Memo - NonSub Change to staff surveys

To: Josh Brammer

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Anna Solmeyer

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: October 5, 2017

Subject: Request for Non-Substantive Changes to Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) Evaluation (0970-0485) – Adjustments to Staff Surveys

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services has funded the Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) evaluation. B3 is a rigorous, multi-site evaluation that includes an implementation study and an impact study. B3 is partnering with six programs that serve low-income fathers to understand the effectiveness of strategies used to enhance fathers’ participation in fatherhood programs, to increase fathers’ stable employment and improve their economic circumstances, to encourage fathers’ consistent and positive engagement with their children, and to improve constructive cooperation with co-parents. The B3 impact study will use a randomized control design, which includes a baseline survey and a 6-month follow up survey, along with other data collection efforts including an in-program mobile device survey.

This memorandum requests approval for minor modifications to OMB-approved instruments: 1) the Staff Survey for sites testing the parenting intervention, and 2) the Staff Survey for sites testing the employment intervention. The survey instruments were approved under OMB Control Number 0970-0485, with an expiration date of 09/30/2019.

The modifications include: removing some questions or response options that were no longer relevant; streamlining, re-ordering, and re-wording some questions to improve the survey flow; adding a small number of response options or sub-questions to gather more nuanced information (most of these changes are in the first and last modules, Staff Roles and Staff Background), and revising the explanation lead-ins of each section and added prompts to encourage staff to continue answering the survey.