VISTA_SupportingStatementARevisedAB

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1. Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service doing business as AmeriCorps (AmeriCorps) awards grants to states, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes, and U.S. Territories to operate AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps National, AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. This information collection comprises the questions applicants answer to apply to be an AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsor as well as the reporting forms that project sponsors must complete after award.

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 VISTA resources. AmeriCorps will use the information collection to select eligible entities that will implement anti-poverty projects using AmeriCorps VISTA members. AmeriCorps will using the reporting forms to track programmatic process and make determinations for further funding.

 

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

AmeriCorps will be eliciting and accepting applicants’ response to these questions electronically via eGrants, the AmeriCorps secure online grants management system. 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 AmeriCorps 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 to apply for VISTA projects or 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 a VISTA project.

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

 

AmeriCorps will be unable to request the necessary information to assess prospective VISTA sponsors, nor will we be able to collect progress information to assess sponsors’ performance.

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.

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in these ways.

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 Monday, November 30, 2020 on page 76542. No comments were received. The 30 day Notice soliciting comments was published on March 31, 2021 on page 16705.

 

 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.

Your responses to this information collection will be disclosed as appropriate unless prohibited by law.

A11. Sensitive Questions

 

The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

We expect approximately 850 respondents to use these instructions to apply to become VISTA sponsors and report on their progress. The frequency of response for the Application will not be greater than annually and should not exceed 24 hours of effort per respondent for total burden hours of 20,450. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

 

A13. Respondent Burden and its Labor Costs

The estimated respondent burdens and labor costs are shown in the following table.

Estimation of Respondent Burden
Number of respondents for public respondents	850
Responses per respondent	1
Number of responses	850
Hours per response (10 for Concept Paper; 12 for Application)	24
Estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	20,450
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	$29.96
Annual public burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	$611,184

Notes: The cost per hour is based on the Office of Personnel Management(OPM) General Schedule (GS) hourly rate of $21.99 for a GS-8, step 4, employee (for calendar year 2021 for the rest of the U.S.) plus the 36.25% civilian personnel full fringe benefit rate from OMB memorandum M-08-13 ($21.92 + $7.97 = $29.96 rounded to the nearest dollar). Also, not all respondents will be successful and asked to complete full Application. Amount show is MAXIMUM public burden.

A13. Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs

AmeriCorps does not estimate any annual cost burden apart from the hourly burden in Item 12 above.

A14. Cost to the Government

The estimated cost to the Government is shown in the following table. It is estimated that it will take the Government x hour(s) to review and verify the information contained in each response. This estimate was developed by staff involved in the management of current activity.

Estimation of Cost to the Government
Number of responses	850
Hours per response	5
Estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	4,750
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	$47.99
Annual public burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	$227,953

Notes: The cost per hour is based on the Office of Personnel Management(OPM) General Schedule (GS) hourly rate of $35.22 for a GS-12, step 4, employee (for calendar year 2021 for the rest of the U.S.) plus the 36.25% civilian personnel full fringe benefit rate from OMB memorandum M-08-13 ($35.22 + $12.77 = $47.99 rounded to the nearest dollar). Also, not all respondents will be successful and asked to submit Applications. Amount show is MAXIMUM public burden.

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

Not applicable.

 

 A16. Publication of results

Not applicable.

 

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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