ombrocisSOLICTATIONTEMPLATE2021supportstatement

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
Office on Violence Against Women Solicitation Template
A. Justification
1.

Statutorily-Mandated Need for Information

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) administers financial support and technical
assistance to communities around the country that are creating programs, policies, and practices
aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Its mission is to
provide national leadership to improve the Nation’s response to these crimes through the
implementation of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) as amended and
reauthorized in 2000, 2005 and 2013. OVW pursues this mission by supporting community
efforts, enhancing education and training, disseminating best practices, launching special
initiatives, and leading the Nation’s efforts to end violence against women.
Currently, OVW administers 19 grant programs, four of which are formula grant programs,
all of which were established under VAWA and subsequent legislation. Since its inception in
1995, OVW has awarded billions in grant funding and cooperative agreements and has launched
a multifaceted approach to implementing VAWA. These grant programs are designed to develop
the nation’s capacity to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by
strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable for their action. OVW posts grant
program solicitations, closes solicitation periods, performs initial internal reviews, conducts peer
reviews, makes funding decisions and ultimately makes awards on a staggered basis by grant program
according to a master calendar that ensures that grant awards are made in a timely manner in a specific
fiscal year. The date of the posting of a solicitation is set by working backwards from the date that
OVW is required to award grant funds.
OVW developed a solicitation template and an accompanying Grant Program Reference
Guide to assist potential grantees in applying for current OVW programs. The solicitation
template ensures that all applicants to OVW grant programs will be asked to provide uniform
information in a consistent manner. The information addressed in the solicitation template
includes: Application for Federal Assistance; Standard Assurances and Certifications; Financial
Accounting Practices; Summary Data Sheet; Proposal Abstract; Summary of Current OVW
Projects; Project Narrative; Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative; Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU); Letter of Nonsupplanting; Financial Capability Questionnaire; and
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. Each solicitation will then be tailored to address the specific
OVW grant program so that identification of eligible applicants, availability of funds, award
period, award amount, program scope, activities that may compromise victim safety and
recovery and unallowable activities will be consistent with the statutory requirements and
funding amounts authorized for each particular grant program.
The purpose of the solicitation template is to provide a framework to develop program-specific
1

announcements soliciting applications for funding. A program solicitation outlines the specifics
of the funding program; describes the requirements for eligibility; instructs an applicant on the
necessary components of an application under a specific program (e.g. project activities and
timeline, proposed budget): and provides registration dates, due dates, and instructions on how to
apply within the designated application system.
2.

Use of Information

OVW will use the information collected to make determinations about grant awards. The
solicitation template is designed so that applicants will be asked to provide specific information
in a consistent manner. For example, in the Project Narrative Section of the solicitation, all
applicants will be asked to include descriptions of the purpose of application, what will be done
and who will implement in a separate attachment to the application that may not exceed 20 pages
in length, double spaced.
3.

Use of Information Technology

The collection of information will involve the use of automated, electronic, mechanical or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
4.

Duplication of Information Request

In order to make federal funding decisions, OVW collects information through the
submission of applications to its grant programs after posting the solicitations online. The only
mechanism to apply for funding under the OVW grant programs is participation in the
solicitation process.
5.

Impact on Small Entities
There is no impact on small businesses.

6.

Consequences to Federal Programs or Policy

The solicitation process including the collection of information from grant programs
applicants in a consistent and uniform manner and the utilization of specified selection criteria
ensures that federal funding decisions are made in an appropriate, equitable, and effective
manner consistent with the statutorily authorized purposes of the VAWA grant programs and
with the funding authorizations from Congress.
7.

Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances as identified in the specific instructions for a
supporting statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.
8.

Federal Register Publication
2

OVW has consulted with persons outside the agency who have advised that the
information proposed to be collected is available to potential grantees, the annual collection of
and submission of such information is not burdensome, and the solicitation template is clear.
OVW has solicited public comment on this form in accordance with the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act. A 30-day notice was published in the Federal Register on November
26, 2021 (Federal Register, Volume 86, page 67496) and a 60-day notice was published on
August 23, 2021 (Federal Register, Volume 86, page 47159).
OVW received a single public comment questioning federal funding for these grant
programs and the need to collect information every year. In recognition of the severity of the
crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking and the inconsistent response across the
country at the state and local level, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act of 1994
(VAWA 1994) as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. VAWA
was landmark legislation designed to improve criminal justice responses to domestic violence,
sexual assault, and stalking and to increase the availability of services for victims of these crimes
with federal funding. The federal law takes a comprehensive approach to violence against
women by combining tough new penalties to prosecute offenders while implementing grant
programs to aid the victims of such violence. In 2000, 2005, and 2013, Congress reauthorized
VAWA grant programs as well as established new grant programs and recognized the important
role this federal funding has is ending violence against women in communities across the
country. The collection of the information via a solicitation template enables OVW to make
funding determinations for grant programs authorized by VAWA.
9.

Payment or Gift to Respondents
There will no payment or gift to respondents.

10.

Confidentiality

Although this information is needed for funding decisions, it will not involve any
personal information about victims that could identify them as specific individuals. However,
anecdotal, non-identifying information about the effectiveness of individual programs may be
included. There is no assurance to confidentiality.
11.

Specific Questions

The solicitation template will not contain any questions of a personal, sensitive nature
such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly
considered private.
12.

Hour Burden of the Collection of Information

It is estimated that it will take approximately 1800 applicants approximately 30 hours to
complete an application according to the data collected under the provisions of the solicitation.
3

Thus, the annual reporting and recordkeeping hour burden is 54,000 hours. Applicants are
informed about the data collection requirements during the grant solicitation process.
OVW is seeking basic information that is routinely kept by the grantees in the normal
course of their operations. Thus, the requirement that grantees complete this application in the
time period outlined in the solicitation is not overly burdensome. OVW estimates that it will
take approximately 30 hours for an applicant to complete an application. OVW developed this
estimate based on the fact that information of this nature is already kept by applicants and that
the grantees have been informed of these data collection requirements during the solicitation
process.
13.

Cost Burden of the Collection of Information

OVW does not believe that there is any cost burden on respondents or recordkeepers
resulting from the collection of this information.
14.

Annualized Costs to the Federal Government

The annualized costs to the Federal Government resulting from the OVW staff review of
the applications is $201,600.
15.

Program Changes or Adjustments

There are no program changes or adjustments for the estimates identified in Section 13
and in Section 14. This is an information collection that is necessary for OVW to collect to
make funding determinations.
16.

Published Results of Information Collections

There will be no complex analytical techniques used in connection with the publication
of information collected under the request.
17.

Display of the Expiration Date of OMB Approval
OVW will display the Expiration Date of OMB Approval in the JustGrants System.

18.

Exception to the Certification Statement

OVW is not seeking any exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19,
Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions, of OMB Form 83-I.

4

5