Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Title: Pre-testing of Evaluation Surveys.

OMB No.: 0970-0355.

Description: The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a generic clearance that a will allow OPRE to conduct a variety of data gathering activities aimed at identifying questionnaire and procedural problems in survey administration. Over the next three years, OPRE anticipates undertaking a variety of new surveys as part of research projects in the fields of cash welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, Head Start, child care, healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, and child welfare, among others. In order to improve the development of its research and evaluation surveys, OPRE envisions using a variety of techniques including field tests, respondent debriefing questionnaires, cognitive interviews and focus groups in order to identify questionnaire and procedural problems, suggest solutions, and measure the relative effectiveness of alternative survey solutions.

Following standard OMB requirements, OPRE will submit a change request to OMB individually for every data collection activity undertaken under this generic clearance. OPRE will provide OMB with a copy of the individual instrument or questionnaire, as well as other materials describing the project and specific survey pre-test.

Respondents: The respondents will be identified at the time that each change request is submitted to OMB. Generally they will be individuals who are representative of the target groups for the public assistance research or evaluation project in question.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,500

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: OPRE Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail address: OPREinfocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

The Department specifically requests comments on (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted within 60 days of this publication.