SSA Final 9.7.10

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

The statutory purposes of the Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation) are to expand and strengthen service-learning programs through year-round opportunities, including opportunities during the summer months, to improve the education of children and youth and to maximize the benefits of national and community service, in order to renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community for children and youth throughout the United States (See Section 2(b) (42 U.S.C. 12501(b)).

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll focuses on identifying and rewarding exemplary higher education community service programs and practices. This program helps fulfill the Corporation’s strategic goals of engaging Americans, particularly millions of college students, in service, and ensuring that all higher education institutions provide or stimulate the creation of resources to coordinate service, service-learning, and community partnerships.

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

The applicant is required to complete a short essay on the level of institutional commitment. Each application must describe 3 projects in the “Exemplary Project Descriptions – General” section; and/or 3 projects in the “Exemplary Projects Descriptions – Special Focus Area” section. The instrument also collects data on the scope and impacts of the described service projects, estimates of the number of enrolled students participating in community service activities, and information on institutional supports for service such as academic service-learning opportunities and community service coordination offices.

As with last year’s program, the data collection will be implemented by means of an online application system. College staff will assemble the needed information and input the requested data into the web-based application.

Data are reviewed by a panel of staff from the Corporation to determine which institutions are included on the Honor Roll, which are maintained on the Corporation’s website. The application data may also be evaluated by a Presidential Awards review panel, composed of Corporation officials and staff, Department of Education officials and staff, and, potentially, higher education community representatives.

 

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

The Corporation is using an online Honor Roll application system. This web-based system allows an applicant institution to create and review an application before submitting it electronically to the Corporation. Using this approach, the Corporation expects 100 percent of the Honor Roll applications to be submitted electronically.

A4.  Non-Duplication

There are no other sources of information by which the Corporation can meet the purposes described in A2 (above).

 

A5.  Minimizing for economic burden for small businesses or other small entities

This collection of information impacts only those small businesses which are degree-granting colleges. There is no economic burden to such colleges or to any other small entities beyond the cost of staff time to complete the application. This is minimized as much as possible by only requesting the most directly relevant information for making Honor Roll membership and Award determinations.

A6.  Consideration of Collection

 If this information were not collected, the Corporation would be unable to highlight the contributions that higher education institutions and college students make helping communities solve pressing social problems.

The Honor Roll program is expected to stimulate both colleges and students toward significantly expanded participation in the national service programs managed by the Corporation, particularly Learn and Serve America, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*State and National. Since its first year, 2006, the number of higher education institutions that have applied for recognition on the Honor Roll has increased by over 60%. The Corporation expects that the higher education community’s demand for this program will continue to grow significantly.

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

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in any other ways specified.

A8.  Provide copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency’s notice

The 60 day Notice soliciting comments was published on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, on page 15691.

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents.

  

A10.  Confidentiality

Information provided by this collection will be held solely by CNCS staff. The application includes an assurance that information provided by applicants will not be publicly disclosed in institutionally identifiable terms except in the case of information taken from “exemplary project” descriptions which may be posted on the Honor Roll website and in other Honor Roll publicity.

A11.  Sensitive Questions

 The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

4,500 estimated respondents (of a total of approximately 4,500 eligible colleges and universities); response frequency: 1 time per year; average response time per response: 1 hour; total estimated burden time: 4,500 hours for this year. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practice. We have increased the hour burden to more accurately reflect the high numbers of applications that we have received.

 

A13. Cost burden to the respondent

There is no annual cost burden to respondents resulting from the collection of this information other than employee salary costs for the time required to complete the application.

 

A14. Cost to Government

A total annual cost of $250,000 is estimated. This includes salary and expense costs related to the maintenance of the online application form and an electronic database, review (including any staff from the Department of Education and Department of Housing and Urban Development), and overall administration of the Honor Roll program.

A15. Reasons for program changes

The application for the 2010 Honor Roll includes a redirected focus on institutional culture and the impacts of service. Rather than relying on individual project descriptions, the 2010 Honor Roll places emphasis on institutional and long-term support of community service. Applicants are asked to demonstrate the connection of their service projects to their larger institutional commitment to service, and the impact of this service in the targeted community

In addition to emphasizing the institutional culture of service, the number of project descriptions required of applicants will be reduced from five to three in 2010. The goal of this change is to encourage the “Institutional Commitment to Service” statement to provide a framework for the institution’s engagement, and from which these individual service projects or programs would emerge.

These changes also bring the program into alignment with the current Administration’s goals for service, including an emphasis on measuring the impact of service in communities, strengthening civic infrastructures and building the capacities of nonprofits.

 A16.  Publication of results

Not applicable because the responses to this information collection will not be published. 

 

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 the submitted ROCIS form.

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