Alternative Supporting Statement for Information Collections Designed for
Research, Public Health Surveillance, and Program Evaluation Purposes
Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse
Formative Data Collections for ACF Research
0970 – 0356
Supporting Statement
Part A
DECEMBER 2021
Submitted By:
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
4th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building
330 C Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Project Officers:
Christine Fortunato, Laura Nerenberg, and Jenessa Malin,
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Part A
Executive Summary
Type of Request: This Information Collection Request is for a generic information collection under the umbrella generic, Formative Data Collections for ACF Research (0970-0356).
Description of Request:
The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse (hereafter referred to as the Prevention Services Clearinghouse) will (1) conduct expert consultations to inform potential revisions to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures and (2) send queries to program developers to obtain information about program or service manuals, manual citations, and feedback on Prevention Services Clearinghouse program descriptions.
We do not intend for this information to be used as the principal basis for public policy decisions.
Time Sensitivity: In order to stay on schedule with the project timelines, we would like to begin expert consultations as soon as possible.
A1. Necessity for Collection
The Title IV- E Prevention Services Clearinghouse was established by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an objective and transparent review of research on programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements. The Prevention Services Clearinghouse, developed in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) as codified in Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, rates programs and services as well-supported, supported, promising, or does not currently meet criteria. These practices include mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parent skill-based programs, as well as kinship navigator services.
The study team will collect information from experts in fields pertaining to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse to inform potential revisions to the Handbook of Standards and Procedures that guides the systematic evidence review and from program developers to determine eligibility of programs and services for review and ensure the accuracy of information presented on the website.
There are no requirements that necessitate the data collection. ACF is undertaking the collection at the discretion of the agency.
A2. Purpose
Purpose and Use
This proposed information collection meets the following goals of ACF’s generic clearance for formative data collections for research and evaluation (0970-0356):
inform the development of ACF research
maintain a research agenda that is rigorous and relevant
ensure that research products are as current as possible
Consultations with experts in research methods, systematic evidence reviews, and topics pertaining to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse will inform possible revisions to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures. Queries to program developers will provide information about program or service manuals, manual citations, and feedback on Prevention Services Clearinghouse program descriptions. This information will ensure the accuracy of information presented on the website. The information collected is meant for internal purposes and will not be shared directly, however it is expected to inform documents or presentations that are made public, such as Fact Sheets or the Handbook of Standards and Procedures; resource documents such as a Reporting Guide for Study Authors; background materials for technical workgroups; or program descriptions posted on the Prevention Services Clearinghouse website
The information collected is meant to contribute to the body of knowledge on ACF programs and will be considered along with public feedback collected via a Federal Register Notice published July 15, 2021 (86 FR 37332). The Federal Register Notice requested feedback on the Clearinghouse’s Handbook of Standards and Procedures; responses to the notice are intended to inform possible revisions to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures. The information collected as part of this OMB request is not intended to be used as the principal basis for a decision by a federal decision-maker, and is not expected to meet the threshold of influential or highly influential scientific information.
Guiding Questions
Expert Consultations:
What clarifications and refinements would experts suggest for enhancing the rigor, clarity, and transparency of the standards and procedures that guide the evidence review?
2. Developer Queries:
Are the program description and manual citation accurate? Can the developer provide information on how the Prevention Services Clearinghouse and the public can access the manual?
Study Design
Data Collection Activity |
Instrument(s) |
Respondent, Content, Purpose of Collection |
Mode and Duration |
Expert Consultations (possible topical groups)
|
Instrument 1: Consultation Discussion Guide Instrument 2: Consultation Feedback Form |
Respondents: up to 65 experts
Content: Questions for experts about adjustments or refinements they suggest for various sections of the Handbook of Standards and Procedures and the pros and cons of implementing those suggestions.
Purpose: To inform possible revision to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures |
Mode: virtual or via phone
Duration: average of 1 hour and 45 minutes |
Developer Queries |
Instrument 3: Program Description Review Request
Instrument 4: Manual Request
|
Respondents: Developers of programs and services being considered for review, are currently undergoing review, or have been reviewed by the Prevention Services Clearinghouse (up to 150 individuals).
