2019-21361. Proposed Continued Information Collection Activity; Evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, Part Two (OMB Number: 0970-0494)

AGENCY:

Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a three-year extension of the previously approved forms that include satisfaction surveys; surveys to assess jurisdiction's foundational capacity; a workshop follow-up survey; webinar and online learning registration forms; and service-specific feedback forms and interview protocol (OMB Number: 0970-0494, expiration March 31, 2020). This request includes one new innovation survey, and requests minor changes to the webinar and online learning registration forms. Three instruments from the original approval are not included with this request. This requested extension relates to a second set of instruments, which are part of a larger data collection effort being conducted for the evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative. An extension request for the first group of evaluation instruments was submitted on April 24, 2019, (OMB Number: 0970-0484, FR, 84(79)).

DATES:

Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above.

ADDRESSES:

Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing [e-mail]. Alternatively, copies can also be obtained by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests, emailed or written, should be identified by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description: The Evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative is sponsored by the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Capacity Building Collaborative includes three centers (Center for States, Center for Tribes, and Center for Courts) funded by the Children's Bureau to provide national child welfare expertise and evidence-informed training and technical assistance services to state, tribal, and territorial public child welfare agencies and Court Improvement Programs (CIPs). The Centers offer a wide array of services including, but not limited to: Web-based content and resources, product development and dissemination, self-directed and group-based training, virtual learning and peer networking events, and tailored consultation and coaching. During the project period, Center services are evaluated by both Center-specific evaluations and a Cross-Center Evaluation. The Center-specific evaluations are designed to collect data on Center-specific processes and outcomes, which are used to support service delivery and continuous quality improvement. The Cross-Center Evaluation is designed to respond to a set of cross-cutting evaluation questions posed by the Children's Bureau, which examines: How and to what extent key partners across and within Centers collaborate; whether Center capacity building service interventions are evaluable; the degree to which Centers follow common protocols; what service interventions are delivered and which jurisdictions participate; how satisfied recipients are with services; what outcomes are achieved in jurisdictions receiving Center services and under what conditions are services effective; and what are the costs of services.

The Cross-Center Evaluation uses a longitudinal, mixed methods approach to evaluate Center services as they develop and mature over the study period. Multiple data collection strategies are used to efficiently capture quantitative and qualitative data to enable analyses that address each evaluation question. Cross-Center Evaluation data sources for this effort for which an extension is being sought include: (1) A foundational assessment to capture contextual data regarding the organizational health and functioning of child welfare agencies and courts; (2) a workshop follow-up survey that examines short-term and intermediate outcomes among CIPs that receive different levels of tailored services following continuous quality improvement (CQI) workshops; and (3) a tailored services satisfaction survey. Center-specific data sources for this effort include: (1) Registration forms for webinar registration and CapLearn, a learning management system; and (2) service-specific feedback forms and interviews, such as the Center for States Tailored Services interview protocol, the Center for States Innovation survey, and the Center for Courts Universal and Constituency Services survey.

Respondents: (1) Child welfare agency staff and stakeholders who receive services from the Centers; and (2) CIP coordinators, CIP Directors, and other project staff.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Annual number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total annual burden hours
Foundational Assessment Survey	831	277	1	.1	28
CQI Workshop Follow-Up Survey	144	48	2	.12	12
Tailored Services Satisfaction Survey	1,386	462	1	.083	38
CapLearn Registration	1,800	600	1	.083	50
Webinar Registration	13,950	4,650	1	.03	140
Center for Courts: Universal and Constituency Services	312	104	1	.41	43
Center for States: Tailored Services Interviews	180	60	1	1	60
Center for States: Assessment and Workplanning Survey	450	150	1	.25	38
Center for States: Innovation Survey	150	50	1	.083	4
Total					413

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 413.

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. 5106.

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.