[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 121 (Monday, June 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28856-28857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13288]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
Title: Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-
Income Populations.
OMB No.: New Collection.
Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is
proposing a data collection activity as part of the Evaluation of
Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-Income Populations. This
study will provide an opportunity to learn more about the potential of
coaching to help clients achieve self-sufficiency and other desired
employment-related outcomes. It will take place over five years in up
to three employment programs. These programs may be Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies or other public or
private employment programs that serve low-income individuals. Selected
sites will include a robust coaching component and have the capacity to
conduct a rigorous impact evaluation, among other criteria. This study
will provide information on whether coaching helps people obtain and
retain jobs, advance in their careers, move toward self-sufficiency,
and improve their overall well-being. To meet these objectives, this
study will include an impact and implementation study.
The impact study will involve participants being randomly assigned
to either a ``program group,'' who will be paired with a coach, or to a
``control group,'' who will not be paired with a coach. The
effectiveness of the coaching will be determined by differences between
members of the program and control groups in outcomes such as obtaining
and retaining employment, earnings, measures of self-sufficiency, and
measures of self-regulation.
The implementation study will document coaching practices, describe
lessons learned from implementing coaching, and enhance interpretation
of the impact study findings.
The proposed information collection activities are: (1) Baseline
data collection: Collection of characteristics data on all study
participants as they enroll in the study. Data will be entered into the
Random Assignment, Participant Tracking Enrollment, and Reporting
(RAPTER) system; (2) First follow-up survey: Collection of outcome data
for a subset of study participants about 9 months after random
assignment; (3) Semi-structured staff interviews: Collection of
qualitative data on the design and implementation of the program; (4)
Staff survey: Collection of information on staff members' professional
backgrounds, training, coaching practices, and attitudes; (5) In-depth
participant interviews: Collection of detailed information about the
participants' backgrounds and experiences with coaching; (6) Staff
reports of program service receipt: Collection of data on coaching and
other program services received by study
[[Page 28857]]
participants and entered into RAPTER; and (7) Video recordings of
coaching sessions: Collection of data on the interaction between the
coaches and participants.
A second follow-up survey will be administered approximately 21
months after random assignment. This data collection activity will be
included under a separate OMB submission.
Respondents: Program staff and individuals enrolled in the
Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Other Low-Income
Populations. Program staff may include coaches, case managers, workshop
instructors, job developers, supervisors, and managers. All
participants will be able to opt out of participating in the data
collection activities.
Annual Burden Estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total number Annual number Number of Average
Instrument of of responses per burden hours Annual burden
respondents respondents respondent per response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline data collection--study 6,000 2,000 1 0.33 660
participants...................
Baseline data collection--staff. 60 20 100 0.33 660
First follow-up survey.......... 2,400 800 1 1 800
Semi-structured staff interviews 66 22 1 1.5 33
Staff survey.................... 48 16 1 0.75 12
In-depth participant interviews. 24 8 1 2.5 20
Staff reports of program service 30 10 5,200 0.03 1,560
receipt........................
Video recordings of coaching 27 9 10 0.10 9
sessions.......................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,754.
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, 330 C Street SW., Washington, DC
20201, 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.
Mary Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-13288 Filed 6-23-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-09-P