Dedicated Pool will be a subset of individuals with skills that satisfy a specific requirement by an agency for a predetermined amount of time and on a reoccurring basis. In general, the National Pool will satisfy general surge requirements and the Dedicated Pool will satisfy specific requirements.

The documents associated with this information collection were created to comply with the requirements set by the aforementioned legislative history, including the President’s National Language Security Initiative and ultimately his Management Agenda. The NLSC will market to all US citizens who can read, listen, speak, and write in English and read, listen, and speak at least one other specified language, generally at or above skill level 3 as described by the proficiency guidelines of the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable (FILR). The DoD and State and the agencies of the Intelligence Community use these guidelines as the basis for language skill requirements determination, position descriptions, readiness indices, and language bonus pay systems. Therefore, the FILR proficiency guidelines represent a common metric used by U.S. Government agencies as a basis for policy, planning, and human capital decisions in operational, mission critical areas where language is required. A proficiency level is generally assigned to a person through an authorized language examination whereby examiners assign a level on a variety of performance criteria exemplified in the descriptive statements. For example, an individual is assigned level 3 if he or she is able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations in practical, social and professional topics. The purpose of this collection is to identify individuals with level 3 or higher language skills who potentially qualify for employment or service opportunities in the public sector during periods of national need or emergency. The Pilot program is evaluating the effectiveness of the self assessment process for identifying acceptable candidates and as a tool for accessing the large number of members expected in the fully operational program. The qualifications for NLSC membership are 1) US Citizenship; 2) 18 years of age; 3) satisfaction of selective service requirements; and 4) proficiency of 3/3/3 or better (on the ILR Proficiency Scale) in English and one of the NLSC Pilot languages (Chinese-Mandarin, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Vietnamese, Marshallese, and Thai). The Director of the NLSC retains the authority to waive the 3/3/3 requirement on a case-by-case basis in languages where insufficient recruiting pools exist to meet that requirement. The NLSC Pilot application ascertains answers to items 1-3 and collects information to allow NLSC staff to assess the potential for applicants to meet requirement number 4. Those applicants who indicate that their English and Foreign language skills are “very good”, and whose educational background supports this claim, will be selected for further processing with the remaining forms described below. Those who do not meet all of the qualifications specified above will be determined as “non-qualified.” For the Pilot, the NLSC estimates about 4,000 individuals will apply for Charter Membership annually. Although the NLSC contractual goal is to recruit 1,000 individuals, up to 1,500 may be needed to account for attrition.

Approximately 200 of the Charter Members will be selected for temporary Federal employment during the Pilot and will be hired against NLSC-specific position descriptions. Any Charter Member selected to participate in a Pilot program activation exercise will travel to the NLSC’s human resources processing facility to complete the Federal hiring process. The NLSC will develop and implement the Federal hiring process with the appropriate authority in the Pilot program. During the Pilot, Charter Members will be required to follow standard competitive service or excepted service hiring policies and practices; and they will be hired as Federal employees when participating in an activation exercise. Approximately 15 of the 200 federalized Charter Members will be asked to deploy in support of Activation Exercises geared towards NLSC process evaluation and requirements identification. All 200 will be formally certified in their language using established government-approved tests. These 200 will be formally certified to validate the language proficiency self-assessments against formal certification. All NLSC Pilot Charter Members complete the aforementioned self-assessments as part of the application process and, as such, will help validate them as a certification tool for eventual selection and assignment.

The DD Form 2932 TEST, National Language Service Corps Pilot Application, is the initial document used to collect information from the general public. The NLSC Pilot Application contains a brief set of screening questions. It asks for educational information as part of the language information required to assess the applicant’s potential to meet the language proficiency requirements of the NLSC. The educational information gives the NLSC an indication of where and how long the applicant spent learning their languages. This provides the NLSC with additional information to ascertain the applicant’s potential to meet NLSC language criteria. For example, applicants who rate themselves highly on their foreign language skills but show no evidence of extensive foreign language study may be required to provide additional evidence of their skills. The DD Form 2932 TEST NLSC Pilot Application is received by staff recruiters and upon receipt is checked for completeness. If the individual meets the minimum requirements, they will receive an invitation to complete the remaining language-related TEST documents. The remaining NLSC Pilot TEST documents specifically address language proficiency and the source of language skills by collecting additional and focused evidence. Individuals complete the application with basic information (age, citizenship, Foreign Language), and if they meet eligibility criteria, they will proceed to the supplemental documents. DD Form 2932 TEST also asks for Selective Service System registration as this is a requirement for Federal employment. When members of the NLSC are activated for service, they will become temporary Federal employees. Therefore, this information is required. For all burden estimations, the NLSC estimates 3,000 of the initial 4,000 applicants will also need to complete the supplemental documents, since language proficiency is not initially screened until all documentation is completed.

