AGENCY:
Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice of information collection, request for comment.
SUMMARY:
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES:
To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before November 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments via email to Patrick Bourke, Good Jobs Program Lead, Economic Development Administration, at PBourke@eda.gov or PRAcomments@doc.gov. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Patrick Bourke, Good Jobs Program Lead, Economic Development Administration, at (202) 579–0218 or PBourke@eda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) leads the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Guided by the basic principle that sustainable economic development should be driven locally, EDA works directly with communities and regions to help them build the capacity for economic development based on local business conditions and needs. The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA) (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.) is EDA's organic authority and is the primary legal authority under which EDA awards financial assistance. Under PWEDA, EDA provides financial assistance to both rural and urban distressed communities by fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and productivity through investments in infrastructure development, capacity building, and business development to attract private capital investments and new and better jobs to regions experiencing economic distress. Further information on EDA programs and financial assistance opportunities can be found at www.eda.gov.
To effectively administer and monitor its economic development assistance programs, EDA collects certain information from applications for, and recipients of, EDA investment assistance. The purpose of this notice is to seek comments from the public and other Federal agencies on a request for a revision to the information collected from recipients of awards under the EDA American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Good Jobs Challenge. This is aligned with ensuring that Federal workforce investments are evidence-based and data-driven, and accountable to participants and the public. The original data collection instrument was filed under OMB 0610–0109. This request is to revise an existing question and add a new question to the current data collection instrument. The revised question will ask grantees to report participants' training status instead of asking if they have completed training, this will provide further disaggregated data. The new question will be asked of training providers to provide the total number of participants that completed the training program and have no plans to re-enroll in further training.
II. Method of Collection
Data will be collected electronically.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0610–0109.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Revision.
Affected Public: Recipients of ARPA Good Jobs Challenge awards, which may include a(n): District Organization; Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a state or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities or a consortium of political subdivisions; Institution of Higher Education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or Public or private non-profit organization or association, including labor unions, acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State. Additionally, training providers and participants in regional workforce training systems will be affected.
Estimated Number of Respondents: System Lead Entities: 32 respondents, responding semiannually; Training Providers: 200 respondents, responding quarterly; and Participants: 10,000 respondents, responding once. As the Good Jobs Challenge is a new program, EDA anticipates that these estimates will continue to be further refined based on data determined post-award.
Estimated Time per Response: System Lead Entity: 2 hours; Training Providers: 45 minutes per provider; Participants: 5 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,728 hours.
| Type of respondent (annual) | Number of respondents | Hours per response | Number of responses per year | Total estimated time (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Lead Entities | 32 | 2 | 2 (Semiannual) | 128 |
| Training Providers | * 400 | 45 minutes per training provider | 4 (Quarterly) | 1,200 |
| Participants | * 4,200 | 5 minutes per participant | 4 (Quarterly) | 1,400 |
| Total | 4,632 | 2,728 | ||
| * The number of responses should be considered estimates given the Good Jobs Challenge intended impact. Given investment alignment and program priorities are founded on equity, there could be lower number of stakeholders participating given their efforts to work with individuals most underserved. |
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $161,007 (cost assumes application of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics third quarter 2021 mean hourly employer costs for employee compensation for professional and related occupations of $59.02).
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory for System Lead Entities and Training Providers.
Legal Authority: The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq).
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023–20232 Filed 9–25–23; 8:45 am]
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