29602 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices

Construction contractors and

employees use the drawings, plans, and

designs required by § 1926.703(a)(2),

(b)(8)(i), and (e)(1)(i) to provide specific

instructions on how to construct, erect,

brace, maintain, and remove shores and

formwork if they pour concrete at the

jobsite. Similarly, the designs and plans

specified by § 1926.705(a) identify

methods for assembling and stabilizing

lift slabs during construction. These

requirements assure the structural

stability and integrity of the formwork

and lift slabs, which prevents employee

injury and death that may result from

the collapse of the formwork or lift

slabs. In addition, OSHA compliance

officers review the required paperwork

to determine if the formwork and lift

slabs comply with the specifications

and instructions contained in these

documents.

Section 1926.705(b) requires

employers to mark the rated capacity of

jacks and lifting units. This requirement

prevents overloading and subsequent

collapse of jacks and lifting units, as

well as their loads, thereby sparing

exposed employees from serious injury

and death.

II. Special Issues for Comment

OSHA has a particular interest in

comments on the following issues:

• Whether the proposed informationcollection requirements are necessary

for the proper performance of the

Agency’s functions, including whether

the information is useful;

• The accuracy of OSHA’s estimate of

the burden (time and cost) of the

information-collection requirements,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

• The quality, utility, and clarity of

the information collected; and

• Ways to minimize the burden on

employers who must comply; for

example, by using automated or other

technological information-collection

and-transmission techniques.

III. Proposed Actions

OSHA is requesting a decrease in the

existing burden-hour estimate for, as

well as an extension of OMB approval

of, the collection-of-information

requirements specified by the Subpart.

Accordingly, the Agency is requesting to

decrease the current burden hour

estimate from 7,787 hours to 0 hours, a

total reduction of 7,787 hours. The

Agency justifies this reduction based on

its conclusion that the paperwork

requirements found in this Subpart do

not impose respondent burden hours or

costs as specified by PRA–95. OSHA is

requesting to extend OMB’s previous

approval of the recordkeeping

(paperwork) requirements specified by

the Subpart. The Agency will

summarize the comments submitted in

response to this notice, and will include

this summary in its request to OMB to

extend its approval of these

information-collection requirements.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved informationcollection requirements.

Title: Concrete and Masonry

Construction.

OMB Number: 1218–0095.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal

government; State, local or tribal

governments.

Number of Respondents: None.

Frequency of Response: None.

Average Time per Response: None.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: None.

Estimated Cost (Operation and

Maintenance): None.

IV. Authority and Signature

R. Davis Layne, Acting Assistant

Secretary of Labor for Occupational

Safety and Health, directed the

preparation of this notice. The authority

for this notice is the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506)

and Secretary of Labor’s Order No. 3–

2000 (65 FR 50017).

Signed at Washington, DC on May 25,

2001.

R. Davis Layne,

Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 01–13691 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans’ Employment and Training

Service (VETS)

Agency Information Activities;

Proposed Measures; Comments

Request; Performance Measures

AGENCY: Veterans’ Employment and

Training Service, Labor.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: By law, the Assistant

Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and

Training (ASVET) is required to

establish performance standards for the

provision of services to veterans by

State Employment Security Agencies

(SESA’s). The ASVET in turn, is

required to report on these results in the

Veterans’ Employment and Training

Service’s (VETS) Annual Report to

Congress. This notice requests

comments and opinions on the

applicability of a proposed means to

measure the performance outcomes of

the Public Labor Exchange, which

provides services to veterans within

local workforce investment areas. In

response to General Accounting Office

recommendations, VETS is moving from

process performance measures to

outcome measures, and to evaluation of

results based on absolute terms rather

than the current relative terms. The new

measures will provide useful

information on the effectiveness of

services provided to veterans. These

proposed performance measures will

also be key components of VETS’ fiveyear Strategic Plan and Annual

Performance Plans for the management

of services provided to veterans and

disabled veterans through the Public

Labor Exchange, which includes

services provided by Local Veterans’

Employment Representative (LVER) and

Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program

(DVOP) staff.

In addition to Public Labor Exchange

employees assigned to the Local

Employment Service Offices (LESO) or

One-Stop Centers established in the

States, DVOP and LVER positions are

provided to the States to enhance, not

supplant, services provided to veterans

by Wagner-Peyser staff.

