[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29183]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Pre-Testing of 
Evaluation Data Collection Activities (OMB #0970-0355)

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

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes to 
extend the existing overarching generic clearance for Pre-testing of 
Evaluation Data Collection Activities (Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) #0970-0355) with no changes.

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, ACF 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: 
    Description: The ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation 
(OPRE), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
intends to request approval from OMB to renew a generic clearance to 
pre-test data collection instruments with more than nine participants 
to identify and resolve any question or procedural problems in survey 
administration.
    OPRE studies ACF programs, and the populations they serve, through 
rigorous research and evaluation projects. These include evaluations of 
existing programs, evaluations of innovative approaches to helping low-
income children and families, research syntheses, and descriptive and 
exploratory studies. To improve the development of its research and 
evaluation surveys, OPRE uses the pre-testing of evaluation surveys 
generic clearance to employ a variety of techniques including cognitive 
and usability laboratory and field techniques, behavior coding, 
exploratory interviews, respondent debriefing questionnaires, split 
sample experiments, focus groups, and pilot studies/pre-tests. These 
activities allow OPRE to identify if and when a survey may be 
simplified for respondents, respondent burden may be reduced, and other 
possible improvements. Following standard OMB requirements, OPRE will 
submit a change request for each individual data collection activity 
under this generic clearance. Each request will include the individual 
instrument(s), a justification specific to the individual information 
collection, and any supplementary documents. OMB should review within 
10 days of receiving each change request.
    The information collected in this effort will not be the primary 
subject of any published ACF reports; however, information may be made 
public through methodological appendices or footnotes, reports on 
instrument development, instrument user guides, descriptions of 
respondent behavior, and other publications or presentations describing 
findings of methodological interest. When necessary, results will be 
labeled as exploratory in nature. The results of this pre-testing 
research may be prepared for presentation at professional meetings or 
publication in professional journals.
    Respondents: Participants in ACF programs being evaluated; 
participants in ACF demonstrations; recipients of ACF grants and 
individuals served by ACF grantees; comparison group members; and other 
relevant populations, such as individuals at risk of needing ACF 
services.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                              Estimated total     Number of      Average burden
                 Instrument                      number of      responses per      hours per      Annual burden
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
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Survey development field tests, respondent             3,825                1                1            3,825
 debriefing questionnaires, cognitive
 interviews, split sample experiments, focus
 groups.....................................
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,825.
    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: Social Security Act, Sec. 1110 [42 U.S.C. 1310].

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-29183 Filed 1-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-79-P