Abbreviated Supporting Statement

OMB Approval No. 1205-0436

Expiration Date: 11/30/2013

ABBREVIATED SUPPORTING STATEMENT

CLEARANCE FORM (request for extension)

A.1. Title: Quick Turnaround Survey of Wagner-Peyser Employment Service Gold Card Initiative
A.2. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.5: Yes __X_ No _____	A.3. Assurances of confidentiality: None
A.4. Federal cost: 0.00	A.5. Requested expiration date (Month/Year): August 1, 2013
A.6. Burden Hour estimates: a. Number of Respondents: 53 a.1. % Received Electronically 100% b. Frequency: Monthly c. Average Response Time: 4 Hours d. Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,272 Hours	A7. Does the collection of information employ statistical methods? ____X___ No _______ Yes (Complete Section B and attach OCEO review sheet).
A.8. Abstract: The Gold Card Initiative, a high-priority DOL effort to provide intensive employment services more quickly and easily to the unemployed post-9/11 era veterans, began in November 2011. At that time, however, the LERS (OMB Control NO. 1205-0240) did not include data elements to collect information on the target population and the services they received under the new initiative. Therefore data elements were incorporated as part of that information collection request. The collection of the additional data was to begin in July 2012; however due to technological delays with the reporting system the new LERS data has been postponed until August 2013. This is a request for a no change extension of approval for the continued collection of these data elements until the LERS data can be collected through that reporting system, now scheduled to activate August 2013. The previous request for collection of these data elements was for the end of December 2012 on the assumption that the LERS collection system would be ready by then, and OMB issued an NOA on May 15, 2012, to expire the end of December, 2012, on that assumption. This request is for a two-question survey to be continued on a monthly basis, for six months, to obtain information on post-9/11-era veterans receiving services. Respondents to the survey are staff responsible for reporting under the Wagner-Peyser Act, or for administering Jobs for Veterans’ State Grants in 53 state and territorial jurisdictions.  This data will provide information on each of these jurisdictions on post-9/11-era veterans served through the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service under the new Gold Card Initiative. The information to be collected through the monthly survey is needed for two purposes: 1) to provide sufficient data to develop performance benchmarks for the forthcoming data items in the LERS and 2) to provide more “real-time” data on service levels so that federal and state program managers can assess levels of service, and if needed, provide timely technical support and assistance to the states to better serve these individuals. The monthly data collection is needed to collect and provide data sooner than would be available through the LERS, to have sufficient data points to understand service levels in the near term for technical assistance, and to establish valid performance expectations when the new data element is implemented in LERS. The survey consists of two questions:  1) the number of post-9/11 era veterans served through the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service and 2) the number of those veterans who received intensive services, and one demographic identifier: 1) the two letter state code. The respondents to the survey would be state-level workforce personnel responsible for submitting the LERS (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands).   At the local One-Stop level the staff who handle intake report to their Workforce Investment Boards and State counterparts the participation and service rates in their local area. The monthly surveys would begin (again) in February 1, 2013 and continue through August 1, 2013. The monthly survey would provide sufficient data points to understand variations across the workforce system in the program’s performance and ability to meet its goal in serving this small, high-priority population.