Notice2022-27515
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: VETS' Competitive Grant Program Reporting
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 20, 2022
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentVeterans Employment and Training Service
Abstract
VETS is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed revision of certain information the agency collects from grant recipients. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 243 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77896-77898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27515]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Veterans' Employment and Training Service
Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: VETS'
Competitive Grant Program Reporting
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: VETS is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the
proposed revision of certain information the agency collects from grant
recipients. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal
agencies are required to publish a notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days
for public comment in response to the notice.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all written comments received
February 21, 2023.
ADDRESSES: A copy of this Information Collection Request (ICR) with
applicable supporting documentation, including a description of the
likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total
burden, may be obtained for free by contacting Kate McCord by telephone
at (503) 806-4241 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c6aeb0b4b686a2a9aae8a1a9b0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="472f3135370723282b69202831">[email protected]</span></a>.
Submit written comments about this ICR to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#58302e2a28183c3734763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3f57494d4f7f5b505311585049">[email protected]</span></a>. Include
``HVRP 1293-0014 ICR Comments'' in the subject line.
Electronic submission: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7632393a29262437292623343a3f353612191a58111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9edad1d2c1ceccdfc1cecbdcd2d7dddefaf1f2b0f9f1e8">[email protected]</span></a>, identified by OMB Control
Number 1293-0014.
Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) if the information will be processed and used in a timely
manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate McCord by telephone at (503) 806-
4241 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98f0eeeae8d8fcf7f4b6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="68001e1a18280c0704460f071e">[email protected]</span></a>.
Include ``HVRP 1293-0014 ICR Information'' in the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Labor's VETS administers
funds for the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) grant on
an annual basis. These competitive grants are codified under 38 U.S.C.
2021, 2021A, and 2023.
VETS provides funds to grantees through annual Funding Opportunity
Announcements and incremental funding throughout the grant's three-year
(12 quarters) period of performance. The total number of grantees
varies from year to year based on the amount of available funds,
awarded in grants up to $500,000 each year or up to $1.5 million in
total.
The Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
monitors and supervises the distribution and use of those funds as
required by 38 U.S.C. 2021 (b) and 38 U.S.C. 2021A. Additionally, and
in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 2021 (e), the Secretary reviews
performance and provides an annual report to Congress on the program,
including an evaluation of the services furnished to veterans and an
analysis of the information we have collected.
VETS is requesting continued approval for this information
collection that streamlines the funding application process for
applicants, reports the use of grantee funds in sufficient detail to
allow interim adjustments that ensure all appropriated funding is
expended properly, and provides data needed for VETS' Annual Report to
Congress.
The forms and reports collect required programmatic and financial
data from applicants and grantees. The continued use of standardized
formats for collecting this information helps to ensure that requested
data is provided in a uniform way, reporting burdens are minimized, the
impact of collection requirements on respondents are properly assessed,
collection instruments are clearly understood by respondents, and the
information is easily consolidated for posting in accordance with
statutory requirements.
VETS is proposing the following additions to the form collection:
<bullet> VETS-705 Past Performance Chart. VETS intends to add a new
form to this collection, the VETS-705 Past Performance Chart, to
provide a standardized template for grant applicants without a previous
HVRP award to submit performance outcomes from completed projects.
VETS is proposing the following revisions to the forms:
<bullet> VETS-704 Applicant Synopsis/Abstract. VETS proposes to
rename this form to ``Abstract'' to better align with the terminology
used in the HVRP Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) definitions and
terms.
<bullet> VETS-700 Planned Goals Chart. VETS has historically
requested that applicants submit up to 24 planned goals and a list of
service delivery area counties. VETS proposes removing the requirement
to enter geographic location information and goals for participant
subgroups, training, and expenditures, which results in 16 fewer
measures on the form. The authoritative source for a grant's service
delivery area is the VETS-704 Abstract form; requiring county-level
details to be entered into the VETS-700 is unnecessary. VETS no longer
needs goals for participant subgroups and expenditures as they are not
relevant at the application stage and training subgoals are redundant
as there is only one standard training goal and it is a single
benchmark that applies to all grantees. In addition, the formatting of
the VETS-700 Planned Goals Chart only supports data entry for the first
four quarters of a performance measure. VETS recommends changing the
formatting to allow data entry for all 12 quarters of the grant's
period of performance. This allows applicants the flexibility to submit
quarter and/or program year-specific goals and displays a final set of
goals that encompass the grant's full three-year period of performance.
