Justification 9.12.12

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation) awards grants to states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories to operate AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps National, AmeriCorps VISTA, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Corps programs. This information collection comprises the questions applicants will answer to compete for funding through AmeriCorps State and National, which includes State Competitive, State Education Award Program, National Direct, National Education Award Program, National Professional Corps, Indian Tribes, State and Territories without Commissions, and National Planning grant competitions.

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

Applicants will respond to the questions included in these instructions in order to apply for funding in AmeriCorps State and National grant competitions. Applicants will include states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories.

 

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

The Corporation will be eliciting and accepting grantees response to these questions electronically via eGrants, the Corporation’s secure online application system, or via e-mail. If applicants are unable to apply or report on-line, they can use the attached forms and instructions to submit their application.

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 does not impact small businesses because they are not eligible to apply for grants. There is no economic burden to any other small entities beyond the cost of staff time to collect and report the data. This is minimized to the degree possible by only asking for the information absolutely necessary to measure progress towards the Corporation’s strategic initiative benchmarks.

A6.  Consideration of Collection

 The Corporation will be unable to conduct the AmeriCorps State and National competitions authorized by annual appropriations without approval of this collection.

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 Monday, May 14, 2012 on page 28357. The 30 day Notice soliciting comments was published on Wednesday, September 12 on page 56192.

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents

  

A10.  Confidentiality

The information requested on the AmeriCorps Application Instructions is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 12581 - 12585 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. § 4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended. Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of reviewing grant applications and granting funding requests. Routine Uses - Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In some programs, the information may also be provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The information may also be provided to appropriate federal agencies and Department contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the Department’s efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the assistance. Executive Summaries of all compliant applications received and applications of successful applicants will be published on the CNCS website as part of ongoing efforts to increase transparency in grantmaking. This is described in more detail in the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity. The information will not otherwise be disclosed to entities outside of AmeriCorps and CNCS without prior written permission. Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is mandatory in order to receive benefits.

A11.  Sensitive Questions

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

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

These are the application instructions for all competitions conducted by AmeriCorps State and National.

We expect approximately 600 respondents to use these instructions to apply for funding in the AmeriCorps State Competitive, State Education Award Program, National Direct, National Education Award Program, National Professional Corps, Indian Tribes, State and Territories without Commissions, and National Planning grant competitions. The frequency of response will not be greater than annually, and should not exceed 40 hours of effort per respondent. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

 

A13. Cost burden to the respondent

There is no cost to the respondent.

 

A14. Cost to Government

The Corporation is required by law to require grantees to provide annual progress reports. The Corporation’s review of the data will be accomplished by internal teams of staffs as part of their regular job functions and will not result in the incurring of additional costs.

A15. Reasons for program changes

Not applicable.

 

 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.

3