[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35547-35548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14565]


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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. The proposed data collection activities 
described in this notice will provide data for the Impact Studies of 
the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG-Impact) and the National 
Implementation Evaluation of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants 
to Serve TANF Recipients and Other Low-Income Individuals (HPOG-NIE).
    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 a subset of sites, eligible applicants will be 
randomized into two treatment arms (a basic and an enhanced version of 
the intervention) and a control group.
    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

[[Page 35548]]

focused on TANF recipients and other low-income individuals. To achieve 
these goals, it is necessary to collect information about the 
composition and intensity of services received, participant 
characteristics and HPOG experiences, and participant outputs and 
outcomes.
    HPOG-Impact and HPOG-NIE are two projects within the broader 
portfolio of research that OPRE is utilizing to assess the success of 
the career pathways programs and models. This strategy includes a 
multi-pronged research and evaluation approach for the HPOG program to 
better understand and assess the activities conducted and their results 
as well as the Innovative Strategies for Improving Self-Sufficiency 
(ISIS) project. In order to maximize learning across the portfolio, 
survey development for the HPOG and ISIS baseline and follow up surveys 
is being coordinated, and the majority of the data elements collected 
in these surveys are similar.
    Three data collection efforts related to HPOG research were 
approved by OMB, including approval of a Performance Reporting System 
(PRS) (approved September 2011), for collection of additional baseline 
data for the HPOG-Impact study (approved October 2012), and for 
collection of data for the National Implementation Evaluation (approved 
August 2013). Additionally, two data collection efforts for ISIS were 
approved (November 2011 and August 2013), and a new request is being 
submitted at the same time as this request (under OMB 0970-
0397).
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
proposed new information collection activities for HPOG-Impact and 
HPOG-NIE: (1) The HPOG-Impact second follow-up survey (at 36 months 
post-random assignment) of both treatment and control group members. 
The purpose of the HPOG-Impact 36 month follow-up survey is to follow-
up with study participants to document their education and training 
experiences, employment experiences, and parenting practices and child 
outcomes for participants with children. (2) A HPOG-NIE screening 
questionnaire and semi-structured discussion guide for use in 
interviews with grantees about their use of performance measurement 
information.
    Data collection activities to submit in a future information 
collection request include: A third follow-up survey for HPOG-Impact 
study participants approximately 60 months after study enrollment.
    Previously approved collection activities under 0970-0394 will 
continue this new request, including additional data collection using 
the following previously approved instruments: The Performance 
Reporting System (PRS); the HPOG-Impact 15-month follow-up survey of 
treatment and control group members; and the HPOG-NIE 15-month 
Participant Follow-Up survey.
    Respondents: Individuals enrolled in HPOG interventions and control 
group members; HPOG program managers and staff.

Annual Burden Estimates

                                       Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours
                        [This information collection request is for a three-year period]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Annual  number     Number of     Average burden
           Instrument             Total number         of         responses per     hours per      Annual burden
                                 of respondents    respondents     respondent        response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Previously Approved Instruments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRS............................              32              11               4             31.2           1,373
HPOG-Impact 15-month                      5,600           1,867               1              0.7           1,307
 Participant Follow-Up survey..
HPOG-Impact 15-month Control              2,800             933               1              0.6             560
 Group Member Follow-Up survey.
HPOG-NIE 15-month Participant               600             200               1              0.7             140
 Follow-Up survey..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Current Request for Approval
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HPOG-Impact 36-month                      5,600           1,867               1              1             1,867
 Participant Follow-Up survey..
HPOG-Impact 36-month Control              2,800             933               1              1               933
 Group Member Follow-Up survey.
HPOG-NIE Performance                         49              16               1               .2               3
 Measurement Screening
 Questionnaire.................
HPOG-NIE Performance                         20               7               1              1                 7
 Measurement Semi-Structured
 Discussion Guide..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Response Burden Hours: 6190.
    In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and 
Families 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 
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. 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.

Karl Koerper,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-14565 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P