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OMB Control No: 0970-0139	ICR Reference No: 202411-0970-001
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202310-0970-009
Agency/Subagency: HHS/ACF	Agency Tracking No: OA
Title: Administration for Children and Families Uniform Project Description (UPD)
Type of Information Collection: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 11/08/2024
	Date Received in OIRA: 11/08/2024
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	03/31/2026	03/31/2026	03/31/2026
Responses	3,218	0	3,218
Time Burden (Hours)	190,745	0	193,080
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The Uniform Project Description (UPD) is standard language and sections available for use by Administration for Children and Families (ACF) program offices to solicit the required project description and project budget information from applicants for specific funding opportunities. Applications are required for project grants and cooperative agreements as prescribed by HHS regulations 45 CFR § 75.203. The UPD provides a selection of text options for the program offices to choose from, which are used to communicate the application requirements for a specific grant or cooperative agreement notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), as required by 45 C.F.R. § 75.203, and Appendix I to Part 75 – Full Text of Notice of Funding Opportunity. The UPD is fundamental to ACF’s competitive award process. It ensures the provision of adequate information to support award decisions. The ability to select the appropriate standard language for a given NOFO reduces the burden of application preparation, by eliminating unnecessary portions of the application for a given announcement. In addition, it provides for consistency and objectivity in the application and review processes required by 45 C.F.R. § 75.204. In March 2023, ACF obtained approval for the current ACF Uniform Project Description (UPD) (OMB expiration date: March 31, 2026). A subsequent nonsubstantive change request was approved in October 2023 to allow for an alternate, simplified version of the UPD to be piloted with 25 NOFOs. The pilot effort, which was part of the HHS SimplerGrants, SimplerNOFOs Initiative, was successful and ACF would like to expand use of the simplified version in 2025.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 31 USC 6301 Name of Law: General Assistance Administration

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 51676	10/31/2022
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	87 FR 66711	11/04/2022
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Streamlined Uniform Project Description (UPD)	2
Uniform Project Description (UPD)	1

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	3,218	3,218	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	190,745	193,080	-2,335
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: This nonsubstantive change request is to increase the number of NOFOs using the streamlined version of the UPD. Burden estimates based on evaluation of the SimplerNOFO Pilot of the streamlined UPD has shown a decrease in burden hours resulting in an overall reduction in burden and costs to respondents. The feedback also provided a more accurate estimate for the traditional UPD and estimates have been updated to reflect this. Additionally, this non-substantive change request includes: • Updates to language impacted by the recent updates to 2 CFR 200 and HHS’s implementation of that regulation • Additional updates to provide better flow and additional plain language principles. • Moving the highly detailed budget and budget justification section within the traditional UPD to the web in line with the streamlined UPD. The burden has been updated to reflect the currently estimated number of applications in FY2023-2026.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $7,079,600

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? Yes

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? Yes

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Molly Buck 202 205-4724 mary.buck@acf.hhs.gov

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