[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 541-543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29234]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; OPRE Data Collection 
for the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project 
(Revision of a Currently Approved Collection--OMB #0970-0545)

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 
revisions to data collection activities conducted for the Next 
Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project, which 
is rigorously evaluating innovative interventions designed to promote 
employment and economic security among low-income individuals with 
complex challenges to employment. The project includes an experimental 
impact study, descriptive study, and cost study. The project is seeking 
clearance for changes to the previously approved Phase 1 instruments, 
updates to the previously approved consent form, and clearance for a 
parent/guardian consent form and a youth assent form for use in 
evaluations of programs for youth. The project also seeks approval to 
use a subset of Phase 2 instruments with programs selected for 
inclusion in the project with some changes made to those instruments. 
The requested changes do not change the previously submitted burden 
estimates.

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: 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 NextGen 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. In April 2020, OMB approved the new information 
collection request (ICR) for Phase 1 data collection instruments for 
the project (for more information, see materials at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-0970-003). The 
first ICR included drafts of Phase 2 data collection instruments and 
associated burden estimates for initial review, information purposes, 
and public comment. We indicated that if a Phase 2 instrument required 
revisions to tailor to specific programs selected for evaluation, we 
will submit as either a non-substantive change request or a revision 
with abbreviated public comment time, dependent on the level of changes 
and guidance provided by OMB.
    As the NextGen Project has engaged in assessing promising programs 
for inclusion in the study, we have gained knowledge that suggests 
necessary refinements to the Phase 1 instruments. In response to this 
knowledge and the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, 
we are seeking changes to the Phase 1 data collection instruments and 
the study's informed consent form. We also seek clearance for a parent/
guardian consent form and a youth assent form for use in evaluations of 
programs that serve youth, and approval to use two of the Phase 2 
instruments with minor revisions. Below are additional details 
regarding these requests and further information regarding the changes 
requested is available (Appendix Q). The requested changes do not 
change the previously submitted burden estimates.

Informed Consent Form (Appendix A)

    We propose revisions to the study's consent form to reflect recent 
study design changes, specifically to allow programs to share 
additional information about study participants (mental health 
diagnoses, referral

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source, and contact information) to allow for a fuller description of 
the participants and to facilitate locating them for later data 
collections; to cover collecting administrative data for up to 20 years 
after study enrollment, rather than 10 years, to allow for estimation 
of longer-term impacts on participants; to change the date through when 
SSA can conduct research on study participants, from 2028 to 2040, to 
account for study schedule delays due to COVID-19; and to include 
consent for recording of study interviews. We also made minor revisions 
requested by the project's institutional review board. Lastly, we 
developed two additional consent forms (Appendix A.1) by adapting the 
study consent form--one to collect consent from parents/guardians of 
youth and one to collect assent from youth.

Baseline Survey (Instrument 1)

    We propose changes to the baseline survey based on the study team's 
ongoing assessment of promising programs. Changes include:
     Minor revisions to the wording of some items, for clarity, 
and to skip patterns.
     Modifications to the items about emergency support (B18 
and B19) to ask how many people someone can turn to for help, to better 
measure social support outcomes.
     Addition of items to collect information on social trust 
(B20, B21, and B22).
     Revisions to current items and addition of a few items to 
collect data on variables that may predict employment outcomes for 
respondents that were recently released from jail or prison, 
specifically:
    [cir] Revision to the item asking whether the respondent was ever 
convicted (C9) to collect number of convictions and addition of an item 
(C9a) to collect the number of felony convictions.
    [cir] Revisions to collect more detail about parole or probation 
(C10).
    [cir] Addition of an item (C10a) to collect the type of crime 
committed and an item to collect time spent in last incarceration 
(C12a).
     Addition of items (C4b, C5a, C6e1, C6e2, C6r, C6s, D1a) to 
collect information on whether COVID-19 posed specific challenges to 
employment for study participants and to ask if participants have been 
vaccinated against COVID-19 (D1a), as this is likely to be associated 
with employment outcomes.

Identifying and Contact Information (Instrument 2)

    We propose changes to the identifying and contact information 
collection. Changes include:
     Addition of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies 
Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R, added as item B2) for use by one 
program under consideration for evaluation that uses the scale as a 
programmatic eligibility screening tool. The CESD-R will only display 
for this program to facilitate program intake; other programs will skip 
these items. The study team will maintain CESD-R scores for those who 
are eligible for the program and also consent to participate in the 
study (as noted in the consent form).
     Addition of items (in item B3 and B4) that will only 
display for programs that work with school districts and/or youth to 
ask if a study applicant is in a prefilled school district, and obtain 
consent for being recorded, if such consent is required by the 
district.
     Addition of a question (item B9) about the likelihood that 
the study participant will be assigned to a career navigator for 
programs that use this intervention.

Service Receipt Tracking (Instrument 5)

    We request approval to use the Phase 2 service receipt tracking 
instrument to collect information from most programs selected for the 
NextGen Project, with the following proposed changes: Inclusion of 
additional modes of service delivery; addition of in-person service 
locations; allowance of program-specific responses to how services were 
terminated; and tailoring for certain items' response options to ensure 
service receipt data collection captures program-specific services.

Semi-Structured Employer Discussion Guide (Instrument 9)

    We request approval to use the Phase 2 employer discussion guide to 
collect information from all programs selected for the NextGen Project. 
We propose minor revisions to the instrument to add probes about 
changes to the employer's relationship with the program as a result of 
the pandemic.
    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

    The annual burden estimates for the instruments included in this 
request are presented below. All currently approved materials under OMB 
#0970-0545 and the associated burden can be found at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-0970-003.

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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
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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           1,400
 and contact information--staff.
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours, Phase 1:                                                              2,800
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                                                PHASE 2 ESTIMATES
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Service receipt tracking--staff.             200              67             250            0.08           1,340
Semi-structured employer                      50              17               1             1.0              17
 interviews--employers..........
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours, Phase 2:                                                              1,357
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    Authority: Section 413 of the Social Security Act, as amended by 
the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31).

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-29234 Filed 1-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P