2011-14106. Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Title: Formative Data Collections for Informing Policy Research.

OMB No.: 0970-0356.

Description: The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a generic clearance that will allow OPRE to conduct a variety of qualitative data collections. Over the next three years, OPRE anticipates undertaking a variety of new research projects in the fields of cash welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, Head Start, child care, healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, and child welfare. In order to inform the development of OPRE research, to maintain a research agenda that is rigorous and relevant, and to ensure that research products are as current as possible, OPRE will engage in a variety of qualitative data collections in concert with researchers and practitioners throughout the field. OPRE envisions using a variety of techniques including semi-structured discussions, focus groups, telephone interviews, and in-person observations and site visits, in order to integrate the perspectives of program operators, policy officials and members of the research community.

Following standard Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements, OPRE will submit a change request to OMB individually for every group of data collection activities undertaken under this generic clearance. OPRE will provide OMB with a copy of the individual instruments or questionnaires (if one is used), as well as other materials describing the project.

Respondents: Administrators or staff of State and local agencies or programs in the relevant fields; academic researchers; and policymakers at various levels of government.

Annual Burden Estimates

Instrument	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total annul burden hours
Semi-Structured Discussion and Information-Gathering Protocol	2,000	1	0.5	1,000

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,000

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. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail address: [e-mail]. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

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.

Dated: May 31, 2011.

Steven M. Hanmer,

Reports Clearance Officer.