DATES: To be assured of consideration,

comments on these proposed

performance measures must be received

on or before July 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

Robert Wilson, Chief, Division of

Employment and Training Programs,

Veterans’ Employment and Training

Service, U.S. Department of Labor, 200

Constitution Avenue NW, Room S–

1316, Washington, DC 20210, Facsimile:

202–693–4755, E-mail: WilsonRobert@dol.gov. Receipt of submissions,

whether by U.S. mail, e-mail or FAX

transmittal, will not be acknowledged;

however, the sender may request

confirmation that a submission has been

received by telephoning VETS at (202)

693–4719 (VOICE) or (800) 670–7008

(TTY/TDD).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact

Robert Wilson, 202–693–4719, or Email: Wilson-Robert@dol.gov. (Please

note the above telephone numbers are

not toll free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

Components of the VETS’

performance measures are proposed

under the authority of Title 38 United

States Code (U.S.C.) section 4107(b),

which requires that performance

standards be established to assure that

SESA’s are providing maximum

employment and training opportunities

to eligible veterans and are in

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices 29603

compliance with Chapters 41 and 42 of

Title 38, U.S.C. The proposed

performance measures are separate from

the reporting requirements of Section

4107 (c) of Title 38, U.S.C., and they do

not replace these reporting

requirements. Section 4212 of Title 38,

U.S.C. requires entities awarded Federal

contracts or subcontracts of $25,000 or

more to take affirmative action to

employ and advance in employment

qualified Special Disabled Veterans,

Vietnam-era Veterans, Recently

Separated Veterans (Pub. L. 106–419

added Recently Separated Veterans to

the class of veterans receiving emphasis

under Federal Contracts), and Campaign

Veterans (any other veterans who served

on active duty during a war or in a

campaign or expedition for which a

campaign badge or expeditionary medal

has been authorized). Federal

contractors and subcontractors are

required by law and regulation to list

job openings with their local SESA

office. The SESA’s, through the Public

Labor Exchange system, are required to

provide priority referrals of qualified

targeted veterans to these Federal

contractor openings.

II. VETS Performance Measures

The proposed set of four (4) measures

are consistent with the VETS Strategic

Plan and Annual Plan, the Workforce

Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, Title 38

U.S.C. and the requirements of the

Government Performance and Results

Act (GPRA) of 1993. Two (2) of the

proposed measures are similar to the

performance measures for the Public

Labor Exchange, as proposed in the

August 14, 2000 Federal Register

Notice, 65 Fed. Reg. 49707 (August 14,

2000). VETS will make every effort to

maintain consistency with the Labor

Exchange Performance Measures to be

implemented by the Employment and

Training Administration (ETA).

A. Outcome and Process Performance

Measures

VETS is proposing the following

annual Program Year (PY) based

veterans’ performance measures:

• Veteran Job Seeker Entered

Employment Rate (VJSEER)

• Veteran Job Seeker Employment

Retention Rate at Six Months

(VJSERR)

• Veterans’ Employment Rate Following

Receipt of Staff Assisted Services

(VERS)

• Federal Contractor Job Openings

Listed with the Public Labor

Exchange (FCJL)

1. Identification and Selection of

Outcome and Process Performance

Measures

In 1996, the ASVET directed VETS

staff to work with State partners to

provide input regarding the

development, testing, and evaluation of

new performance systems to replace the

current performance measures system,

which had been developed more than a

decade before with little or no change

since then. There is concern that these

performance standards are activity- and

volume-driven, and that the current

performance measures do not provide

the most useful information on the

impact of services on veterans served.

As a result, from September 1998

through December 1999, VETS

conducted a study to review current

performance measurements for the

Public Labor Exchange and DVOP/LVER

programs. Based on this research, VETS

developed two types of proposed

performance measures. The first

category was comprised of outcome

measures that can be applied at the

National, State, and local areas, and that

can be adjusted for labor market and

other characteristics within the State

and local area. These measures, which

were intended to measure outcomes

rather than processes were: Entered

Employment Rate, Employment Rate,

Employment Retention at Six Months,

and Earnings Gain. The second category

addressed processes and these measures

were: Employment Rate Following

Receipt of Staff Assisted Services by

Wagner-Peyser Staff, and Entered

Employment Following Referral to a

Federal Contractor.

