The Office of Planning, Research, and
Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF),
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), seeks renewal
of this generic clearance to allow ACF to conduct a variety of
formative data collections. We anticipate the majority of data
collections that fall under this generic request to come from OPRE,
but program offices will also have access to this resource when
they are pursing research and evaluation. All proposed collections
will be reviewed by and submitted through OPRE. ACF programs
promote the economic and social well-being of families, children,
individuals and communities. OPRE studies ACF programs, and the
populations they serve, through rigorous research and evaluation
projects. These include evaluations of existing programs,
evaluations of innovative approaches to helping low income children
and families, research syntheses, and descriptive and exploratory
studies. OPRE’s research offers further understanding of current
programs and service populations, explores options for program
improvement, and assesses alternative policy and program designs.
OPRE anticipates undertaking a variety of new research projects
related to welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, Head Start,
child care, healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, family and
youth services, home visiting, child welfare, and other areas of
interest to ACF. Some ACF program offices conduct their own
research and evaluation projects. Under this generic clearance, ACF
would engage in a variety of formative data collections with
researchers, practitioners, TA providers, service providers and
potential participants throughout the field to fulfill the
following goals: (1) inform the development of ACF research, (2)
maintain a research agenda that is rigorous and relevant, (3)
ensure that research products are as current as possible and (4)
inform the provision of technical assistance. ACF envisions using a
variety of techniques including semi-structured discussions, focus
groups, surveys, and telephone or in-person interviews, in order to
reach these goals.
US Code:
42
USC 1315 Name of Law: Social Security Act -- Demonstration
Projects
Given the usefulness of this
tool, demand for use, and the expanded scope to include information
about program support, we request to increase the estimated burden
under 0970-0356 to accommodate additional ICRs under this umbrella
generic. The total request includes new burden over the next three
years (3,750 respondents; 5,375 hours) in addition to ongoing
burden from previously approved Gen ICs (455 respondents; 509
hours).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.