[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 87 (Monday, May 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26372-26373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10577]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program.
    Omb No.: 0970-0394.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing data 
collection activities as part of the Health Profession Opportunity 
Grants (HPOG) program. ACF has developed a multi-pronged research and 
evaluation approach for the HPOG program to better understand and 
assess the activities conducted and their results. The proposed data 
collection activities described in this notice will provide data for 
two evaluation components, the National Implementation Evaluation of 
the Health Profession Opportunity Grants to Serve TANF Recipients and 
Other Low-Income Individuals (HPOG-NIE) and the Impact Studies of the 
Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG-Impact).
    Two data collection efforts related to HPOG research were approved 
by OMB, including approval of a Performance Reporting System (PRS) 
(approved September 2011) and for collection of additional baseline 
data for the HPOG-Impact study (approved October 2012). These 
collection activities will continue under this new request.
    This 30-day notice describes the remaining data collection efforts 
for both HPOG-NIE and HPOG-Impact. Information collection described 
under 1 through 13 are included in the current OMB submission for 
review. Information collections 14 through 18 will be submitted in a 
future information collection clearance request.
    The goal of HPOG-NIE is to describe and assess the implementation, 
systems change, and outcomes and other important information about the 
operations of the 27 HPOG grantees focused on TANF recipients and other 
low-income individuals. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to 
collect data about the HPOG program designs and implementation, HPOG 
partner and program networks and indicators of systems change, 
employers' perceptions of HPOG programs, the composition and intensity 
of HPOG services received, participant characteristics and HPOG 
experiences, and participant outputs and outcomes.
    The goal of HPOG-Impact is to evaluate the effectiveness of 
approaches used by 20 of the HPOG grantees to provide TANF recipients 
and other low-income individuals with opportunities for education, 
training and advancement within the health care field. HPOG-Impact also 
is intended to evaluate variation in participant impact that may be 
attributable to different HPOG program components and models. The 
impact study design is a classic experiment in which eligible 
applicants will be randomly assigned to a treatment group that is 
offered participation in HPOG and a control group that is not permitted 
to enroll in HPOG. In approximately 13 sites, eligible applicants will 
be randomized into two treatment arms (a basic and an enhanced version 
of the intervention) and a control group. Data collected from the HPOG 
participants served by these 20 grantees will also be used for the 
HPOG-NIE study.
    The new information collection activities proposed for HPOG-NIE and 
HPOG-Impact include: (1) The HPOG-NIE sampling questionnaire; (2) The 
HPOG-NIE follow-up phone protocol for the stakeholder/network survey; 
(3) The HPOG-NIE grantee survey; (4) The HPOG-Impact implementation 
interview guide for partnering employers; (5) The HPOG-Impact 
implementation interview guide for instructors; (6) The HPOG-Impact 
implementation interview guide for HPOG program management; (7) The 
HPOG-Impact implementation interview guide for HPOG program staff; (8) 
The HPOG-NIE management and staff survey; (9) The HPOG-NIE stakeholder/
network survey; (10) The HPOG-NIE employer survey; (11) The HPOG-Impact 
15-month participant follow-up survey; (12) The HPOG-Impact 15-month 
control group member follow-up survey; and (13) The HPOG-NIE 15-month 
participant follow-up survey.
    Data collection activities to submit in a future information 
collection request include: (14) the HPOG-NIE follow-up stakeholder/
network survey; (15) the HPOG-Impact second follow-up survey of both 
treatment and control group members; (16) the HPOG-NIE second 
supplemental participant follow-up survey; (17) HPOG-Impact follow-up 
data collection on children of HPOG-Impact study participants; and (18) 
the HPOG-NIE in-person interviews with HPOG managers and staff.
    Respondents: Individuals enrolled in HPOG interventions; control 
group members; HPOG program managers; HPOG program staff, including 
instructors and case managers; representatives of partner agencies and 
stakeholders, including support service providers, education and 
vocational training providers, Workforce Investment Boards, TANF 
agencies, and local health care employers.

[[Page 26373]]



                                        Annual Response Burden Estimates
                         [This information collection request is for a two-year period.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      No. of      Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    responses per     hours per     Total burden    Annual burden
                                  of respondents    respondent       response          hours           hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Previously Approved Instruments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRS.............................              32               4            31.2           3,994           1,997
HPOG-Impact Baseline Survey(s)            10,500               1            0.25           2,625           1,313
 (Supplemental baseline
 questions; study sample
 members).......................
HPOG-Impact Baseline Survey(s)                20             525            0.25           2,625           1,313
 (Supplemental baseline
 questions; grantees)...........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Current Request for Approval
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HPOG-NIE Sampling Questionnaire               54               1               2             108              54
 for the HPOG surveys...........
HPOG-NIE Follow-Up Phone Call                162               1            0.17              28              14
 Protocol for the Stakholder/
 Network survey.................
HPOG-NIE Grantee survey.........              54               1               4             216             108
HPOG-Impact Implementation                    60               1            0.50              30              15
 interview guide for partnering
 employers......................
HPOG-Impact Implementation                    60               1            0.75              45              22
 interview guide for instructors
HPOG-Impact Implementation                    20               1            1.50              30              15
 interview guide for HPOG
 program mangement..............
HPOG-Impact Implementation                    80               1               1              80              40
 interview guide for HPOG
 program staff..................
HPOG-NIE Management and Staff                540               1             0.5             270             135
 survey.........................
HPOG-NIE Stakeholder/Network                 500               1             0.5             250             125
 survey.........................
HPOG-NIE Employer survey........             200               1             0.5             100              50
HPOG-Impact 15-month Participant           5,600               1             0.7           3,920           1,960
 Follow-Up survey...............
HPOG-Impact 15-month Control               2,800               1             0.6           1,680             840
 Group Member Follow-Up survey..
HPOG-NIE 15-month Participant                600               1             0.7             420             210
 Follow-Up survey...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Annual Response Burden Hours: 8,211.

    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 the 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 collections should be sent directly to the following: 
Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: 
OIRA-- [email protected], Attn: Desk Officer for the 
Administration for Children and Families.

Steven M. Hanmer,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-10577 Filed 5-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-M