11.04.2015_FINAL_ECA_Responses_OIRA_Comments

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION
Exchange Alumni Virtual Program
OMB Number 1405-xxx
DS-7010
A.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Each year, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of
State funds and manages international exchange programs for more than 70,000 people
annually from around the world. These exchanges work to increase mutual understanding
between people of the United States and the people of other nations. The more than one
million alumni of these exchange programs build on their experiences throughout their
lifetimes. The Exchange Alumni Virtual Program provides an opportunityfor alumni to
extend and multiply the impacts of their exchanges by allowing American alumni to virtually
engage with their foreign alumni and student counterparts. Although the application form for
the program will be provided on a static page of the International Exchange Alumni website,
the actual virtual platform the alumni use to participate will depend on their personal
preferences and capacity (Google hangouts, Skype, etc.).
The information solicited is necessary to determine eligibility of program applicants and to
ensure that the best candidates are being chosen for the program. 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 Office of Alumni Affairs and ECA program offices
to determine eligibility for the program and to place applicants into relevant groups for the
virtual program. Participation in the program is limited by the number of overseas partners
for the particular virtual program. ECA will screen for the American alumni who are the
most qualified in terms of necessary language abilities and for those who demonstrate the
willingness and passion to carry through with the entire program. For certain topical virtual
programs, there may be specific skills or background required, and the application allows
ECA to ensure that the participating alumni possess those skills.
3. This is a voluntary information collection for alumni of U.S. government-sponsored
exchange programs.
4. The information collection is web-based, via an online application. Interested alumni will
complete the application on the International Exchange Alumni website at the following
URL: http://www.alumni.state.gov
5. Currently, no duplication of information exists, as there is no other reliable method for
determining an individual’s interest or commitment in the program, nor way to collect
accurate location information which is necessary to pair individuals based on time zone.
6. This collection of information does not have an impact on small businesses or other small
entities.

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7. Without this information collection, the Department would not be able to provide virtual
exchange programs to alumni, decreasing the opportunity for these individuals to multiply
the impact of their exchange experiences and continue supporting important public
diplomacy and foreign policy goals.
8. There are no special circumstances associated with the Form DS-7010.
9. The Department will publish a 30-day notice in the Federal Register seeking public
comments on this proposed collection.
The Department previously published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register seeking public
comments on this proposed collection on May 5, 2015 (Vol. 80, No. 86, pp. 25765-25766).
One public comment was received, but it was not substantive in nature nor did it address the
proposed collection.
10. No gifts or payments will be made to respondents.
11. There are no assurances of privacy promised except those provided in the Privacy Act and
other applicable U.S. statutes.
12. No questions of a sensitive nature are asked on the Form DS-7010.
13. The estimated time to fill out the application form is 30 minutes. A representative sample of
individuals filled out the form under timed conditions and it was determined that it would
take most individuals 30 minutes to complete it. The 100 number is based on the number of
American alumni who are active in the alumni community, how many tend to participate in
events organized by the U.S. Department of State, and how many country partners are
estimated to participate each year for the virtual program. For the estimated 100 individuals
who will fill out the application per year, that equates to an annual burden of 50 hours. 30
minutes x 100 respondents/ 60 minutes/ hour = an annual burden of 50 hours. According to
the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics website (www.bls.gov), the weighted wage rate
category for “all occupations” (chosen because the respondent could be from any occupation)
is estimated to be $31.79 per hour ($22.71 average wage x 1.4 multiplier for non-salary
benefits). Therefore, the estimated annual burden hour cost to respondents “all occupations”
is $1,590 (50 annual burden hours x $31.79).
14. There is no cost to respondents associated with this collection.
15. The total annualized cost incurred by the Federal Government is estimated to be $78. It is
expected that it would take a full time employee (GS 9-11), with an hourly salary of $26 per
hour, about 3 hours a year to collect and evaluate submissions. There are no additional costs
incurred for website development or maintenance, since the electronic platform being used to
collect the information is already in use.
16. This is a new submission.
17. The Department will not publish the information gathered by this collection.
18. The Department will display the OMB expiration date.
19. The Department does not request any exceptions to the certification of the information
collection.

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B.

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.