[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35547-35548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14565]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Title: Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program.
OMB No.: 0970-0394.
Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF),
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing data
collection activities as part of the Health Profession Opportunity
Grants (HPOG) program. The proposed data collection activities
described in this notice will provide data for the Impact Studies of
the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG-Impact) and the National
Implementation Evaluation of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants
to Serve TANF Recipients and Other Low-Income Individuals (HPOG-NIE).
The goal of HPOG-Impact is to evaluate the effectiveness of
approaches used by 20 of the HPOG grantees to provide TANF recipients
and other low-income individuals with opportunities for education,
training and advancement within the health care field. HPOG-Impact also
is intended to evaluate variation in participant impact that may be
attributable to different HPOG program components and models. The
impact study design is a classic experiment in which eligible
applicants will be randomly assigned to a treatment group that is
offered participation in HPOG and a control group that is not permitted
to enroll in HPOG. In a subset of sites, eligible applicants will be
randomized into two treatment arms (a basic and an enhanced version of
the intervention) and a control group.
The goal of HPOG-NIE is to describe and assess the implementation,
systems change, and outcomes and other important information about the
operations of the 27 HPOG grantees
[[Page 35548]]
focused on TANF recipients and other low-income individuals. To achieve
these goals, it is necessary to collect information about the
composition and intensity of services received, participant
characteristics and HPOG experiences, and participant outputs and
outcomes.
HPOG-Impact and HPOG-NIE are two projects within the broader
portfolio of research that OPRE is utilizing to assess the success of
the career pathways programs and models. This strategy includes a
multi-pronged research and evaluation approach for the HPOG program to
better understand and assess the activities conducted and their results
as well as the Innovative Strategies for Improving Self-Sufficiency
(ISIS) project. In order to maximize learning across the portfolio,
survey development for the HPOG and ISIS baseline and follow up surveys
is being coordinated, and the majority of the data elements collected
in these surveys are similar.
Three data collection efforts related to HPOG research were
approved by OMB, including approval of a Performance Reporting System
(PRS) (approved September 2011), for collection of additional baseline
data for the HPOG-Impact study (approved October 2012), and for
collection of data for the National Implementation Evaluation (approved
August 2013). Additionally, two data collection efforts for ISIS were
approved (November 2011 and August 2013), and a new request is being
submitted at the same time as this request (under OMB 0970-
0397).
This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on
proposed new information collection activities for HPOG-Impact and
HPOG-NIE: (1) The HPOG-Impact second follow-up survey (at 36 months
post-random assignment) of both treatment and control group members.
The purpose of the HPOG-Impact 36 month follow-up survey is to follow-
up with study participants to document their education and training
experiences, employment experiences, and parenting practices and child
outcomes for participants with children. (2) A HPOG-NIE screening
questionnaire and semi-structured discussion guide for use in
interviews with grantees about their use of performance measurement
information.
Data collection activities to submit in a future information
collection request include: A third follow-up survey for HPOG-Impact
study participants approximately 60 months after study enrollment.
Previously approved collection activities under 0970-0394 will
continue this new request, including additional data collection using
the following previously approved instruments: The Performance
Reporting System (PRS); the HPOG-Impact 15-month follow-up survey of
treatment and control group members; and the HPOG-NIE 15-month
Participant Follow-Up survey.
Respondents: Individuals enrolled in HPOG interventions and control
group members; HPOG program managers and staff.
Annual Burden Estimates
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours
[This information collection request is for a three-year period]
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Annual number Number of Average burden
Instrument Total number of responses per hours per Annual burden
of respondents respondents respondent response hours
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Previously Approved Instruments
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PRS............................ 32 11 4 31.2 1,373
HPOG-Impact 15-month 5,600 1,867 1 0.7 1,307
Participant Follow-Up survey..
HPOG-Impact 15-month Control 2,800 933 1 0.6 560
Group Member Follow-Up survey.
HPOG-NIE 15-month Participant 600 200 1 0.7 140
Follow-Up survey..............
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Current Request for Approval
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HPOG-Impact 36-month 5,600 1,867 1 1 1,867
Participant Follow-Up survey..
HPOG-Impact 36-month Control 2,800 933 1 1 933
Group Member Follow-Up survey.
HPOG-NIE Performance 49 16 1 .2 3
Measurement Screening
Questionnaire.................
HPOG-NIE Performance 20 7 1 1 7
Measurement Semi-Structured
Discussion Guide..............
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Estimated Annual Response Burden Hours: 6190.
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. Email
address: [email protected]. 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.
Karl Koerper,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-14565 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P