Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request, 18283-18285 [2014-07276]

Agencies

• Corporation for National and Community Service

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18283-18285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07276]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review, Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has 
submitted a public information collection request (ICR) entitled 
AmeriCorps State Commission Support Grant Application Instructions to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Copies of this ICR, with applicable supporting 
documentation, may be obtained by calling the Corporation for National 
and Community Service, Mr. James Stone at 202-606-6885 or via email 
jstone@cns.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TTY-TDD) may call 1-800-833-3722 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk Officer for the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, by any of the following 
two methods within 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal 
Register:
    (1) By fax to: 202-395-6974, Attention: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk 
Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service; or
    (2) By email to: smar@omb.eop.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB is particularly interested in 
comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of CNCS, 
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;
     Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and
     Propose ways to 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.

Comments

    A 60-day Notice requesting public comment was published in the 
Federal Register on August 27, 2013. This comment period ended October 
28, 2013. Six entities provided comments. Individual comments and the 
disposition of each are addressed below.
    Two commenters focused on several aspects of how performance of 
state service commissions will be assessed. One commenter asked how 
progress toward state service plan objectives by commissions will be 
assessed. CNCS will expect commissions to report annually the progress 
they are making toward outcomes they identify in the theory of change 
logic model they submit with the Commission Support Grant Application. 
In addition, CNCS believes that capacity building is a critical 
activity shared by all state service commissions. Given this capacity 
building role, CNCS will require commissions to measure their 
performance against at least one aligned set of capacity building 
National Performance Measures.
    Two commenters stated that evaluation by CNCS would be a more 
effective mechanism for commission assessment than using performance 
measures or assessing accomplishment against a theory of change logic 
model. One commenter specifically mentioned resurrecting the State 
Administrative Standards project as a model of this type of evaluation. 
CNCS agrees that periodic inspection and evaluation can be effective 
ways to assess the impact of a project, verify compliance and confirm 
the accuracy of reported values. CNCS will continue to conduct risk-
based monitoring site visits to ensure program compliance and verify 
performance accomplishments. CNCS also believes that all grantees, 
including commissions, must have ways of regularly assessing their 
performance and reporting their accomplishments. Because a theory of 
change logic model allows performance and accomplishments to be 
assessed within a consistent and well-understood framework, CNCS will 
require state service commissions to submit a theory of change logic 
model and to select at least one aligned set of capacity building 
national performance measures as the basis for reporting on their 
accomplishments.
    One commenter expressed the opinion that better measures of value 
for a state service commission include the number of leveraged 
volunteers, geographic coverage of programming, compliance of 
subgrantees, and program development and growth. CNCS agrees with the 
commenter about the importance of these measures and intends to review 
these values in any assessment of state service commissions. CNCS 
expects commissions to report on these values in periodic progress 
reports rather than in the application for funding. CNCS staff has 
listened to state commissions that have expressed a desire to have a 
better method to capture the full value of a state commission's 
strategic efforts to address the critical needs of the state. Allowing 
commissions to articulate their priorities through a theory of change 
logic model is intended to give commissions the flexibility to 
communicate and define the intensions they have for national service in 
their state. And it also gives commissions a measure of control in how 
they may be assessed to reflect differences across state priorities.
    One commenter expressed a desire that CNCS take a more consultative 
approach with commissions to create better methods to capture the value 
of state commissions and their contribution to national service. CNCS 
looks forward to receiving input from state commissions and will expand 
ways to collaborate to improve the way commission performance is 
assessed. To that end, the development of commission-appropriate 
national performance measures is especially important. CNCS expects 
that states will select applicant-determined measures that will best 
capture aspects of commission outputs and outcomes as we move forward. 
CNCS anticipates that, through collaboration, these applicant-
determined measures could be the basis of commission-specific national 
performance measures in the future.
    One commenter expressed the opinion that the requirement to submit 
an application, a theory of change logic model, and performance 
measures, runs counter to Section 178(f) of the Serve America Act. This 
particular statutory provision gives the agency the option of waiving 
some types of administrative requirements otherwise applicable to 
grants made to states. However,

