[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15186-15187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05440]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Submission for OMB Review; Data Collection for the Next
Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project (New Collection)
AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration
for Children and Families, HHS.
ACTION: Request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within
the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing data
collection activities conducted for the Next Generation of Enhanced
Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project. The objective of this project
is to identify and rigorously evaluate innovative interventions
designed to promote employment and economic security among low-income
individuals with complex challenges to employment. The project will
include an experimental impact study, descriptive study, and cost
study.
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: To further build the evidence around effective
strategies for helping low-income individuals find and sustain
employment, OPRE is conducting the NextGen Project. This project will
identify and test up to 10 innovative, promising employment
interventions designed to help individuals facing complex challenges
secure a pathway toward economic independence. These challenges may be
physical and mental health conditions, a criminal history, or limited
work skills and experience.
The project is actively coordinating with the Building Evidence on
Employment Strategies for Low-Income Families Project (0970-0537),
another OPRE project focused on strengthening ACF's understanding of
effective interventions aimed at supporting low-income individuals to
find jobs, advance in the labor market, and improve their economic
security. Additionally, the project is working closely with the Social
Security Administration (SSA) to incorporate a focus on employment-
related early interventions for individuals with current or foreseeable
disabilities who have limited work history and are potential applicants
for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
The NextGen Project will use a two-phased approach for approval of
this proposed information collection activity. In Phase 1 (current
request) the research team seeks approval to formally recruit programs,
to administer the informed consent form and baseline participant
survey, and to collect identifying and contact information for study
participants. The project intends for these data collections to be
uniform across programs selected for evaluation and it does not
anticipate that they will require revisions.
Under Phase 2 of the request, the project will update the
information collection request for the remaining instruments to tailor
to each program selected for the evaluation, as needed.
The proposed information collection activities cover an
experimental impact study, descriptive study, and cost study. Data
collection activities for the impact study include: (1) Baseline survey
and identifying and contact information data collection, (2) a first
follow-up survey, and (3) a second follow-up survey. Data collection
activities for the descriptive study include: (1) Program service
receipt tracking; (2) staff characteristics survey; (3) program
leadership survey; (4) semi-structured program discussion guide
(conducted with program leaders, supervisors, partners, staff, and
providers); (5) semi-structured employer discussion guide (for those
interventions that include an employer component); and (6) in-depth
participant interviews. Data collection activities for the cost study
include an Excel-based cost workbook.
Respondents: Program staff, program partners, employer staff, and
individuals enrolled in the NextGen Project. Program staff and partners
may include case managers, health professionals, workshop instructors,
job developers, supervisors, managers, and administrators. Employers
may include administrators, human resources staff, and worksite
supervisors.
Annual Burden Estimates
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Annual number Number of Average
Instrument Total number of responses per burden hours Annual burden
of respondents respondents respondent per response hours
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PHASE 1
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Baseline survey & identifying 10,000 3,333 1 0.42 1,400
and contact information--
participants...................
Baseline survey & identifying 200 67 50 0.42 1,407
and contact information--staff.
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Estimated Total Annual .............. .............. .............. .............. 2,807
Burden Hours, Phase 1:.....
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[[Page 15187]]
PHASE 2 ESTIMATES
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First follow-up survey-- 8,000 2,667 1 0.83 2,214
participants...................
Second follow-up survey-- 8,000 2,667 1 0.83 2,214
participants...................
Service receipt tracking-- 200 67 250 0.08 1,340
program staff..................
Staff characteristics survey-- 200 67 1 0.42 28
program staff..................
Program leadership survey-- 50 17 1 0.25 4
program leaders................
Semi-structured program 40 13 1 1.5 20
discussion guide--program
leaders........................
Semi-structured program 80 27 1 1.0 27
discussion guide--program
supervisors and partners.......
Semi-structured program 80 27 1 0.75 20
discussion guide--program
staff, providers...............
Semi-structured employer 50 17 1 1.0 17
discussion guide--employers....
In-depth participant interview 200 67 1 2.0 134
guide--participants............
Cost workbook--program staff.... 40 13 1 32.0 416
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Estimated Total Annual .............. .............. .............. .............. 6,434
Burden Hours, Phase 2:.....
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Authority: Section 413 of the Social Security Act, as amended by
the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-
31).
Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-05440 Filed 3-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P