This emergency collection is approved as submitted. OMB notes that this collection is is comprised of small components of two larger studies. This approval is limited to the site visits discussed here. DOL will, if approval will be needed for more than 6 months, begin the process of obtaining PRA approval under normal processing.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
07/31/2012
6 Months From Approved
756
0
0
1,046
0
0
0
0
0
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is seeking approval to collect site visit data from organizations that received grants under four Solicitations for Grant Applications (SGAs) that were issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA): Pathways Out of Poverty (POP), Energy Training Partnership (ETP), State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP), and Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries Training grant initiative. POP, ETP and SESP are all Green Jobs training programs.
Emergency clearance is necessary for several reasons. The POP and ETP grants expire at the end of January 2012; consequently data from the POP and ETP grant sites included in two evaluations of these grants' performance must be collected while they are still in operation. Losing this opportunity to visit the POP and ETP grants would mean the studies would lose its ability to look at green jobs. The POP grants are the only green jobs training grants available for the impact evaluation and there is only one site from the POP grants that met the selection criteria for the impact study. There is keen interest in learning more about the POP grants in general of which site visits to eleven are included in the implementation study. Failure to collect site visit data will affect rigorous evaluations of these grants. For example, site visits are the only way the research team can observe the training programs in operation and collect real time data that amplifies the findings through other documentation. Lack of a rigorous evaluation process will mean that no information will be available on the potential of training for green jobs as a strategy for reducing poverty or increasing employment. Finally, approximately 9 million dollars of ARRA funds are dedicated to evaluating these grants. Failure to conduct a rigorous evaluation through site visits will make these evaluations less usable in terms of guiding future policy initiatives. Conducting these evaluations without appropriate operational data collection would be a waste of the taxpayer stimulus dollars that are currently dedicated to these evaluations. In summary, delaying the site visits will make it impossible to record the operational information on the green jobs training program to better interpret the impacts on participants earnings of training in green and emerging and high growth occupations.
US Code:
29 USC 2917
Name of Law: Workforce Investment Act
PL:
Pub.L. 106 - 303 414(c)
Name of Law: American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Green jobs - emergency justification note to reviewer - 12-27 - 2011.doc
Impact Study Site Visits