20220126 AmeriCorps Member Application Enrollment and Exit FormSSA v1

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 and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps Senior programs. The purpose of this information collection to collect information from AmeriCorps applicants and members enrolling in and exiting from their term of service.

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

These forms allow AmeriCorps to collect information about members who apply, enroll, and exit from AmeriCorps programs and provides information to staff about who is enrolling and collects information about their post service plans.

 

 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 hard copy forms and to complete their application, enrollment or exit form.

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 understand who is applying, enrolling in and exiting from AmeriCorps programs.

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 provide important demographical information about applicants and members enrolling or exiting service.

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 Thursday, December 2, 2021, on page 86. No comments were received. The 30-day Notice soliciting comments was published on Monday, February 7, 2022. 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.

Privacy Act Statement: AmeriCorps is required by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) to tell you what personal information we collect via this website (e.g. name, contact information, demographics, education and employment history, criminal history, medical information) and how it will be used: Authorities – My AmeriCorps requests your personal information pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Chapter 129 - National and Community Service, 42 U.S.C. Chapter 66 - Domestic Volunteer Services, and Executive Order 9397, as amended. Purposes – It is requested to (1) manage your application, service, and post-service benefits and (2) evaluate how to enhance AmeriCorps. Routine Uses – Routine uses of this information may include disclosure to complete your background check, to process your payments, to manage and oversee your service, and other reasons consistent with why it was collected. Effects of Nondisclosure – This request is voluntary, but not providing the information may limit your ability to become a Member, continue being a Member, or receive Member benefits. Additional Information – The applicable system of records notice is AmeriCorps-04-CPO-MMF-Member Management Files (MMF).

A11. Sensitive Questions

 

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

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

We expect approximately 521,000 respondents to use this information collection. The frequency of response will not be greater than 521,000 annually and will not exceed .75 hours of effort per respondent. 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	521,000
Responses per respondent	1
Number of responses	521,000
Hours per response	.75
Total estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	390,750
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	33.13
Annual public burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	12,945,547

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. Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs

AmeriCorps does not estimate any annual cost burden apart from the hourly burden in Item A13 above.

 

A15. Cost to Government

The estimated cost to the Government is shown in the following table. It is estimated that it will take the Government 1.34 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	521,000
Hours per response	.25
Total estimated hours (number of responses multiplied by hours per response)	130,250
Cost per hour (hourly wage)	33.13
Annual burden (estimated hours multiplied by cost per hour)	4,315,182.50

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).

A16. Reasons for program changes

Not applicable.

 

 A17. Publication of results

Not applicable because the results will not be published.

 

A18. Explain the reason for seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

Not applicable.

 

 A19. Exceptions to the certification statement

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

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