ETA
Federal Register Notice ETA
Federal Register Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Standardized Program
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 (ETA) is
soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision and extension of
the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) individual-level reporting
system: Standardized Program Information Reporting (SPIR). A copy of
the proposed information reporting system 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 June 20, 1998. The Department is
particularly interested in comments which:
<bullet> 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;
<bullet> 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;
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
<bullet> Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate electronic
reporting mechanisms.
ADDRESSEE: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Office of Policy and Research, Rm. N5637, 200
Constitution Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, ATTN: Douglas Scott,
Telephone: (202) 219-5487 ex. 111, fax: (202) 219-5455 (these are not
toll-free numbers), Internet: ED.SCOTTD@DOLETA.GOV
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The JTPA at Section 165 requires that all state and local agencies
operating programs funded under Titles II-A (services to disadvantaged
adults), II-C (services to disadvantaged youth), Section 204(d)
(services to older workers) and Title III (services to dislocated
workers) of the Act maintain standardized participant records and
report this information in a manner prescribed by the Secretary. States
report on participants' demographic and labor force characteristics,
services received, and educational and labor force status before and
after program participation. Uniform data are maintained on those who
have participated in JTPA programs during a given year and who have
left the programs. This information is used for public information and
program evaluation, as well as to monitor program performance and to
assess regulatory compliance.
The complete SPIR data base allows the Department to set levels for
national performance standards required in the law. The Department also
uses these data to provide States with regression-based local
adjustment factors and models for setting benchmarks and assessing how
well local programs achieve good results in a broad range of
employment-related and skill enhancing outcomes. SPIR data are
necessary for the Department's performance monitoring consultations
with local and State JTPA programs. The data also support requirements
in the Government Performance and Results Act requiring federal
agencies to evaluate the impact and results of government investment in
job training and employment programs.
Reinstatement will enable DOL to continue this reporting system and
to enhance it to accommodate changes and developments in the employment
and training system that have occurred since the SPIR data base was
originally established. Enhancements will also allow States to use
administrative data (earnings records) currently collected by the
Unemployment Insurance (UI) program to track the labor force experience
of program participants in order to gauge program results more
accurately and efficiently. Further enhancements are to clarify the
linkages
[[Page 20216]]
between enrollees in JTPA programs and other programs, such as the new
Welfare-to-Work program and Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services,
and to implement technical corrections, such as the expansion of date
fields to accommodate Year 2000 reporting.
II. Current Actions
The SPIR data base provides standardized information on job
training and placement programs operated by all States and 640 sub-
state service delivery organizations. The SPIR data base serves a
number of essential functions required by JTPA and other laws and
regulations. For example, data in the SPIR system are used by the
Department to evaluate State and local program operations in relation
to performance standards established by the Department in consultation
with its partners. Local programs which are exceeding standards are
eligible to receive monetary performance incentives, and programs which
do not meet standards are subject to corrective action, including
technical assistance.
The SPIR data base is an integral part of the national JTPA
program. The purposes of changes and enhancements proposed in this
submission are to:
1. Enhance the ability of the data base system to track
participants who are also receiving services under other programs;
2. To identify individuals who were referred to JTPA through
integrated workforce development programs operated at the State or
local level;
3. To allow States to track the post-program experience of
individuals through the use of administrative data (earnings records)
collected by State UI programs;
4. To increase the frequency of data transfers from yearly to
quarterly in order to improve the timeliness of program information;
and
5. To implement technical requirements such as the revision of
certain program names, and changing the format of date fields to be
Year 2000 compliant.
Type of Review: Reinstatement with changes.
Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
Title: Standardized Program Information Reporting (SPIR).
OMB Number: 1205-0321.
Affected Public: State governments, local service delivery areas
(SDAs), and local sub-state areas (SSAs).
Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: Authority to collect this information is
provided in three Sections of the JTPA legislation:
Section 106--Performance Standards
This Section directs the Secretary to prescribe standards for adult
programs under the Titles included in the SPIR system. Establishing
standards and monitoring performance requires data on performance
levels. This Section also makes provision for Governors to vary
standards for local-level programs with reference to local economic
factors, the characteristics of the population being served, and the
types of services being provided.
Section 165--Reports, Record keeping, and Investigations
This Section requires federal grant recipients to maintain records
and report information regarding program performance and fiscal
management as specified by the Secretary. It also specifically requires
recipients ``to maintain standardized records for all individual
participants and provide to the Secretary a sufficient number of such
records to provide for an adequate analysis.''
Section 169--Administrative Provisions
The Secretary is directed at (d)(1) to submit an annual report to
Congress summarizing the achievements of the program. This report
includes data on program performance.
The collection instrument is the Standardized Program Information
Reporting (SPIR) instructions and report format specifications. The
SPIR itself is an electronic computer file in a specified form which is
submitted by respondents via diskette, modem, electronic tape, or the
Internet.
Total Respondents: 52--the States, District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico.
Frequency: Quarterly.
Total Responses: We receive one data set from each of the 52
reporting units. Each of these sets contains one record for each
individual who has terminated from participation in a JTPA program
included in SPIR reporting requirements during the reporting period.
Thus, the number of records in each set varies depending on the number
of individuals served under JTPA. The total report submission for the
most recent reporting period (Program Year 1996) consisted of 589,806
individual records.
The following table documents changes in the burden hours
associated with the proposed SPIR revisions. (Note: the most recent
SPIR authorization referenced a burden hours estimate of 20,140 hours.
This was, in fact, the increase over the original SPIR authorization
bringing the authorized burden hours to 439,365. For this reason the
table used the 439,365 estimate as the departure point for burden hours
estimates.)
Change in Burden Hours.--First Interim Year of Revision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Affected Average burden
Activity respondents hours per hours
year (national)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently Authorized............. ........... ........... 439,365
Change in Record Volume +11%..... 52 310 455,485
Move to Quarterly Reporting...... 52 30 457,045
New and Revised Data Elements.... 52 80 461,205
Start-up Requirements for Wage
Records......................... 5 100 461,705
Routine Data Gathering for Wage
Records......................... 5 50 461,955
Decrease in Reporting Burden
Associated with Move to Wage
Records......................... 5 -1203 455,940
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net Change in Reporting Burden, 1st Year: +16,575.
Burden hours calculation refers to the first year after
implementation of changes. For example, if the increase over the three
year period in volume of records is 11%, then 439,365 hours will
increase to 487,695 hours--a net increase of 48,330 hours attributable
to change in volume of records processed. This is an average increase
of 16,110 per year, as reflected in the table.
Average Time per Response: 8,768 total hours per reporting unit
(State) to compile and transmit electronic records for JTPA terminees
included in the data transfer. The actual time per response varies
widely depending on the number
[[Page 20217]]
of individuals served in the State's programs.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): All respondents are currently
operating production-status SPIR reporting systems. Estimated average
marginal costs to implement changes described in this Notice: $7,500.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): All respondents maintain
management information systems required to operate their JTPA programs.
Satisfying SPIR reporting requirements is one of a number of functions
these systems perform. The costs of operating and maintaining these
systems vary widely, ranging from States with only a single Service
Delivery Area (e.g., Delaware) to California which has 52 Service
Delivery Areas within the State.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 455,940.
Change from Prior Authorization: Increase of 16,575 hours.
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: April 15, 1998.
Gerri Fiala,
Director, Office of Policy and Research.
[FR Doc. 98-10838 Filed 4-22-98; 8:45 am]
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