NonSub Change Request - COVID Qs

To: Josh Brammer

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Kathleen Dwyer and Alysia Blandon

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: May 7, 2020

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – Evaluation of the Family Unification Program (OMB #0970-0514)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, Evaluation of the Family Unification Program (OMB #0970-0514).

Background

The Evaluation of the Family Unification Program study was approved on 9/18/2018. The evaluation is a multi-site randomized controlled trial evaluation of the Family Unification Program, which provides housing vouchers to child welfare involved families. The data collection for the study consists of qualitative interviews with program staff and families, forms to be filled out by staff, and administrative data collection.

The qualitative interviews were intended to take place over 3 site visits. The first site visit has already been completed. Our second site visit, which includes qualitative interviews with program staff, is scheduled to take place in May and June 2020. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be conducting our second round of site visits virtually in the next two months. The primary goal of the interviews is to understand how the program operates during the study period.

Overview of Requested Changes

As stated, the goal of these qualitative interviews is to understand how the program has been operating. We are requesting to make changes to clarify our protocols to understand how the program was working before COVID-19 and during COVID-19. We propose updates to the following interview and focus group protocols:

• Appendix D – Guide for Implementation Study for PCWA Management

• Appendix E – Guide for Implementation Study for PHA Management

• Appendix G – Guide for Implementation Study for Referral Provider Administrator

• Appendix H – Guide for Implementation Study for PCWA FUP Management

• Appendix I – Guide for Implementation Study for PHA FUP Management

• Appendix J – Guide for Imp Study Focus Groups for PHA Frontline Workers

• Appendix L – Guide for Implementation Study Focus Group with Frontline Workers

The changes that we have made are meant to clarify that we would like to know how things operated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the questions are largely the same.

Time Sensitivities

This work is time sensitive. We are planning our first virtual site visit in late May. We will need the protocols finalized by May 15^th so that we can have time to train the staff who will be conducting the interviews.