[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41024-41025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18226]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; 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,

[[Page 41025]]

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 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    Annual number   responses per     hours per     Annual burden
                                  of respondents  of respondents    respondent       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.......................
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,754.
    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, 330 C Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20201, 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.

Mary Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-18226 Filed 8-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-09-P