Supporting Statement (12-2013)

2

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION

Exchange Programs Alumni Website Registration
OMB Number 1405- 0192
DS-7006

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Each year, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) manages the exchange programs for more than 65,000 people from around the world. ECA’s Alumni Affairs Division manages the International Exchange Alumni website (https://alumni.state.gov), an online community for alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs.

The information solicited is necessary to process alumni requests for access to the Department of State International Exchange Alumni website. The information is sought pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act)(22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).

2. The information will be used by ECA’s Alumni Affairs Division to set up online user accounts for exchanges alumni who wish to access the International Exchange Alumni website. This is a voluntary information collection for alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchanges.

3. The information collection is web-based, via an online application. Interested alumni register at the following URL: https://alumni.state.gov/user/register.

4. Currently, no duplicate information exists; there is no other reliable method for the ECA Alumni Affairs Division to collect the information needed for website registration.

5. This collection of information does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.

6. Without the information collection, ECA would not be able to provide exchange program alumni access to the International Exchange Alumni website.

7. There are no special circumstances.

8. ECA published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments on this proposed collection (78 FR 40820) but no comments were received.

9. No gifts or payments will be made to respondents.

10. The full International Exchange Alumni website privacy policy can be found at https://alumni.state.gov/about-international-exchange-alumni/benefits-joining/terms-service/privacy-notice. Other than the website privacy policy and provisions for confidentiality in applicable statutes, there are no assurances of confidentiality to respondents. Information collected for this website is conducted pursuant to the Routine Uses for the website found in the System of Records Notice State-08, Educational and Cultural Exchange Program Records.

11. No questions of a sensitive nature are asked.

12. Last year approximately 20,000 members joined International Exchange Alumni. The estimated time to fill out the application form is 10 minutes, for an annual burden of 3,333 hours. 10 minutes x 20,000 / 60 minutes/hour = 3,333 hours.

The hour cost burden for this collection is estimated to be $101,456. This is based on the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics website (www.bls.gov).The wage rate category for “all occupations” (for individual or household respondents, chosen because the respondent could be from any occupation) is estimated to be $30.44 per hour ($21.74 x 1.4 wage rate multiplier), therefore, the estimated cost to respondents “all occupations” is estimated to be $101,456 annually based on 3,333 Annual Burden Hours (3,333 x $30.44).

13. There is no cost to respondents associated with this collection.

14. The hour cost burden on employees of the Alumni Affairs Division is estimated to be $24,924.24. The wage rate for the GS 13 employee is $89,033. He devotes 20% of his time to the website. Therefore the estimated cost to Government is $89,033 x .2 x 1.4 = $24,929.24.

15. The burden changes indicated are associated with an increased number of alumni joining the website as compared to three years ago when initial collection approval was sought.

16. The information gathered by this collection will not be published.

17. ECA Alumni Affairs Division will display the OMB expiration date.

18. ECA Alumni Affairs Division does not request an exception to the certification of the information collection.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.