[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 129 (Thursday, July 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40555-40556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14462]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Arts


Subject 30-Day Notice for the ``Participant Outcomes Survey for 
the Creative Forces[supreg]: NEA Military Healing Arts Network 
Community Arts Engagement Subgranting Program''; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: National Endowment for the Arts; National Foundation on the 
Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), 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. This program helps to ensure that requested data 
is 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 NEA is soliciting comments concerning the 
proposed information collection through the Participant Outcomes Survey 
for individuals who participate in community arts programs funded by 
the Creative Forces[supreg]: NEA Military Healing Arts Network 
Community Arts Engagement Subgranting Program. Copies of this ICR, with 
applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by visiting 
www.Reginfo.gov.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
address section below within 30 days from the date of this publication 
in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this Notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find 
this particular information collection request by selecting ``National 
Endowment for the Arts'' under ``Currently Under Review;'' then check 
``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. Once you have found this 
information collection request, select ``Comment,'' and enter or upload 
your comment and information. Alternatively, comments should be sent to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk 
Officer for the National Endowment for the Arts, Office of Management 
and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, 202/395-7316, within 30 
days from the date of this publication in the Federal Register.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NEA is particularly interested in 
comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Title: Participant Outcomes Survey for the Creative Forces[supreg]: 
NEA Military Healing Arts Network Community Arts Engagement Subgranting 
Program.
    OMB Number: New.
    Frequency: One-time pilot test of survey.

[[Page 40556]]

    Affected Public: Participants of Creative Forces Community 
Engagement Programs/Events.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 360 (350 program participants, 10 
project directors).
    Total Burden Hours: 199.3 annually.
    Total annualized capital/startup costs: 0.
    Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): The total one-time contracted cost to the Federal Government 
for survey development, cognitive testing, and pilot testing is 
$75,000.
    Description: This is a request for clearance for the NEA to conduct 
a pilot test of the Participant Outcomes Survey to assess individual-
level outcomes associated with the Creative Forces[supreg]: NEA 
Military Healing Arts Network Community Engagement Grant Program 
(http://www.maaa.org/creativeforces/). This is a new data collection 
request, and the data to be collected are not available elsewhere 
unless collected through this information collection. The pilot study 
will enable the NEA to test and refine the survey's methodology for 
assessing outcomes and the administration process.
    The Creative Forces[supreg]: NEA Military Healing Arts Network 
seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for 
military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, and for their 
families and caregivers through clinical and non-clinical programs 
(https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/creative-forces). Creative Forces is 
funded through Congressional appropriation. The Congressional Committee 
on Appropriation ``supports the NEA's continued efforts to expand upon 
this successful program to embed Creative Arts Therapies at the core of 
integrative care efforts in clinical settings, advance collaboration 
among clinical and community arts providers to support wellness and 
reintegration efforts for affected families, and advance research to 
improve our understanding of impacts of these interventions in both 
clinical and community settings.''
    According to the National Endowment for the Arts 2018-2022 
Strategic Plan (page 20), evidence building for Strategic Objective 
2.4, Support Access to Creative Arts Therapies and Evidence-Based 
Programs in the Arts and Health, involves ``the development of a 
community engagement research agenda and framework for defining 
indicators and developing metrics for measuring the impact and benefits 
from participation in therapeutic arts interventions and community-
based arts engagement programs aligned with, or complementary to, 
Creative Forces clinical program outcomes.''
    Beginning in 2022, Creative Forces will award Community Engagement 
Grants to support non-clinical arts engagement programming for 
military-connected populations through matching grants of $10,000 to 
$50,000 for emerging (``Emerging'') and established (``Advanced'') 
community-based arts engagement projects to serve military-connected 
populations. The NEA anticipates awarding approximately 30 awards 
annually, with the first round of grant-funded projects taking place 
after July 1, 2022. The grant program will support a range of program 
models (e.g., ongoing class, drop-in studio, single event) designed to 
meet local needs. The grant program will be the largest coordinated 
effort in the U.S. to provide community arts engagement programming for 
military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, and for their 
families and caregivers. The Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant 
Program is conducted in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-
AAA).
    During development of the Community Engagement Grant program, the 
NEA (1) documented the needs of military and veteran populations 
exposed to trauma, and of their families and caregivers, (2) identified 
goals for community arts engagement programming and four outcomes for 
participants, (3) produced logic models and measurement frameworks for 
the grantee and national program levels, (4) contributed to grant 
guidelines, and (5) evaluated methodologies and instruments for data 
collection. The Participant Outcomes Survey assesses four participant 
outcome areas identified during development of the grant program: 
Creative Expression, Social Connectedness, Resilience, and Independence 
and Successful Adaptation to Civilian Life. Participants of the 
programs supported by a Creative Forces Community Engagement grant will 
complete the survey at the beginning (pre) and end (post) of 
participation in the program. Program participants will be asked to 
complete an enrollment form. Project directors will be asked to 
participate in an interview following the end of the survey 
administration period.
    The purpose of the Participant Outcomes Survey is to determine the 
impact of the Community Engagement Grant Program by measuring the 
extent of change over time (pre-to-post) in the four participant 
outcomes and to inform ongoing program improvement. Through this pilot 
test of the survey, the NEA will evaluate the effectiveness of the 
survey instrument and the administration process during the first cycle 
of the grant program. The data collection activities are planned for 
January through June 2023. A regular PRA clearance package will be 
submitted in FY 2023 for a Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant 
Program evaluation study that utilizes this survey instrument.

    Dated: July 1, 2022.
Meghan Jugder,
Support Services Specialist, Office of Administrative Services & 
Contracts, National Endowment for the Arts.
[FR Doc. 2022-14462 Filed 7-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7537-01-P