[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65089-65090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32248]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4263-N-61]


Notice of Proposed Information, Collection for Public Comment; 
Technical Assistance for Community Planning and Development, Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement for technical 
assistance for Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs 
described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. 
The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments due: February 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Shelia 
E. Jones, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, 
SW, Room 7230, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lyn T. Whitcomb, Director, Technical 
Assistance Division, (202) 708-3176 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 as amended).
    The Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) 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; (2) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond; 
including through the use of appropriate automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Technical Assistance for Community Planning and 
Development Programs.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable:
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use:
    Application information is needed to determine competition winners, 
i.e. those technical assistance (TA) providers best able to offer local 
jurisdictions an ability to shape their CPD resources and other 
available resources into effective, coordinated, neighborhood and 
community development strategies to revitalize and physically, socially 
and economically strengthen their communities. The application for the 
competition requires the completion of Standard Form (SF) 424, 
``Application for Federal Assistance'' and SF 424B, ``Assurances--Non-
Construction Programs'' as well as supplementary information such as a 
transmittal letter, identification of field offices to be served and 
amounts of funds requested for each field office, a statement as to the 
use of pass-through funds and qualification as a primarily single-State 
provider, a Statement of Work, a narrative statement addressing the 
factors for award, a budget-by-task by field office and a summary 
budget for each program. After awards are made, providers are required 
to submit a work plan which includes a planned schedule for 
accomplishing each of the planned activities/tasks to be accomplished 
with TA funds, the amount of funds budgeted for each activity/task and 
the staff and other resources allocated to each activity/task. 
Narrative quarterly reports are required so that the provider's 
performance can be evaluated and measured against the work plan. 
Quarterly reports also require submission of the SF 269A, a financial 
status report. A narrative final report and final SF 269A are also 
required.
    Previous information collection was authorized under OMB Control 
Number 2535-0084. Changes in administrative responsibilities for TA 
cooperative agreements within the Department necessitate a new request 
for approval. However, no substantive changes in information collection 
have occurred.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: SF 269A, SF 424 and SF 424B.
    Members of affected public: Organizations or State and local 
governments equipped to provide technical assistance to recipients of 
CPD programs.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The previous Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA) for technical assistance providers for CPD programs 
elicited approximately 280 responses. It is anticipated that 
approximately the same number will respond to the upcoming NOFA. Awards 
were made to approximately 90 providers and it is expected that the 
same number will be awarded during this round of funding. The 
Department estimates that each applicant will require an average of 
forty hours to prepare an application. Winners of the competition will 
be required to develop a work plan, requiring approximately eight 
hours, submit quarterly reports needing approximately four hours each, 
(including a final report) and perform recordkeeping to include 
submission of vouchers for reimbursement, estimated at 12 hours 
annually. The specific numbers are as follows:

[[Page 65090]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Number of                                        
                                                               responses      Total                             
                                                  Number of       per         annual     Hours per   Total hours
                                                 respondents   respondent   responses     response              
                                                               frequency                                        
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications...................................          280            1          280           40       11,200
Workplan Development...........................           90            1           90            8          720
Quarterly Reports (including final report).....           90            4          360            4        1,440
Recordkeeping..................................           90           12         1080            1        1,080
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
      Total....................................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........       14,440
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Status of the proposed information collection: Publication of the 
Notice of Funding Availability is anticipated in January 1998. Awards 
are expected to be made by September 1998.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: December 2, 1997.
Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 97-32248 Filed 12-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-M