The supplemental documents assist in determining eligibility for membership in the NLSC Pilot. Applicants will be initially screened with the NLSC self assessments and may be designated Charter Members for the Pilot program based on their results. Those individuals cited to participate in an exercise will be formally certified using existing and approved DoD proficiency tests.  The NLSC will facilitate formal certification as part of the Federal hiring process. DD Form 2934 TEST, National Language Service Corps (NLSC) Global Language Self-Assessment, provides an overall assessment of the applicant’s foreign language ability. The DD Form 2933 TEST, National Language Service Corps (NLSC) Detailed Skills Self-Assessment, is a detailed description of the applicant’s skills with respect to specific foreign language tasks. The DD Form 2935 TEST, National Language Service Corps (NLSC) Language Data Sheet, provides background data on where the applicant learned the foreign language and whether the applicant has used the language professionally. These three supplemental documents are used in conjunction for the following purposes:

1. Certification of language skills for entry into the NLSC

2. Quality assurance of certification.

If all documentation is completed satisfactorily, meets the requirements, and is approved, the applicant is considered a Charter Member for the Pilot program.

The NLSC Pilot will evaluate the language qualifications (English and Foreign language) of applicants through a two-stage process. The first stage consists of the self-assessment instruments on DD Forms 2933 TEST and 2934 TEST. The self assessment approach has been scientifically validated as a screening procedure by the Center for Advanced Study of Language, and will be used to initially screen NLSC Pilot applicants for desired language skills. While the risk of individuals falsely evaluating their proficiency exists, research data indicates that the self assessments correlate with formal proficiency testing scores at 70% or better. The NLSC believes that this is sufficient to justify the use of the self-assessment instruments as an initial screening tool for NLSC membership. The second stage of language skill certification is formal proficiency testing. Two hundred of those applicants whose self-assessed language skills indicate a high likelihood of satisfactory scores in the formal testing phase will be asked to take formal language proficiency tests as part of the Federal hiring process and those scores will be determinative regarding membership. Additionally, the NLSC will perform concurrent validity studies on the self-assessments with respect to the formal proficiency scores of members to assess the utility and desirability of continuing the use of the self-assessments as a screening tool. Finally, the NLSC in its Pilot phase may admit members to the National Pool without formal testing; however, all members admitted to the Dedicated Pool will be formally tested. Although the initial screening is enough for general NLSC Pilot Charter Membership, formal testing will be coordinated by the NLSC as an integral part of the hiring process for temporary Federal employment. In the operational NLSC (expected to begin in 2010), all members will be formally tested, and the self assessment used as a screening tool only.

The information collected in the application and the supplemental documents is used solely by the NLSC.

3. Improved Information Technology

The NLSC website URL, www.NLSCorps.org, was selected by the Director of the National Security Education Program for the Pilot to stay consistent with the branding of the organization. For the full-up organization, the website and its URL will evolve in accordance with overarching policy.

Individuals enrolling in the NLSC Pilot volunteer their services freely and can disenroll at any time.  There is no binding document committing them to the Pilot, however, a hardcopy signature is required to validate the data submitted.  For the Pilot, when a valid application with a handwritten signature is received, a control number and password will be assigned to each individual applying.  These applicants will use the assigned numbers and passwords to complete and validate their documentation online; however, not before government certification and accreditation of the NLSC hardware and software. The NLSC staff will use these control numbers to track online data entry by the applicant.  All control numbers will be tracked manually.  Upon initial login, applicants are prompted to modify their password, including parameters. When the NLSC servers are certified and accredited for data collection, maintenance, and access, all data entry will be accomplished online.  The NLSC Pilot will always require a hardcopy signed application.

All NLSC Pilot forms are available to all users via the NLSC website. Additionally, all NLSC Pilot forms are available to the public on the DoD Electronic Forms Website in fillable Adobe PDF files. DD Form 2934 TEST, National Language Service Corps Pilot Global Language Self-Assessment, DD Form 2933 TEST, National Language Service Corps Pilot Detailed Skills Self-Assessment, and DD Form 2935 TEST, National Language Service Corps Pilot Language Data Sheet will be available to the public via the website, www.NLSCorps.org, as downloadable, fillable PDF after entering the control number and password. All documents can be mailed or faxed as hardcopies. Finally, the NLSC website offers the user the ability to submit the same information collected in the DD Forms (2932 TEST through 2935 TEST) online. The online forms will be as follows:

