2018-25512. Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Request for public comment.

Title: Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Related Populations—Second Follow-Up Survey (OMB #0970-0506)

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing an additional data collection activity as part of the Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Related Populations. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs approved this information collection in March 2018 (0970-0506). ACF is proposing a second follow-up survey conducted as part of the evaluation.

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 directly to the following: Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Email: [e-mail], Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families.

Copies of the proposed collection may 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: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. Email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This study will provide an opportunity to learn more about the potential of coaching to help clients achieve self-sufficiency and other desired employment-related outcomes. It will take place over five years in the following employment programs: MyGoals for Employment Success in Baltimore, MyGoals for Employment Success in Houston, Family Development and Self-Sufficiency program in Iowa, LIFT in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles; Work Success in Utah; and Goal4 It! in Jefferson County, Colorado. Together, these programs will include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies and other public or private employment programs that serve low-income individuals. Each site will have a robust coaching component and the capacity to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation. This study will provide information on whether coaching helps people obtain and retain jobs, advance in their careers, move toward self-sufficiency, and improve their overall well-being. To meet these objectives, this study includes an impact and implementation study, as approved by OMB.

This submission builds on the existing impact study, which randomly assigned participants to either a “program group,” who were paired with a coach, or to a “control group,” who were not paired with a coach. The effectiveness of the coaching will be determined by differences between members of the program and control groups in outcomes such as obtaining and retaining employment, earnings, measures of self-sufficiency, and measures of self-regulation.

The proposed information collection activity is a second follow-up survey, which will be available to participants approximately 21 months after random assignment. The second follow-up survey will provide rigorous evidence on whether the coaching interventions are effective, for whom, and under what circumstances.

Respondents: Individuals enrolled in the Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Related Populations. All participants will be able to opt out of participating in the data collection activities.

Annual Burden Estimates:

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Annual number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
Second follow-up survey	4,800	1,600	1	1	1,600

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,600.

Authority: Section 413 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31).

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.