Justification

Justification: “DOL-only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting System” (OMB Control Number: 1205-0521) Non-Material Change Request

The data collected in this approved information collection fulfill requirements in WIOA Sec. 116(d)(1), which mandates that the Secretaries of Labor and Education develop a template for the annual performance reports to be used by States, local boards, and of training services for reporting on outcomes achieved by the WIOA programs. Pursuant to WIOA sec. 116(d)(2), required annual data for the core programs include, among others, those related to primary performance indicators, participant counts and costs, and barriers to employment. The Department proposes a non-material change to the approved “DOL-only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting System” information collection, OMB control number 1205-0521. This change will accomplish the following:

1. Improve data collection, reporting, and achieve program reporting requirements without changing the current level of burden.

While the files that grantees upload will remain the same, grantees will now have the ability to review program-specific calculations prior to certifying reports in WIPS. This will provide additional validation that the data is accurate, and valid. Grantees will have estimations of what to expect for the measures listed on their respective QPR.

2. Establish DOL program-specific quarterly performance reports (QPRs) for 8 DOL-administered programs. These reports will display all WIOA-mandated outcome data as well as program-specific information. These programs already are approved to collect the data required for these reports; these QPRs will not require additional data collection or increase the burden on states/grantees. The reports will be generated from data that these grantees already are submitting to the Department. Each new QPR follows common aggregation rules, so that the data displayed is consistent across programs. These reports will be generated within the reporting system and will not require any action on the part of the states/grantees. These reports simply are program-specific displays of the already approved data being collected.

3. Slightly revise program reporting requirements for DOL-administered programs to align with their respective QPRs and ensure complete collection and reporting. This involved “checking” and “unchecking” data element collection requirements for these programs to ensure that the data elements necessary for consistent aggregations across programs are collected. The submitted DOL-Only Participant Individual Record Layout (ETA-9172) includes revisions detailed in red font and a revision history sheet.

   1. These “added” checks were made to data elements that were previously being collected under the ETA 9169, but not made required in the ETA 9172. These checks were inadvertent omissions and needed to be made required for programs. Grantees were already submitting the data to ensure complete QPRs, and this checking is the formal method to indicate the data elements are required.

4. Revises and simplifies the standard ETA 9173 specifications to remove unnecessary specifications without changing the results or required reporting for grantees.

1. Clarifies the funding stream for the local area reports by adding an inadvertently omitted code value.

2. Removes service conditions that no longer impact the calculation as a result of the changes implemented in the amended ICR completed in 2018.