SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
SCHOLARHSIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM INTERNET WEBSITE
Justification:
Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Include identification of any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
The Scholarship For Service (SFS) Program was established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in accordance with the Federal Cyber Service Training and Education Initiative as described in the President’s National Plan for Information Systems Protection. This program seeks to increase the number of qualified students entering the fields of information assurance in an effort to respond to the Federal Government’s threat to its information technology infrastructure. The program provides capacity building grants to selected 4-year colleges and universities to develop or improve their capacity to train information assurance professionals. It also provides selected 4-year colleges and universities scholarship grants to attract students to the information assurance field. The Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) overseas the SFS Program. The ICC is composed of representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Treasury, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). NSF administers the issuance of grants process and the capacity building component. The scholarship component (including the placement and tracking of participants) of the SFS Program is administered by OPM.
Operationally, this is an interagency program administered by NSF in collaboration with OPM who share primary responsibility for managing the program. The NSF is responsible for reviewing and processing the proposals and OPM is responsible for providing appropriate program related procedures for the screening, placement, and continuing career development of the scholarship recipients. The collection of information is necessary to allow for OPM to fully perform its responsibilities under this program.
Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.
The information collection is used by OPM’s Human Resources Solutions Division to register scholarship recipient’s education and experience background and to provide this information to potential Federal employers. Students are selected by participating universities/colleges to receive the scholarship. Once selected and approved, the student is provided instructions on how to register their resume on-line. Federal agencies are then able to retrieve resumes of the scholarship recipients through a password protected website.
Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection.
The website makes the entire SFS registration and placement process fully automated. The information this website captures includes: name, mailing address, Social Security Number, education information, experience, veterans’ preference, and subject-matter study areas related to information assurance.
Describe efforts to identify duplication.
The SFS registration is filed individually. Duplication is minimized.
If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize the burden.
Not applicable.
Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection were conducted less frequently.
In return for the scholarship, selected students must work for a Federal agency for 1 to 2 years depending on the length of their scholarship. The collection of this information is essential to facilitate the placement of student participants in the SFS Program. Less frequent collection of the information could decrease the success of the program and make it much more difficult to place students successfully.
Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.
Not applicable.
If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to OMB.
A 60-day notice of the proposed information collection was published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 74, Page 20400) as required by 5 CFR 1320 giving persons outside the agency an opportunity to comment on the form. One comment was received
Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents other than reenumeration of contractors or grantees.
Not applicable.
Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
An annual review of the IT system or electronic information collection is conducted as required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Security controls are annually tested as required by FISMA. Personnel using the system have been trained and made aware of their responsibilities for protecting the PII being collected and maintained. Respondents are notified that the information collected may be furnished to Federal agencies and other entities in order to facilitate their employment. Information collected is password protected. Links to the Privacy Act Statements are provided on the website.
Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
This information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.
We estimate the collection of information for registering and creating an online resume to be 45 minutes to 1-hour in length of time to answer questions. We estimate the number of applications over the next 3 years to be 630. We estimate the total number of hours to be 630 (630 applicants multiplied by 1-hour).
Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information.
There is no cost to the applicant.
Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal Government. Also provide a description of the method used to estimate cost which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff) and any other expenses that would not have been incurred without the paperwork burden.
The annualized total cost to the Federal government is approximately $100,000. This cost was determined by employee salary hours devoted to the program, cost of enhancements, maintenance, and technical support of the website, and overhead.
Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.
Each year NSF awards grants to additional universities to use for scholarships under the SFS program which increases the number of students that receive scholarships. Each student awarded a scholarship must register their resume with the SFS website for the successful facilitation of there placement with a Federal agency.
For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.
Not applicable. The results of this information collection are not published.
If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
Not applicable.
Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19, “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,” of OMB Form 83-I.
No exceptions.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR EXTENSION OF OPM FORM 1203 |
| Author | Preferred Customer |
| Last Modified By | Kathy Roberson |
| File Modified | 2010-09-28 |
| File Created | 2010-09-24 |