1. NLSC online application

2. NLSC online self-assessments and Language Data Sheet

Full implementation of electronic authentication (eAuthentication) and online systems will be implemented upon governmental certification and accreditation for the NLSC Pilot. Specifically, the NLSC estimates 90% of all applicants will initially complete the hardcopy application and finish the remaining forms via the online wizard. Thereafter, applicants will be granted access to the online variants of the DD Forms 2933, 2934, and 2935. At that point, the forms can be printed with the completed data filled-in or submitted electronically for review by the NLSC staff with access to the appropriate database. For signatures, all applicants to the Pilot Program are required to mail a signed, hardcopy of their application to the NLSC.  Only a portion of the Charter Members will be considered for temporary Federal employment and those hired as such will follow approved e-signature practices as required by the Defense Human Resources Activity or other Federal hiring authority.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

The NLSC Pilot is a new program and no other government agency is responsible for collecting this information.

The NLSC is unique in its charter to provide surge capacity for a wide range of languages across the entire Federal government.

5. Methods Used to Minimize Burden on Small Entities

The NLSC collects information from individuals only and does not place burden on Small Entities.

6. Consequences of Not Collecting the Information

Without the ability to collect information on new Charter Members, the NLSC Pilot cannot test the processes and procedures associated with the development of a national registry of individuals with certified language expertise. As such, the DoD cannot administer the NLSC Pilot without the ability to recruit and access its initial Charter Members. Therefore, the DoD will not in compliance with the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (P.L. 109-364, Sec. 944) and will not be until such authority is granted.

7. Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances. This collection will be conducted in a manner consistent with guidelines contained in 5 CFR 1320.5(d) (2).

8. Agency 60-Day Federal Register Notice and Consultations Outside the Agency

An agency 60-Day Federal Notice was published September 15, 2008 (73 FR 53211) as required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d). No public comments were received in response to the notice.

This information collection implements the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (P.L. 109-364, Sec 944).  The statute addresses vital gaps in Federal preparedness and reinforces the importance of language skills in the American population and the U.S. education system. No other Federal agency addresses the capabilities for quickly meeting short-, mid-, and long-term requirements through the identification and warehousing of expertise and skills in current and potential critical languages. The NLSC Pilot will remain within the DoD until external partnerships are established. Individuals outside the NLSC have contributed their theories and direction for the new program. They are listed below:

NAME	COMPANY	PHONE
Mary A. Augsburger	USAF/A1XC	(703) 604-8154
Hakeem A. Basheerud-Deen	OPM	(202) 606-1434
Gregory Duffy	USAF/A1DLL	(703) 697-0896
Christina Vay	OPM	(202) 606-1143
Chris Honeycutt	USAF/REPI	(703) 588-6068
Ava Marlow-Hage	JS/J1	(703) 697-3898
Rose Jourdan	USAF/A1DO	(703) 697-9012
Kevin Rafferty	USMC/DTAS	(703) 784-9049
Raoul Vicencio	JS/J1	(703) 697-5504
Alonzie Scott	USN/OPNAVN11	(703) 695-2881
Charles Borchini	USA/95th CAB	(407) 552-7375

8. Payments to Respondents

There are no payments to respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality

This information collection does not ask the respondent to submit proprietary, trade secret, or confidential information to the NLSC.

With regards to disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a (b) of the Privacy Act (Attachment 20), personal records or information may specifically be disclosed outside the DoD as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a (b) (3). Access to personal information is restricted to NLSC personnel who require the records in the performance of their official duties. Access to personal information is further restricted by the use of passwords that are changed periodically. Physical entry is restricted by the use of locks, guards, and administrative procedures. A System of Records Notice (SORN) has been published: ID: DHRA 07.

The aforementioned forms will be the primary means of data collection. Pending government certification and accreditation of the online system hardware and software, all forms must be mailed; however, after certification and accreditation, 90% of all interactions will be via e-mail and online entry. If at any point, the NLSC staff needs an explanation on data already entered on the DD Forms, a phone call will be used to facilitate clarification.

11. Personal Identifying Information, Sensitive Questions, and Protection of the Information

The NLSC Pilot application will not require an applicant to provide a SSN or gender. No questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes or religious beliefs will be asked.

