[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 178 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54985-54986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21918]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Pre-testing of Evaluation Surveys.
    OMB No.: 0970-0355.
    Description: The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation 
(OPRE), in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to request 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal of 
a generic clearance to allow OPRE to pre-test data collection 
instruments with more than nine participants to identify and resolve 
any question or procedural problems in survey administration.
    OPRE studies ACF programs, and the populations they serve, through 
rigorous research and evaluation projects. These include evaluations of 
existing programs, evaluations of innovative approaches to helping low-
income children and families, research syntheses and descriptive and 
exploratory studies. To improve the development of its research and 
evaluation surveys, OPRE uses the pre-testing of evaluation surveys 
generic clearance to employ a variety of techniques including cognitive 
and usability laboratory and field techniques, behavior coding, 
exploratory interviews, respondent debriefing questionnaires, split 
sample experiments, focus groups, and pilot studies/pre-tests. These 
activities allow OPRE to identify if and when a survey may be 
simplified for respondents, respondent burden may be reduced, and other 
possible improvements.
    Following standard OMB requirements, OPRE will submit a change 
request for each individual data collection activity under this generic 
clearance. Each request will include the individual instrument(s), a 
justification specific to the individual information collection, and 
any supplementary documents. OPRE requests OMB review within 10 days of 
receiving each change request.
    Respondents: Participants in ACF programs being evaluated; 
participants in ACF demonstrations; comparison group members; and other 
relevant populations, such as individuals at risk of needing ACF 
services.

[[Page 54986]]



                                                                 Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                                         Number of      Average burden
                    Instrument                      Total number of   Annual number    responses per      hours per       Total burden    Annual burden
                                                      respondents     of respondents     respondent        response          hours            hours
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Survey development field tests, respondent                    5100             1700                1              .75            3,825            1,275
 debriefing questionnaires, cognitive interviews,
 split sample experiments, focus groups...........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. 2014-21918 Filed 9-12-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-79-P