During July through September 2000,

VETS conducted a test of the proposed

performance measures in six (6) States

to determine if data could be collected

using Unemployment Insurance (UI)

wage records. VETS obtained contractor

support to provide technical assistance

for the beta test by conducting site visits

and facilitating the matching of

registration data to wage record data,

which was provided by the participating

State agencies. Interviews were

conducted with WIA, State UI, State

Employment Service (ES), and State

Information Systems staff to obtain

information on data collection and any

cost problems associated with using UI

wage records, difficulties in calculating

the measures or using the data sets, and

opinions concerning the proposed

measures. Contractor representatives

did not participate in the process of

making final recommendations.

All six (6) of the test States calculated

Public Labor Exchange performance

based on the following three (3)

outcome measures: Entered

Employment Rate, Earnings Gain, and

Employment Retention Rate at Six

Months. For these three (3) outcome

measures, the six (6) States matched

registrant data for veterans to State UI

wage record data for PY’s 1997 and

1998. Four (4) States calculated a fourth

outcome measure, Employment Rate,

also utilizing the registrant data for

veterans, and State UI wage record data

for PY’s 1997 and 1998. Five (5) of the

States also calculated the process

measure, Employment Rate Following

Receipt of Staff Assisted Services by

Wagner-Peyser Staff.

Due to differences in the way States

processed data on Earnings Gain, VETS

determined that the measure would not

provide valid outcome measurements,

and thus, decided not to use Earnings

Gain as a performance measure.

Furthermore, beta test results indicated

that sufficient data for the Entered

Employment Rate Following Referral to

a Federal Contractor were not available.

Therefore, VETS decided that this

process measure would be changed to

the percent of increase in the number of

Federal contractor job openings listed

with the Public Labor Exchange. VETS

has developed tools to improve the

ability of the Public Labor Exchange

system to identify job openings listed by

Federal contractors. This will, in turn,

increase the number of Federal

contractor job listings reported by the

Public Labor Exchange, as well as

provide greater employment

opportunities for targeted veterans.

After an in-depth analysis of the

results of the beta test and comments

from participating States, and in

coordination with ETA, VETS is

proposing to move forward with four (4)

of the proposed outcome and process

measures that have been shown to be

most useful in measuring performance

of the Public Labor Exchange system in

the delivery of services to veterans.

2. Proposed VETS Performance

Measures

VETS requests comments on the

applicability of the four (4) proposed

performance measures for the services

to veterans implemented through the

Public Labor Exchange system. Each of

the proposed measures will be

calculated and reported quarterly, with

an annual PY summary. Listed below

are the operational definitions for the

proposed performance measures.

a. Veteran Job Seeker Entered

Employment Rate (VJSEER). The

proposed Veteran Job Seeker Entered

Employment Rate is defined as: Of

Wagner-Peyser Act funded labor

exchange applicants who are veterans

29604 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices

and who in the first or second quarter

following registration (Q∂1 or Q∂2),

earned wages from a new or different

employer than that from which the

applicant earned wages in the quarter

prior to registration (Q¥1), divided by

the number of applicants registered

during the measurement period. Those

applicants who earned wages in the first

or second quarter following registration

(Q∂1 or Q2), solely with the same

employer from which wages were

earned in the quarter prior to

registration (Q¥1), are excluded from

the measure.

b. Veteran Job Seeker Employment

Retention Rate at Six Months (VJSERR).

The proposed Veteran Job Seeker

Employment Retention Rate at Six

Months is defined as: Of those WagnerPeyser Act labor exchange applicants

age 19 and older at the time of

registration who are veterans, and who

in the first or second quarter following

registration (Q∂1 or Q∂2), earned wages

from a new or different employer than

that from which the applicant earned

wages in the quarter prior to registration

(Q¥1); those who also continue to earn

wages in the third or fourth quarter

(Q∂3 or Q∂4) respectively, following

registration, divided by the number who

earned wages in the first or second

quarter after registration (Q∂1) or (Q∂2).

The examples of situations that result in

a positive outcome are: One (1), a

veteran earning wages in quarter Q∂1

from a new or different employer than

in quarter Q¥1, must at a minimum also

earn wages in Q∂3; Two (2), a veteran

earning wages in Q∂2 from a new or

different employer than in Q¥1, must at

a minimum also earn wages in quarter

Q∂4.

c. Veterans’ Employment Rate

Following Receipt of Staff Assisted

Services (VERS). The proposed

Veterans’ Employment Rate Following

Receipt of Staff Assisted Services is

defined as: Of the Wagner-Peyser Act

applicants who are veterans, who

registered in a quarter, Q0, and who

received some form of staff assisted

labor exchange services from Public

Labor Exchange staff, the number who

are employed by the end of the first or

second quarter after registration, (Q∂1 or

Q∂2).