12. Estimates of Annual Response Burden and Labor Cost for Hour Burden to the Respondent for Collection of Information.

The response burden is estimated with the assumption that 4,000 individuals will initially apply for Charter Membership by completing the DD Form 2932 TEST either through the online application or mailing it in. Of those initial applicants, the NLSC estimates 3,000 will satisfy basic requirements and be invited to complete and submit the remaining NLSC documents (DD 2933 TEST, DD 2934 TEST, DD 2935 TEST) either by completing them online or submitting them via mail. Of the 3,000 that complete the second submission of documents, the NLSC estimates 1,000 to 1,500 will meet the requirements and be selected for the NLSC Pilot Charter Membership. There is no further burden on those not selected for the Pilot. The NLSC estimates at least 1,000 Charter Members will be required to satisfactorily evaluate organizational processes and procedures. To account for attrition throughout the Pilot, the NLSC estimates up to 1,500 members may be required to maintain 1,000. Finally, of the 1,000 Charter Members, approximately 200 will be temporary Federal employees. These 200 will be used for exercises and validation of specific tasks for the Pilot.

1. Response Burden

The response burden is calculated for DD Forms 2932 TEST and 2935 TEST. No response burden is calculated for DD Forms 2933 TEST and 2934 TEST as they are exempt under 5 CFR Part 1320.3(h)(7).

(1) DD Form 2932 TEST

Total annual respondents:      4,000

Frequency of response:                  1

Total annual responses:          4,000

Burden per response 18 minutes

Total burden hours:              72,000 mins/60 = 1,200 hours

(2) DD Form 2935 TEST

Total annual respondents:      3,000

Frequency of response:                  1

Total annual responses:          3,000

Burden per response 20 mins

Total burden hours:              60,000 mins/60 = 1,000 hours

(3) Total Average Response Burden for two submissions

Total annual respondents:      4,000

Frequency of response:          1.75/respondent

Total annual responses:          7,000

Burden per response 18.86 minutes

Total burden hours:    132,000 mins/60 = 2,200 hours

2. The estimate for the burden per response was determined by averaging the time it took six people to complete DD Forms 2932 TEST and 2935 TEST.

3. Labor Cost to the Respondents

Federal scale NSPS Payband YA-02 minimum wage is $12.50/hr and non-Federal employees’ minimum wage is $6.55/hr. For estimation purposes, 50% of the applicants are assumed to have earnings equivalent to Federal employees in the YA-02 Payband and the other 50% are assumed to have earnings equivalent to the US minimum wage.

         

(1) DD Form 2932 TEST

$12.50/60 mins = $.208 a min x 18 mins + $3.75 x 2,000 = $7,500.00

$6.55/60 mins = $.109 a min x 18 mins + $1.96 x 2,000 = $3,930.00

(2) DD Form 2935 TEST

$12.50/60 mins = $.208 a min x 20 mins + $4.17 x 1,500 = $6,250.00

$6.55/60 mins = $.109 a min x 20 mins + $2.18 x 1,500 = $3,275.00

Total Labor Cost: $20,955.00

13. Estimates of Other Cost Burden for the Respondent for Collection of Information.

1. Total Capital and Start-up Cost. There is no capital or start-up cost to the respondent.

2. Operational and Maintenance Cost. There is no operational and maintenance cost to the respondent. A Bulk Mailing Permit will be used for materials that are sent to the respondent and material that will be returned by the respondent.

14. Estimates of Cost to the Federal Government:

Federal scale Payband YA-02 minimum wage $12.50/hr

(1) DD Form 2932 TEST (90% are expected to be completed online)

Manual processing:

$12.50/60 mins = $.205 a min x 5 mins + $1.03 x 400 = $412.00

Online process of forms:

$12.50/60 mins = $.205 a min x 3 mins + $0.61 x 3,700 = $2,257.00

(2) DD Form 2935 TEST (90% are expected to be completed online)

Manual processing:

$12.50/60 mins = $.205 a min x 10 mins + $2.05 x 300 = $615.00

Online process of forms:

$12.50/60 mins = $.205 a min x 5 mins + $1.03 x 2,700 = $2.781.00

Annualized Contractual, Equipment, and Printing costs:

Estimates are based on 4,000 total annual respondents. Four thousand will initially complete the DD Form 2932 TEST or its online parallel. Ninety percent are assumed to be completed online, so Mailing 1 represents 10% of the total estimated, which is 400. All applicants (3,000 estimated) will always receive Mailing 2 for issuance of the control number, password, and the second phase of the application. Given the initial 400 mailings and 3,000 to follow-up, the NLSC expects a total of 3,400 mailings. Each mailing will have a postage-paid and self-addressed envelope. Therefore, the NLSC estimates there will be a total of 6,800 postage-paid envelopes.

