JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized Participant Information Reporting (SPIR) System; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized

Participant Information Reporting (SPIR) System; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to

reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance

consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies

with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing

collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to

ensure that 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 on respondents can be properly assessed.

Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed extension of the Standardized

Participant Information Reporting system (SPIR). A copy of the proposed

information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by contacting the

addressee listed below.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before May 26, 1998.

The Department of Labor 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; and

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).

ADDRESSES: Anna Goddard, Director, Office of National Programs,

Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room

N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone:

(202) 219-5500 (VOICE) (this is not a toll-free number) or INTERNET:

[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of

Labor is seeking an extension of its approved JTPA, Title IV, Section

402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized Participant

Information Reporting (SPIR) system for a period of three program years

(July 1, 1998 to June 30, 2001). This decision stems from favorable

experience during both the pilot test year (ending June 30, 1995 with

19 grantees participating) and two consecutive program years (ending

June 30, 1997). DOL is currently reviewing

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the performance standards and reporting system for this program in an

effort to enhance program accountability and improve reporting. As a

result, future changes to the reporting format and instructions may be

necessary. However, for the purpose of this approval, only minor

modifications have been made in reporting due to cross-program changes

in the Federal Register Notice to the definition of Race/Ethnicity and

all references from AFDC to TANF.

II. Current Actions

The proposed ICR will be a continuation of an existing system

currently in place and used by all Section 402 grantees as the primary

reporting vehicle for individuals enrolled and terminated from the

program, their demographic characteristics, training and services

provided and outcomes including job placement and employability

enhancements. This is a request for an extension of an existing

collection from a previously approved ICR.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Employment & Training Administration.

Title: Standardized Participant Information Reporting system for

the JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs OMB

Number: 1205-0350.

Recordkeeping: Grantees shall retain supporting and other documents

necessary for the compilation and submission of the SPIR for three

consecutive years.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit organizations.

Cite/Reference/Form/etc: The collection instrument is the

Standardized Participant Information Record (SPIR) and Instructions. A

SPIR Form is provided for optional use in gathering information at the

grantee field office level. The SPIR itself is a computer file in a

specified form which is submitted by grantees via diskette, modem or

INTERNET.

Total Respondents: 53.

Frequency: Quarterly and One-Time Report.

Total Responses: 265 (53 times 5) (There are four quarterly

submissions per year plus a fifth submission which includes the 13-week

follow-up data obtained for individuals terminating in the last quarter

of the program year.

Average Time per Response: 3.6 additional burden hours. The average

time per response varies widely depending on the degree of automation

attained by individual grantees. Grantees also vary according to the

numbers of individuals served in each program year. If the grantee has

a fully developed MIS, the response time is limited to one-time

programming plus processing time for each response. All efforts are

being directed towards this end, so that response time for reporting

will eventually sift down to an irreducible minimum with little human

intervention. Currently, it is estimated at 3.6 hours per response.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 954 hours. (53 respondents times 5

submissions times 3.6 hours each = 954 total hours)

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): No additional Burden Cost for

capital/startup as all grantees are currently reporting using the SPIR.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): DOL's estimated annual

burden cost for maintaining a centralized SPIR database system for JTPA

Title IV-B programs is $265,000 (53 grantees times $5,000). The cost

for programs who maintain and operate their own data systems will vary

widely among grantees, from nearly no additional cost to some higher

figure depending on the state of automation attained by each grantee.

However, the majority of grantees use DOL's statistical support

contractor SPR Associates for data management. Therefore, there is no

extra burden cost to grantees unless they purchase new automated

equipment.

Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be

summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and

Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: March 18, 1998.

Anna Goddard,

Director, Office of National Programs.

[FR Doc. 98-7624 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]

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