Content: Requests for manuals and citations, requests to review program descriptions, and requests for information about program or service implementation in the field.
Purpose: To obtain information about program service manuals, manual citations, and feedback on Clearinghouse program descriptions. |
Mode: email or via phone
Duration: On average 30 minutes each instrument |
Other Data Sources and Uses of Information
None.
A3. Use of Information Technology to Reduce Burden
All developer queries will take place via email or phone. Developers will be encouraged to share electronic copies of manuals when available to minimize burden.
Prior to the expert consultancy sessions, the project team will share a fillable pdf feedback form (Instrument 2) that includes the questions that will be discussed in the session. The team will ask the consultants to review the materials and draft notes and comments in the form before the session. This feedback form is intended to streamline the data collection during the sessions and maximize group time.
All group sessions will take place virtually or by phone so that participants do not have to travel to participate.
A4. Use of Existing Data: Efforts to reduce duplication, minimize burden, and increase utility and government efficiency
For the developer queries, the study team will obtain as much information as possible from publicly available sources to minimize burden on respondents.
A5. Impact on Small Businesses
Some program or service developers and experts may own small businesses. We will make every effort to schedule data collection in ways that minimize burden on participants.
A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection
The data collections described here are one-time only. Multiple developer requests to the same developer may be necessary to obtain information to carry out Prevention Services Clearinghouse reviews, but these will be tailored questions specific to each individual and the same questions will not be asked of more than 9 individuals. Not collecting this information would severely limit the project team’s ability to meet project objectives. Experts play an important role in the project and ensure that review methods and content on the website are consistent with the latest developments in the field. The ability to collect information from experts is vital to that effort. By limiting the questions posed in this assessment to those that cannot be answered with other sources of information, we will avoid placing undue burden on the respondents.
A7. Now subsumed under 2(b) above and 10 (below)
A8. Consultation
Federal Register Notice and Comments
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published two notices in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of the overarching generic clearance for formative information collection. This first notice was published on November 3, 2020, Volume 85, Number 213, page 69627, and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. The second notice published on January 11, 2021, Volume 86, Number 6, page 1978, and provided a thirty-day period for public comment. ACF did not receive any substantive comments.
The project team did not consult with experts outside of the study to develop the plans for this data collection.
A9. Tokens of Appreciation
This information collection will not utilize any tokens of appreciation. We plan to offer honoraria to experts, as described in Section A13.
A10. Privacy: Procedures to protect privacy of information, while maximizing data sharing
Personally Identifiable Information
No personal identifying information beyond name and professional affiliation (e.g., name of the academic/research institution) will be sought. Participants will be told that their name and affiliation will only be included in summary information provided to ACF.
Information will not be maintained in a paper or electronic system from which data are actually or directly retrieved by an individuals’ personal identifier.
Assurances of Privacy
Information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. As specified in the contract, the Contractor will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information.
Data Security and Monitoring
The project team will ensure that all staff, including staff of all subcontractors, who perform work under this contract are trained on data privacy issues and comply with the above requirements. The data collected through this information request will not be shared outside of the federal and contractor staff directly involved with the project. All Abt staff are required to participate in annual data security awareness training.
Abt complies with the E-Government Act of 2002, including Title III: Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), which covers site security, security control documentation, access control, change management, incident response, and risk management. To restrict access to project data, Abt has implemented specific access controls. Abt restricts data access to only authorized personnel with access permissions appropriate to their specific role. Abt restricts all access to data stored locally by folder, by using both role and group permissions through technologies such as Microsoft Active Directory services. For remote access, Abt requires that personnel use an Abt laptop to connect to the Virtual Private Network (VPN). Any changes to access permissions and account management are centrally managed. Abt uses NIST Special Publications (SP) 800-53 rev 4 to define and establish information security controls. Abt provides perimeter protection of project data through multiple firewalls that are configured, and Evaluation Assurance Level -certified (EAL), to restrict both inbound and outbound access. Other Abt perimeter protections include anti-spam, anti-malware, and anti-intrusion tools. Abt provides two methods for secure external access to our information systems: 1) a VPN, which is compliant with the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2; and 2) a secure file transfer portal that uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, as well as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption that is also FIPS 140-2 compliant.
