[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 165 (Monday, August 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48428-48429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18588]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Process Evaluation of the Aging Network and Its Return 
on Investment; OMB #0985-New

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an 
opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed collection of 
information listed above. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice. This notice solicits comments on a revision to the information 
collection requirements related to the Process Evaluation of the Aging 
Network and its Return on Investment.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information submitted 
electronically by 11:59 p.m. (EST) or postmarked by October 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information:
    Attention: Caryn Bruyere, [email protected].
    Via U.S. Mail Attention: Caryn Bruyere U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 
20201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caryn Bruyere, Office of Performance 
and Evaluation. Administration for Community Living Telephone: 202-795-
7393.
    Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined as agency requests or 
requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, 
or provide information to a third party. The PRA requires Federal 
agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning 
each proposed collection of information, including each proposed 
extension of an existing collection of information, before submitting 
the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, 
ACL is publishing a notice of the proposed collection of information 
set forth in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, ACL 
invites comments on our burden estimates or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including:
    (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of ACL's functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) the accuracy of ACL's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used to determine burden estimates;
    (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques

[[Page 48429]]

when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.
    Background: Many older adults have unmet health care and social 
service needs, which require coordinated care across a range of 
services, including access to nutritious meals, transportation, 
preventive health care, home and community-based care, social 
interaction, support for family caregivers, and advocacy to help 
maintain older adults' safety, dignity, and legal rights. This proposed 
data collection for the Process Evaluation of the Aging Network and its 
Return on Investment is intended to provide timely information on, (1) 
how agencies in the Aging Network collaborate to serve older adults and 
family caregivers, and (2) how agencies measure the effectiveness of 
their efforts with the goal of strengthening their reach and impact. 
Through this data collection ACL will investigate how states differ in 
their network structure, how agencies work together, and potential 
strategies for evaluating return on investments (ROI) of ACL programs.
    The Process Evaluation of the Aging Network and its Return on 
Investment will include: (1) A census of agencies in the Aging Network, 
and (2) key informant interviews with agencies that are evaluating ROI. 
The survey seeks to collect data from all State Units on Aging (SUAs), 
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) (including some Aging and Disability 
Resource Centers), and Older Americans Act Title VI Native American 
tribal organizations. Surveying these organizations will help ACL 
understand how and with whom agencies in the network collaborate to 
address the needs of older adults and family caregivers, partnerships 
that have formed or expanded because of COVID-19, and how agencies 
measure the effectiveness and ROI of their various programs.
    The study will also include key informant interviews with a subset 
of 10 agencies that responded to the survey whose responses indicate 
that their agency is evaluating ROI. The data collection team will ask 
in-depth questions about the costs and benefits included in ROI 
calculations, successes and challenges to evaluating ROI, and lessons 
learned that could benefit other agencies seeking to conduct their own 
assessment of ROI.
    To comment on this information collection please visit the ACL 
website: https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input.

Estimated Program Burden

    ACL estimates the burden associated with this collection of 
information as follows: The proposed data collection estimates the 
average burden per response to be 0.17 hours for the Aging Network 
survey. The average burden per response for the key informant 
interviews estimated as 1 hour.

                                                       Table 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                              Annual
      Data collection activity         Annual number    Number of responses per    Total number   Average burden per response (in hours)     estimated
                                      of respondents          respondent           of responses                                            burden hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aging Network survey................             864  1.........................             864  0.17..................................             144
Key informant interview guide.......              10  1.........................              10  1.....................................              10
                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...........................             874  Varies....................             874  0.18 (weighted mean)..................             154
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: August 24, 2021.
Alison Barkoff,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2021-18588 Filed 8-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P