Notice2022-06403
Proposed Revision to Information Collection Activity; Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 28, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families is proposing revisions to data collection activities conducted for the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project (OMB #0970-0545). The project is rigorously evaluating innovative interventions to promote employment and economic security among low-income individuals with complex challenges. The project includes an experimental impact study, descriptive study, and cost study. The project is seeking approval for two participant follow-up surveys and related materials with proposed changes to the instruments and to the tokens of appreciation for the follow-up surveys. The requested changes do not require any changes to the previously submitted and approved burden estimates.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17298-17299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06403]
[[Page 17298]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[OMB No. 0970-0545]
Proposed Revision to Information Collection Activity; Next
Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project
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 is proposing revisions to
data collection activities conducted for the Next Generation of
Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project (OMB #0970-0545). The
project is rigorously evaluating innovative interventions to promote
employment and economic security among low-income individuals with
complex challenges. The project includes an experimental impact study,
descriptive study, and cost study. The project is seeking approval for
two participant follow-up surveys and related materials with proposed
changes to the instruments and to the tokens of appreciation for the
follow-up surveys. The requested changes do not require any changes to
the previously submitted and approved burden estimates.
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: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e415e5c4b676068616d6162626b6d7a6761604e6f6d682066667d20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c48b949681adaaa2aba7aba8a8a1a7b0adabaa84a5a7a2eaacacb7eaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a>. Identify all requests by the title of
the information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: OPRE is conducting the NextGen Project to build the
evidence around effective strategies for helping low-income individuals
find and sustain employment. This project will identify and test
innovative employment programs designed to help people facing complex
challenges secure economic independence. The project is partnering with
the Social Security Administration to incorporate a focus on
employment-related early interventions for people with current or
foreseeable disabilities who have limited work history and are
potential applicants for Supplemental Security Income.
Prior information collection requests for the project (see <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202102-0970-003">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202102-0970-003</a>) occurred
in two phases. Phase 1 instruments--the informed consent form, baseline
survey, and identifying and contact information collection--were
approved in April 2020. Phase 2 instruments--staff characteristics
survey, program leadership survey, semi-structured program participant
discussion guide, semi-structured employer discussion guide, service
receipt tracking, in-depth participant interview guide, and cost
workbook--were approved in December 2020. Approval for changes to the
Phase 1 and some Phase 2 instruments was received in March 2021.
We now seek approval for the first and second follow-up surveys,
advance letters and related materials, and changes to the proposed
tokens of appreciation for the follow-up surveys.
Below are additional details regarding this clearance request.
First Follow-Up Survey (Instrument 3)
We propose the following revisions to the first follow-up survey:
<bullet> Minor revisions to skip patterns and the wording of some
items for clarity.
<bullet> Moved all items about jobs to the beginning of the survey
(Section A) to collect this information first because of its
importance.
<bullet> Added items on the effect of COVID-19 including changes in
jobs as a result of the pandemic (A02a); whether any physical, mental,
or emotional condition that limits work is related to COVID-19 (A22a);
employment challenges related to the pandemic (A23); receipt of advice
on how to meet workplace requirements related to COVID-19 (B01m); and
vaccination status (C10a).
<bullet> Removed some benefits from the list of benefits available
at the respondent's current or last job (A16), dropped the industry and
occupation items, and removed most items about employment challenges
(A23) to reduce burden.
<bullet> Added questions about confidence in ability to seek
employment (A25) for one program.
<bullet> Removed the distinctions between receiving services in
one-on-one settings and group settings (B01 and B02) to reduce burden.
Added an item about attendance at any group support meetings (B02) for
one program.
<bullet> Modified the items (B01) about receipt of services to
better match the services offered by the programs in the project.
<bullet> Removed questions related to the amount of time spent in
employment services and ask only about the location where respondents
received the most services (B03), rather than asking about all
locations, to reduce burden.
