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DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

FOR THE COLLECTION OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: The Exploring Measurement of Performance Outcomes and Work Requirements in Programs Promoting Economic Independence (EMPOWERED) Study

[X] INTERVIEWS

[X] SMALL DISCUSSION GROUPS

[ ] FOCUS GROUPS

[ ] QUESTIONNAIRES

[ ] OTHER (EXPLAIN: )

DESCRIPTION OF THIS SPECIFIC COLLECTION

1. Intended purpose

The study will assess work requirements in three human services programs: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Public Housing. We propose collecting qualitative data related to work requirements in three states – Florida, Minnesota, and Mississippi.

2. Need for the collection

This data collection is intended to produce formative research that will advance efforts to improve coordination of work requirement policies between agencies. In-depth interviews with various types of staff in selected sites is key to understanding the nuances of how policies operate in practice. We aim to understand how policies work in practice.

3. Planned use of the data

We will summarize these data in (1) a data collection summary memo and (2) a final report on work requirement policy implementation in SNAP, TANF, and Public Housing for the selected areas of the three states ASPE has selected for data collection. We also may use these data for briefs related to work requirements in human service programs that would be posted on the ASPE website.

4. Date(s) and location(s)

We will conduct the proposed data collection upon receiving OMB approval, which we anticipate will be approximately in June and will collect data over a period of three months. The three states ASPE has selected for data collection are Florida, Minnesota, and Mississippi.

5. Collection procedures

We will collect qualitative data using a semi-structured discussion guide (Attachment A Master Discussion Guide). Respondents will be asked a selection of questions from the guide based on their job responsibilities. Not all questions will be asked of all respondents.

6. Number of collections (e.g., focus groups, surveys, sessions)

We will collect data from approximately 186 respondents during individual or small group interviews, approximately 62 respondents per state.

7. Description of respondents/participants

Respondents will include staff from TANF, SNAP and Public Housing state agencies (directors, policy staff, staff monitoring work requirements, and data managers), local or regional offices (directors, supervisors, program eligibility staff, and case managers), and, where applicable, employment and training providers (directors and staff delivering services).

8. Description of how results will be used

The results will be used to describe each site visited and the characteristics of work requirements and work programs available to participants, the outcomes tracked for each program, the resources needed to operate the programs, and best practices involved in running each program.

9. Description of how results will or will not be disseminated and why or why not

We will summarize findings from the study of work requirements in an internal report for ASPE’s use. ASPE may author a brief providing information about best practices and/or unique characteristics of work requirements within human service programs in the three states studied. If a brief is written, it will be posted on the ASPE website.

AMOUNT OF ANY PROPOSED STIPEND OR INCENTIVE – None.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response or participation time in minutes (/60) = annual burden hours):

Type of respondent		Number of respondents		Number of responses per respondent	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total burden hours	Hourly wage rate	Total respondent costs
State administrators	36		1	1.5	54	37.06	$ 2,001.24
Local administrators	18		1	1.5	27	34.50	$ 931.50
Local staff	108		1	1.5	162	17.26	$ 2,796.12
E&T provider staff	24		1	1.5	36	22.71	$ 817.56
TOTALS		186				279		$ 6,546.42

BURDEN COST COMPUTATION

Staff (full-time equivalent)	Average hours per collection		Average hourly rate	Average cost
Social Science Analyst, GS [13]	[20]		$[46.46]	$[929]
Social Science Analyst, GS [13]	[20]		$[46.46]	$[929]
Estimated Total Cost of Information Collection		$[1858.4]

OTHER SUPPORTING INFORMATION

REQUESTED APPROVAL DATE: June 29, 2018

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Erica Meade, Project Officer

TELEPHONE NUMBER: (202) 205-8165

DEPARTMENT/OFFICE/BUREAU: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

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