Justification AmeriCorps Application Instructions March 2017+

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awards grants to states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories to operate AmeriCorps State, and AmeriCorps National, AmeriCorps VISTA, Social Innovation Fund, and Senior Corps programs. This information collection comprises the questions applicants answer to apply to be an AmeriCorps grantee.

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

Applicants respond to the questions included in these instructions in order to apply for funding in AmeriCorps competitions. CNCS will use the information collection to select grantmaking entities that will identify, support and evaluate nonprofit organizations and grantmaking entities to implement evidence-based solutions to community challenges.

 

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

CNCS will be eliciting and accepting applicants’ response to these questions electronically via eGrants the CNCS secure online grants management system and by documents submitted via email. 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 CNCS 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 for AmeriCorps 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 assess an organization’s eligibility to apply and capacity to administer an AmeriCorps grant.

A6.  Consequences of the collection if not conducted, conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

 

The Corporation will be unable to request the necessary information to assess prospective AmeriCorps grantees.

A7.  Special circumstances that would cause information collection to be collected in a manner requiring respondents to report more often than quarterly; report in fewer than 30 days after receipt of the request; submit more than an original and two copies; retain records for more than three years; and other ways specified in the Instructions focused on statistical methods, confidentially, and proprietary trade secrets.

Generally, there will be no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in these ways. However, there may be instances driven by funding partners that may necessitate reporting in fewer than 30 days after receipt of the request.

A8.  Provide copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency’s notice. Summarize comments received and actions taken in response to comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

The 60 day Notice soliciting comments was published on January 23, 2017 on page 7804, 82 FR 7804. No comments were received.

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents

  

A10.  Assurance of Confidentiality and its basis in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

The information requested is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 12581 - 12585 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended. 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 contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the agency’s efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in CNCS’s system of records. 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 the AmeriCorps and CNCS without prior written permission.

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 the AmeriCorps competition.

We expect approximately 1,159 respondents to use these instructions to apply to become AmeriCorps grantees. The frequency of response will generally not be greater than annually however may sometimes be more than annually based on funding opportunities, and should not exceed 80 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

There are no additional costs to the Government.

A15. Reasons for program changes or adjustments in burden or cost.

Not applicable.

 

 A16.  Publication of results

Some results of this grant competition will be published on the CNCS website for the purpose of transparency in federal grantmaking. 

 

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.

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