PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION
American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA)
Application for Assistance
OMB Control Number 0412-0011
Section A. Justification.
1). This information is required to select recipients for grant funding under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program. The ASHA program was initiated under Section 214 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
Since its inception, the ASHA program has provided grants to competitively selected private, non-profit universities and secondary schools, libraries and medical centers abroad that serve as centers for ideas and practices of the United States. ASHA grants are awarded to assist in capital improvements such as buildings or renovation of facilities and procurement of scientific, medical and educational equipment. ASHA has assisted over 200 institutions in more than 60 countries.
The information required for the selection of ASHA grant recipients is now collected with the OMB approved form AID 1010-2, OMB Control Number 0412-0011. The information collection approval now requested is a simplification of the current ASHA application form. These clarifications were made to simplify the completion of the existing application form and to reduce the administrative burden on those entities applying for ASHA funding.
2). This information will be used by USAID officers to evaluate and competitively select private, non-profit universities and secondary schools, libraries and medical centers abroad for the receipt of grant funds under the ASHA program. The current collection of this information under the OMB approved form AID 1010-2; OMB Control Number 0412-0011 is now used for these same purposes.
3). The collection of information does not currently involve the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of information technology.
4). The collection of information is used only for the selection of recipients under the ASHA program. There is no other source of information that can be used to evaluate adequately prospective grant recipients.
5). The collection of information will not have a significant impact on small entities.
6). If the collection is not conducted or conducted on less than an annual basis, the recipients of ASHA grants can not be competitively selected. The ASHA program is funded annually and is Congressionally legislated. Attempts have been made to reduce burden by redesigning the collection instrument and revising individual items within the collection instrument.
7). There are no special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the OMB guidelines.
8). Notification concerning the Renewal of Information Collection was published in the Federal Register February 2, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 20, Page 5812).
Consultation regarding this collection instrument has been made with a wide sampling of current recipients of ASHA grants regarding the availability of data, the frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions, the amount of burden to be imposed and ways to minimize this burden. The initial consultation of grant recipients took place in May 2005 with resulting comments and suggestions incorporated. The collection instrument was also distributed to a panel of outside consultants charged with reviewing and evaluating proposals for ASHA funds. Further refinements were made to the collection instrument as a result feedback obtained in subsequent years.
9). No payments or gifts were provided to any contractors or grantees.
10). The cover letter to the collection instrument states, among other things,
“The public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 12 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. USAID may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. All financial data submitted will not be released without prior consent from applicant. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to ASHA.”
11). The collection instrument has no questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, or other matters that are commonly considered private.
12). Number of respondents expected annually: 85. Frequency of their response: annually. Total number of responses expected: 85. The average response time per respondent: 12 hours. The total annual response time (in hours) for the collection: 1,020. The number of respondents is based on past submissions. The frequency of their response is based on the established selection and funding cycle of the ASHA program. The average response time is based on consultation with a sample of current ASHA grant fund recipients. Estimated annualized cost for the collection per respondent: $240 which equals $20,400 for the collection ($240 x 85 responses = $20,400).
13). Any additional costs involved with the collection would be considered as part of customary and usual business of private practice.
14). The information obtained through this collection is required to award grants under the AHSA program. The collection instruments are filed and reviewed for this purpose. The estimated annualized cost to the Federal government of this review process is approximately $200,000.
15). No changes or adjustments are required.
16). The results of the collection will not be published.
17). The expiration date for OMB approval will be displayed.
18). There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | USAID |
| Last Modified By | USAID |
| File Modified | 2009-05-29 |
| File Created | 2009-05-01 |