[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 211 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60917-60918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24057]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Evaluation of the Pathway Home Grant Program, 
New Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation 
Office, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95). This program helps to ensure that 
requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden 
(time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are 
clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on 
respondents is properly assessed. Currently, the Department of Labor is 
soliciting comments concerning the collection of data for the 
Evaluation of the Pathway Home Grant Program. A copy of the proposed 
Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the 
office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before January 3, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following 
methods: Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Jessica 
Lohmann, Chief Evaluation Office, OASP, U.S. Department of Labor, Room 
S-2312, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: 
Please submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All 
submissions received must include the agency name and OMB Control 
Number identified above for this information collection. Comments, 
including any personal information provided, become a matter of public 
record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the request for 
OMB approval of the information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Lohmann by email at 
[email protected] or by phone at (202) 693-5087.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    I. Background: The Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) of the U.S. 
Department of Labor (DOL) intends to conduct an evaluation of the DOL-
funded Pathway Home grant program, which aims to improve the ability of 
people in the justice system to find meaningful employment and avoid 
recidivism. The goal of this four-year evaluation is to build knowledge 
about the implementation of the Pathway Home grants and their 
effectiveness in improving employment and recidivism outcomes for 
adults reentering the community after incarceration.
    The overall study has two components: (1) An implementation 
evaluation of the Pathway Home grants to describe program models and 
services, partnerships, and participant characteristics; and (2) an 
impact evaluation to examine the effectiveness of the Pathway Home 
grants on participants' outcomes, such as credential attainment, 
employment and earnings, and ongoing criminal justice involvement. DOL 
will submit additional ICRs for future data collection requests for 
this study.
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
the following proposed data collection instruments that the evaluation 
will use:
    1. Baseline survey of study participants. Survey of 2,500 impact 
study participants to collect basic demographic information.
    2. Survey of grant administrators. Survey of approximately 67 grant 
administrators to collect program information.
    3. Survey of correctional facility administrators. Survey of 
approximately 128 correctional facility partner administrators to 
collect information about correctional facility characteristics.
    4. Semi-structured interview guides for program and partner 
administrators and frontline staff. Site visits to up to 16 Pathway 
Home grantee or subgrantee sites. These visits will last three days 
each. During these site visits, we will conduct one-on-one or small-
group, semi-structured interviews with grant program administrators, 
partner administrators, and frontline staff.
    5. Focus group guide for pre-release program participants. In-
person focus group discussions with approximately 8 pre-release 
participants from each of approximately 16 sites.
    6. Semi-structured interview guide for post-release program 
participants. In-person and telephone semi-structured interviews with 
approximately 8 post-release participants from each of approximately 16 
sites
    II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, DOL is soliciting 
comments on the above data collection for the Pathway Home grant 
program. DOL is particularly interested in comments that do the 
following:

    [cir] Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    [cir] Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of 
the proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions;
    [cir] Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    [cir] Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other

[[Page 60918]]

technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology--for example, permitting electronic submissions of 
responses.

    III. Current Actions: At this time, DOL is requesting clearance for 
the baseline survey of study participants, survey of grantee 
administrators, survey of correctional facility administrators, 
interview guide for program and partner administrators and staff, focus 
group guide for program participants, and interview guide for program 
participants.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    OMB Control Number: 1290-0-NEW.
    Affected Public: Program administrators and frontline staff, 
program partners including correctional facility administrators, and 
evaluation participants.
    Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

                                          Estimated Annual Burden Hours
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                                                                                  Average burden
    Type of instrument (form/        Number of       Number of     Total number      time per        Estimated
            activity)               respondents    responses per   of responses      response      burden hours
                                                    respondent                        (hours)
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Baseline survey of study                 \1\ 833               1             833             .25             208
 participants...................
Survey of grantee administrators          \2\ 22               1              22              .5              11
Survey of correctional facility           \3\ 43               1              43             .33              14
 administrators.................
Semi-structured interview guide:          \4\ 43               1              43             1.5              65
 Grant administrators...........
Semi-structured interview guide:          \5\ 53               1              53               1              53
 Partner administrators.........
Semi-structured interview guide:          \6\ 80               1              80             1.5             120
 Frontline staff................
Focus group guide for program             \7\ 38               1              38             1.5              57
 participants...................
Semi-structured interview guide           \8\ 43               1              43               1              43
 for program participants.......
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    Total.......................           1,155  ..............           1,155  ..............             571
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\1\ Assumes 2,500 impact study participants over the three-year clearance period.
\2\ Assumes 67 grantee administrators over the three-year clearance period.
\3\ Assumes 128 correctional facility administrators over the three-year clearance period.
\4\ Assumes 112 direct grant administrators from six sites and 18 intermediary grant administrators from 16
  sites over the three-year clearance period.
\5\ Assumes 160 partner administrators from 16 sites over the three-year clearance period.
\6\ Assumes 240 frontline staff from 16 sites over the three-year clearance period.
\7\ Assumes 115 pre-release participants from 16 sites over the three-year clearance period.
\8\ Assumes 128 post-release participants from 16 sites over the three-year clearance period.


Christina Yancey,
Chief Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2021-24057 Filed 11-3-21; 8:45 am]
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