Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project Section A --FINAL

Approval Request for Information Collection
for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project
Section A. Justification
A.1. Necessity of the Information Collection
Project Overview:
The FCC’s National Broadband Plan in 2010 recommended the creation of a “Digital Literacy Corps”
(Recommendation 9.3 is “The federal government should launch a National Digital Literacy Program that
creates a Digital Literacy Corps, increases the capacity of digital literacy partners and creates an Online
Digital Literacy Portal 1).
With the exception of individual efforts by some organization, this important recommendation has yet
to move forward on a national level.
The Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project is designed with the FCC’s recommendation in mind and
addresses the well-documented need to reach groups that are not already online with affordable,
culturally sensitive learning opportunities. This project will use the resources and strengths of anchor
institutions (museums and libraries) to pilot a national model for digital learning and inclusion.
The goals of the Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project are:
(1) To demonstrate locally designed models for digital inclusion that leverage the assets of
museums and libraries, while engaging host communities and partners in setting local
priorities and goals.
(2) To pilot a model for national support of local, cost-effective digital inclusion personnel.
(3) To create and pilot a sustainable repository of current digital inclusion learning materials,
open to museums, libraries and other practitioners throughout the U.S.
(4) To inform public discussion of the project's potential for replication at the local, state and
national level.
To pilot Digital Inclusion Corps, National Digital Inclusion Alliance and PAST Foundation (NDIA-PAST) is
partnering with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), as well as three state libraries and two
museums in rural and/or tribal regions. Pilot projects will be established in Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota,
New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project will benefit individuals most likely to be digitally
disconnected, local communities in need of local digital inclusion expertise, and digital literacy
programs around the country in need of quality curriculum and customized training materials.

1 Federal Communications Commission. Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan. (Washington, DC March 17,
2010.)https://www.fcc.gov/general/national-broadband-plan.

Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

Necessity of Information Collection
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance and PAST Foundation (NDIA-PAST) was awarded $330,000 from
the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) National Leadership Grant Program.
The National Leadership Grant Program (NLGP) funds projects that generate new tools, strategies,
services, and/or partnerships that will benefit the museum and library community across the country.
The return on investment of federal funds is enhanced by NDIA-PAST and IMLS’ commitment to widely
disseminating pilot project results both in publications and through presentations at conferences and
other convening.
The Digital Literacy Corps model is an intentional effort to develop a systematic approach to FCC’s
recommendation for the establishment of a Digital Literacy Corps program. Though each pilot site
location will design its own priorities and goals, the Corps Members will be connected to a larger
national network and supported by a Project Manager and NDIA’s Executive Director.
The Information collection will be for the purpose of monitoring the extent to which the Digital Inclusion
Corps Pilot Project objectives have been met and to determine effect and change as a result of project
implementation. Pilot project results will be beneficial to digital inclusion practitioners across the
country.
Additionally, IMLS is responsible for identifying national needs for and trends in museum and library
services. As noted in the legislative authority section below, IMLS must also report on the impact and
effectiveness of programs conducted with federal funds and disseminate information on the best
practices of these programs.
About Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's
123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. IMLS' mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas. IMLS works at the national level and in coordination with state
and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation;
and support professional development.
About National Digital Inclusion Alliance
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance is a unified voice for home broadband access, public broadband
access, personal devices and local technology training and support programs. NDIA works
collaboratively to craft, identify and disseminate financial and operational resources for digital inclusion
programs while serving as a bridge to policymakers and the general public.
NDIA is comprised of leaders of local community organizations, public libraries, towns and other
institutions working hard to reduce digital disparities. To improve the daily lives of all community
members, NDIA calls for digital inclusion public policies that reflect its members’ expertise and diverse
experiences.
NDIA’s approach is based in the knowledge that broadband adoption is most effectively promoted by
community-driven efforts combining:
• Affordable home broadband service.
• Affordable computing devices.
• Public broadband access.
• Locally trusted technology training and support.
Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

About PAST Foundation
The PAST Foundation (Partnering Anthropology with Science and Technology) is a non-profit provider of
STEM education, school design, and workforce development. Although deeply committed to STEM
education, PAST recognizes that good education and practice encompasses more than science,
technology, engineering, and math and applies to all disciplines. Meeting 21st century workforce needs
from farming to robotics and from health to the arts will require technology and a systems approach in
every profession.
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Legislative Authority
20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.
A.2. Purposes and Uses of the Data
NDIA-PAST will conduct a summative evaluation study involving up to 30 participants to understand the
extent to which the Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project (DICPP) has changed the capacity of local anchor
institutions to identify and meet the digital inclusion needs of their communities. Collected data will
provide insights on strategies, models, services and activities developed by anchor institutions in
partnership with participating community organizations. The results will be used for
administrative/managerial/ benchmarking/ and other purposes.
The following questions were designed to frame this proposed evaluation study:
1.
2.
3.

