USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements, 86622-86623 [2023-27487]

Download as PDF 86622 Notices Federal Register Vol. 88, No. 239 Thursday, December 14, 2023 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). AGENCY: Notice of information collection; request for comment. ACTION: USAID invites public comment on our intent to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) approval for a new information collection. The Foreign Assistance Transparency and Accountability Act (2016) and The Foundations for Evidence Based Policy-Making Act (2019) enhance the transparency, accuracy, and reliability of USAID program and activity evaluations and processes of data collection and reporting. To comply with these Acts, USAID is currently revising the policy associated with its Evaluation Report Requirements. The requirements collect information from evaluators to establish the validity of research methodologies, standardize the presentation of research, ensure accuracy, and identify any conflicts of interest that could create bias or influence data analysis, findings, or recommendations. USAID is soliciting comments for this collection. DATES: Comments are due January 16, 2024. SUMMARY: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or by using the search function. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tania Alfonso, talfonso@usaid.gov, 202– 712–0144. lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 ADDRESSES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:39 Dec 13, 2023 Jkt 262001 USAID, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on the proposed information collection. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (88 FR 18292) on March 28, 2023.1 This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Title of Collection: USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements. OMB Control Number: To be issued by OMB. Type of Review: A new information collection. Respondents/Affected Public: USAID evaluation contractors. Estimated Number of Respondents: 32. Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 4.25. Estimated Time per Response: 8.25 hours. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,195 per year. Abstract: After a contractor is hired to evaluate a program or activity, USAID issues to the contractor three standardized information collection forms that are designed to ensure compliance with data quality and reporting standards as outlined in USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 201 and its annexes, including: one of three optional Evaluation Design Matrices; an Evaluation Report Template to be used for the submission of the final, and; a Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest to be completed by the contractor’s team leaders and researchers. The Evaluation Design Matrix provides a structured format for the contractor to present the overall approach and methodology for the contracted evaluation. Specifically, the optional form asks contractors to detail key research questions, sources of information, scope and methodology, and study limitations in the form of a SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1 USAID initially published a Notice of the proposed information collection, ‘‘USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements,’’ in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023 [88 FR 18292]. Due to a clerical error, the comment period closed after 56 days on May 23, 2023, and therefore did not meet not the statutory 60-day comment period required by the PRA. A Federal Register Notice published on [INSERT DATE] reopened the comment period for an additional 4 days. PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 table. The Evaluation Report Template guides the evaluator in submitting a final draft of the research report, including requiring the use of appropriate branding and marking on the cover page, style and formatting of the report, and required information and order of sections. Finally, external evaluators and evaluation team members are required to complete and submit to USAID a Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest form to disclose all relevant facts regarding real or potential conflicts of interest that could lead reasonable third parties with knowledge of the relevant facts and circumstances to conclude that the evaluator or evaluation team member is not able to maintain independence and, thus, is not capable of exercising objective and impartial judgment on all issues associated with conducting and reporting the work. USAID uses the data from the collection of information in these three types of forms for internal decision-making and external reporting requirements to the U.S. Congress. Copies of the information collection forms can be found in USAID’s Learning Lab in the Evaluation Toolkit. The data collected in the required forms will be available to the public when the Final Report is posted on the Development Experience Clearinghouse. USAID and the Office of Management and Budget are particularly interested in comments that: 1. 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; 2. 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; 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. 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:\FR\FM\14DEN1.SGM 14DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / Notices e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. Tania Alfonso, PPL/LER, Program Cycle Supervisory Team Lead, USAID. [FR Doc. 2023–27487 Filed 12–13–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6116–01–P AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Background Investigator Quality Control Survey Dated: December 11, 2023. Elizabeth Whiteman, Executive Secretary. USAID. Availability of survey. AGENCY: ACTION: Quality control survey to allow the USAID Office of Security Field Investigations program to obtain feedback on its background investigator workforce from members of the general public who are interviewed by USAID background investigators. DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or by using the search function. ADDRESSES: USAID, SEC/FI, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20523. