Change Request - ACF Evidence Capacity Support

To: Kelsi Feltz

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Nicole Deterding

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: May 13, 2024

Subject: Change Request – ACF Evidence Capacity Support (OMB #0970-0531)

This memo requests approval of changes to the approved information collection, ACF Evidence Capacity Support, approved under the Formative Data Collections for Program Support

(OMB #0970-0531).

Background

The ACF Evidence Capacity Support information collection includes interviews with ORR grant recipients and program participants and was approved by OMB on January 11^th, 2024. Interviews with grant recipients are in progress and recruitment of program participants has not yet begun. Based on expert advice from our contracting team and external consultants, it has been recommended to offer honoraria to program participants to ensure a diverse range of refugee experiences will be represented. We were also advised to use a self-nomination process for interested program participants and implement a set of screening questions for participants who self-nominate. The purpose of this is to minimize the burden on grant recipients and other recruitment partners, as well as protect the privacy of program participants (by not asking recruitment partners to share names or contact information of program participants and instead allowing interested program participants to self-nominate).

Overview of Requested Changes

We request to provide refugees who participate in an hour-long interview with a $30 honoraria.

When potential respondents self-nominate for participation, we propose to collect refugee participants’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, refugee or other status on arrival to the U.S., gender identity, arrival date, country of origin, religion and group membership (e.g. ethnic group or tribe), and city and state of current residence.

Time Sensitivities

This request is time sensitive. Much of the funding for this work expires on September 30, 2024. As such, we hope to have OMB approval before June 2024 to allow time for interviews, analysis, and reporting before the end of September 2024.