Did DICPP participation help build the library or museum’s institutional capacity in identify
community digital inclusion needs? (Project Goals 1, 3, 4)
Did DICPP participation strengthen internal capacity to provide digital inclusion services to the
community? (Project Goals 1, 3, 4)
Did DICPP participation engage the community regarding digital inclusion needs? (Project Goals 1,
4)

4.
5.
6.

Did DICPP participation result in new services provided to community organizations in regard to
their digital inclusion needs? (Project Goals 2, 4)
What digital inclusion capacities were developed by anchor institutions and/or partner
organizations? (Project Goals 2, 3, 4)
What new activities, services or resources were provided to the community or constituent
groups as a result of participation in DICPP? (Project Goals 1, 2, 3, 4)

Surveys will be administered during the early phases and at the end of implementation of the DICPP
project. Respondents in participating anchor institutions and community partner organizations will be
invited to complete a pre and post project online survey to explore digital inclusion activities,
populations served, partnerships/collaborations established and any changes resulting from pilot project
implementation.
These respondents will be asked to provide basic-level, factual information about their institutions (e.g.,
institution type, populations served, types of services provided). This information will be used to help
understand the degree to which institution type affects results reported in other survey questions.

Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

Project specific data also will be used in this evaluation to provide context and nuance. These data
include quarterly status reports, local digital inclusion plans, digital inclusion corps members’ blog posts,
and other administrative materials for documenting project implementation.
Beneficiaries of data collection from the DICPP involve internal and external audiences:
Internal Audiences:
NDIA-PAST and IMLS: To assess the efficacy of the DICPP program, to support its evolution and
improvement, and to help communicate the lessons of pilot site experiences to the professional
library and museum community.
External Audiences:
Policy makers: To show local digital inclusion models and results of federal dollars invested on the
development, implementation, and management of DICPP.
Current DICPP participants: To promote ongoing engagement with digital inclusion activities and
community partnerships as a result of their DICPP experience.
Library and Museum Community: To illustrate a diversity of digital inclusion models, activities and
resources as a result of DICPP efforts of anchor institutions. Additionally, Corps members’ blog
posts will provide documentation of local digital literacy challenges and success while also
disseminating information about this project.
DICPP results and experiences will be shared by Corps members at Net Inclusion Conference, 2017 and
the NDIA Executive Director and DICPP Project Manager will present at the 2017 International
Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries and Museums.
The final DICPP evaluation report will be posted on the IMLS and NDIA-PAST websites.
A.3. Use of Information Technology
Technology will be applied appropriately to keep respondent burden to a minimum. The data will be
stored in a secure database.
A.4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
The DICPP is a pilot project. Available data sources were examined to determine that the data were not
available elsewhere.
A.5. Methods Used to Minimize Burden on Small Businesses
Not applicable. There are no burdens anticipated for small businesses during the implementation of the
DICPP survey process.
A.6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection
It is anticipated that results from this pilot project will include a diversity of unique and audience specific
engagement and educational strategies for advancing digital inclusion efforts. Lessons from the field in
five different states for the pilots will be an invaluable source of knowledge and understanding of digital
inclusion options and activities in community based settings. Without this collection of data, museums,
libraries, policy makers and digital inclusion practitioners in other communities will not benefit from the
results generated by the DICPP.
Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

