[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 1421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00180]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; 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.

                                                Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Number of        Average burden
             Instrument                Total number of     responses per        hours per         Total burden
                                         respondents         respondent          response            hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey development field tests,                  5,100                  1                .75              3,825
 respondent debriefing
 questionnaires, cognitive
 interviews, split sample
 experiments, focus groups..........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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,
OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-00180 Filed 1-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-79-P