[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56845-56847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25833]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA) Implementation Study
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation
Office, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a
preclearance 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). 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 is properly assessed.
Currently, DOL is soliciting comments concerning the collection of
site visit data for a study of the implementation of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). A copy of the proposed
Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the
office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addressee section below on or before January 29, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following
methods:
Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Janet Javar,
Chief Evaluation Office, OASP, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-2312,
200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: Please
submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All submissions
received must include the agency name and OMB Control Number identified
above for this information collection. Because we continue to
experience delays in receiving mail in the Washington, DC area,
commenters are strongly encouraged to transmit their comments
electronically via email or to submit them by mail early. Comments,
including any personal information provided, become a matter of public
record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the request for
OMB
[[Page 56846]]
approval of the information collection request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Janet Javar by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background: WIOA, signed into law on July 22, 2014, authorized
and amended a series of employment and educational programs under five
titles. DOL seeks to understand how the implementation of WIOA is
changing the core workforce programs authorized under Title I (Adult,
Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs) and the Employment Service
program authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act and amended by Title
III, as well as how the implementation is contributing to more
integration with stakeholders in programs authorized under Titles II
(Adult Education and Literacy) and IV (Vocational Rehabilitation).
DOL is funding a study to document and describe how critical state-
level activities under WIOA are being implemented and identify possible
areas for which further technical assistance, guidance, or policies
might be needed in order to help implement the law. The study's major
research questions are: (1) How are the critical reforms under WIOA
related to the core workforce programs for Title I and III being
implemented? (2) to what extent is WIOA's vision for an integrated
workforce system being achieved through state- and local-level
synergies between Titles I and III and Titles II and IV stakeholders?
and (3) what changes or supplemental technical assistance, guidance, or
policy would be helpful to states administering the core programs and
in providing guidance and oversight to the local level to improve
service quality and management?
This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on
the proposed data collection instruments for the semi-structured
interviews that will be used during site visits to support the
implementation study. Site visits will be conducted in 14 states and
two local areas per state and will include semi-structured interviews
with state and local area program staff to document WIOA
implementation. The state and local area program staffs who will be
interviewed include workforce board staffs; staffs responsible for
implementation of Titles I, II, III, and IV; state-level staffs in
charge of Unemployment Insurance (UI) program; other state- and local
area-level partner staffs involved in WIOA implementation; as well as
key American Job Center (AJC) operators and center management staffs.
Each respondent will be interviewed once on their experience with WIOA
implementation. A future information collection request will include a
national survey of state-level workforce administrators.
II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, DOL is soliciting
comments concerning the above data collection for the WIOA
implementation study. DOL is particularly interested in comments that
do the following:
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.
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--for example,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
III. Current Actions: At this time, DOL is requesting clearance for
the interview protocols to be used during the site visits.
Type of Review: New information collection request.
OMB Control Number: 1290-0NEW.
Affected Public: State and local program staff involved in WIOA
implementation.
Estimated Total Burden Hours
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Average
Total Annual Number of burden Annual Estimated
Type of instrument number number of responses time per estimated total
respondents respondents per response burden burden
respondent (hours) (hours) (hours)
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State-Level Staff Interview
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Workforce board................... 42 14 1 1.2 16.3 49
Title I Adult and Dislocated 70 23 1 1.3 30.3 91
Worker program...................
Title I Youth program............. 14 5 1 1.0 4.7 14
Title II (Adult Education and 84 28 1 1.3 37.3 112
Literacy) and IV (Vocational
Rehabilitation)..................
Title III (Employment Service 42 14 1 1.3 18.7 56
Program).........................
Unemployment Insurance............ 14 5 1 1.5 7.0 21
Other state partner............... 14 5 1 1.5 7.0 21
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Local-Level Staff Interview
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Workforce board................... 112 37 1 1.2 43.7 131
Title I Adult and Dislocated 56 19 1 1.0 18.7 56
Worker program...................
Title I Youth program............. 56 19 1 1.0 18.7 56
American Job Center Operator...... 28 9 1 1.25 11.7 35
American Job Center Manager....... 28 9 1 1.25 11.7 35
Title II (Adult Education and 112 37 1 1.5 56.0 168
Literacy) and IV (Vocational
Rehabilitation)..................
Title III (Employment Service 56 19 1 1.0 18.7 56
Program).........................
Other local partner............... 56 19 1 1.0 18.7 56
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Total......................... 784 261 ........... ........... 319 957
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[[Page 56847]]
Comments submitted in response to this 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: November 15, 2017.
Molly Irwin,
Chief Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2017-25833 Filed 11-29-17; 8:45 am]
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