2021-00209. Submission for OMB Review; Formative Data Collections for ACF Research and Evaluation

AGENCY:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposes to extend data collection under the existing overarching generic clearance for Formative Data Collections for ACF Research and Evaluation (OMB #0970-0356). There are no changes to the proposed types of information collection or uses of data, but the request does include an increase to the estimated number of respondents and, therefore, the overall burden estimate.

DATES:

Comments due within 30 days of publication. OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: ACF programs promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. 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. OPRE's research serves to provide further understanding of current programs and service populations, explore options for program improvement, and assess alternative policy and program designs. OPRE anticipates undertaking a variety of new research projects related to welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, Head Start, child care, healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, family and youth services, home visiting, child welfare, and other areas of interest to ACF. Under this generic clearance, ACF engages in a variety of formative data collections with researchers, practitioners, technical assistance providers, service providers, and potential participants throughout the field to fulfill the following goals: (1) Inform the development of ACF research, (2) maintain a research agenda that is rigorous and relevant, (3) ensure that research products are as current as possible, and (4) inform the provision of technical assistance. ACF uses a variety of techniques including semi-structured discussions, focus groups, surveys, and telephone or in-person interviews, in order to reach these goals.

Following standard OMB requirements, OPRE will submit a change request for each individual 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. OMB should review requests within 10 days of submission.

Respondents: Example respondents include: key stakeholder groups involved in ACF projects and programs, state or local government officials, service providers, participants in ACF programs or similar comparison groups, experts in fields pertaining to ACF research and programs, or others involved in conducting ACF research or evaluation projects.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Estimated total number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
Semi-Structured Discussions and Focus Groups	3,000	1	2	6,000
Interviews	1,500	1	1	1,500
Questionnaires/Surveys	1,125	1	.5	563

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,063

Authority: Social Security Act, Sec. 1110 [42 U.S.C. 1310].

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.