2015-00180. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Title: Pre-testing of Evaluation Surveys.

OMB No.: 0970-0355.

Description: The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal of a generic clearance to allow OPRE to pre-test data collection instruments with more than nine participants to identify and resolve any question or procedural problems in survey administration.

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. To improve the development of its research and evaluation surveys, OPRE uses the pre-testing of evaluation surveys 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 OPRE to identify if and when a survey may be simplified for respondents, respondent burden may be reduced, and other possible improvements.

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. OPRE requests OMB review within 10 days of receiving each change request.

Respondents: Participants in ACF programs being evaluated; participants in ACF demonstrations; comparison group members; and other relevant populations, such as individuals at risk of needing ACF services.

Burden Estimates

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Total burden hours
Survey development field tests, respondent debriefing questionnaires, cognitive interviews, split sample experiments, focus groups	5,100	1	.75	3,825

Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained 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. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection. Email address: [e-mail].

OMB Comment: 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. 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.

Karl Koerper,

OPRE Reports Clearance Officer.