The following chart presents the three

preceding measures of service.

VETS PROPOSED MEASURES OF

SERVICE FOR ALL VETERANS AND

DISABLED VETERANS

Category

Measures of service 1

VJSEER VJSERR VERS

All Veterans .... X X X

Disabled Veteran ............. X X X

1All measures use two quarters of employment (wage record) followup data.

d. Federal Contractor Job Openings

Listed with the Public Labor Exchange

(FCJL). Federal Contractor Job Opening

Listed with the Public Labor Exchange

is defined as: The percentage increase in

the number of Federal contractor job

openings listed annually with the Public

Labor Exchange, relative to the number

listed in the previous PY.

Measurement and reporting of these

four (4) measures are consistent with the

requirements under Title 38 U.S.C.,

GPRA, the WIA, and Public Labor

Exchange performance measures.

Section 4107(c)(1) of Title 38 requires

that the actual number of veterans who

registered with the Public Labor

Exchange and who entered

employment, be reported by VETS to

Congress annually, on a State by State

basis. The two (2) outcome measures,

Veteran Job Seeker Entered Employment

Rate, and Veteran Job Seeker

Employment Retention Rate at Six

Months; and one (1) process measure,

Veteran’s Employment Rate Following

Receipt of Staff Assisted Services, can

be adjusted by State for the

characteristics of the population, and for

the condition of the labor market within

the State. This adjustment provides for

equitable performance measurement

across States. There is no adjustment for

the Federal Contractor Job Openings

Listed with the Public Labor Exchange

process measure.

To the extent feasible and

appropriate, VETS plans to parallel its

proposed measures for Veteran Job

Seeker Entered Employment Rate, and

Veteran Job Seeker Employment

Retention Rate at Six Months, with the

equivalent measures proposed by the

ES. Currently, the calculations for these

measures are based on a methodology

comparable to that set forth in the

August 14, 2000 Federal Register

Notice, in which ETA proposed the

Labor Exchange Performance

Measurement System. This notice and

request for comments incorporates the

most recent revisions to the proposed

ETA Labor Exchange Performance

Measurement System. If there are any

further revisions, VETS intends to

modify its proposed Veteran Job Seeker

Entered Employment Rate, and Veteran

Job Seeker Employment Retention Rate

measures to maximize consistency with

the Public Labor Exchange Performance

Measurement System.

B. Procedures for Establishing Expected

Levels of Performance

VETS proposes to emulate the WIA,

section 136, Performance Accountability

System, and utilize their negotiation

process to establish expected

performance levels for Labor Exchange

services. The use of this framework

means that States, in conjunction with

their VETS’ Director of Veterans’

Employment and Training (DVET), will

develop baseline data for each of the

measures based on historical data,

analyze the baseline data, and propose

performance levels for each measure

based on that analysis. Each State will

negotiate with its DVET to obtain

mutually agreed upon expected levels of

performance. In developing baseline

data, States should use two years of data

if possible, but not less than one year in

determining trends for performance and

factors which may influence

performance. In establishing expected

performance levels for each measure,

factors beyond the control of the State,

such as economic conditions, should be

considered.

C. Baseline Performance

Baselines for each of the measures

will be developed by each State and will

be a key factor used to determine the

expected level of performance that is

negotiated with VETS. Baselines are

intended to give an indication of the

past outcomes of a performance

measure. For performance negotiations

to be data-driven and reality-based, the

development of baselines is a critical

aspect of the negotiation process.

D. State Expected Levels of Performance

When submitting their proposed

performance levels, States should be

prepared to provide support for their

proposed levels by providing baseline

performance data, the methodology for

developing baseline data, and a

description of data sources. In addition,

States should also include information

on appropriate factors used to project

expected levels of performance.

Examples of possible factors to consider

in negotiating expected levels of

performance are: Economic conditions

such as the unemployment rate; the rate

of job creation/loss, new business startups; community factors such as

availability of transportation and

daycare; pursuit of new or enhanced

employer partnerships; natural

disasters; State legislation; and other

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 105 / Thursday, May 31, 2001 / Notices 29605

factors which might impact

performance. This list is not intended to

be prescriptive or exhaustive, but rather

to suggest the kind of information that

might be considered in the negotiation

process.

