The Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is conducting a three-year evaluation to develop strategies to support the evidence requirements for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program that were enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123; hereafter the âBBAâ). DOL requests minor changes to the evaluationâs data collection instruments to ensure the study is capturing how the COVID-19 pandemic might be affecting statesâ RESEA programs and the context in which their stateâs UI system and programs are operating. The requested changes include:
- Interview protocols:
o A small new section up front to learn about RESEA programsâ current operational status and response to COVID-19.
o Minor questions throughout related to COVID-19.
o Minor adjustments to update the FY since this instrument was drafted.
- Survey:
o This instrument has added 7 items due to COVID-19.
o Minor edits to existing questions to reflect a range of anticipated potential new circumstances due to COVID-19 (e.g., virtual orientation, remote services).
DOL requests minor changes to the evaluationâs data collection instruments to ensure the study is capturing how the COVID-19 pandemic might be affecting statesâ RESEA programs and the context in which their stateâs UI system and programs are operating. Additionally, DOLâs study plans to field the survey three times, instead of just once, which will enable the evaluation to capture statesâ plans before COVID-19 as well as at two points since the pandemic became more widespread. These requested changes result in extremely minimal changes to the burden estimates, however, based on the actual average burden per response observed during the surveyâs first fielding in February 2020 (40-45 minutes), which is much less than the initially approved burden estimate (2 hours).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.