NonSub Change - Contact Info on Follow Up Surveys

MEMORANDUM

TO: Steph Tatham

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

FROM: Samantha Illangasekare

Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

DATE: June 22, 2018

SUBJECT: Non-Substantive Change Request to the Strengthening Relationship and Marriage Education Services (STREAMS) Evaluation (0970-0481)

This non-substantive change request is to make minor updates to instruments associated with the Strengthening Relationship and Marriage Education Services (STREAMS) Evaluation to help locate the sample members in the future if necessary for additional follow-up data collection.

The purpose of STREAMS is to measure the effectiveness and quality of healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs, program components, and implementation factors designed to strengthen and improve the quality of romantic relationships. The evaluation involves process and impact study data collection from HMRE programs funded by the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For the evaluation, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within ACF contracted with Mathematica Policy Research to collect data to support both a process study and an impact study in each evaluation site. The information collection request (ICR) associated with the STREAMS evaluation received OMB approval on April 3, 2017.

As explained in the supporting statements for the approved ICR, the data collection instruments for the STREAMS impact study vary across the evaluation sites, depending on the target population and specific program being tested. In some sites, STREAMS collects baseline and follow-up survey data. There are two different versions of both the baseline and follow-up surveys, one tailored for sites serving youth in high schools and the other tailored for sites serving adults. In one evaluation site, STREAMS does not collect baseline or follow-up survey data. In this site, the evaluation team relies solely on client characteristic and program participation data being collected as part of ACF’s performance measure data collection.

This non-substantive change request serves two purposes:

1. Modifications to the STREAMS follow-up survey for sites serving adults. ACF requests approval for minor modifications to the previously approved follow-up survey for sites serving adults. The modifications involve collecting contact information for sample members and up to three friends or family members, which will help the evaluation team locate the sample members in the future if necessary for additional follow-up data collection. The proposed questions on contact information begin on page 65. The modifications will not exceed the approved burden estimate for the follow-up survey. To date, sample members have been completing the follow-up survey in an average of 37 minutes, compared to the approved burden estimate of 45 minutes. The revised instrument is included with this request.

2. Modifications to the STREAMS follow-up survey for sites serving youth. ACF also requests approval for minor modifications to the follow-up survey for sites serving youth. The modifications involve collecting contact information for sample members and up to three friends or family members, which will help the evaluation team locate the sample members in the future if necessary for additional follow-up data collection. The proposed questions on contact information begin on page 39. The modifications will not exceed the approved burden estimate for the follow-up survey. To date, sample members have been completing the follow-up survey in an average of 20 minutes, compared to the approved burden estimate of 45 minutes. The revised instrument is included with this request.

We look forward to receiving your response to this non-substantive change request.

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