The agency has requested Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval under emergency review procedures by May 20, 2009. Comments, therefore, should be submitted by that date. An additional opportunity to comment on this information collection will also be provided when ETA seeks approval under standard Paperwork Reduction Act clearance procedures.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (The Recovery Act) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. To record the impact of the Recovery Act resources, more current information on participants and the services received is essential. Therefore, to obtain a more robust look at participants and services provided with the additional Recovery Act resources, ETA proposes supplemental reports. Under these new supplemental reports, States are required to submit information that States already collect; however, the supplemental reports are required to be submitted monthly.
For WIA Adult, States will report aggregate counts of all participants, including those whose services are funded with regular WIA Adult formula funds and Recovery Act funds. States will report aggregate counts on those participants who are low-income, those receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and other public assistance, the number of UI claimants, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities, numbers in training and type of training, and numbers receiving supportive services.
For WIA Dislocated Workers, States will report aggregate counts of all participants, including those whose services are funded with regular WIA Dislocated Worker formula funds and Recovery Act funds. States will report the number of UI claimants, Veterans, and individuals with disabilities, numbers in training and type of training, and numbers receiving supportive services.
For National Emergency Grants, financed with Recovery Act Funds Only, States will report aggregate counts of participants, including the number of UI claimants, Veterans, and individuals with
disabilities, numbers in training and type of training, and numbers receiving supportive services.
For WIA Youth, served with Recovery Act Funds Only, reporting will be slightly different. States will report aggregate counts of all Recovery Act youth participants, including the characteristics of participants, the numbers of participants in summer employment, services received, attainment of a work readiness skill, which is required in the Recovery Act, and completion of summer youth employment. States will also continue to submit the regular WIA quarterly and annual reports, including any youth who continue services under the WIA year-round youth program.
For the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, States will report on the number of participants served, number of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants served, and the type of services received. States will be required to submit supplemental reports of aggregate counts of all participants whose services are financed with regular Wagner-Peyser Act formula funds and Recovery Act funds (i.e.,
Employment Service and Reemployment Services).
For the Wagner-Peyser Reemployment Services Grants, States will report on the same data elements that are collected for the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service report, with one additional data element: referral to training, including WIA-funded training.
In addition to these aggregate monthly reports, ETA proposes that States submit the WIA individual records (WIASRD) on all participants in the WIA title 1B programs, and in National Emergency Grants, on a quarterly basis, beginning with the 3rd quarter of Program Year 2009, which ends on March 31, 2010. The first deadline for the required quarterly submission will be May 15, 2010. This start date gives States sufficient time to adjust their management information systems.
The agency further notes:
Why are we requesting Emergency Processing?
The supplemental reports and quarterly collection of WIA individual records allows ETA to overcome the limitations imposed by current outcome based performance reporting requirements. This collection comprises a participant and performance reporting strategy that will provide a more robust, "real time" view of the impact of the Recovery Act funds, providing greater information on levels of program participation, and provide more information about the characteristics of the participants served, and the types of services provided.
The approval of this request is necessary to allow ETA to report performance accountability information immediately on the effective use of Recovery Act funds already received by State workforce agencies. With these monthly reports more detailed information on individuals will be available while they are participating in the programs. There is also significant value added by obtaining quarterly individual records from State workforce agencies. First, quarterly submissions provide more timely information to respond to the oversight needs of Governors, Congress and other Federal/State stakeholders and the general public. Second, ETA will benefit from more timely analysis and States will have access to more regular updates on nationwide participation information as well as employment and training trends.