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Shemonsky, (202) 712–1734, bshemonsky@usaid.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USAID currently conducts this quality control process via U.S. Mail and telephone calls. The agency is seeking to both modernize and simplify this process. Brian Shemonsky, Background Investigations Program Manager. [FR Doc. 2023–27430 Filed 12–13–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6116–01–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 [B–48–2023] Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 164; Authorization of Production Activity; Vallourec Star, LP; (Semi-Finished Steel Casing); Muskogee, Oklahoma On August 11, 2023, Vallourec Star, LP submitted a notification of proposed production activity to the FTZ Board for its facility within Subzone 164A, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. 17:39 Dec 13, 2023 Jkt 262001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [S–233–2023] Foreign-Trade Zone 24; Application for Subzone; GMA Accessories DBA Capelli New York; Pittston, Pennsylvania An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board by the Eastern Distribution Center, Inc., grantee of FTZ 24, requesting subzone status for the facility of GMA Accessories DBA Capelli New York (Capelli), located in Pittston, Pennsylvania. The application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign-Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a–81u), and the regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR part 400). It was formally docketed on December 8, 2023. The proposed subzone (28.08 acres) is located at 901 Sathers Drive, Pittston, Pennsylvania. No authorization for production activity has been requested at this time. The proposed subzone would be subject to the existing activation limit of FTZ 24. In accordance with the FTZ Board’s regulations, Juanita Chen of the FTZ Staff is designated examiner to review the application and make recommendations to the Executive Secretary. Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions shall be addressed to the FTZ Board’s Executive Secretary and sent to: ftz@trade.gov. The closing period for their receipt is January 23, 2024. Rebuttal comments in response to material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period to February 7, 2024. A copy of the application will be available for public inspection in the Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: December 11, 2023. Elizabeth Whiteman, Executive Secretary. [FR Doc. 2023–27483 Filed 12–13–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P Bureau of Industry and Security BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P PO 00000 ‘‘Online FTZ Information Section’’ section of the FTZ Board’s website, which is accessible via www.trade.gov/ ftz. For further information, contact Juanita Chen at juanita.chen@trade.gov. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE [FR Doc. 2023–27481 Filed 12–13–23; 8:45 am] SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 The notification was processed in accordance with the regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR part 400), including notice in the Federal Register inviting public comment (88 FR 56589, August 18, 2023). On December 11, 2023, the applicant was notified of the FTZ Board’s decision that no further review of the activity is warranted at this time. The production activity described in the notification was authorized, subject to the FTZ Act and the FTZ Board’s regulations, including section 400.14. 86623 Nordwind Airlines, Leningradskaya str., Building 25, Office 27. 28, Moscow Region, Khimki City,141402, Russia; Order Renewing Temporary Denial of Export Privileges Pursuant to Section 766.24 of the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR parts 730–774 (‘‘EAR’’ or ‘‘the Regulations’’),1 I hereby grant the request of the Office of Export Enforcement (‘‘OEE’’) to renew the temporary denial order (‘‘TDO’’) issued in this matter on June 15, 2023. I find that renewal of this order is necessary in the public interest to prevent an imminent violation of the Regulations and that renewal for an extended period is appropriate because Nordwind Airlines (‘‘Nordwind’’) has engaged in a pattern of repeated, ongoing and/or continuous apparent violations of the EAR. I. Procedural History On June 24, 2022, I signed an order denying Nordwind’s export privileges for a period of 180 days on the ground that issuance of the order was necessary in the public interest to prevent an imminent violation of the Regulations. The order was issued ex parte pursuant to Section 766.24(a) of the Regulations 1 On August 13, 2018, the President signed into law the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which includes the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, 50 U.S.C. 4801–4852 (‘‘ECRA’’). While Section 1766 of ECRA repeals the provisions of the Export Administration Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2401 et seq. (‘‘EAA’’), (except for three sections which are inapplicable here), Section 1768 of ECRA provides, in pertinent part, that all orders, rules, regulations, and other forms of administrative action that were made or issued under the EAA, including as continued in effect pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. (‘‘IEEPA’’), and were in effect as of ECRA’s date of enactment (August 13, 2018), shall continue in effect according to their terms until modified, superseded, set aside, or revoked through action undertaken pursuant to the authority provided under ECRA. Moreover, Section 1761(a)(5) of ECRA authorizes the issuance of temporary denial orders. 50 U.S.C. 4820(a)(5). E:\FR\FM\14DEN1.SGM 14DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 239 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86622-86623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27487]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 239 / Thursday, December 14, 2023 / 
Notices