A.7. Special Circumstances
No special circumstances for this information collection are anticipated.
A.8. Consultations Outside the Agency
IMLS has closely consulted with NDIA-PAST and an external evaluation firm, Harkin Consulting Services,
LLC in the development of the evaluation plan, including the data collection instruments and collection
tools.
A.9. Payments or Gifts to Respondents
Not Applicable. There will be no provision of payments or gifts to respondents for DICPP Survey, 2017.
A.10. Assurance of Confidentiality
Any personal, identifiable data collected (e.g., the name of the person who responded on behalf of the
anchor institutions or community partners) will be kept confidential, unless otherwise required by law.
Any personal data associated with published work (i.e., final report, case studies) will be used only if
approved by the participant, unless otherwise required by law. Assurances of confidentiality will be
conveyed in a “consent” section at the beginning of the survey instrument. All raw data will be kept safe
and protected according to protocols established at PAST under the guidance of their Internal Review
Board, and only evaluators will have access to the collected information. After publication of the
summative evaluation by Harkin Consulting Services, LLC, the raw data will be destroyed, further
protecting participants.
Confidentiality is a priority and results will be reported in aggregate to protect respondent identity.
Given the small sample size, respondent permission will be requested/approved in any instance where
aggregation cannot assure adequate attention to respondents before publicly sharing the evaluation
findings. The confidentiality, as well as any release, of information is subject to applicable law.
A.11. Justification for Sensitive Questions
There are no sensitive questions on the DICPP surveys,
A.12. Estimates of Hour Burden to Respondents
Maximum number of respondents (“n”) anticipated during the program is 30.
The burden per library/museum respondent (total 5 respondents) is estimated to be an average of 20
minutes per survey (pre-project, post-project and end of project surveys) for a maximum of 60 minutes
per respondent.
The burden per community partner respondent (maximum total 25 respondents) is estimated to be an
average of 15 minutes per survey (pre-project, post-project surveys) for a maximum of 30 minutes per
respondent.

Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

The estimated total annual burden is 17.5 hours.
Respondent Type: Survey
DICPP Anchor Organization Pre Project Survey
DICPP Anchor Organization Post Project Survey
DICPP Anchor Organization End of Project Survey
DICPP Community Partner Pre Project Survey
DICPP Community Partner Post Project Survey

Estimated
Number of
Respondents
5
5
5
25
25

TOTAL RESPONSES

Estimated
burden time per
respondent
20 minutes
20 minutes
20 minutes
15 minutes
15 minutes

Total Burden Hours

60/30 minutes

17.5 hours

1.66 hours
1.66 hours
1.66 hours
6.25 hours
6.25 hours

A.13. Estimates of Annualized Cost Burden to Respondents
Respondents for DICPP surveys will not incur any cost other than the time it takes to respond.
Cost
Burden
Estimate
Library
Museum
Nonprofit
TOTAL

Respondents
3
2
25
30

Time in
Hours
1
1
.5

Salary
$27.35
$22.46
$30.54

Total
time in
hours
3
2
12.5
17.5

Total
Annual
Cost
$82.05
$44.93
$381.75
$508.73

Librarian: $27.35
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm
Museum Worker $22.46 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/curators-museum-technicians-and-conservators.htm
Nonprofit: $30.54 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm

A.14. Estimates of Annualized Cost to Federal Government
The cost of the evaluation services with Harkin Consulting Services, LLC is $25,000. Most of this cost is
for program development, implementation, and management for the evaluation study. The inclusion of
IMLS staff is estimated at an additional $7,948.40. Consequently, the total estimated cost to the Federal
Government is $32,798.40.
A.15. Reason for Program Changes or Cost Adjustments
There are no changes from the OMB Form 83-I. This is a new submission.
A.16. Project Schedule and Tabulation of Data
The timeframe of the Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project is March, 2017 through March, 2018 (tentative
dates contingent upon OMB approval).
Pilot Project Evaluation Timeline

Date

DICPP Anchor Organization Pre Project Survey (n=5)
DICPP Community Partner Pre Project Survey (n=25)

March 20-April 17, 2017
Begins within 14 days of OMB
approval and running maximum of
four weeks
November/December, 2017
November/December, 2017

DICPP Anchor Organization Post Project Survey
DICPP Community Partner Post Project Survey

Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project

DICPP Anchor Organization End of Project Self Evaluation
Survey
Project Manager Quarterly Reports
Monitor and Review Project implementation
Data Analysis
Final Deliverables/Evaluation Report

December, 2017
Quarterly 2017-18
Ongoing 2017-18
December, 2017-February, 2018
February-March, 2018

Quantitative data fields will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, particularly for ordinal
survey questions. Content analysis will be used to assess qualitative data, such as reviewing
In local digital inclusion plans and digital inclusion corps members’ blog posts. It is anticipated that
findings will be aggregated and will be shared with NDIA-PAST, IMLS and the museum and library
community at two national conferences (see also A.2 above).
FINAL DELIVERABLES:
End of Project Evaluation Report and PowerPoint slides and handouts from the final report for two
conference presentations.
A.17. Request to Not Display Expiration Date
No exemption from the requirements to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection is being requested for the Digital Inclusion Corps Pilot Project (DICPP).
The OMB approval number and expiration date will be displayed on all data collection materials and
documentation.
A.18. Exceptions to the Certification
No exception to the certification statement is requested.

Approval Request for Information Collection for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project