ED will seek OMB
approval of new performance measures and changes to existing
performance measures.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
02/28/2011
36 Months From Approved
9,000
0
37,303
201,000
0
807,996
0
0
0
The U.S. Department of Education (ED)
information collection package, OMB Control number 1890-0004,
currently includes three distinct information collection
instruments: the ED 524 Budget Form, the ED 524B Grant Performance
Report and the recordkeeping and reporting requirements in the
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). As
part of the renewal of these instruments, ED is requesting that
each of these information collection instruments be approved under
separate OMB control numbers. The ED 524B will retain the 1890-0004
control number. In this information collection package, ED is
requesting a three year renewal of the ED 524B with the
understanding that once the government-wide Performance Progress
Report is implemented, ED will transition to the new form. In
separate information collection packages, ED is requesting a new
OMB control number for the ED 524, Budget Information Form and
Instructions and a new OMB control number for the EDGAR
administrative requirements. The ED 524B form and instructions are
used in order for grantees to meet ED deadline dates for submission
of performance reports for Department discretionary grant programs.
Recipients of multi-year discretionary grants must submit an annual
performance report for each year funding has been approved in order
to receive a continuation award. The annual performance report
should demonstrate whether substantial progress has been made
toward meeting the approved goals and objectives of the project. ED
program offices may also require recipients of forward funded
grants that are awarded funds for their entire multi-year project
up-front in a single grant award to submit the ED 524B on an annual
basis. In addition, ED program offices may also require recipients
to use the ED 524B to submit their final performance reports to
demonstrate project success, impact and outcomes. In both the
annual and final performance reports, grantees are required to
provide data on established performance measures for the grant
program (e.g., Government Performance and Results Act measures) and
on project performance measures that were included in the grantees
approved grant application. The ED 524B also contains a number of
questions related to project financial data such as Federal and
non-Federal expenditures and indirect cost information. Performance
reporting requirements are found in 34 CFR 74.51, 75.118, 75.253,
75.590 and 80.40 of the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR).
The total burden hours for the
1890-0004 collection are being reduced from 807,996 to 201,000
hours. A program change reduction of 336,678 burden hours has
occurred due to the movement of the ED 524 and EDGAR Administrative
Requirements to separate collections that will now have new OMB
control numbers. A 298,620 burden hour reduction is from the ED 524
and a 38,058 burden hour reduction is from the EDGAR administrative
requirements. (Note that the actual burden hours requested for the
new ED 524 collection are 297,500. This slight reduction from the
current approved burden hours of 298,620 now contained within
1890-0004 is due to a projected decrease in applicants. Meanwhile,
the burden hours requested for the new EDGAR administrative
requirements collection are 33,395, a reduction from the current
approved burden hours of 38,058 resulting from a decrease in the
number of respondents (based on FY 2006 award data). Also please
note that the administrative requirements burden hour estimates did
increase for time extension notifications based on actual time
extension data, but in total there was a reduction.) There has also
been a decrease in total annual burden hours requested for the ED
524B, which is the remaining information collection instrument in
the 1890-0004 collection. In the previous clearance of 1890-0004,
ED had cleared enough burden so that all discretionary grant
programs could use the ED524B form; however, actual usage data
indicates that a number of ED discretionary grant programs continue
to clear their own program-specific performance report forms due to
unique statutory data collection requirements that cannot be
accommodated by the standard format and questions of the ED 524B.
Based on projected program usage of the ED 524B for FY 2008 and
2009, we are requesting 201,000 total annual burden hours for the
ED 524B (see calculations under #12). This is an adjustment
decrease of 270,318 burden hours. ED increased the respondent
burden hour estimate for grantees completing the ED 524B as a final
performance report from an average of 22 hours to an average of 23
hours per response to reflect the fact that the grantee is required
to provide additional information in the final performance report
beyond what is required in the annual performance report. This
increase, however, is reflected in the requested 201,000 total
annual burden hours.
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.