[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 88 (Friday, May 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26212-26214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11232]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30DAY-29-00]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer; Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235; Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    1. Public Health Prevention Service Program--New--Epidemiology 
Program Office (EPO). In 1995, senior CDC leadership asked for a review 
of CDC's role in developing public health workers. As a result of the 
review, the Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) program was 
established in 1997, to be carried out by the Epidemiology Program 
Office (EPO). The purpose of the PHPS program is to improve the 
nation's public health practice by preparing entry-level public health 
professionals to conduct prevention programs that improve health and 
prevent injury and to manage emerging public health problems.
    Implicit in the creation of the program is the expectation that the 
PHPS participants would be a new breed of public health professional 
who would owe primary allegiance to prevention and public health as 
disciplines rather than to specific programs, be comfortable working 
across a variety of programs and in multiple levels of jurisdictions, 
and be knowledgeable about and prepared to meet future challenges in 
public health in planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating 
scientifically sound prevention programs and interventions.
    PHPS participants (Prevention Specialists) are selected annually in 
a national competition. Each year, approximately 25 PHPS participants 
are chosen from a pool of about 100 applicants. During their 3-year 
participation they undertake formal training, engage in a series of 
rotations throughout CDC and, finally, are posted to 2-year assignments 
with health

[[Page 26213]]

departments at the state, county, or local level. Throughout the off-
site portion of the program, they are intended to participate in 
scheduled training through periodic on-site sessions at CDC as well as 
through distance learning. At the conclusion of the three years, they 
are available for employment in any setting.
    Data are needed to determine if the PHPS program is meeting its 
goals, including: (1) Broad exposure to multiple disciplines and levels 
of government, (2) exposure to important management and leadership 
skills, and (3) contribution to the creation of a pool of qualified 
leaders who will remain in and rise rapidly to leadership in public 
health at Federal, state, and local levels. In addition, data are 
needed to monitor the implementation of the program and allow for 
continuous improvement of processes.
    While surveys and focus groups are being conducted with the PHPS 
participants and their CDC supervisors throughout the course of their 
3-year participation, these data need to be supplemented with 
information from others including: (1) Graduates of the PHPS program: 
to determine if they are assuming leadership roles in public health and 
the aspects of the PHPS program that proved most helpful, (2) local 
health department staff who supervise PHPS participants during their 
field assignments: to determine if the PHPS participants are exhibiting 
the level of skills imparted during their training period and are 
adding value to state and local public health efforts, and (3) those 
who are offered PHPS positions but choose not to participate: to 
determine how to make the program more attractive and to enable the 
program to improve marketing, application, and selection processes.
    Results from this research will be used to help CDC identify ways 
in which the PHPS program can be enhanced and its processes improved. 
More importantly, it will allow CDC to assess whether the PHPS program 
is an effective mechanism for creating a pool of broadly-trained public 
health leaders.
    The PHPS program will track participants, graduates, and their 
supervisors and employers for a period of 10 years. This request covers 
the first three years only. The total burden hours averages 
approximately 55 hours per year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Avg. burden/
          Respondents              No. of      Responses/      response
                                 respondents   respondent     (in hrs.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Year 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candidates:
    Inquiring but not applying            60             1           .25
    Offered, but declining                10             1           .25
     interviews...............
    Interviewed but not                   30             1           .25
     offered PHPS slots.......
    Offered PHPS slots but not            10             1           .25
     accepting................
Supervisors:
    Of agencies requesting but            30             1         .1667
     not receiving a PHPS
     assignee.................
    Of field assignments......            50             1           .25
Of post-PHPS permanent                     0             1         .1667
 employment \(1)\.............
PHPS participants:
    Graduating from the                    0            1.           .25
     program \(1)\............
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Year 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candidates:
    Inquiring but not applying            60             1           .25
    Offered, but declining                10             1           .25
     interviews...............
    Interviewed but not                   30             1           .25
     offered PHPS slots.......
    Offered but declining PHPS            10             1           .25
     participation............
Supervisors:
    Of agencies requesting but            30             1         .1667
     not receiving a PHPS
     assignee.................
    Of field assignments......            50             1           .25
    For post PHPS permanent               25             1         .1667
     employment \(1)\.........
PHPS participants:
    Graduating from the                   25             1          .25
     program \(1)\............
                                 Year 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candidates:
    Inquiring but not applying            60             1           .25
    Offered, but declined                 10             1           .25
     interviews...............
    Interviewed but not
     offered PHPS.............
    Slots.....................            30             1           .25
    Offered PHPS slots but not            10             1           .25
     accepting................
Supervisors:
    Of agencies requesting but            30             1         .1667
     not receiving a PHPS
     assignee.................
    Of field assignments......            50             1           .25
    Of post-PHPS permanent                50             1         .1667
     employment \(1)\.........
PHPS participants:
    Graduating from the                   50             1          .25
     program \(1)\............
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\(1)\ PHPS is a three year program enrolling 25 new participants each
  year. First class will graduate in Year 2 of this data collection; 25
  new graduates will be added to the pool of graduates each year
  thereafter.



[[Page 26214]]

    Dated: May 1, 2000.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-11232 Filed 5-4-00; 8:45 am]
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