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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25115-25117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10013]

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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), as 
part

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of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 
conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general 
public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed 
and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This 
program helps to ensure that: Requested data can be provided in the 
desired format; reporting burden (time and financial resources) is 
minimized; collection instruments are clearly understood; and the 
impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly 
assessed.
    Currently, CNCS is soliciting comments concerning its proposed 
National Assessment of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF). The study 
involves two major data collection activities. The first is a survey of 
SIF grantees (intermediary organizations) and two comparison groups 
(non-selected SIF applicant organizations, and a sample of national 
nonprofits that make grants to U.S. organizations). The second involves 
semi-structured interviews with stakeholders of the intermediaries to 
obtain more in-depth understanding of the SIF program. Both the survey 
and the stakeholder interviews are intended to be repeated annually for 
three years. The survey and stakeholder interviews are designed to 
allow CNCS SIF program administrators and others in the field to 
understand how the SIF program is implemented and what effects the 
program has on participating organizations (intermediaries and sub 
grantees) and on the larger field of social innovation, scaling of 
interventions, and evidence-based grantmaking. Completion of this 
information collection is not required to be considered for or obtain 
grant funding from the Social Innovation Fund.
    Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed in the Addresses section of this Notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the individual and office 
listed in the ADDRESSES section by July 1, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, by any of the following methods:
    (1) By mail sent to: Corporation for National and Community 
Service, Office of Research and Evaluation; Attention: Lily 
Zandniapour, Ph.D., Evaluation Program Manager, Room 10911, 1201 New 
York Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 20525.
    (2) By hand delivery or by courier to the CNCS mailroom at Room 
8100 at the mail address given in paragraph (1) above, between 9:00 
a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    (3) Electronically through www.regulations.gov or through the 
Corporation's email system to lzandniapour@cns.gov.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-
TDD) may call 1-800-833-3722 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lily Zandniapour, 202-606-6939, or by 
email at lzandniapour@cns.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CNCS is particularly interested in comments 
that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of CNCS, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are expected to respond, including the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses).

Background

    CNCS has contracted with ICF International to support CNCS's Office 
of Research and Evaluation to implement a national assessment of the 
SIF program, focusing on SIF impact on use of evidence-based grant 
making strategies, organizations' ability and willingness to build the 
evidence base for models and to scale models, and collaborative 
approaches to addressing local community needs. This project involves a 
quasi-experimental research design, using a survey of SIF grantees 
(intermediaries), and comparison groups of (1) non-selected applicants 
and (2) other grant making nonprofits. Additionally the study involves 
a series of brief interviews with various stakeholders to augment and 
assist in understanding the survey results.
    Survey data will be collected using an on-line survey program. 
Interview data will be collected via taped and written notes on 
telephone conversations.
    Data analysis will focus on identifying and understanding factors 
associated with intermediaries' selection and support of sub-grantees, 
implementation of rigorous evaluation methods, scaling of evidence-
based interventions, and change in organizational culture, 
infrastructure, and behavior. Quantitative data analysis will include 
descriptive statistics, inferential analysis of survey responses by 
organization characteristics, and comparisons among SIF grantees and 
between grantees and the comparison groups. Qualitative data analysis 
of stakeholder interviews will supplement data from the surveys.

Current Action

    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: National Assessment of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF).
    OMB Number: None.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: CNCS-funded SIF intermediaries; non-funded 
applicant organizations; other nonprofit grant making organizations.
    Total Respondents: Written Surveys 520; Interviews 100.
    Frequency: Three times over three years.
    Average Time Per Response: Averages 36.9 minutes for surveys and 30 
minutes for interviews.

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                                                                                                     Estimated
                                                                                     Estimated     total burden
               Respondent category                    Number      Time (minutes)   total burden     hours over
                                                                                  hours per year    three years
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Survey Respondents..............................             520            36.9             320             960
Interview Participants..........................             100              30              50             150
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    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 370 hours per year and 1,110 hours 
over three years.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: April 28, 2014.
Mary Morris Hyde,
Acting Director,
    Office of Research and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2014-10013 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P
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