[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15186-15187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05440]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Submission for OMB Review; 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 30 days of publication. 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.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description: 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 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) Program 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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                                                  Annual  number     Number of        Average
           Instrument              Total number         of         responses per   burden hours    Annual burden
                                  of respondents    respondents     respondent     per response        hours
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                                                     PHASE 1
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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.
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    Estimated Total Annual        ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           2,807
     Burden Hours, Phase 1:.....
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[[Page 15187]]

 
                                                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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    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. 2020-05440 Filed 3-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P