E. Negotiation of Expected Levels of

Performance

The Regional Administrator for

Veterans’ Employment and Training

(RAVET) will review the negotiated

levels of performance as submitted

through the DVET and will compare the

expected performance levels with the

National averages, baseline information

from other States, and the negotiated

levels of performance established for

other States, taking into account factors

including differences in economic

conditions and other factors as

discussed above. The RAVET will

analyze the quality of the data presented

by States, including the relevance of the

data, the source of the data, the time

period from which the data were drawn,

and if the data are part of a trend or

anomalous. Established GPRA Annual

Performance Plan goals for relevant

measures will also be an important part

of the Regional review and negotiation

of performance levels. When the

RAVET’s analysis is completed, if need

be, there will be the opportunity,

through the DVET, for negotiations with

the State to obtain mutually agreed

upon expected levels of performance.

Provision will also be made for

renegotiation of performance levels if

circumstances arise that result in a

significant change in the factors used to

establish the original levels. It is

understood that either a State or VETS

may elect to renegotiate performance as

new information becomes available.

Factors which will be considered for

making changes include those discussed

above, in paragraph #D.

F. Rules for Application

During the first year of

implementation of the new performance

measures, performance will be reviewed

as described below; however, States will

be held harmless from any

consequences of failing to meet their

performance goals during that first year.

Actual performance for each program

year will be compared to negotiated

performance levels. Incentives may be

put in place for States with exemplary

performance results. For a State to be

designated as ‘‘exemplary,’’ expected

levels of performance for all measures

must be achieved or exceeded. A

possible incentive will be that

‘‘exemplary’’ States would

proportionally split a fixed amount of

the grant allocation or any unspent

funds. If a State’s actual performance

varies from the expected performance

level by minus two percent or more,

VETS will have the option of

renegotiating new performance levels

with the State. VETS will offer technical

assistance as well as giving

consideration to external factors

affecting performance levels. A negative

variation of five percent or more would

result in the requirement of a State

Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to rectify

the situation. Failure to submit or

comply with a CAP may become the

basis for sanctions.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 25th day of

May, 2001.

Stanley A. Seidel,

Director, Operations and Programs.

[FR Doc. 01–13666 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–79–P

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[01–065]

Notice of Agency Report Forms Under

OMB Review

SUMMARY: The National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork

and respondent burden, invites the

general public and other Federal

agencies to take this opportunity to

comment on proposed and/or

continuing information collections, as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)). This information

collection provides data used in the

Agency’s accrual accounting and costbased budgeting systems, maintained as

required under Federal law.

DATES: All comments should be

submitted on or before July 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be

addressed to Mr. Phillip Smith, Code

BFZ, National Aeronautics and Space

Administration, Washington, DC 20546–

0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Nancy Kaplan, NASA Reports Officer,

(202) 358–1372.

Title: NASA Contractor Financial

Management Reports.

OMB Number: 2700–0003.

Type of review: Extension.

Need and Uses: The NASA Contractor

Financial Management Reporting

System is the basic financial medium

for contractor reporting of estimated and

incurred costs, providing essential data

for projecting costs and hours to ensure

that contractor performance is

realistically planned and supported by

dollar and labor resources. The data

provided by these reports is an integral

part of the Agency’s accrual accounting

and cost-based budgeting systems

required under 31 U.S.C. 3512.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit, Not-for-profit institutions.

Number of Respondents: 850.

Responses Per Respondent: 12.

Annual Responses: 10,200.

Hours Per Request: 9 hrs.

Annual Burden Hours: 91,500.

Frequency of Report: Quarterly;

Monthly.

Andrea T. Norris,

Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of

the Administrator.

[FR Doc. 01–13621 Filed 5–30–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–P

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 01–064]

Information Collection: Submission for

OMB Review, Comment Request

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of agency report forms

under OMB review.

SUMMARY: The National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork

and respondent burden, invites the

general public and other Federal

agencies to take this opportunity to

comment on proposed and/or

continuing information collections, as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)). This information is

required to monitor contract compliance

in support of NASA’s mission and in

response to procurement requirements.

DATES: Comments on this proposal

should be received on or before July 2,

2001.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be

addressed to Desk Officer for NASA;

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs; Office of Management and

Budget; Room 10236; New Executive

Office Building; Washington, DC, 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Nancy Kaplan, NASA Reports Officer,

(202) 358–1372.

Reports: None.

Title: Patents, Data and Copyrights,

NASA FAR Supplement, Part 1827.

OMB Number: 2700–0052.

Type of review: Extension.

Need and Uses: The information is

used by NASA legal and contracting

offices to ensure disposition of

inventions in accordance with statutes