Overseas Employment Application-Supporting Statement

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION

U.S. Department of State Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member
OMB Number 1405-XXXX
DS-0174

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Candidates for employment at U.S. Missions (e.g., embassies, consulates) worldwide are currently required to use the Optional Application for Federal Employment, OF-612. However, the OF-612 does not request all the information Mission HR requires for Mission-recruited positions. The U.S. Department of State Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member, DS-0174, is needed to meet the unique requirements of worldwide Mission recruitment. It solicits all the information Mission management needs to assess eligibility, qualifications, and selection. Authority for OPM to collect this information is under Sections 103,105, 206, 301(c), 303, 311(b), 408, and 501 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (as amended) and under 22 U.S.C. Section 2669(c).

2. The Human Resources Offices at approximately 170 U.S. Missions worldwide collect this information and use it to determine eligibility and qualifications of candidates under merit principles for Mission-advertised positions. The Office of Overseas Employment (HR/OE) will use this form to help Mission HR determine eligibility for employment in country, eligibility for preference in hiring as either a U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Member or a U.S. Veteran, and to clarify interpretation of candidates’ responses. For the candidate selected, Mission HR uses the information on the form to establish basic personnel records.

3. Some U.S. Missions have software allowing the electronic submission of responses through an online application. (HR/OE currently has no statistics regarding the number of Missions that offer this service.) The majority of U.S. Missions still receive responses through postal service, E-mail attachments of the application form completed online, and other methods of delivery (e.g., FAX, in-person delivery). We estimate that 30,000 of the 40,000 candidates access and complete their applications online and then print and submit them through post service delivery, FAX, E-mail attachment, or in-person delivery. HR/OE is investigating ways to improve the percentage of electronic submissions to meet e-Gov mandates.

Approximately 20,000 of the 40,000 candidates currently use the paper Optional Application for Employment (OF-612) annually and approximately 20,000 of the 40,000 candidates will also use the paper DS-0174. This is because many Missions are located in developing countries where the candidate pool does not have access, or can not afford access, to the Internet. Both electronic and paper versions are necessary to allow open and equitable employment opportunities for Mission-advertised positions.

4. The paper version U.S. Department of State Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-0174) serves as a way to allow all candidates interested in Mission employment the opportunity to apply and provide some of the unique information required for Mission-advertised positions. No other method of information gathering would provide these unique responses.

5. This collection of information does not involve small business or other small entities.

6. U.S. Missions abroad can not collect this information less frequently because Mission HR uses it to determine the eligibility and qualifications of candidates for employment. Candidates interested in Mission employment submit this information voluntarily. Without collecting this information, it is not possible for U.S. Missions to administer an open and competitive recruitment under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (as amended) and 22 U.S.C. Section 2669(c).

7. Not applicable. No special circumstances exist.

8. A 60-day notice soliciting public comments was published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2009. No public comments were received.

9. Not applicable. Gifts or payments are not provided to respondents.

10. Mission HR keeps all applications submitted in confidential files, subject to review only by Mission HR and managers considering the candidates for employment. If the candidates’ files become inactive, each Mission decides how long to keep the forms according to local labor law and Mission-approved records disposition schedules. If the Mission hires the candidate, the U.S. Department of State Application for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member becomes part of the Official Personnel File (OPF). The form contains Privacy Act statements that comply with and contain information required by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (as amended) and 22 U.S.C. 2669 (c).

11. Not applicable. This form does not request information of a sensitive nature.

12. Approximately 40,000 candidates for U.S. Mission employment worldwide complete one application per year. We estimate that 30,000 of the 40,000 candidates use a Mission-specific online application option, or complete the form online and then submit it by E-mail attachment, postal carrier, or other delivery method. The DS-0174 has an estimated burden of 1 hour per application. HR/OE obtained burden estimates by comparing similar OMB-approved forms. The estimated total annual hour burden is 40,000 hours.

13. There is no cost burden to respondents.

14. The cost of this collection of information to the Federal Government is approximately $889,600 per year. Mission HR staff processing employment applications averages a grade level of GS-9, Step 5 (converting the average Foreign Service National grade to the GS equivalency).

15. The burden information change indicated on the 83i is a result of this new collection submission.

16. The information collected will not be used for public reports or publication.

17. The OMB expiration date will be displayed.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.