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[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 197 (Thursday, October 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59672-59674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23942]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Proposed Information Collection for Workforce Innovation in 
Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative Evaluation; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), as part 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, the ETA is soliciting comments on a new data collection for 
the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) 
Initiative Evaluation.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section 
of this notice or by accessing: http://www.doleta.gov/OMBCN/OMBControlNumber.cfm.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or December 8, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Employment and Training 
Administration, Room N-5641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC 20210, Attention: Eileen Pederson, Telephone number: 202-693-3647 
(this is not a toll-free number), Fax number: 202-693-2766. e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In February 2006, under authority of Section 414 of the American 
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998, the ETA awarded 
grants to 13 regions across the United States to support community 
efforts to link their varied knowledge resources with their business 
and innovation assets, to ensure that their workforces have the skill 
requirements and knowledge to work effectively in new and emerging 
industries. At the same time that these grants were awarded, ETA 
selected another 13 regions to receive $100,000 to support their 
participation in peer-to-peer grantee conferences and other training 
opportunities. In early 2007, ETA increased the funds awarded to the 
second group of regions, at which time they became known as the 
Generation II regions. Finally, in June 2007, ETA awarded grants to 13 
more regions, known as the Generation III regions.
    The WIRED Initiative focuses on labor market areas that are 
comprised of multiple jurisdictions within states or across state 
borders. It supports innovative approaches for workforce development, 
training and education that go beyond traditional strategies for 
preparing workers to compete and succeed both within the United States 
and globally. Through the initiative, WIRED regions have a unique 
opportunity to design and implement strategic approaches for 
coordinating regional economic development, job growth and talent 
development. For the grant awards, ETA selected regions that 
demonstrated the presence of labor market elements (unemployment, low-
wages, low levels of new job creation) and economic conditions (such as 
industries that are declining or industries targeted for growth) that 
drive the need for transformation. In addition, each grant recipient 
described how the region will: Implement new strategic efforts designed 
to integrate workforce, economic development and education systems; 
promote innovation in addressing challenges; and utilize and build upon 
existing structures, resources, and legislatively-funded programs. 
Finally, each region outlined the presence of a strategic partnership 
that is representative of the entire economic region and is comprised 
of a strong team of leaders which will lead the regional 
transformation.
    This data collection covers qualitative information to be obtained 
through a survey of key partners and stakeholders in these regional 
transformation efforts. The WIRED survey will gather information about 
the nature of regional leaders and their organizations' roles and 
relationships in the evolving collaborative partnerships. It will 
provide information about their efforts to achieve regional 
transformation of workforce development, economic development and 
related education systems during the period of the Initiative.
    The second administration of the survey, approximately six months 
after Federal funding of the initiative ends, will be to collect 
information about the sustainability of efforts to work collaboratively 
to achieve regional transformation, to reveal whether these substantial 
investments successfully inspired continued efforts to promote 
integration of regional systems to further talent development.
    Subsequent to awarding the Generation I grants in early 2006, the 
ETA has expended considerable effort to promote the importance of 
collaboration for guiding future talent development, and to encourage 
creative efforts to initiate and bring new partners into networks 
created to transform a region, including partners who do not receive 
direct funding through the WIRED collaborative. Thus, it is anticipated 
that Generations II and III regional efforts may be affecting entities 
that are not directly involved in the federally-funded transformation 
efforts, spearheaded by this initiative. In addition, ETA substantially 
reduced the amount of funding for Generations II and III, thereby 
leading many of these regions to partner with entities which also have 
a vested interest in achieving long-term regional economic success and 
stability. A pre-WIRED survey, the screener survey, will first be 
administered in the Generation II and III regions in order to gather 
information about how widely disbursed the ongoing efforts are to 
transform these regions' economic, education and workforce development 
systems,

[[Page 59673]]

including those which receive direct funding and those who do not 
receive direct funding, but which benefit from the initiative's 
increased collaboration for regional growth. The screener survey will 
be administered to a wide range of regional leaders to identify the 
range of organizations involved in regional transformation. In doing 
so, it will identify the key individuals and organizations that support 
the transformative efforts, and who will then be administered the WIRED 
survey.

II. Review Focus

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance and functions of the agency, 
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 to respond, including through 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.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Employment and Training Administration.
    Title: Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development 
(WIRED) Initiative Evaluation.
    OMB Number: 1205-0NEW.
    Recordkeeping: NA.
    Affected Public: State, local, or tribal government; business or 
other for-profit; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Total Respondents: Approximately 4,160 for the screener survey and 
7,800 for the WIRED survey. Both surveys will be administered twice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Number of      Per survey
               Survey type                  respondents   administration
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screener Survey (for Generations II and            4,160           2,080
 III)...................................
WIRED Survey (for Generations I, II, and           7,800           3,900
 III)...................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Frequency: As noted, each survey will be administered two times. 
The first screener survey will be administered while the Generation II 
and III grants are operating, in early 2009. The second administration 
of the screener survey to the Generation II and III regions will be 
approximately six months after the grants expire, in 2011. The WIRED 
survey will also be administered two times, in 2009 and again in 2011.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Screener survey
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                                                                                   Average time
                 Year                       Group of regions         Number of     per response    Annual burden
                                                                    respondents    (in minutes)     (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009..................................  Gen. II.................           1,040               5             173
                                        Gen. III................           1,040               5
2011..................................  Gen. II.................           1,040               5             173
                                        Gen. III................           1,040               5
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Two-Year Total....................  ........................           4,160  ..............             346
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  WIRED survey
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                                                                                   Average time
                 Year                       Group of regions         Number of     per response    Annual burden
                                                                    respondents    (in minutes)     (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009..................................  Gen. I..................           1,300              30           1,950
                                        Gen. II.................           1,300              30
                                        Gen. III................           1,300              30
2011..................................  Gen. I..................           1,300              30           1,950
                                        Gen. II.................           1,300              30
                                        Gen. III................           1,300              30
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Two-Year Total....................  ........................           7,800  ..............           3,900
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total Annual Responses: An average of approximately 2,080 for the 
screener survey and 3,900 for the WIRED survey.
    Average Time per Response: Five (5) minutes for the screener survey 
and thirty (30) minutes for the WIRED survey.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: The total annual burden hours is 
estimated to be 346 hours for the screener survey and 3,900 hours for 
the WIRED survey.
    Total Burden Cost: The total burden cost, based on an annual 
average salary of $75,000 per respondent, is estimated to be $12,528 
for the screener survey and $140,400 for the WIRED survey, per the 
following tables.

[[Page 59674]]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Screener survey
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                                                                   Annual burden   Average cost    Annual burden
                 Year                       Group of regions        (in hours)       per hour          cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009..................................  Generation II...........              87             $36          $6,264
                                        Generation III..........              87              36
2011..................................  Generation II...........              87              36           6,264
                                        Generation III..........              87              36
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  ........................             348  ..............          12,528
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  WIRED survey
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                                                                   Annual burden   Average cost    Annual burden
                 Year                       Group of regions        (in hours)       per hour          cost
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009..................................  Generation I............             650             $36         $70,200
                                        Generation II...........             650              36
                                        Generation III..........             650              36
2011..................................  Generation I............             650              36          70,200
                                        Generation II...........             650              36
                                        Generation III..........             650              36
                                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  ........................           3,900  ..............         140,400
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    Comments submitted in response to this request 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: October 2, 2008.
Douglas F. Small,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-23942 Filed 10-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P
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