Fast Track GenIC - ANA 2023 NOFO Feedback Focus Groups

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0970-0401)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Administration for Native Americans (ANA) 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity Focus Group

PURPOSE: The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) would like to learn more about the public’s experience with applying for an ANA grant and gather feedback on the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). To gather feedback, we propose to administer a short survey prior to a more in-depth focus group. The pre-survey will help ANA prepare for the focus groups. Following the focus group, we will ask some post-discussion questions to gather feedback on the experience of participants during the focus groups.

Data collected from the pre-survey will help Focus Group facilitators plan the session and reduce the time needed to collect the information during the live session.

Information collected during focus groups will be used by ANA to identify issues applicants or potential applicants find with the application process and information provided or requested in NOFOs. ANA will use this information to improve drafting of NOFOs and application processes.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Respondents will include 46 of ANA’s applicants and potential applicants who previously applied for ANAs NOFOs.

TYPE OF COLLECTION:

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[x] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The primary purpose of the results is not for public dissemination.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name and affiliation: Amy Zukowski, ACF Administration for Native Americans

To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [x] Yes [ ] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [x] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [x] No

ANA will collect name of the participant in the Pre-Focus Group Survey to assist the facilitator in preparation for the Focus Group. This will reduce the time needed to gain this information at actual time of the Focus Group convening.

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [x] No

BURDEN HOURS

Information Collection	Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Estimated Time per Response	Burden Hours
Pre-Focus Group Survey	Private Sector	46	1	5 minutes	4 Hours
Administration for Native Americans (ANA) 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity Focus Group	Private Sector	46	1	2 hours	92 Hours
Post-Focus Group Feedback	Private Sector	46	1	5 minutes	4 Hours
Totals		46	1	2.163 hours	100 Hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $160

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [x] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

ANA intends to form focus groups from one of six categories: unsuccessful applicants, those applicants who never submitted an application but showed interest (by attending ANA’s pre-application or project planning and development trainings), successful applicants, those applicants who are first time grantees, and ANA’s peer panel review reviewers and chairs.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[x] Other, Explain: As we are still struggling with COVID-19, ANA will conduct these focus groups live in a virtual environment.

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [x] Yes [ ] No

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