Lastly, this form is now included as a separate tab in the VETS-704
Abstract and in the VETS-701 TPR. The Planned Goals Chart is completed
once at application; the data is then pasted into the Planned Goals
Chart
<bullet> VETS-701 Technical Performance Report (TPR). On the
Planned Goals tab, VETS proposes grantees enter the goals shown on the
VETS-700 Planned Goals Chart and add three entries for planned
expenditures related to participant services, indirect costs, and
direct costs. On the Tech Perf Report tab, VETS proposes removing the
requirement to enter the number of eligibility assessments conducted
each quarter as VETS no longer needs to collect this information. On
the Participant Info tab, VETS proposes removing two services provided
entries: Transitional or Permanent Housing and the Work Attire/Tools/
Equipment; the former is a data point VETS no longer requires, and the
latter is redundant with another service (Employment Adjustment
Services) and will be incorporated into
[[Page 77897]]
those selections. Continuing the Participant Info tab, VETS proposes
replacing the free text Participant ID field with a form-generated,
unique within the TPR-identification code based on existing participant
data entries. VETS proposes to add service delivery area (SDA) fields
to record the participant's state, county, city, and zip code of
residence at the time of enrollment. This will allow VETS to map HVRP
services at the county level and compare grantees' proposed service
delivery areas to the locations of the participants being served. VETS
intends to add an LGBTQIA+ field to ensure equity in services to
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other sexual
and gender-diverse communities. VETS intends to add a field to record a
participant's military discharge status and modify the age at
enrollment field to date of birth. VETS proposes to add fields to
capture the number of training hours provided for each of the training
type categories and modify the services last provided entries for each
of the service type categories from a ninety-day selection window
(quarters) to the date last provided. VETS intends to add occupation
type selection fields to the placement, second quarter after exit, and
fourth quarter after exit questions in the participant follow-up
tracking section. Lastly, VETS has added a new tab titled, New
Enrollment Entry; it serves as optional new enrollment data input form
that assists in populating the Participant Info tab.
<bullet> VETS-702 Technical Performance Narrative (TPN). VETS
proposes to remove the question pertaining to ``Cumulative Percentage
of Participants Receiving Training Services,'' as the result of that
measure will now be addressed in the existing failed and/or minimal
performance narratives. VETS is also removing two financial review
questions related to the status of the SF-425 as finalized for
closeout. VETS proposes adding one additional question to the failed
and minimal performance narratives that asks grant recipients to
specify when an indicator's underperformance is related to a continuing
issue from prior quarters and explain what remedies have been taken to
address and improve performance over time. VETS has modified the
Quarters 5-8 section of the TPN from one field that provided narrative
explanations for both failed and minimal performance outcomes to two
separate fields, with one text box dedicated to failed performance and
one text box dedicated to minimal performance. The overall number of
questions in the TPN remains unchanged.
<bullet> VETS-703 Stand Down After Action Review (SDARR).
Currently, grant recipients have no way to explain why a required
service for a Stand Down event as stated in the FOA was not available.
By adding a comment box field to the form, grantees will be able to
provide narrative justification regarding the services provided to
Stand Down participants. This new field only applies if the grant
recipient did not provide certain required services at the Stand Down
event.
The Department's estimated burden total for the collection with the
proposed changes are shown in the chart below. Overall, the proposed
changes have increased the burden by two hours, from 11,004 to 11,006.
The overall estimated number of respondents decreased by 186 from 1,078
to 892, specifically for the VETS-700, VETS-703, and VETS-704. The
total estimated annual responses increased by two from 2,662 to 2,664.
The average time burden by response increased for the VETS-701 and
VETS-702 but decreased for the VETS-700 and VETS-703, with no changes
to the VETS-704.
Estimated Annual Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Type of Instrument (form/ Number of Number of Total number burden time Estimated
activity) respondents responses per of responses per response burden hours
respondent (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VETS-700 Planned Goals.......... 116 1 116 1.0 116
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 1-4; Year 58 4 232 14.0 3,248
1 Grantees)....................
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 1-4; Year 117 4 468 7.0 3,276
2 and Year 3 Grantees).........
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 5-8; Year 0 0 0 0 0
1 Grantees)....................
VETS-701 TPR (Quarters 5-8; Year 117 4 468 2.0 936
2 and Year 3 Grantees).........
VETS-702 TPN (Quarters 1-4; All 175 4 700 4.0 2,800
Grantees Years 1-3)............
VETS-702 TPN (Quarters 5-8; Year 117 4 468 1.0 468
2 and Year 3 Grantees).........
VETS-703 SDARR.................. 30 1 30 0.75 23
VETS-704 Abstract............... 116 1 116 1.0 116
VETS-705 Past Performance Chart. 46 1 46 0.5 23
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unduplicated Total.......... 892 28 2,644 4.2 11,006
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This information collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA). 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 the OMB approves it 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 OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR
1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
The DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an Information Collection Review
cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes
that currently approved information collection requirements submitted
to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo
review.
Agency: DOL-VETS.
Type of Review: Revision.
Title of Collection: VETS' Competitive Grant Program Reporting.
Forms:
1. VETS-700, Competitive Grants (CG) Planned Goals Chart;
2. VETS-701, CG Technical Performance Report (TPR);
[[Page 77898]]
3. VETS-702, CG Technical Performance Narrative (TPN);
4. VETS-703, Stand Down After Action Report (SDAAR);
5. VETS-704, Abstract and;
6. VETS-705, Past Performance Chart.
OMB Control Number: 1293-0014
Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private
Sector--businesses or other for-profits and not-for-profit
institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 892.
Frequency: Varies.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 2,644.
Estimated Average Time per Response: 4.2 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,006 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Cost Burden: $0.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).
James D. Rodriguez,
Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, U.S.
Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2022-27515 Filed 12-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 20, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.