[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 121 (Monday, June 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28856-28857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13288]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Title: Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-
Income Populations.
    OMB No.: New Collection.
    Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
proposing a data collection activity as part of the Evaluation of 
Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-Income Populations. This 
study will provide an opportunity to learn more about the potential of 
coaching to help clients achieve self-sufficiency and other desired 
employment-related outcomes. It will take place over five years in up 
to three employment programs. These programs may be Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies or other public or 
private employment programs that serve low-income individuals. Selected 
sites will include a robust coaching component and have the capacity to 
conduct a rigorous impact evaluation, among other criteria. This study 
will provide information on whether coaching helps people obtain and 
retain jobs, advance in their careers, move toward self-sufficiency, 
and improve their overall well-being. To meet these objectives, this 
study will include an impact and implementation study.
    The impact study will involve participants being randomly assigned 
to either a ``program group,'' who will be paired with a coach, or to a 
``control group,'' who will not be paired with a coach. The 
effectiveness of the coaching will be determined by differences between 
members of the program and control groups in outcomes such as obtaining 
and retaining employment, earnings, measures of self-sufficiency, and 
measures of self-regulation.
    The implementation study will document coaching practices, describe 
lessons learned from implementing coaching, and enhance interpretation 
of the impact study findings.
    The proposed information collection activities are: (1) Baseline 
data collection: Collection of characteristics data on all study 
participants as they enroll in the study. Data will be entered into the 
Random Assignment, Participant Tracking Enrollment, and Reporting 
(RAPTER) system; (2) First follow-up survey: Collection of outcome data 
for a subset of study participants about 9 months after random 
assignment; (3) Semi-structured staff interviews: Collection of 
qualitative data on the design and implementation of the program; (4) 
Staff survey: Collection of information on staff members' professional 
backgrounds, training, coaching practices, and attitudes; (5) In-depth 
participant interviews: Collection of detailed information about the 
participants' backgrounds and experiences with coaching; (6) Staff 
reports of program service receipt: Collection of data on coaching and 
other program services received by study

[[Page 28857]]

participants and entered into RAPTER; and (7) Video recordings of 
coaching sessions: Collection of data on the interaction between the 
coaches and participants.
    A second follow-up survey will be administered approximately 21 
months after random assignment. This data collection activity will be 
included under a separate OMB submission.
    Respondents: Program staff and individuals enrolled in the 
Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-Income 
Populations. Program staff may include coaches, case managers, workshop 
instructors, job developers, supervisors, and managers. All 
participants will be able to opt out of participating in the data 
collection activities.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Total  number  Annual  number     Number of        Average
           Instrument                   of              of        responses  per   burden hours   Annual  burden
                                    respondents     respondents      respondent    per response        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline data collection--study            6,000           2,000               1            0.33             660
 participants...................
Baseline data collection--staff.              60              20             100            0.33             660
First follow-up survey..........           2,400             800               1               1             800
Semi-structured staff interviews              66              22               1             1.5              33
Staff survey....................              48              16               1            0.75              12
In-depth participant interviews.              24               8               1             2.5              20
Staff reports of program service              30              10           5,200            0.03           1,560
 receipt........................
Video recordings of coaching                  27               9              10            0.10               9
 sessions.......................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,754.
    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, 330 C Street SW., Washington, DC 
20201, 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.

Mary Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-13288 Filed 6-23-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-09-P