20210922 AC Seniors Applications SSA

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1. Need for Information Collection

The Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps) dba 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, Social Innovation Fund and Senior Corps programs. This information collection comprises the questions applicants answer to apply to be a Social Innovation Fund 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 Social Innovation Fund competitions. The Social Innovation Fund will use the information collection to select grantmaking entities that will identify, support and evaluate nonprofit organizations to implement and scale evidence-based solutions to community challenges.

 

 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 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 Social Innovation Fund grant.

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 Social Innovation Fund 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.

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 June 17, 2021 on page 49262. A total of thirty-three comments were received, with thirty-one at least 78% similar to comments from the AmeriCorps Seniors Professional Network (ASPN) and National Association of RSVP Directors (NARSVPD). All comments were reviewed and considered. We are especially sensitive to comments regarding the consequences caused due to the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. We will continue to provide clarity on the use of the Independent Living Survey and how it can be best used as a resource to demonstrate grant outcomes. The 30-day Notice soliciting comments was published on September 21, 2021.

 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 1250 respondents to apply via the enrollment form and/or complete the annual survey. The frequency of response will not be greater than annually and should not exceed 25 minutes 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

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

 

Estimation of Respondent Burden
Number of respondents	1250
Responses per respondent	5
Number of responses	6,250
Hours per response	0.42
Total estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	2,625
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	$45.14
Annual public burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	$118,492.50

 

Note: The cost per hour is based on the average of eight 2021 OPM GS hourly rates (base + locality) for a GS-11, step 1 employee living in our eight regions of operation, plus the 36.25% civilian personnel full fringe benefit rate from OMB memorandum M-08-13. The average cost per hour is $33.13 (average hourly rate) + $12.01 ($33.13 average hourly rate x 36.25% fringe) = $45.14/hour (rounded to the nearest penny).

 

The 2021 GS-11, step 1 hourly rates for the eight regions of operation are as follows: Austin, TX ($31.57), Atlanta, GA ($32.64), Columbus, OH ($32.06), Concord, NH ($34.49), Denver, CO ($33.96), Kansas City, MO ($31.29), Los Angeles, CA ($35.37) and Philadelphia, PA ($33.67). The average hourly rate is the sum of these hourly rates divided by eight = $33.13/hour (rounded to the nearest penny).

 

A14. Cost to 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	6,250
Hours per response	0.25
Total estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	1,562.50
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	$45.14
Annual burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	$70,531.25

 

Note: The cost per hour is based on the average of eight 2021 OPM GS hourly rates (base + locality) for a GS-11, step 1 employee living in our eight regions of operation, plus the 36.25% civilian personnel full fringe benefit rate from OMB memorandum M-08-13. The average cost per hour is $33.13 (average hourly rate) + $12.01 ($33.13 average hourly rate x 36.25% fringe) = $45.14/hour (rounded to the nearest penny).

 

The 2021 GS-11, step 1 hourly rates for the eight regions of operation are as follows: Austin, TX ($31.57), Atlanta, GA ($32.64), Columbus, OH ($32.06), Concord, NH ($34.49), Denver, CO ($33.96), Kansas City, MO ($31.29), Los Angeles, CA ($35.37) and Philadelphia, PA ($33.67). The average hourly rate is the sum of these hourly rates divided by eight = $33.13/hour (rounded to the nearest penny).

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

The cost burden has increased because the agency was not required to complete it in the last submission. The slight increase in burden is due to additional questions in the Progress Report Supplement to collect additional demographic information on both volunteers and client/participants served.

 A16. Publication of results

Some results of this grant competition will be published on the AmeriCorps 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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