[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 906-907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00107]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Data Collection for the 
Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project (New 
Collection)

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Administration 
for Children and Families; HHS.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within 
the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing data 
collection activities conducted for the Next Generation of Enhanced 
Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project. The objective of this project 
is to identify and rigorously evaluate innovative interventions 
designed to promote employment and economic security among low-income 
individuals with complex challenges to employment. The project will 
include an experimental impact study, descriptive study, and cost 
study.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. 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.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing 
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also 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, emailed or written should be identified by the title of the 
information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To further build the evidence around 
effective strategies for helping low-income individuals find and 
sustain employment, OPRE is conducting the NextGen Project. This 
project will identify and test up to 10 innovative, promising 
employment interventions designed to help individuals facing complex 
challenges secure a pathway toward economic independence. These 
challenges may be physical and mental health conditions, a criminal 
history, or limited work skills and experience. The project is actively 
coordinating with the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies for 
Low-Income Families Project (0970-0537), another OPRE project focused 
on strengthening ACF's understanding of effective interventions aimed 
at supporting low-income individuals to find jobs, advance in the labor 
market, and improve their economic security. Additionally, the project 
is working closely with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to 
incorporate a focus on employment-related early interventions for 
individuals with current or foreseeable disabilities who have limited 
work

[[Page 907]]

history and are potential applicants for Supplemental Security Income 
(SSI).
    The NextGen Project will use a two-phased approach for approval of 
this proposed information collection activity. In Phase 1 (current 
request) the research team seeks approval to formally recruit programs, 
to administer the informed consent form and baseline participant 
survey, and to collect identifying and contact information for study 
participants. The project intends for these data collections to be 
uniform across programs selected for evaluation and it does not 
anticipate that they will require revisions.
    Under Phase 2 of the request, the project will update the 
information collection request for the remaining instruments to tailor 
to each program selected for the evaluation, as needed.
    The proposed information collection activities cover an 
experimental impact study, descriptive study, and cost study. Data 
collection activities for the impact study include: (1) Baseline survey 
and identifying and contact information data collection, (2) a first 
follow-up survey, and (3) a second follow-up survey. Data collection 
activities for the descriptive study include: (1) Service receipt 
tracking; (2) staff characteristics survey; (3) program leadership 
survey; (4) semi-structured program discussion guide (conducted with 
program leaders, supervisors, partners, staff, and providers); (5) 
semi-structured employer discussion guide (for those interventions that 
include an employer component); and (6) in-depth participant 
interviews. Data collection activities for the cost study include an 
Excel-based cost workbook.
    Respondents: Program staff, program partners, employer staff, and 
individuals enrolled in the NextGen Project. Program staff and partners 
may include case managers, health professionals, workshop instructors, 
job developers, supervisors, managers, and administrators. Employers 
may include administrators, human resources staff, and worksite 
supervisors.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
           Instrument              Total number    Annual number   responses per     hours per     Annual burden
                                  of respondents  of respondents    respondent       response          hours
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                                                     PHASE 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline survey & identifying             10,000           3,333               1            0.42           1,400
 and contact information--
 participants...................
Baseline survey & identifying                200              67              50            0.42           1,407
 and contact information--staff.
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           2,807
     Burden Hours, Phase 1:.....
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                                                PHASE 2 ESTIMATES
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First follow-up survey--                   8,000           2,667               1            0.83           2,214
 participants...................
Second follow-up survey--                  8,000           2,667               1            0.83           2,214
 participants...................
Service receipt tracking--                   200              67             250            0.08           1,340
 program staff..................
Staff characteristics survey--               200              67               1            0.42              28
 program staff..................
Program leadership survey--                   50              17               1            0.25               4
 program leaders................
Semi-structured program                       40              13               1             1.5              20
 discussion guide--program
 leaders........................
Semi-structured program                       80              27               1             1.0              27
 discussion guide--program
 supervisors and partners.......
Semi-structured program                       80              27               1            0.75              20
 discussion guide--program
 staff, providers...............
Semi-structured employer                      50              17               1             1.0              17
 discussion guide--employers....
In-depth participant interview               200              67               1             2.0             134
 guide--participants............
Cost workbook--program staff....              40              13               1            32.0             416
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    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           6,434
     Burden Hours, Phase 2:.....
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    Comments: 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.

    Authority: Section 413 of the Social Security Act, as amended by 
the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-
31).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-00107 Filed 1-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P