[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26764-26765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10735]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; 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 avoidance of 
material hardship?
     How do specific AFI 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 AFI-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 AFI-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) AFI-eligible participants and 
(2) AFI project administrators and staff members of the participating 
AFT grantees and their partnering organizations.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Instrument                        Number of     response per    burden hours      Estimated
                                                    respondent      respondents    per response    burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFI Baseline Questionnaire......................             567               1             .50             284
AFT Follow-Up Questionnaire.....................             482               1             .50             241

[[Page 26765]]

 
AFT Implementation Interview Instrument.........              10               1            1.00              10
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:........  ..............  ..............  ..............             535
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Additional Information

    Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by 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. All requests should be identified 
by the title of the information collection. Email address: 
[email protected].

OMB Comment

    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document 
in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having 
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication. 
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent directly to the following: Office of 
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: [email protected], Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for 
Children and Families.

    Dated: April 30, 2012.
Steven M. Hanmer,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-10735 Filed 5-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-24-M