[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1978-1979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00209]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[OMB No. 0970-0356]


Submission for OMB Review; Formative Data Collections for ACF 
Research and Evaluation

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 data collection under the existing overarching generic clearance 
for Formative Data Collections for ACF Research and Evaluation (OMB 
#0970-0356). There are no changes to the proposed types of information 
collection or uses of data, but the request does include an increase to 
the estimated number of respondents and, therefore, the overall burden 
estimate.

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: ACF programs promote the 
economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and 
communities. 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. OPRE's research serves to provide 
further understanding of current programs and service populations, 
explore options for program improvement, and assess alternative policy 
and program designs. OPRE anticipates undertaking a variety of new 
research projects related to welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, 
Head Start, child care, healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, 
family and youth services, home visiting, child welfare, and other 
areas of interest to ACF. Under this generic clearance, ACF engages in 
a variety of formative data collections with researchers, 
practitioners, technical assistance providers, service providers, and 
potential participants throughout the field to fulfill the following 
goals: (1) Inform the development of ACF research, (2) maintain a 
research agenda that is rigorous and relevant, (3) ensure that research 
products are as current as possible, and (4) inform the provision of 
technical assistance. ACF uses a variety of techniques including semi-
structured discussions, focus groups, surveys, and telephone or in-
person interviews, in order to reach these goals.
    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 requests within 10 days 
of submission.
    Respondents: Example respondents include: key stakeholder groups 
involved in ACF projects and programs, state or local government 
officials, service providers, participants in ACF programs or similar 
comparison groups, experts in fields pertaining to ACF research and 
programs, or others involved in conducting ACF research or evaluation 
projects.

[[Page 1979]]



                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                     Estimated
                                                   total number      Number of        Average      Annual burden
                   Instrument                           of         responses per   burden hours        hours
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response
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Semi-Structured Discussions and Focus Groups....           3,000               1               2           6,000
Interviews......................................           1,500               1               1           1,500
Questionnaires/Surveys..........................           1,125               1              .5             563
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,063

    Authority: Social Security Act, Sec. 1110 [42 U.S.C. 1310].

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-00209 Filed 1-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-79-P