[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79936-79937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32317]



[[Page 79936]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Evaluation of the Linking to Employment 
Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) Program Grants Program

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation 
Office, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program 
helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired 
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents is properly assessed. Currently, 
DOL is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the 
Evaluation of the Linking to Employment Activities Pre-release (LEAP) 
Program grants program [FOA-ETA-15-13]. A copy of the proposed 
Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the 
office listed in the addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before February 22, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following 
methods: Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Megan 
Lizik, Chief Evaluation Office, OASP, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-
2312, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: 
Please submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All 
submissions received must include the agency name and OMB Control 
Number identified above for this information collection. Because we 
continue to experience delays in receiving mail in the Washington, DC 
area, commenters are strongly encouraged to transmit their comments 
electronically via email or to submit them by mail early. Comments, 
including any personal information provided, become a matter of public 
record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the request for 
OMB approval of the information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Lizik by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Background: The information collection activities described in 
this notice will provide data for an implementation evaluation of the 
Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) program. The U.S. 
Department of Labor (DOL) has provided $10 million to 20 grantees to 
develop programs that strengthen ties between the public workforce 
system and local correctional facilities by establishing satellite 
American Job Centers (AJCs) in local jails to bridge the gap between 
pre and post release employment services.
    This information collection covers the implementation study which 
will address four main research questions: (1) What are the key program 
elements of each of the 20 grantee sites, and what practices appear 
promising in addressing the unique challenges of individuals reentering 
the community? (2) What factors influence LEAP program implementation, 
and what steps are taken to ensure sustainability? (3) How and why is 
there variation in the structure, partnerships, and implementation of 
the grants across grantees, and how does this appear to affect 
programs' ability to increase employment and reduce recidivism among 
participants? and (4) What are the perceptions of facility- and 
community-based staff, stakeholders, partners, and participants 
regarding LEAP programs and services?
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
three proposed data collection instruments that will be used in the 
LEAP implementation evaluation:
    * Site visit protocols. The site visits will occur in two rounds, 
with the first in spring/summer of 2016 and the second in spring of 
2017. These visits will last two days each and will involve one-on-one 
semi-structured interviews with facility--and community-based program 
administrators, the focus groups discussed below, as well as 
observations of program activities and reviews of a small sample of 
case files. The observations and case file reviews will not involve 
additional burden.
    * Focus group protocols. During each implementation study visit, 
the evaluation team will conduct three focus groups per site. In the 
first implementation study visit, separate focus groups will be 
conducted with facility-based LEAP participants receiving pre-release 
services, LEAP frontline staff, and representatives from LEAP partner 
organizations. During the second implementation study visit, focus 
groups will be conducted with facility-based LEAP participants 
receiving pre-release services, community-based LEAP participants 
receiving post-release services, and LEAP frontline staff. Focus groups 
that are held outside of the jail facilities will be digitally recorded 
for internal use only by the evaluation team. The team will seek 
approval from the jail facilities in the study to allow recording of 
site visits conducted in the jails, but anticipate that it will not be 
allowed in most of the sites.
    * Respondent information forms. Before the start of the focus 
groups, each staff or program participant respondent will complete a 
brief questionnaire to provide demographic characteristics and other 
relevant information that will aid in the interpretation and comparison 
of focus group findings across sites and time periods.
    At this time, clearance is requested for the three data collection 
activities mentioned above. Should an impact evaluation be deemed 
feasible for the LEAP Grant Program, a separate package will be 
submitted containing and requesting clearance of the impact evaluation 
materials.
    II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, the Department of Labor 
is soliciting comments concerning the above data collection for the 
LEAP program. DOL is particularly interested in comments that do the 
following:
    * evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    * evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of the 
proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions;
    * enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    * minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology--for example, permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    III. Current Actions: At this time, the Department of Labor is 
requesting clearance for the implementation site visit protocols, the 
focus group

[[Page 79937]]

protocols, and the focus group respondent information forms.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    OMB Control Number: 1205-0NEW.
    Affected Public: LEAP program staff, participants and partner 
agencies.

                                          Estimated Total Burden Hours
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                                                                                  Average burden
                                                     Estimated       Number of       time per        Estimated
                   Respondents                         total       responses per     response      total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent        (hours)         (hours)
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Site Visit Semi-structured Interviews...........................................................................
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Round 1
LEAP Program Administrators.....................             100               1             1.5             150
Round 2
LEAP Program Administrators.....................             100               1             1.5             150
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Respondent Information Forms (RIFs) and Focus Groups............................................................
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Round 1
LEAP Front-line Staff
    RIF.........................................             140               1             .12              16
    Focus group.................................             140               1             1.5             210
LEAP pre-release participants
    RIF.........................................             100               1             .12              12
    Focus group.................................             100               1               1             100
Partner Staff
    RIF.........................................             140               1             .12              16
    Focus group.................................             140               1               1             140
Round 2
LEAP Front-line Staff
    RIF.........................................             140               1             .12              16
    Focus group.................................             140               1             1.5             210
LEAP pre-release participants
    RIF.........................................             100               1             .12              12
    Focus group.................................             100               1               1             100
LEAP post-release participants
    RIF.........................................             140               1             .12              16
    Focus group.................................             140               1               1             140
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        Total...................................           1,720               1               -           1,229
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    Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: December 16, 2015.
Sharon Block,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of 
Labor.
[FR Doc. 2015-32317 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-HX-P