Site Visit Data Collection Request for ARRA-funded Grants; Job Training Evaluations

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Green jobs - emergency justification note to reviewer - 12-27 - 2011.doc Supplementary Document	2011-12-28
Green Jobs Site Visits Emergency Supporting Statement - Part A - 12 27 2011.doc Supporting Statement A	2011-12-27
Green Jobs Site Visits Emergency Supporting Statement - Part B - 12 27 2011.doc Supporting Statement B	2011-12-27

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
200749	Impact Study Site Visits Other-impact study site visit interview guide	New
200618	In-Depth Interviews Other-Site Visit Materials	New
200616	Focus Groups Other-focus group interview guide	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1205-0486	ICR Reference No: 201112-1205-005
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOL/ETA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Site Visit Data Collection Request for ARRA-funded Grants; Job Training Evaluations
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 01/12/2012
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 01/19/2012
	Date Received in OIRA: 01/11/2012
Terms of Clearance: This emergency collection is approved as submitted. OMB notes that this collection is is comprised of small components of two larger studies. This approval is limited to the site visits discussed here. DOL will, if approval will be needed for more than 6 months, begin the process of obtaining PRA approval under normal processing.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	07/31/2012	6 Months From Approved
Responses	756	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	1,046	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is seeking approval to collect site visit data from organizations that received grants under four Solicitations for Grant Applications (SGAs) that were issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA): Pathways Out of Poverty (POP), Energy Training Partnership (ETP), State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP), and Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries Training grant initiative. POP, ETP and SESP are all Green Jobs training programs.

Emergency Justfication: Emergency clearance is necessary for several reasons. The POP and ETP grants expire at the end of January 2012; consequently data from the POP and ETP grant sites included in two evaluations of these grants' performance must be collected while they are still in operation. Losing this opportunity to visit the POP and ETP grants would mean the studies would lose its ability to look at green jobs. The POP grants are the only green jobs training grants available for the impact evaluation and there is only one site from the POP grants that met the selection criteria for the impact study. There is keen interest in learning more about the POP grants in general of which site visits to eleven are included in the implementation study. Failure to collect site visit data will affect rigorous evaluations of these grants. For example, site visits are the only way the research team can observe the training programs in operation and collect real time data that amplifies the findings through other documentation. Lack of a rigorous evaluation process will mean that no information will be available on the potential of training for green jobs as a strategy for reducing poverty or increasing employment. Finally, approximately 9 million dollars of ARRA funds are dedicated to evaluating these grants. Failure to conduct a rigorous evaluation through site visits will make these evaluations less usable in terms of guiding future policy initiatives. Conducting these evaluations without appropriate operational data collection would be a waste of the taxpayer stimulus dollars that are currently dedicated to these evaluations. In summary, delaying the site visits will make it impossible to record the operational information on the green jobs training program to better interpret the impacts on participants’ earnings of training in green and emerging and high growth occupations.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 29 USC 2917 Name of Law: Workforce Investment Act
   PL: Pub.L. 106 - 303 414(c) Name of Law: American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 3

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
In-Depth Interviews
Impact Study Site Visits
Focus Groups

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	756	0	0	756	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,046	0	0	1,046	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The burden increase is due to a new information collection initiative for evaluative purposes.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,389,910

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? Yes

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 01/11/2012

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