<bullet> Replaced questions about each education or training
program with questions about all programs attended (B04 to B05b) and
removed questions about the amount of time spent in the program because
education and training are not part of any selected program. Removed
questions about employer-provided training because they were not
relevant to any program. Added items about participating in education
or training programs (B04a and B05a) at the time of the survey and
receipt of a certificate or degree (B04c and B05b). Tailored the
education and training questions for one program that works with young
adults (B06-B08b) to make it easier for them to respond.
<bullet> Revised the recall period for mental health service
receipt to the last 6 months instead of since random assignment (B10-
B10b) to better match when the program expects to affect the receipt of
these services.
<bullet> Added questions about receipt of services for physical
medical conditions and receipt of mental health services for
respondents' children within the last 6 months for one program (B11 and
B11a).
<bullet> Removed items asking about the type of rental housing and
number of days spent homeless since housing is not a focus of the
selected programs. Moved the remaining housing questions to an earlier
location in the survey (C01, C01a, and C02).
<bullet> Removed benefits from a question about benefit receipt
(C03) that we do not expect many study participants to receive to
reduce burden.
<bullet> Added a series of questions about financial help received
from parents, relatives, friends, or neighbors and the amount received
(C04b to C04e1) for a program serving young adults and an item to ask
if the program helped them in having a trusted person they can turn to
for job advice (D02d).
<bullet> Modified the emergency support items (C05-C07a) to ask how
many people the respondents can turn to for help, to borrow money, or
for advice, and added items on social trust (C07b and C07c) to measure
social support more accurately.
<bullet> Added the Healthy Families Parenting Inventory's parenting
efficacy
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subscale (C08) for one program that aims to improve mothers' belief in
their parenting skills.
<bullet> Added items about confidence in future financial
situations (C09a-C09b) for one program that aims to increase youths'
belief in their ability to become self-sufficient.
<bullet> Added a question to ask if participants are covered by
health insurance (C10b).
<bullet> Added the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression
Scale Revised (CESD-R) (C22a) for use by a program that serves mothers
with symptoms of depression. For this program, this more in-depth
depression scale will be used instead of the shorter K-6 Distress Scale
(C22).
<bullet> Added questions about whether the respondent is currently
under court-ordered supervision (C38), whether any convictions were for
felonies (C42), and if any of the reported incarcerations were for
violating the terms of court-ordered supervision (C44) for a program
that serves adults with criminal justice system involvement.
<bullet> Removed some items asking program group study participants
about their satisfaction with the program.
We currently have OMB approval to provide a $40 gift card for
follow-up survey completion. Based on new evidence, we propose to
increase the first follow-up survey token of appreciation from $40 to
$50 and to add a $5 prepaid gift card for the first follow-up survey
sent with the advance letter. We would assess the effectiveness of the
prepaid gift card using an experiment. If the experiment shows that
prepaid tokens of appreciation are effective at increasing response
rates or decreasing the treatment-control response rate differential,
we will propose using it for remaining sample members for the first
follow-up survey.
Second Follow-Up Survey (Instrument 4)
We propose changes to the second follow-up survey to match the
changes proposed for the first follow-up survey. We propose introducing
a $5 prepaid token of appreciation if the experiment for the first
follow-up survey demonstrates it is effective. We do not propose
changes to the previously approved $50 postpaid gift card for the
second follow-up survey.
Respondents: Individuals enrolled in the NextGen Project.
Annual Burden Estimates
The annual burden estimates for the instruments we are requesting
to revise are presented below. All currently approved materials under
OMB # 0970-0545 and the associated burden can be found at: <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-0970-003">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-0970-003</a>.
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Number of Average burden
Instrument Total number Annual number responses per hours per Annual burden
of respondents of respondents respondent response hours
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PHASE 2
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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...................
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Total Annual Burden Hours, Phase 2: 4,428.
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.
[FR Doc. 2022-06403 Filed 3-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P
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