Response to Terms of Clearance

Response to Terms of Clearance

1) Monthly data will be presumed to be for internal use, but where made public, DOE will caveat the data as "preliminary/informal and subject to change";

The monthly data was used substantially for internal use. However, when information was provided publicly, or in response to congressional inquiries, it was appropriately caveated as “preliminary/informal and subject to change.”

2) DOE will include language reflective of term 1) in both its supporting statements and guidance;

DOE has informed grantees that the accuracy of data improves over time, and that diligence is required to continuously improve data. The monthly data was used primarily for internal use, and when awardees requested guidance on providing any data publicly, DOE recommended they caveat such data as “preliminary/informal and subject to change.” http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/pdfs/wap_arra_reporting_requirements.pdf

3) DOE will continue to collect jobs data on a quarterly rather than monthly basis;

DOE has collected jobs data on a quarterly basis. Details on reporting requirements are available here: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/pdfs/wap_arra_reporting_requirements.pdf

4) Upon resubmission, DOE will re-assess the need for monthly relative to quarterly reporting.

DOE has assessed the need for monthly reporting relative to quarterly reporting. The supporting statement reflects a decrease in reporting frequency (monthly to quarterly) due to expending ARRA funding and returning to the standard burden and allocation. In the 2010 request, the WAP Program had $5 billion under ARRA to be spent by March 2012 compared to $200 M historically annually.  In order to adequately monitor, report, and ensure transparency and accountability, we required monthly and quarterly reporting given the increase in funding for this program. A total of $131.7 million has been allocated to WAP for Program Year (PY) 2013, similar to traditional funding levels. As such, WAP is able to reduce the burden to quarterly and annual reporting. In addition, WAP was able to simplify the quarterly and annual reports to closely align with 10 CFR 440, and to minimize the burden to award recipients. Finally, WAP was able to create one simplified report, the Combined Monitoring, Technical Assistance and Leveraging Report incorporating several reports into on and reducing any potential redundancy in reporting.