CLA Case Competition_ Supporting Statement

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and

Budget for Review and Approval; Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission

TITLE: USAID CLA CASE COMPETITION SUPPORTING STATEMENT

OMB Control Number: xxxx-xxxx

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) is an approach used by USAID to strengthen our organizational capacity to systematically improve data-driven decision-making, work effectively with a variety of partners and adapt to opportunities and challenges as they arise. Ultimately, CLA is an approach to improving the way in which we conduct our work, ultimately leading to better development outcomes. This approach was introduced to the agency in 2012.

In 2015, USAID piloted the CLA Case Competition as a creative approach to strengthen and celebrate adoption of CLA principles. The case competition is a voluntary competition wherein USAID employees and agency partners submit examples of how they applied CLA principles and the result. The submissions are judged through an internal, two round process, after which the winners and finalists are announced. While the winners and finalists are highlighted in USAID’s communication channels, no awards are given. Following the competition, the new submissions are tagged and uploaded into the CLA Case Competition library, contributing to agency learning across a variety of sectors and topics.

The CLA Case Competition achieves numerous objectives:

• Deepens understanding of how CLA principles are being applied throughout the organization,

• Celebrates innovative work being done in the area of CLA

• Contributes to an internet-based case study library accessible to USAID and the public, and

• Provides the basis for learning events.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

The case competition library is a foundational component of organizational learning, with the cases used in a variety of ways across the agency. Cases are tagged and shared with the relevant bureaus and offices, who can then incorporate the content into their work and communication. Below, please find examples of how case competition submissions have been used in the past (calendar) year. (The numbers are estimates because there are likely use cases of which we are not aware.)

• Shared in sector specific communication: Approximately six Washington bureaus incorporated submissions and winners in communication to the field (social media and newsletters).

• Basis as learning events: At least eight learning events have been conducted around learning from the case competition cases. The Agency Learning and Evaluation Team held an event with a competition winner, interviewing him about his experience partnering with local organizations (as opposed to U.S.-based organizations).

• Agency Training Courses: The cases are incorporated as case study exercises in agency training courses. This year, nine cases have been incorporated into course content.

• Reference: While unique to their contexts, many USAID activities face similar types of challenges. The publicly-available case competition library provides an easy-to-access portal for USAID staff and partners and is usually accessed about 3500 times a year.

We are focusing specifically on use of the cases this year, with a new work stream dedicated to it specifically. With this explicit focus, we anticipate higher use of the cases going forward.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

During the COVID pandemic all elements of the CLA Case Competition migrated online, including the communication, kick-off webinar, submission collection, judging, and winners’ announcement. The process for collecting the information is quite streamlined: the submission form is an electronic PDF which is downloaded from the case competition website (and is available for public printing). Submission packages require submitting the PDF document, an associated Google form (which collects information related to the submissions) and a photo. The submission package is uploaded on the website. If anyone encounters problems, they can contact us through an email address on the website. Following the judging, the results are available on the public website.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in item 2 above.

USAID searched for existing comparable collection instruments, but could not identify any that would meet the needs of our Agency. USAID developed and uses these forms to obtain the particular information that we need from our partners.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The data collection process is quite streamlined and does not have a significant impact on small businesses.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing the burden.

If the CLA Case Competition data is not collected, USAID will lose a core agency resource related to organizational learning. USAID would lose the ability to collect case studies that are particularly relevant to current agency priority areas and contextual circumstances. While learning events can be held with past winners, the energy around the year’s finalists would be lost resulting in fewer learning events. That lost energy would also likely decrease the number of visitors to the case study library.

The CLA Case Competition is conducted annually with no plans to hold it more than once a year. If the burden of the competition feels too heavy, people/organizations can elect not to participate thereby eliminating the burden completely.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

1. Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly:

None

2. Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it:

None

3. Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document: None

4. Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than 3 years:

None

5. In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study:

None

6. Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB:

None

7. That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or that unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use:

None

8. Requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law:

None

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.

On December 28, 2023, a 60-Day Federal Register Notice was published under Document 2023-28658. No comments were received. On March 1, 2024, a 30-Day Federal Register Notice was published under Document 2024-04347.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

Not Applicable: No payment or gifts are given to participants.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

The information collected related to individuals are names and email addresses of the person submitting a case and an associated USAID point of contact. That information is kept separate from the submission form, in a separate “Supplemental Information form,” and is placed in a single spreadsheet with restricted access.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

The CLA Case Competition does not collect sensitive information.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

Form Name	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Average. Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Annual Burden (in hours)	Assumptions / Calculations
CLA Case Competition Submission form	85	1	10 hours	850 hours	-Number of cases: calculated by dividing total number of cases (667 cases) by the total number case competition events (8). -Number of responses per respondent: Each team can submit one case -Average Burden per Response, Case Competition Submission Form: Averaged the response from several people who had submitted cases over several years who said it took 8-12 hours to write their submission
CLA Case Competition Supplemental info Form	85	1	1/6th of an hour (10 minutes)	14 hours	USAID staff timed themselves filling out the form, then rounded up the average time to 10 minutes.
Total			10 hours, 10 minutes	864	Total Annual Burden (in hours): number of hours x average burden per response

Notes:

-This competition is entirely voluntary. There are no expectations that anyone will participate any given year.

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection of information.

The estimate of the cost burden assumes that a mid-level employee (GS-11 paid $32/hour) is responsible for drafting the submissions. A total burden of $27,648 is calculated by multiplying the total time it takes to complete a case (10 hours) and enter it into a supplemental information google form (ten minutes) by the total number of submissions times the hourly wage, and rounded up.

14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government.

The estimated yearly cost of contract support to help execute the competition and upload the cases into the CLA Case Competition Library is $67,300. The cost which includes labor, 508 compliance and posting on the website. A contractor supports elements of the case competition, at a cost of $67,300.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported on the burden worksheet.

This is a new program.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

While case submissions will be analyzed and tracked over time, the analysis does not require complex analytical techniques. Submissions are published to a “Case competition library” every year.

Timeline

May: Case competition kick-off webinar

May-June: Cases are submitted

June-August: Cases are reviewed and judged

September: Finalists and winners are announced and cases are uploaded (and made publicly available on the website).

17. If you are seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

N/A. We are not seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions. N/A.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Our collection does not employ statistical methods.