WDQI FOA Supplemental Support Statement

Funding Opportunity Announcement

Workforce Data Quality Initiative – WDQI Round VII

Supplemental Justification

Supplemental Supporting Statement A: Justification

This request seeks OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act for the unique information collection requirements in the Workforce Data Quality Initiate, (WDQI) Round VII Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $11,500,000 in grant funds authorized by Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for the Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI). ETA plans to award approximately five grants with a maximum award of $1,000,000 to eligible State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) for the development, or enhancement, of a state workforce longitudinal administrative database. Also, ETA plans to award three grants (i.e., super grants) with a maximum award amount of $2,181,333 to eligible SWAs for the integration of the state’s case management system, performance reporting system(s), and/or fiscal reporting system with the state’s longitudinal administrative database. These grants have a 36-month period of performance and cost sharing is not required for this program.

The purpose of this program is to support the development or expansion of State workforce longitudinal administrative databases. Collecting and analyzing data and conducting research using longitudinal data can provide a comprehensive picture of whether education programs lead to employment in related fields, whether jobseekers are obtaining training-related employment, and the impact of training on workers’ earnings throughout their careers. Through analysis, researchers can identify service delivery strategies that improve employment opportunities, as well as demonstrate the benefits of education and workforce programs on employment outcomes. Data linkages can help state and local leaders identify effective pathways through education and training services that lead to success in the workforce and can provide individuals with information that helps them make smart choices about their education and career(s).

Applicants that choose to apply for the WDQI grant award of up to $1,000,000 are expected to clearly demonstrate their plans to build or expand the workforce longitudinal administrative databases and to store and use the data in adherence to all applicable confidentiality laws. Applicants that chose to apply for the $2,181,333 award are expected to demonstrate that they have an existing database or structure in place that can achieve the objectives outlined above and outline a plan to bridge or integrate the external state data system(s) of their choosing. (This requirement does not apply to applicants that are seeking to receive the $1,000,000 grant award.)

Applications will include the following information collections: 1) Form SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance,” 2) Project Budget, 3) Project Narrative, and 4) Attachments to the Project Narrative.

Electronic availability:

This grant solicitation is available on the grants.gov Web site. Based on past DOL experience, the Department anticipates 80 percent of responses will be submitted electronically.

Small Entities:

This information collection will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Assurances of confidentiality:

These grant solicitations do not offer applicants assurances of confidentiality.

Special circumstances:

This FOA implicates no special circumstances.

Burden:

Based on past experience, the DOL expects to receive approximately 15 applications from an equal number of respondents.  The ETA estimates public reporting burden for the information collection to average 20 hours per response for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining needed data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

15 applications x 20 hours = 300 hours.

The DOL has increased the average hourly earnings in the professional and business services industry to $33.17 per hour to monetize this burden.  See The Employment Situation—February 2019, DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf at page 33.

300 hours x $33.17 = $9,951.00

The DOL associates no other burden costs with this information collection. In addition to the application, each grantee will be required to submit quarterly financial, performance, and narrative reports to the ETA. Those information collection requirements will be cleared under a separate control number.

Total burden: 15 respondents, 15 responses, 300 hours, $0 other cost burden.

Supplemental Supporting Statement B: Statistical Methods

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.