[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9629-9630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03669]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

OMB No. 0970-0502


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Behavioral 
Interventions To Advance Self-Sufficiency Next Generation

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) in the 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS), requests Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval to extend approval of the ACF Behavioral 
Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency Next Generation (BIAS-NG) 
Project Overarching Generic (OMB #: 0970-0502; Expiration date: 8/31/
2022). Under this overarching generic, ACF collects data as part of 
rapid cycle testing and evaluation, in order to inform the design of 
interventions informed by behavioral science and to better understand 
the mechanisms and effects of such interventions. Interventions have 
been and will continue to be developed in the program area domains of 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child welfare, and 
Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS). These interventions are intended 
to improve outcomes for participants in these programs. No changes are 
proposed.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is 
soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information 
collection described above.

ADDRESSES: You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of 
information and submit comments by emailing 
[email protected]. Identify all requests by the title of 
the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description: OPRE is conducting the BIAS-NG project, which uses 
behavioral insights to design and test interventions intended to 
improve the efficiency, operations, and efficacy of human services 
programs. The BIAS-NG project is applying and testing behavioral 
insights to ACF programs including TANF, Child Welfare, and EHS/HS. 
This notice is a request for comments on ACF's proposal to extend 
approval of the overarching generic. Under the approved pilot generic 
clearance, OPRE has already completed work with five sites and has 
conducted five tests. The extended approval would allow OPRE to 
continue to work with at least three additional sites, conducting one 
or more tests of behavioral interventions. The design and testing of 
BIAS-NG interventions is rapid and, to the extent possible, iterative. 
Each specific intervention is designed in consultation with agency 
leaders and launched as quickly as possible. To maximize the likelihood 
that the intervention produces measurable, significant, and positive 
effects on outcomes of interest, rapid cycle evaluation techniques will 
be employed in which proximate outcomes will be measured to allow the 
research team to more quickly iterate and adjust the intervention 
design, informing subsequent tests. Due to the rapid and iterative 
nature of this work, OPRE sought and received generic clearance to 
conduct this research. Following standard OMB requirements for generic 
clearances, once instruments requiring burden are tailored to a 
specific site and the site's intervention, OPRE submits an individual 
generic information collection request under this umbrella clearance. 
Each request includes the individual instrument(s), a justification 
specific to the individual information collection, a description of the 
proposed intervention, and any supplementary documents. Each specific 
information collection includes up to two submissions--one submission 
for the formative stage research and another submission for any further 
data

[[Page 9630]]

collection requiring burden during the testing phase. The type of 
information to be collected and the uses of the information is 
described in the supporting statements, found here: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_nbr=201707-0970-005.
    Respondents: (1) Program Administrators, (2) Program Staff, and (3) 
Program Clients.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
                                               [TANF, CW, EHS/HS]
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                                     Number of       Number of
                                    respondents    responses per  Average burden
                                  (TANF, CW, EHS/   respondent       hours per     Total burden    Annual burden
           Instrument               HS) (total      (total over    response (in     (in hours)      (in hours)
                                   over request       request         hours)
                                      period)         period)
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                                          Phase 3: Diagnosis and Design
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Administrator interviews/focus                48               1               1              48              16
 groups.........................
Staff interviews/focus groups...             400               1               1             400             133
Client interviews/focus groups..             400               1               1             400             133
Client survey...................             400               1            0.25             100              33
Staff Survey....................             400               1            0.25             100              33
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                                               Phase 4: Evaluation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrator interviews/focus                96               1               1              96              32
 groups.........................
Staff interviews/focus groups...             800               1               1             800             267
Client interviews/focus groups..             800               1               1             800             267
Client survey...................          12,000               1            0.25           3,000           1,000
Staff Survey....................           1,200               1            0.25             300             100
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,014.
    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: 42 U.S.C. 1310.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-03669 Filed 2-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-07-P