Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; AmeriCorps Member Application, Enrollment, and Exit Forms
Agencies
ELI5 AI
AmeriCorps is asking people to say what they think about some forms they use when people join or leave their programs. They want to make the forms better, and lots of people fill them out every year.
Summary AI
The Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps) is requesting public comments on a proposed information collection process for their member applications, enrollments, and exit forms, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This proposal is open for comment until May 16, 2025, and can be accessed at www.reginfo.gov. AmeriCorps aims to make minor revisions to these forms to enhance their utility, including new options for sharing departing members' contact information with other federal partners. The agency reports an estimated 521,000 responses annually, requiring approximately 390,750 hours for individuals to complete this process.
Abstract
The Corporation for National and Community Service, operating as AmeriCorps, has submitted a public information collection request (ICR) entitled AmeriCorps Member Application, Enrollment, and Exit Forms for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice published by the Corporation for National and Community Service, operating as AmeriCorps, seeking public feedback on a proposed information collection process that includes member application, enrollment, and exit forms. This effort is part of their obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act to ensure their forms are needed, practical, accurate, and as unburdensome as possible for individuals. The deadline for public comments on these proposed forms is May 16, 2025.
Summary of the Document
AmeriCorps proposes revisions to its application, enrollment, and exit forms used by individuals who wish to join or leave the program. These forms are essential for processing applications, enrolling members to earn education awards, and documenting their service completion. One notable addition is the option in the exit form to allow departing members to consent to share their contact information with other federal partners, presumably to keep them engaged in future service opportunities. The agency estimates an annual interaction with these forms by 521,000 individuals, which will collectively require around 390,750 hours to complete.
Significant Issues and Concerns
A primary concern with this document is the lack of specifics regarding how individual feedback was incorporated into changes to these forms. While it mentions outreach to certain individuals for input, the document does not specify who these individuals were or what specific changes were made based on their feedback. This lack of transparency can hinder public trust in the process.
Additionally, the document proposes sharing outgoing members' contact information with other federal entities, but it inadequately addresses how this process will protect personal privacy. Protection of individuals' contact details is critical, and greater transparency about safeguards in place would be beneficial.
Moreover, the stated number of annual responses and estimated burden hours are large figures that lack explanation. Without a detailed breakdown or justification, it is difficult to assess if these are reasonable estimates or to understand the potential workload for those completing these forms.
Potential Impact on the Public
For the general public, especially those inclined to join AmeriCorps, this document represents a procedural update that could potentially streamline interaction with the service. Its efforts to gather and incorporate public feedback are in the right spirit of transparency and public interest, although currently, their implementation appears incomplete.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For potential and current AmeriCorps members, these revisions aim to enhance how information is collected and used, thereby improving their interaction with the program. Specifically, the possibility of networking opportunities with other federal partners through shared contact information could benefit those looking to remain engaged in service roles post-AmeriCorps.
On the other hand, stakeholders focusing on privacy may view the contact-sharing proposal as a potential risk if not adequately controlled, necessitating careful consideration of privacy concerns and data protection.
In conclusion, while the proposed updates to AmeriCorps' member forms seek to enhance functionality and engagement opportunities, the document would benefit from greater transparency and specificity regarding changes, privacy measures, and workload estimates to fully gain public and stakeholder trust.
Issues
• The document does not contain detailed budgetary information, making it hard to assess if there is wasteful spending.
• The document lacks clarity on how the input from individuals led to changes in the forms. More specifics on who was consulted and what changes were made could improve transparency.
• The language about the sharing of outgoing members' information with other Federal partners is not detailed. Additional information on how the process will protect the privacy of the individuals should be included.
• The document mentions a high number of annual responses (521,000) and considerable estimated annual burden hours (390,750), but it does not provide a breakdown or justification for these numbers, making it difficult to evaluate the accuracy of these estimates.