Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection of eComments Requested; New Information Collection; Reciprocity Questionnaire-ATF Form 8620.59
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The ATF is asking people to share their thoughts about a new form that checks if someone already did a security check for a job somewhere else. It takes just about 10 minutes to fill out, and they want to hear from everyone about it until March 24, 2021.
Summary AI
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the Department of Justice, is looking to gather public comments on a new information collection form called the Reciprocity Questionnaire (ATF Form 8620.59). This form aims to check if a job candidate has already completed a background investigation or polygraph with another federal agency. About 2,000 respondents are expected to fill out this form each year, taking around 10 minutes each to complete it. Public comments on the collection are welcome until March 24, 2021, and should cover the necessity, accuracy, enhancement, or burden of the proposed collection.
Abstract
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Justice (DOJ) will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
In a recent Federal Register notice, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), part of the Department of Justice, announced a proposed information collection method and is seeking public comments. This proposal is part of compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and aims to introduce a new form, the Reciprocity Questionnaire (ATF Form 8620.59), to determine the status of background investigations or polygraph examinations of job candidates with other federal agencies. Public feedback is invited on this proposal until March 24, 2021.
Summary of the Document
The document outlines the proposal and provides important details regarding the intended public interaction with the new form. Individuals or households will primarily engage with this process as potential candidates for federal or contractor employment with the ATF. It is estimated that 2,000 respondents will utilize the form annually, with an average completion time of approximately 10 minutes per respondent, resulting in an aggregate annual burden of about 333 hours.
Significant Issues or Concerns
One primary concern within the document is the clarity regarding the practical applications or effects of the proposed information collection on agency performance. Without clear communication of its significance, there could be misunderstanding among the public about its necessity. Additionally, the reasoning behind the specified time and burden estimates lacks transparency, which might cause skepticism about the efficiency or accuracy of those predictions.
The document also briefly mentions minimizing the burden of information collection through potential technological means, such as electronic submissions. However, it lacks concrete examples or options beyond this to make the process less cumbersome.
Impact on the Public
Broadly speaking, the proposal could introduce administrative hurdles for individuals seeking employment within the ATF if they are unfamiliar with the necessity or process of the form. The requirement to complete additional steps as part of the hiring process, especially without a clearly stated benefit, might be viewed as an unnecessary complication by the public.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For the ATF and the Department of Justice, successful implementation could streamline hiring processes by ensuring that background checks and polygraph examinations are not duplicated, thereby saving time and resources. However, without explicit performance measures or benchmarks, evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the new process post-implementation could be challenging, potentially necessitating future adjustments.
On the other hand, prospective employees might experience additional scrutiny during the hiring process, affecting their perceptions of recruitment fairness and process efficiency. If not handled carefully, this could deter talent or create frustrations among potential public servants.
Overall, while the proposed form serves a specific administrative need, the necessity for greater clarity and improved engagement with stakeholders remains critical to ensure that the process benefits both the agency and the public effectively.
Issues
• The purpose of the information collection (i.e., the Reciprocity Questionnaire—ATF Form 8620.59) is not clearly explained in terms of practical applications or effects on the agency's performance, potentially leading to unclear understanding among the public.
• The estimated time for completion (10 minutes per respondent) and the total annual burden (333 hours) seem to be based on calculations, but it is unclear why this estimation method was chosen, potentially causing misunderstanding about the accuracy of these predictions.
• Details regarding the specific necessity and utility of determining if a candidate previously completed a background investigation and/or polygraph examination could be further elaborated to enhance transparency and understanding.
• The section regarding minimizing the burden of collection could have examples or suggestions more explicitly connected to current technologies beyond acknowledging 'electronic submission.'
• The document does not specify any measures or benchmarks to assess if the goals of data collection have been achieved post-implementation, which could lead to difficulties in future evaluations of efficacy or need for modification.