[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51173-51174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20350]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

    Title: Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency: 
Follow-Up Data Collections.
    OMB No.: 0970-0397.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proposing a data 
collection activity as part of the Innovative Strategies for Increasing 
Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) evaluation. ISIS is an evaluation of 9 
promising career pathways strategies to promote education, employment, 
and self-sufficiency. The major goal of ISIS is to increase the 
empirical knowledge about the effectiveness of programs for low-income 
individuals and families to achieve educational credentials, attain 
employment and advance to positions that enable self-sufficiency.
    ISIS is one project within the broader portfolio of research that 
OPRE is utilizing to assess the success of the career pathways programs 
and models. In addition to ISIS, this strategy includes a multi-pronged 
research and evaluation approach for the Health Profession Opportunity 
Grants (HPOG) Program to better understand and assess the activities 
conducted and their results. In order to maximize learning across this 
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.
    Two data collection efforts have been approved for ISIS, including 
one for baseline data collection (approved November 2011), a second for 
data collection activities to document program implementation, data 
collection activities for an initial follow-up survey of participants 
to be administered approximately 15 months after random assignment, and 
data collection through in-depth interviews for a small sample of study 
participants (approved August 2013). Additionally, three related data 
collection efforts for HPOG research were approved by OMB under OMB 
#0970-0394. These include 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, a new request is being submitted 
at the same time as this request.
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
a proposed new information collection activity for ISIS--a second 
follow-up survey for ISIS participants approximately 36 months after 
program enrollment. The purpose of the 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.
    Data collection activities to submit in a future information 
collection request include a third follow-up survey for ISIS study 
participants approximately 60 months after study enrollment.
    Previously approved collection activities under 0970-0397 will 
continue under this new request, including additional data collection 
using the following previously approved instruments: The Basic 
Information Form; the Self-Administered Questionnaire; 15-Month Follow-
Up Survey; 15-Month Follow-Up Survey Tracking Letters; Study 
Participant In-depth Interview Guide; and Study Participant Check-in 
Call. The estimated number of study participants for the 15-Month 
Survey and in-depth interviews is reduced from the previous OMB 
submission. Total sample size targets were reduced at a number of ISIS 
program sites to reflect actual study enrollment experiences. The 
number of in-depth interviews projected was also reduced to incorporate 
experiences to date recruiting participants.
    Respondents: Individuals enrolled in the ISIS study.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
                        [This information collection request is for a three-year period]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    Annual number   responses per     hours per     Annual burden
                                  of respondents  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Previously Approved Instruments
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline data collection: Basic               24               8               1             .25               2
 Information Form...............
Baseline data collection: Self-               24               8               1             .33               3
 administered Questionnaire.....
15 Month Follow-up Survey.......           2,900             967               1           0.833             805
Study Participant In-depth                   144              48               1               1              48
 Interview Guide................
Study Participant Check-in Call.             144              48               1             .16               8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Current Request for Approval
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36-Month Follow-up Survey.......           7,386           2,462               1               1           2,462
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[[Page 51174]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,328.
    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.

Karl Koerper,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-20350 Filed 8-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P