This information collection will not collect sensitive information. Expert consultants will sign a participant agreement stating that they will not disclose any materials or content discussed in the consultation as a requirement to participate.
A11. Sensitive Information 1
This information collection does not request any sensitive information.
A12. Burden
Explanation of Burden Estimates
The following assumptions informed these burden estimates:
Developer Queries
Approximately 150 program developers will be asked to complete the developer queries related to manual citations and review program descriptions over the life of the contract. Completing both these tasks will take approximately 0.5 hours per respondent. The cost to developers is based on a national average hourly wage of $42.39 for Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists (code 19-3031, May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (bls.gov)).
Expert Consultation Sessions
Up to 65 experts will be asked complete pre-session feedback forms and attend sessions to inform potential revisions to the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures. Completing both these tasks will take approximately 1.75 hours per respondent. The cost to experts is based on a national average hourly wage of $43.34 for social scientists (code 11-3000, May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (bls.gov)).
Estimated Annualized Cost to Respondents
The total annual respondent burden for the data collection effort covered by this clearance request is 63 hours for a total annual respondent cost of $2,706.67. The table below presents the estimated number of respondents, time burden per respondent, and estimated cost burden to respondents.
Estimated time and cost burden to respondents, by respondent type
Instrument/ Respondent Type |
No. of Respondents (total over request period) |
No. of Responses per Respondent (total over request period) |
Avg. Burden per Response (in hours) |
Total Burden (in hours) |
Annual Burden (in hours) |
Average Hourly Wage Rate |
Total Annual Respondent Cost |
Expert consultancy (Instrument 1 and Instrument 2) |
65 |
1 |
1.75 hours |
114 |
38 |
$43.34 |
$1,646.92 |
Developer Queries (Instrument 3 and Instrument 4) |
150 |
1 |
1 hour |
150 |
50 |
$42.39 |
$2,119.50 |
Total |
|
|
|
264 |
88 |
42.87 |
$3,766.42 |
A13. Costs
Expert Consultations: We plan to offer expert consultants honoraria commensurate with their expertise and experience. For the portion of their effort covered in this data collection, the honoraria would be $175.
Developer Queries: There are no additional costs to respondents.
A14. Estimated Annualized Costs to the Federal Government
Cost Category |
Estimated Costs |
Field Work |
$68,599 |
Total costs over the request period |
$68,599 |
Annual costs |
$22,866 |
A15. Reasons for changes in burden
This is for an individual information collection under the umbrella formative generic clearance for ACF research (0970-0356).
A16. Timeline
Our timeline is as follows, dependent on the timing of OMB approval:
Activity or Deliverable |
Timing |
Developer queries |
Upon OMB approval – Fall, 2024* |
Expert consultations |
Upon OMB approval – Summer 2022 |
*A request to extend data collection will be submitted prior to the expiration date of the umbrella generic.
A17. Exceptions
No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.
Attachments
Instrument 1: Consultation Discussion Guide
Instrument 2: Consultation Feedback Form
Instrument 3: Program description Review Request
Instrument 4: Manual Request
1 Examples of sensitive topics include (but not limited to): social security number; sex behavior and attitudes; illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior; critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close relationships, e.g., family, pupil-teacher, employee-supervisor; mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to respondents; religion and indicators of religion; community activities which indicate political affiliation and attitudes; legally recognized privileged and analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians and ministers; records describing how an individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; receipt of economic assistance from the government (e.g., unemployment or WIC or SNAP); immigration/citizenship status.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Meaghan Glenn |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-10-17 |