Mailing 1: Cover Letter, DD Form 2932 TEST

Mailing 2: Cover Letter, DD Forms 2933 TEST, 2934 TEST, and 2935 TEST

Stationery Contract: $5,600.00

Post Office Mailbox Contract: $135.00

Metered Mailing Equipment Rental: $250.00

Metered Mailing Postage: $6,600.00

Mailing 1: .75*800 (400 Responses plus 400 return envelopes) = $600.00

Mailing 2: 1.00*6000 (3000 Responses plus 3000 return envelopes) = $6,000.00

Print (Four Documents and two Cover Letters): $5,500.00

Total annualized costs:   5,600+135+250+6,600+5,500 = $18,085.00

15. Changes in Burden

Previous labor cost estimates were based on NSPS Payband YA-01. Applicants in the aforementioned estimations are assumed to have earnings equivalent to Federal employees in the YA-02 Payband. The higher Payband accounts for increased labor cost, but the estimations are now more compatible with current comparable federally employed language specialist.

There is no increase in response burden.

16. Publication Plans/Time Schedule.

Date	Action
4/19/07	GDIT Awarded Contract for NLSC
5/07-2/08	Phase 1: Develop an operational plan to establish NLSC.
5/07-2/08	Task 1: Defining the Organizational Approach. Determine the appropriate organization structures required for administering the Pilot.
	6/01/07: Plan Proof of Principle Plan / CONOPS
	8/16/07: Results of Proof of Principle
	12/14/07: NLSC CONOPS Final Plan
5/07-12/07	Task 2: Develop National Marketing and Recruitment Plan. Develop a comprehensive plan for marketing and successfully identifying and recruiting members.
	11/14/07: Final Marketing and Recruiting Plan
5/07-1/08	Task 3. Develop Language Proficiency Certification Process. Develop a comprehensive and multi-stage plan for certifying the language proficiency of applicants.
	12/14/07: Final Language Proficiency Certification
	10/15/08: Report on Language Proficiency Certification Process -- Results and Recommendations
1/08-5/10	Phase 2: Establish a functioning NLSC Pilot
5/07-5/09	Task 4. Develop NLSC Compensation Plan. Working in close coordination with recognized experts in human resource planning and Federal benefits and compensation programs, develop a compensation plan for NLSC Members.
	1/11/08: Preliminary Compensation Plan
	4/21/09: Compensation Plans Final
10/07-5/09	Task 5. Develop NLSC Contract Documents.
	2/12/08: Preliminary NLSC Contract for members
	Task 6. Develop 24/7 Language and Communications Support Center. Develop and implement a plan for a cost-effective web-based approach to providing support to Members that provides opportunities for language skill maintenance and enhancement, as well as approaches to communicate with other Members.
	6/17/08: Plan for 24/7 Language and Communications Support Draft
	10/15/08: Final Plan for 24/7 Language and Communication Support
1/08-5/10	Task 7. Design, develop, and implement plans to recruit NLSC Members. Implement the plans developed in Tasks 1-4 and initiate a national recruitment effort to identify NLSC Pilot Members.
	6/17/08: Report for Recruitment Efforts. Monthly Status Reports Required
	10/08: The following documents must be ready to mail to potential applicants to the NLSC: DD 2932 TEST National Language Service Corps Pilot Application DD 2934 TEST National Language Service Corps Pilot Global Language Self-Assessment DD 2933 TEST National Language Service Corps Pilot Detail Skill Self –Assessment DD 2935 TEST National Language Service Corps Pilot Language Data Sheet
5/08-10/09	Task 8. Pilot Activation Plans. Develop a series of plans for no fewer than 3 activations of NLSC Pilot Members.
	9/15/08: Preliminary Plans for Activation Exercises
	2/12/09: Final Plans for Activation Exercises
2/09-2/10	Task 9. Activation Exercises. These 3 activation exercises must mirror all aspects of a fully functioning NLSC.
	5/18/09: Report on Activation Exercises
8/07-11/09	Task 10. Legislative Requirements for Permanent NLSC. Develop the requirements for legislation that will establish a permanent Language Corps.
	4/11/08: Preliminary Report of Legislative Requirements for Permanent NLSC
	11/14/08: Legislative Requirements for Permanent Corps Draft
	2/12/09: Legislative Requirements for Permanent Corps Final
2/08-5/10	Task 11. Plan for Fully Operational NLSC. Provide a comprehensive plan for a fully implemented NLSC based on all lessons learned from the effort.
	2/12/10: Preliminary Report on Fully Operational Corps
	3/14/10: Final Report on Fully Operational Corps

17. Approval Not to Display Expiration Date.

The approval not to display expiration date is not being requested.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement.

There are no exceptions to the Certification Statement.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Statistical methods are not employed for collection of this information.

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