[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51888-51889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13450]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Pre-testing 
Administration for Children and Families Data Collection Activities 
(Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0355)

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health 
and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes 
revisions to the existing overarching generic clearance for Pre-testing 
of ACF Data Collection Activities (Previously titled Pre-testing of 
Evaluation Data Collection Activities; Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) #0970-0355). Revisions are proposed to broaden the scope of the 
generic to include pretesting of data elements used on information 
collections that are not specifically for research and evaluation. This 
includes updates to the title of the request, overarching description, 
and burden estimates. We are also requesting an extension for currently 
approved information collections under this generic.

DATES: Comments due August 19, 2024. 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: ACF intends to request approval from OMB for an 
extension with revisions for a generic clearance to pre-test data 
collections with more than nine participants to identify and resolve 
any questions or problems that may arise, and to assess potential data 
quality, prior to full-scale administration.
    This generic is available for use by ACF program offices but is 
most often used by the ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation 
(OPRE). 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.
    ACF program offices could benefit from use of this pretesting 
generic for similar purposes outlined above, as well as to inform the 
development of data collection activities such as grant recipient 
forms, forms used by programs on ACF's behalf, and other data 
collection efforts driven by ACF. This could be used to inform a 
variety of data collection efforts in ACF to allow for consistent data 
requests across program offices that are high quality and appropriate 
to respondents who represent ACF program populations. For example, ACF 
envisions using this mechanism to pre-test sexual orientation and 
gender identity questions with youth. This is an area with minimal 
research and would benefit ACF program offices that serve youth. 
Program offices are also considering use of this generic for efforts to 
support language access for data collections, which a priority as 
detailed in Executive Order 13166, ``Improving Access to Services for 
Persons with Limited English Proficiency.''
    To improve the development of its data collection activities, ACF 
will use the pre-testing generic clearance to employ a variety of 
techniques including cognitive and usability laboratory and field 
techniques, behavior coding, exploratory interviews, respondent 
debriefing questionnaires, split sample experiments, focus groups, and 
pilot studies/pre-tests. These activities allow ACF to identify if and 
when a data collection may be simplified for respondents, respondent 
burden may be reduced, data elements could be improved, and other 
possible improvements.
    Following standard OMB requirements, ACF will submit directly to 
OMB, a request specific to each individual proposed 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. ACF requests 
OMB review within 10 days of receiving an individual request.
    Results of these methodological studies may be made public through 
methodological appendices or footnotes, reports on instrument 
development, instrument user guides, descriptions of respondent 
behavior, and other publications or presentations describing findings 
of methodological interest. The results of these pre-testing activities 
may be prepared for presentation at professional meetings or 
publication in professional journals. When necessary, results will be 
labeled as exploratory in nature and any limitations will be described.
    Respondents: Participants in ACF programs being evaluated; 
participants in ACF demonstrations; recipients of ACF grants and 
individuals served by ACF grant recipients; comparison group members; 
and other relevant populations, such as individuals at risk of needing 
ACF services.

Annual Burden Estimates

    Burden estimates have been updated to reflect the broadened scope 
from primarily used by OPRE for research and evaluation to include ACF 
program office pretesting of data elements used on information 
collections that are not specifically for research and evaluation. 
Estimates have been informed by program office input and are consistent 
with estimates for other ACF-wide

[[Page 51889]]

umbrella generics (for example, OMB #s 0970-0531 and 0970-0630).

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                                                                     Number of
                                                     Number of     responses per      Average
                                                    respondents     respondent      burden per     Total  burden
           Instrument or activity type              (total over     (total over    response  (in    (in hours)
                                                      request         request         hours)
                                                      period)         period)
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Interviews/Focus Groups/Cognitive Testing/                10,000             1.5             1.5          22,500
 Debriefings....................................
Questionnaires/Surveys..........................           6,500             1.5              .5           4,875
Iterative Testing...............................           1,500               5             .75           5,625
Usability Tests.................................           5,000               5             .25           6,250
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................          23,000  ..............  ..............          39,250
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    This request will also include a request to extend approval for the 
following currently approved information collections. For more 
information, see https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAICList?ref_nbr=202403-0970-019.

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                                             Number of
                                            respondents
      Title of approved collection          (total over    Total  burden
                                              request       (in hours)
                                              period)
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Measuring Self- and Co-Regulation in                 450             153
 Sexual Risk Avoidance Education
 Programs Phase 1.......................
Supporting and Strengthening the Home                785           809.6
 Visiting Workforce (SAS-HV): Testing
 and Validation of a Draft Measure of
 Reflective Supervision for Home
 Visiting...............................
                                         -------------------------------
    Totals..............................           1,235           962.6
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    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: Social Security Act, Sec. 1110 [42 U.S.C. 1310].

Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-13450 Filed 6-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-88-P