Overview
Title
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Refugee Assistance Program Estimates: Cash and Medical Assistance-ORR-1 (Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0030)
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The U.S. government wants feedback on new changes to make it easier for people helping refugees to tell them how they plan to spend money. They will use a special computer form that helps do the math automatically, but they want to know if it's really helpful or if something needs fixing.
Summary AI
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is looking for public feedback on proposed changes to their data collection process for the ORR-1 Cash and Medical Assistance (CMA) Program Estimates. These changes include minor updates to the existing ORR-1 form and introducing a required template for recipients to use when preparing annual budget estimates. This standardized format aims to simplify the process, as recipients must now submit their budget justifications in a Microsoft Excel workbook that auto-calculates necessary values, reducing burden for both submitters and reviewers. Comments on the necessity, accuracy, and potential improvements of this information collection are welcome until February 25, 2025.
Abstract
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is requesting revisions to an existing data collection, ORR-1 Cash and Medical Assistance (CMA) Program Estimates (Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0030, expiration June 30, 2025). The proposed revisions include minor revisions to the existing ORR-1 form and the addition of a template recipients must use in preparing their annual budget justification estimates in accordance with the refugee resettlement program regulations.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document publicizes a request for public comments from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The ORR seeks feedback on proposed changes in the data collection process for the ORR-1 Cash and Medical Assistance (CMA) Program Estimates. These proposed updates aim to streamline the way budget estimates are prepared and submitted, primarily by introducing a standardized template in Microsoft Excel format. Stakeholders are invited to comment on this initiative until February 25, 2025.
General Summary
This notice outlines the necessity for revisions in how state agencies submit their budget justifications for refugee resettlement programs. Currently, recipients submit these justifications along with their ORR-1 form, but the lack of a standardized format leads to variations that complicate both submission and review processes. Therefore, the proposed changes include minor updates to the form itself and the adoption of a standardized Microsoft Excel template that auto-calculates necessary entries, ostensibly simplifying the procedure.
Significant Issues or Concerns
While the proposal generally seems aimed at efficiency, several concerns emerge:
Accessibility and Fairness: The shift to requiring a Microsoft Excel-based template raises accessibility concerns for organizations or individuals lacking access to this software. The document does not mention alternative provisions for those without the necessary technology, which could inadvertently disadvantage smaller organizations or those with limited resources.
Complexity and Clarity: There is a risk that the jargon and structure of the proposal might be complex for those unfamiliar with governmental processes, potentially leading to misunderstandings or errors in compliance.
Evidence of Efficiency Gains: Although anecdotal feedback from a pilot project suggests that the new process saves time and improves consistency, the document lacks specific data or metrics to substantiate these claims. This lack of detailed evidence makes it difficult to assess the actual effectiveness of the proposed changes.
Ambiguity in Burden Estimate Revisions: The document refers to revised annual burden estimates due to the pilot’s feedback, yet it does not detail how these estimates are calculated or how significant the time and resource savings might be for the participating agencies.
Potential Public Impact
At a broad level, the proposed revisions aim to simplify administrative processes, which could benefit efficiently operated public programs. However, if the proposed changes are not effectively communicated or supported with appropriate resources and training, they could lead to confusion or increased workloads for less resourced agencies.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
State Agencies and Districts: These stakeholders stand to benefit significantly from a streamlined submission process, potentially leading to quicker review times and more consistent data handling. However, the transition to a new system could pose short-term challenges as agencies adapt to the standardized format.
Smaller Organizations and Agencies: Those with limited access to Microsoft Excel or lacking technical expertise may find the changes more burdensome, necessitating additional resources to comply effectively.
Refugees and Other Beneficiaries: While not directly involved in the submission process, they rely on the effective and timely allocation of funds, which these changes seek to enhance.
In conclusion, while the goals of the revisions seem aligned with improving efficiency and standardization, the proposal would benefit from a more inclusive approach to accessibility and clearer communication of anticipated benefits and revised burden estimates. Public comments and feedback are crucial in identifying and addressing these potential issues to ensure that the changes serve all involved stakeholders equitably.
Issues
• The document does not specify any particular organizations or individuals that might benefit disproportionately from the proposed changes, which could imply potential favoritism, although it is not explicitly stated.
• The document mentions the use of a standardized budget justification template in Microsoft Excel format. It is unclear if there are provisions for accessibility for those who do not have access to Microsoft Excel, which might favor organizations with access to this software.
• The language used to describe the revisions and data collection process might be complex for individuals not familiar with governmental forms and processes, which could increase the burden on recipients unfamiliar with such terminologies.
• Although there are claims of time savings and streamlined processes based on the pilot feedback, specific data or metrics supporting these claims are not provided, making the effectiveness of the revisions somewhat ambiguous.
• The document does not provide a detailed explanation of how the annual burden estimate has been revised, leaving potential ambiguity about the actual time and resource savings for state agencies.