[[Page 86622]]



AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT


USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report Requirements

AGENCY: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: USAID invites public comment on our intent to request the 
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for a new 
information collection. The Foreign Assistance Transparency and 
Accountability Act (2016) and The Foundations for Evidence Based 
Policy-Making Act (2019) enhance the transparency, accuracy, and 
reliability of USAID program and activity evaluations and processes of 
data collection and reporting. To comply with these Acts, USAID is 
currently revising the policy associated with its Evaluation Report 
Requirements. The requirements collect information from evaluators to 
establish the validity of research methodologies, standardize the 
presentation of research, ensure accuracy, and identify any conflicts 
of interest that could create bias or influence data analysis, 
findings, or recommendations. USAID is soliciting comments for this 
collection.

DATES: Comments are due January 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tania Alfonso, [email protected], 
202-712-0144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USAID, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the 
general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on 
the proposed information collection. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register (88 FR 
18292) on March 28, 2023.\1\ This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ USAID initially published a Notice of the proposed 
information collection, ``USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation 
Report Requirements,'' in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023 [88 
FR 18292]. Due to a clerical error, the comment period closed after 
56 days on May 23, 2023, and therefore did not meet not the 
statutory 60-day comment period required by the PRA. A Federal 
Register Notice published on [INSERT DATE] reopened the comment 
period for an additional 4 days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Title of Collection: USAID Revisions to ADS 201 Evaluation Report 
Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: To be issued by OMB.
    Type of Review: A new information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: USAID evaluation contractors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 32.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 4.25.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8.25 hours.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,195 per year.
    Abstract: After a contractor is hired to evaluate a program or 
activity, USAID issues to the contractor three standardized information 
collection forms that are designed to ensure compliance with data 
quality and reporting standards as outlined in USAID's Automated 
Directives System (ADS) 201 and its annexes, including: one of three 
optional Evaluation Design Matrices; an Evaluation Report Template to 
be used for the submission of the final, and; a Disclosure of Conflicts 
of Interest to be completed by the contractor's team leaders and 
researchers. The Evaluation Design Matrix provides a structured format 
for the contractor to present the overall approach and methodology for 
the contracted evaluation. Specifically, the optional form asks 
contractors to detail key research questions, sources of information, 
scope and methodology, and study limitations in the form of a table. 
The Evaluation Report Template guides the evaluator in submitting a 
final draft of the research report, including requiring the use of 
appropriate branding and marking on the cover page, style and 
formatting of the report, and required information and order of 
sections. Finally, external evaluators and evaluation team members are 
required to complete and submit to USAID a Disclosure of Conflicts of 
Interest form to disclose all relevant facts regarding real or 
potential conflicts of interest that could lead reasonable third 
parties with knowledge of the relevant facts and circumstances to 
conclude that the evaluator or evaluation team member is not able to 
maintain independence and, thus, is not capable of exercising objective 
and impartial judgment on all issues associated with conducting and 
reporting the work. USAID uses the data from the collection of 
information in these three types of forms for internal decision-making 
and external reporting requirements to the U.S. Congress. Copies of the 
information collection forms can be found in USAID's Learning Lab in 
the Evaluation Toolkit. The data collected in the required forms will 
be available to the public when the Final Report is posted on the 
Development Experience Clearinghouse.
    USAID and the Office of Management and Budget are particularly 
interested in comments that:
    1. 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;
    2. 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;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. 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,

[[Page 86623]]

e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Tania Alfonso,
PPL/LER, Program Cycle Supervisory Team Lead, USAID.
[FR Doc. 2023-27487 Filed 12-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6116-01-P
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