0703-0054 Supporting Statement Part A 07062016

SUPPORTING STATEMENT – PART A

NAVAL ACADEMY SPONSOR APPLICATION

OMB Control Number 0703-0054

A.  JUSTIFICATION

1.  Need for the Information Collection

This information requirement is needed by officials to determine the eligibility and overall compatibility between sponsor applicants and Fourth Class Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. In their first year, Midshipmen are assigned a sponsor so they can have a support system. The information that is collected from the sponsor is to determine the best match for everyone involved. An analysis of the information collected is made by the Sponsor Program Director during the process in order to best match sponsor with midshipmen. The collection of the information is authorized by Title 5 U.S.C. S301 Departmental regulations; 10 U.S.C. 5013, Secretary of the Navy; 10 U.S.C. 6956, Midshipmen: Nomination and Selection to fill Vacancies; 10 U.S.C. 6957, Selection of Persons from Foreign Countries; 10 U.S.C. 6958, Midshipmen: Qualifications for Admission; 10 U.S.C. 6962, Midshipmen: Discharge for Unsatisfactory Conduct or Inaptitude; 10 U.S.C. 6963, Midshipmen: Discharge for Deficiency; and E.O. 9397 (SSN), as amended, and N01531-1, and Commandant of Midshipmen Instruction 1532.5R.

2.  Use of the Information

This information is used to assist the Naval Academy in managing the USNA Sponsor Program and to assign midshipmen to sponsors, to maintain a record of the names and addresses of families assigned as sponsors or who are interested in the Sponsor Program, and to contact sponsors either by phone or written correspondence. The sponsors can be anyone that resides in Annapolis, MD, or the surrounding area since that is where the Naval Academy is located. There are no announcements that inform interested sponsors about this program. The program has been going on for many years so most people are aware. If someone is interested in becoming a sponsor, they go to the Navy web site where they can find information on becoming a sponsor. The sponsor will be assigned to the midshipmen until they graduate. The sponsor is an outlet and support system and second family for the midshipmen. Their liberty depends on what class the midshipmen is in and generally increases every year.

Respondents who wish to apply to become a sponsor of a Midshipmen go to the Plebe Sponsor web site, which is located via the Naval Academy web site to complete an online application. The application asks questions such as personal information, household and general midshipman preferences, hobbies and activities. The information collected helps the Naval Academy appropriately assign a Midshipmen to a sponsor. This type of information is needed to ensure that a good match is made between the Midshipmen and the sponsor. Applications are reviewed by the sponsor program office. The Naval Academy will also use the information to conduct background checks for qualified sponsor applicants. The background checks are available through national, state, local agencies and NCIC databases.

Data is maintained on a secure server/database. The agency disclosure notice, privacy act statement and OMB placeholder will be displayed at the beginning of the application. A mockup of what the website will look like is included in the PRA submission package. It will take an estimated three weeks for IT to update the website, and updated screenshots will be sent to DoD.

3.  Use of Information Technology

In order to minimize the burden on the respondent, the Naval Academy has designed the forms in a manner that enables the sponsor candidate to complete the application on-line by going to the Plebe Sponsor web site. Once the respondent completes the information, it is submitted on a secure server/database and password protected in MIDS System. The data can only be accessed by the Sponsor Program Director. Data is never printed. 100% of submissions are electronic.

4.  Non-duplication

The information requested is not available to the Naval Academy from any other source.

5.  Burden on Small Business

This collection, of information does not impact small businesses or other small entities.

6.  Less Frequent Collection

In order to minimize the burden on the respondent the Naval Academy has designed the forms in a manner that enables the sponsor candidate to complete the application on-line. Use of this application is the only accurate and specific method to determine an applicant's suitability. The information is updated yearly by the applicant to keep current their contact information. An e-mail is sent out to all of the sponsors to update their information. The information is collected once a year because the data requires annual updates.

7.  Paperwork Reduction Act Guidelines

There are no special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines delineated in 5CFR 1320.5(d)(2).

8.  Consultation and Public Comments

The 60 Day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal Register on October 9, 2015, 80 FRN 61189. No comments were received. The 30 Day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2016, 81 FRN 48408.

No consultations with persons outside the sponsoring agency regarding availability of requested information, frequency of collection, clarity of instructions, etc., were performed. Future consultation with respondents, or their representatives, are planned to be performed at least every 3 years, regardless if the information collection does not change.

9.  Gifts or Payment

No payments of gifts will be provided to respondents.

10.  Confidentiality

The information that is collected is handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with existing Department of Defense procedures for safeguarding information held for official use only. It is not reported or published. In addition, compliance is made with the Privacy Act of 1974 and OMB Circular A-108. The data is on a secure server/database and password protected in MIDS System. The data can only be accessed by the sponsor program director. Sponsor Program is under SORN N01531-1 USNA Applicants, Candidates, & Midshipmen Records because use the MIDS System. A Privacy Impact Assessment is also needed. Draft copies of the SORN and PIA are included in the PRA submission package. Records are permanent and maintained in the United States Naval Academy Archives.

11.  Sensitive Questions

The sponsor program application does not ask for race, religion or ethnicity. A critical background check is done for sponsors and their families because the sponsor program wants to ensure that the midshipmen are placed into a safe environment, and a background check is necessary for those reasons.

12.  Respondent Burden, and its Labor Costs

a.  Estimation of Respondent Burden

Estimation of Respondent Burden Hours
	Number of Respondents	Number of Responses per Respondent	Number of Total Annual Responses	Response Time (Amount of time needed to complete the collection instrument)	Respondent Burden Hours (Total Annual Responses multiplied by Response Time) Please compute these into hours)
Plebe Sponsor web site	800	1	800	1 Hour	800 Hours
Total (AVERAGE)	800	1	800	1 Hour	800 Hours

b.  Labor Cost of Respondent Burden

Labor Cost of Respondent Burden
	Number of Responses	Response Time per Response	Respondent Hourly Wage	Labor Burden per Response (Response Time multiplied by Respondent Hourly Wage)	Total Labor Burden (Number of Respondents multiplied by Response Time multiplied by Respondent Hourly Wage)
Plebe Sponsor web site	800	1 hour	$18.90 (took the pay rate of a manager from payscale.com since sponsors can be anyone )	$18.90	$15,120.00
Total (AVERAGE)	800	1 hour	$18.90 per hour	$18.90	$15,120.00

13.  Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs

There will be no additional cost burden to respondents.

14.  Cost to the Federal Government

	Plebe Sponsor Web Site	Total
Number of Responses	800	800
Processing Time Per Response (in hours)	1 hour	1 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses	$27.30 (GS 10 pay scale from Federal Wage System opm.gov)	$27.30
Cost to Process Each Response (Processing Time Per Response multiplied by Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses)	$27.30	$27.30
Total Cost to Process Responses (Cost to Process Each Response multiplied by Number of Responses	$21,840.00	$21,840.00

Operational and Maintenance Costs
Equipment	Printing	Postage	Software Purchases	Licensing Costs	Other	Total
					$13,600 (background check)	$13,600

Total Cost to the Federal Government
Operational and Maintenance Costs	Labor Cost to the Federal Government	Total Cost (O&M Costs + Labor Cost)
$13,600	$21,840.00	$35,440.00

15.  Reasons for Change in Burden

There is no change in requested burden hours from the last time this collection received OMB approval.

16.  Publication of Results

The results of this information collection will not be published.

17.  Non-Display of OMB Expiration Date

Approval is not sought for avoiding display of the expiration date for OMB approval.

18.  Exceptions to "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Submissions"

There are no requests for exceptions to the certification statement.

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