[[Page 18284]]

application, reporting and accountability are critical requirements 
when federal grant funds are provided for a particular purpose. And 
grant makers benefit from an environment of accountability. CNCS 
believes that state service commissions have a strong story to share 
with all types of funders and believes commissions can report on 
results achieved as a result of receiving these funds. Commissions have 
the flexibility of selecting their own performance measures (applicant 
determined measures) in addition to selecting a set of capacity 
building national measures. Having data that demonstrates the 
effectiveness of commissions enables CNCS to articulate the value of 
federal investment in commissions. CNCS believes that all grantees, 
including state service commissions, should be able to demonstrate that 
granted federal funds are effectively used for allowable purposes. 
Periodically reporting on accomplishments is vital to demonstrating the 
effective use of grant funds.
    One commenter expressed concern about linking state service 
commission performance on the Commission Support Grant to eligibility 
for competitive program grants. The organizational capability selection 
criterion for competitive grants has always included a commission's 
capacity to manage competitive grant resources as a factor in making 
AmeriCorps program grant award decisions. Information collected from 
the Commission Support Grant application as well as what may be 
included in periodic progress reports for that grant informs the CNCS 
assessment of a commission's capacity. In these application 
instructions, CNCS is not proposing any change to this capacity 
assessment.
    One commenter noted that CNCS was requesting information requested 
in previous applications or that might have been collected through 
monitoring activities including how commission monitoring and financial 
policies are being implemented. This commenter recommended that CNCS 
should only ask whether or not there have been any changes. CNCS agrees 
and expects state service commissions to respond to the questions under 
the three narrative application sections: Grant Outreach and Selection; 
Compliance and Performance; and Collaboration and Sustainability only 
at the beginning of each grant cycle or when the commission makes 
changes. CNCS does not expect a state service commission to rewrite 
these application sections when they apply for continuation funding in 
the succeeding years unless necessary to reflect a change in commission 
policy, procedure or operations. The applicant responses made in the 
initial application are carried forward to succeeding applications and 
only those sections needing modification are expected to be changed.
    One commenter asserted that adding a capacity building performance 
measure and requiring the submission of a theory of change logic model 
will incompletely capture the value of state service commissions while 
increasing the time burden on commission grantees to compile the 
requested information. CNCS acknowledges that the level of burden will 
be higher for some state service commissions and has increased the 
burden estimate. CNCS believes the inclusion of the theory of change 
logic model will better capture the value of commissions because 
commissions will have a way to articulate their aspirations and 
accomplishments on matters other than the management of subgrantee 
program awards. CNCS also believes the inclusion of an aligned set of 
capacity building national performance measures will allow commissions 
to report on the important accomplishments they all make in this area.
    Two commenters expressed concern that the capacity building measure 
is the only measure of success or accomplishment for a state service 
commission. CNCS recognizes that state service commission missions span 
a wide variety of responsibilities and vary widely from state to state. 
CNCS also believes that all commissions are engaged in capacity 
building activities related to outreach to new grantees, the training 
and support of subgrantees in their portfolio, the collaborative 
activities they undertake with their stakeholders, and the facilitation 
of volunteerism to address state priorities. Therefore CNCS believes a 
capacity building measure is appropriate to document these efforts not 
otherwise being reported under AmeriCorps program subgrants.
    CNCS encourages state service commissions to develop other measures 
to capture their accomplishments if they constitute a significant part 
of their mission. CNCS envisions state service commissions 
collaborating in the development of other standardized measures that 
might capture other important aspects of their operations. If there is 
sufficient consensus these measures could be included among the 
national performance measures in the future.
    One commenter expressed concern that instituting performance 
measures and a theory of change logic model may restrict programming 
efforts and limit innovation in addressing the needs in the state. One 
other commenter stated the capacity building measure was unnecessary 
because the state service plan already requires measurable goals and 
outcomes for national service programs in the state. The inclusion of 
the theory of change logic model and an aligned set of national 
capacity building performance measures is not intended by CNCS to 
restrict programming efforts. State service commissions, in 
collaboration with their stakeholders, determine the national service 
priorities in the respective states. The intent of the theory of change 
logic model is to have commissions condense the critical priorities of 
their state service plan in a concise standardized format and allow 
them to articulate these priorities to CNCS. Commissions should be able 
to use the measurable goals and outcomes they have included in their 
state service plan to inform their theory of change logic model to 
include with their Commission Support Grant application.
    One commenter expressed concern regarding the use of the percentage 
of programs meeting performance measures as an indicator for commission 
support grant accomplishment. CNCS uses a wide variety of compliance 
and performance information from its data systems to inform the 
assessment of the accomplishments of state service commissions. 
Meeting, partially meeting, on-track to meet, or not meeting 
performance measure targets are of factors that CNCS considers in 
assessing Commission Support Grant accomplishment. The application 
instructions have been amended to indicate that CNCS uses the progress 
of programs toward meeting performance measures to better capture how 
this information is used.
    Two commenters questioned the need for a performance measure for 
the Commission Support Grant. Another commenter stated CNCS should not 
impose a performance measure on the Commission Support Grant because 
Section 179 (k) of the National and Community Service Act limits 
performance measures to national service programs. That statutory 
provision requires performance measurement of national service 
programs, but does not prohibit performance measurement of other CNCS 
grants. CNCS supports a culture of accountability. It is in the best 
interest of CNCS and state service commissions to measure 
accomplishment and have performance measure information available to 
make the best case that money spent on and

