VISTA - OMB Supporting Statement 3-13-09

Corporation for National and Community Service

AmeriCorps VISTA

VISTA Recovery Act Progress Report Supplement

Office of Management and Budget

Clearance Package Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

Part A

Justification

March 13, 2009

A1. Need for Information Collection

AmeriCorps VISTA provides individuals (members) to local non-profit organizations and government agencies (sponsors) for the purpose of building capacity of those organizations to operate sustainable anti-poverty programs. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), signed by the President on February 17, 2009 provided AmeriCorps VISTA with a one-time infusion of $65M to support economic recovery activities to be carried about by an additional 3,000 VISTA members. Under the Recovery Act, VISTA sponsors will be required to report quarterly on performance measures specific to activities of these Recovery Act funded VISTA members. VISTA has designated the new collection the VISTA Recovery Progress Report Supplement (VRPRS)

The VISTA Recovery Progress Report Supplement, referred to as the VRPRS, is a new supplement to the progress report and meets the performance reporting requirements of OMB circulars A-102 and A-110. Per OMB circular A-102, “Federal agencies shall reconcile continuing awards at least annually and evaluate program performance and financial reports.

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

The VRPRS is designed to meet agency and Recovery Act reporting requirements and to ensure that projects address and fulfill program purposes as set forth in the Recovery Act and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act (DVSA) as amended. The new VRPRS will be used by AmeriCorps VISTA sponsors and grantees to gather data regarding outputs and outcomes achieved through the work of the Recovery Act VISTAs and to report on those outcomes and outputs to OMB and the public.

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

The Corporation will use existing data collection tools in its online system, eGrants, to comply with the requirements of Public Law 106-107. Sponsors will use eGrants to submit VRPRS data online to the Corporation.

A4 Non-Duplication

The VRPRS requests only the minimum information required by the Recovery Act for and does not duplicate information requested in other reports or available from other sources.

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. AmeriCorps VISTA is cognizant of the burdens imposed on sponsor organizations. We have made every reasonable effort to minimize burden imposed by data collection and to invite suggestions and comments from the broadest possible cross-section of sponsor organizations in its information management processes.

A6 Consideration of Collection

Quarterly collection is necessary to meet Recovery Act reporting requirements.

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

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in any ways than otherwise 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 is expected to be published in the Federal Register on March 17, 2009. The publication date will be entered in ROCIS.

A9 Payment to respondents

There is no payment or gift to respondents.

A10 Confidentiality

The Corporation and/or AmeriCorps VISTA does not include a specific assurance of confidentiality; however, information provided by respondents is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

A11 Sensitive Questions

The information collected does not contain questions of a sensitive nature.

A12 Hour burden of the collection

AmeriCorps VISTA estimates that up to 950 sponsors will be required to submit data via the VRPRS. Each such sponsor will require one hour to complete each quarterly report. This results in a total annual burden of 3,800 hours.

A13 Cost burden to the respondent

There is no cost burden to the respondent as a result of this information collection.

A14 Cost to Government

There is not cost burden to the Federal Government as a result of this information collection.

A15 Reason for Program Changes

Program changes are in response to new reporting requirements under the Recovery Act.

A16 Publication of Results

Data and reports are used both internally and externally. The VRPRS will be the primary vehicle to update and inform the Corporation about each Recovery Act sponsor’s progress.

Externally, data gathered through the VRPRS will be reported to OMB and made public through the Recovery.gov website.

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 OMB Form 83-1.