[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 10752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3946]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Assets for Independence (AFI) Program Evaluation.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing a data 
collection activity as part of an experimental evaluation of the Assets 
for Independence (AFI) Program. The purpose of this study is to assess 
the impact of participation in AFI-funded individual development 
account (IDA) projects on the savings, asset purchases, and economic 
well-being of low-income individuals and families. The two primary 
research questions are:
     What is the impact of AFI project participation on short-
term outcomes such as savings, asset purchases, and material hardship?
     How do specific API project design features affect short-
term participant outcomes?
    While some evaluations suggest that IDAs help low-income families 
save, rigorous experimental research is limited. Few studies have 
focused on API-funded IDAs, and few have tested alternative design 
features.
    This evaluation--the first experimental evaluation of IDA projects 
operating under the Assets for Independence Act--will contribute 
importantly to understanding the effects of IDA project participation 
on project participants, particularly effects that occur within the 
first 12 months of participation, and how these short-term effects 
differ under alternative project designs. The evaluation will be 
conducted in two sites, with the random assignment of API-eligible 
cases to program and control groups. The evaluation consists of both an 
impact study and an implementation study. Data collection activities 
will span a three-year period.
    Respondents: Respondent groups will include: (1) API-eligible 
participants and (2) API project administrators and staff members of 
the participating API grantees and their partnering organizations.

                                        Annual Response Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Instrument                        Number of     responses per     hours per       Estimated
                                                    respondents     respondent       response      burden hours
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Baseline survey: AFI-eligible participants......             567               1             .50             284
Follow-up survey: AFI-eligible participants.....             482               1             .50             241
Implementation interview: Administrators and                  10               1            1.00              10
 staff..........................................
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    Estimated Annual Response Burden Hours: 535.
    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services, is soliciting 
public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection 
described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can 
be obtained and comments may be forwarded in writing to the 
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research 
and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: 
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. Email address: 
[email protected]. All requests should be identified by 
the title of the information collection.
    The Department specifically requests comments on: (a) Whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Dated: February 14, 2012.
Steven M. Hanmer,
Office of Planning Research and Evaluation; ACF, Reports Clearance 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-3946 Filed 2-22-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-24-M