Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; ETA Quick Turnaround Surveys, 62923-62924 [2016-21916]

Agencies

• Employment and Training Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62923-62924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21916]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; ETA 
Quick Turnaround Surveys

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of continuing efforts 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of 
information before submitting them to the OMB for final approval. This 
program helps to ensure requested data can be provided in the desired 
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements can be properly assessed.
    This information collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA), (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received by 
November 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation, 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free by 
contacting Richard Muller by telephone at (202) 693-3680, TTY (202) 
693-7755, (these are not toll-free numbers) or by email at 
muller.richard@dol.gov.
    Submit written comments about, or requests for a copy of, this ICR 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, 
Attention: Richard Muller, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-5641, 
Washington, DC 20210; by email: muller.richard@dol.gov; or by Fax (202) 
693-2766.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Richard Muller by telephone at 
(202) 693-3680 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
muller.richard@dol.gov.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ETA is soliciting comments regarding a 
revision to the current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance 
for a series of quick turnaround surveys in which data will be 
collected from State workforce agencies, local workforce investment 
areas, and other entities involved in employment and training and 
related programs. The surveys will focus on a variety of issues 
concerning the very broad spectrum of programs administered by ETA 
including but not limited to the governance, administration, funding, 
service design, and delivery structure of workforce programs authorized 
by the Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act of 2014 (WIOA) and other 
statutes.
    ETA has a continuing need for information on the operation of all 
of its programs and is seeking another extension of the clearance for

[[Page 62924]]

conducting a series of 8 to 20 separate surveys over the next 3 years. 
Each survey will be short (typically 10-30 questions) and, depending on 
the nature of the survey, may be administered to state workforce 
agencies, local workforce boards, American Job Centers, employment 
service offices, or other entities involved in employment and training 
or related activities. Each survey will be designed on an ad hoc basis 
and will focus on topics of pressing policy interest. Examples of broad 
topic areas include:

     Local management information system developments
     New processes and procedures
     Services to different target groups
     Integration and coordination with other programs
     Local workforce investment board membership and 
training

ETA needs quick turnaround surveys for a number of reasons. The most 
pressing reason concerns the need to understand key operational issues 
in light of changes in focus deriving from the Administration's policy 
priorities. ETA needs timely information that identifies the scope and 
magnitude of various practices or problems, and to fulfill its 
obligations to develop high quality policy, research, administrative 
guidance, regulations, and technical assistance.
    ETA will request data in the quick turnaround surveys that are not 
otherwise available. Other research and evaluation efforts, including 
case studies or long-range evaluations, either cover only a limited 
number of sites or take many years for data to be gathered and 
analyzed. Administrative information and data are too limited. The 
Five-Year Workforce Investment Plans, developed by States and local 
areas, are too general in nature to meet ETA's specific informational 
needs. Quarterly or annual data reported by States and local areas do 
not provide information on key operational practices and issues. Thus, 
ETA has no alternative mechanism for collecting precise information 
that both identifies the scope and magnitude of emerging issues and 
provides the information on a quick turnaround basis.
    ETA will make every effort to coordinate the quick turnaround 
surveys with other research it is conducting, in order to ease the 
burden on local and State respondents, to avoid duplication, and to 
fully explore how interim data and information from each study can be 
used to inform other studies. Information from the quick turnaround 
surveys will complement but not duplicate other ETA reporting 
requirements or evaluation studies. Section 169 of WIOA authorizes this 
information collection for both evaluation activities (Section 169 (a)) 
and research activities (Section 169 (b)).
    CURRENT ACTION: The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and 
Training Administration (ETA) is soliciting comments concerning a 
proposed revision for the authority to conduct the information 
collection request (ICR) titled, ``Quick Turnaround Surveys.'' This 
comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the PRA.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:

     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
     minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Interested parties are encouraged to provide comments to the contact 
shown in the ADDRESSES section. Comments must be written to receive 
consideration, and they will be summarized and included in the request 
for OMB approval of the final ICR. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention 1205-0436.
    Submitted comments will also be a matter of public record for this 
ICR and posted on the Internet, without redaction. The DOL encourages 
commenters not to include personally identifiable information, 
confidential business data, or other sensitive statements/information 
in any comments.
    Agency: DOL-DOL-ETA.
    Type of Review: REVISION.
    Title of Collection: Quick Turnaround Surveys.
    Form: N/A.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0436.
    Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private 
Sector--businesses or other for-profits and not-for profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 620.
    Frequency: Various.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 25,000.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 2 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,333 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-21916 Filed 9-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P