[[Page 18285]]

by state service commissions is money well spent; performance 
measurement is one way to demonstrate that.
    As the Comptroller General testified to Congress on May 22, 2013: 
``Performance measurement, because of its ongoing nature, can serve as 
an early warning system to management and a vehicle for improving 
accountability to the public. To help ensure that their performance 
information will be both useful and used by decision makers, agencies 
must consider the differing information of various users--including 
those in Congress.''
    One commenter requested additional clarity regarding the definition 
of community and private sector resources as indicated in the inputs 
section of the theory of change logic model and specifically whether 
this includes state funds. CNCS has amended the application to clarify 
the intent is to capture all resources including those from the State, 
private funders or from Federal sources. The purpose is not to document 
sources of funding but the magnitude of resource commitment by the 
commission in addressing the community need and the strategies intended 
to be implemented by the commission.
    One person expressed a desire for examples and additional guidance 
on CNCS's expectations for the theory of change logic model. CNCS 
intends to provide technical assistance prior to the deadline for 
submission to assist commissions prepare their theory of change logic 
model and performance measures. CNCS expects to include examples at 
that time.
    One commenter stated the narrative questions are narrowly focused 
on AmeriCorps and do not allow commissions to articulate the breadth of 
their operations. CNCS recognizes that commission missions vary from 
state to state; however, all commissions are engaged in managing and 
overseeing AmeriCorps program grants. CNCS intends the questions 
provided in the guidance to be minimum starting points and not a 
specific limit on what may be included in state commission 
applications. If an activity is included in the state service plan and 
the commission is dedicating Commission Support Grant resources to that 
effort, it should be reflected in the commission's application.
    One commenter suggested that CNCS adopt a single open narrative 
instead of three-sections as proposed for 2014. CNCS considered a 
single narrative section but decided that there were efficiency gains 
by being able to separately process information related to the distinct 
outreach and selection, compliance and performance, and collaboration 
and sustainability sections.
    Description: CNCS is seeking approval of the AmeriCorps State 
Commission Application Instructions. State service commissions will 
respond to the questions included in this Information Collection 
Request in order to report on their use of federal funds and progress 
against their annual plan.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: AmeriCorps State Commission Support Grant Application 
Instructions.
    OMB Number: 3045-0099.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: State service commissions.
    Total Respondents: 54.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Average Time Per Response: 37 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,998 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

    Dated: March 26, 2014.
Bill Basl,
Director, AmeriCorps State and National.
[FR Doc. 2014-07276 Filed 3-31-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P