The Supporting Statement is a set of required questions that help provide a clear rationale for the why, what, how, and who of the information collection. All Supporting Statements have a Part A - a standard list of 18 questions - which shows compliance with the PRA requirements and other associated laws. Collections that require statistical methods, like surveys or program evaluations, have additional requirements, called Part B.
What makes a good Supporting Statement?
A clear supporting statement will help OMB and the public better understand your collection and reduce the need for questions aimed at simply trying to understand the overall collection. Be sure to give information about the authority your agency has to collect the type of information in your proposal.
A few of the criteria covered in the Supporting Statement include:
- Agency purpose
- Need
- Practical utility
- Avoidance of unnecessary duplication
Agency purpose
This describes the general purpose of the collection to the sponsoring agency’s goals, and how the collection will achieve a stated results. A collection may have more than one purpose; each should be described in the Supporting Statement.
Need
The agency must have a need for the information or data to be collected, based on program or policy requirements. As the Federal government, we need to help ensure we are careful when we impose burden on the public and it should be for very specific reasons.
While “purpose” is how the collection fits with the agency goals, “need” involves how the results will help program operation or policy development.
Practical utility
Does the information being collected meet the stated goals? Ask yourself, is the information accurate, adequate, and reliable enough for the agency to use for this purpose? Proposals should consider how an agency can use the information in ways that are reasonable, practical, workable, timely, and reliable.
The practical utility of a collection needs to serve both the purpose and need. Requests must only collect information that’s needed for the stated purpose(s).
A collection does not have practical utility if it cannot serve both the given purpose and need. Some reasons include:
- Unable to process and analyze information, or provide resources to do so, within a timely manner.
- Design or method won’t achieve appropriate results.
- Collection will give unclear or non-generalizable results due to ambiguous survey questions, unduly-biased methodology, or ineffective disclosure methods.
Collections should maximize practical utility. Some examples of this include:
- Redrawing a sample in a survey to reduce a high sample variance to produce more precise and useful data.
- Revising the selection of a control group to make analytical comparisons more meaningful.
- Clarifying questions to improve reliability of responses.
Avoidance of unnecessary duplication
Before collecting more information, see if there’s already accessible information that could serve the same purpose or need. This can include information collected for another purpose, such as administrative records, other federal agencies and programs, or other public and private sources.
If existing information sources don’t have the level of detail needed to meet the purpose and need, can’t be meaningfully analyzed together with other collected responses, or are not legally available for your purpose and need, then the information gathered is necessary and not duplicative.
FAQs
The Supporting Statement is a set of required questions that help provide a clear rationale for the why, what, how, and who of the information collection. All Supporting Statements have a Part A - a standard list of 18 questions - which shows compliance with the PRA requirements and other associated laws.
What are the requirements for the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
The law requires federal agencies to issue guidelines to ensure the "quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information" disseminated by Federal agencies. This law also requires agencies to provide persons about whom they maintain information a means of correcting that information.
What is the Paperwork Reduction Act statement? ›
The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was enacted to minimize the paperwork burden for individuals; small businesses; educational and nonprofit institutions; Federal contractors; State, local and tribal governments; and other persons resulting from the collection of information by or for the federal government.
What is the burden statement of the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.
What is an example of a supporting statement? ›
I demonstrated my interpersonal skills when I employed tact and diplomacy, explained complex information clearly, developed rapport with colleagues and customers and defused tensions during stock shortages, as part of a team of 4 supporting over 200 customers a day.
What is a common form in the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
Common Form clearance
A “common form” is an information collection that can be used by two or more agencies, or government-wide, for the same purpose. One agency will host the collection to use itself, and additional agencies can request to use that collection.
What are the exemptions for the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
Some of the more common exemptions to PRA include: Requesting from fewer than 10 people, Open-ended requests for comments or feedback, Only collecting information from federal employees as part of their work duties, or.
What happens if you violate the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
When OMB becomes aware of a violation of the Paperwork Reduction Act it is brought to the CIO's attention. If the violation is not resolved in a timely manner, the issue is raised in OMB's management chain and can result in official Departmental reprimands and may have budget implications.
What is the OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520) requires that Federal agencies obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget before collecting information from ten (10) or more members of the public.
What is the code for the Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
3501 et seq.) The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 requires that agencies obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before requesting most types of information from the public.
The prudential regulator was established along with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2013, replacing the preceding agency, the Financial Services Authority. The PRA's remit is to ensure system-wide stability and soundness of the banking sector.
Does the Paperwork Reduction Act apply to contractors? ›
(a) The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 applies to contractors that collect information for use or disclosure by the Federal government.
What is the burden of proof necessary to win a tort action? ›
In tort law, you must prove your case by a preponderance of evidence. You must show there is over a 50% chance that what you claim is true.
What is the Paperwork Reduction Act CMS? ›
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the ...
What is the ICR Paperwork Reduction Act? ›
The Paperwork Reduction Act stipulates that every federal agency must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before collecting the same or similar information from 10 or more members of the public.
What is a statement in support of application? ›
A supporting statement is the evidence a manager uses to short list you for the job you're applying for. It is a chance for you to write about your skills and experiences and how you would be suited to the role.
What is the format for submitting statement of purpose? ›
In general, a statement of purpose is about 1-2 single- spaced pages (standard font, 12pt, 1” margins). Include your NAME and contact information on the first page. What is essential? What makes it great?
How to do a supporting document? ›
How to write a supporting statement
- Review the job description. Review the job description and take note of keywords and phrases that employers include. ...
- Include relevant skills and qualifications. ...
- Give examples of your success. ...
- Keep your supporting statement brief. ...
- Format your statement. ...
- Proofread your statement.
Before you submit your statement of purpose:
- Make sure you've followed all directions thoroughly, including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
- Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words.
