[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