84 FR 8117 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, Reentry Employment Opportunities Evaluation, New Collection

The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents is properly assessed. Currently, the Department of Labor is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the Reentry Employment Opportunities Program. A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed in the addressee section of this notice.

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 6, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8117-8118]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04054]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request, Reentry Employment Opportunities Evaluation, 
New Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation 
Office, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95). This program helps to ensure that 
requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden 
(time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are 
clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on 
respondents is properly assessed. Currently, the Department of Labor is 
soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the Reentry 
Employment Opportunities Program. A copy of the proposed Information 
Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office 
listed in the addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee's section below on or before May 6, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following 
methods: Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Jessica 
Lohmann, Chief Evaluation Office, OASP, U.S. Department of Labor, Room 
S-2312, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: 
Please submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All 
submissions received must include the agency name and OMB Control 
Number identified above for this information collection. Comments, 
including any personal information provided, become a matter of public 
record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the request for 
OMB approval of the information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Lohmann by email at 
[email protected] or by phone at (202) 693-5087.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Background: The information collection activities described in 
this notice will provide data for the Reentry Employment Opportunities 
(REO) program evaluation. As part of the REO program, DOL awarded $78 
million in Reentry Project (RP) grants in 2018, $73 million in RP 
grants during 2017, $31 million in Reentry Demonstration Project grants 
during 2016, and $21 million in Training to Work grants during 2015 and 
2016. Although each grant program is distinctive, the overarching aim 
of the REO program is to improve employment outcomes and workforce 
readiness for people involved in the justice system by way of 
employment services, case management, and other supportive services. 
The REO program evaluation will involve grantees that received grants 
during 2016, 2017, and 2018. The evaluation will involve an 
implementation study and an impact study. The implementation study will 
address four main research questions: (1) How were programs implemented 
and what factors influenced implementation?; (2) What are the 
variations in the model, structure, partnerships, and services of the 
REO grants?; (3) How did implementation vary by organization type (such 
as an intermediary organization that operates in more than one state or 
a community-based organization) and target population?; and (4) What 
key program elements appear to be promising? Research questions for the 
impact study include: (1) What impact do grantees or strategies 
implemented by grantees have on participants' outcomes, such as 
employment and recidivism?; (2) Does program effectiveness vary by 
grantee characteristics, such as population served and services 
offered?; and (3) To what extent do impacts vary across selected 
subpopulations, such as age group and type of offense?
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
the following proposed REO evaluation data collection instruments:
    1. Semi-structured inverview protocols. As part of the 
implementation study, which will be conducted in approximately 28 
sites, the evaluation team will conduct semi-structured interviews with 
program administrators, frontline staff, and partners to understand how 
the program implementation has been developed, managed, and delivered.
    2. Participant focus group protocols. As part of the implementation 
study, the evaluation team will conduct focus groups to gather 
information from participants. Participant focus groups will ask about 
participants' reasons for enrolling, impressions of the program and the 
extent to which it has helped them prepare for employment.
    3. Employer focus group protocols. As part of the implementation 
study, the evaluation team will conduct focus groups to gather 
information from employers. The focus groups with employers will enable 
an exploration of how the grantees are meeting the needs of employers.
    4. Semi-structured telephone interview protocols. As part of the 
implementation study, the study team will conduct telephone interviews 
with approximately 58 sites that were not visited in person. These 
semi-structured interviews with program administrators will focus on 
understanding program implementation, challenges encountered, and their 
potential solutions.
    5. Virtual focus group protocols. As part of the implementation 
study, the study team will conduct approximately 15 virtual focus 
groups, including approximately 135 REO program administrators in 
total. Each focus group will be topically focused to gather more in-
depth information on a specific aspect of implementation, such as 
participant retention strategies, data management, or outcomes 
tracking.
    6. Follow-up survey. Approximately 5 grantees will be selected for 
the impact study. Among the selected grantees, the survey will be 
administered to approximately 1,890 impact study participants and will 
allow us to capture respondents' experiences in the program or in other 
services since enrollment in the study while measuring detailed 
information about study members' employment experiences. Specifically, 
the survey will collect data about participants' employment, earnings, 
credential attainment, skills attainment, recidivism and other topics 
of interest.
    II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, the Department of Labor 
is soliciting comments concerning the above data collection for the REO 
Evaluation. DOL is particularly interested in comments that do the 
following:
    [cir] evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;

[[Page 8118]]

    [cir] evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of the 
proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions;
    [cir] enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    [cir] minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology--for example, permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    III. Current Actions: At this time, the Department of Labor is 
requesting clearance for the semi-structured interviews with program 
administrators, frontline staff, and partner staff, and the focus 
groups with employers, program participants, and program administrators 
as part of the implementation study as well as the follow-up survey 
with a subset of sample members in the impact study.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    OMB Control Number: 1290-0NEW.
    Affected Public: REO program staff, evaluation participants, local 
employers, and partner agency staff.
    Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

                                          Estimated Annual Burden Hours
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                                                                                  Average burden      Annual
                                     Number of       Number of     Total number      time per        estimated
       Type of instrument           respondents    responses per   of responses      response      burden hours
                                        \a\         respondent                        (hours)           \a\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Semi-structured interview: Grant              19               1              19               3              57
 administrators \b\.............
Semi-structured interview:                   196               1             196               1             196
 Frontline staff \b\............
Semi-structured interview:                    28               1              28               1              28
 Partner-staff administrators
 \b\............................
Semi-structured interview:                     6               1               6             1.5               9
 Intermediary grant
 administrators \b\.............
Participant focus groups \c\....              75               1              75               1              75
Employer focus groups \d\.......              37               1              37               1              37
Semi-structured telephone calls               58               1              58               2             116
 \e\............................
Virtual focus groups \f\........              45               1              45               1              45
Follow-up survey \g\............             630               1             630             .33             208
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    Total.......................           1,094  ..............           1,094  ..............             771
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\a\ All annual totals reflect a three year clearance and study data collection period. Estimates are rounded to
  the nearest whole number.
\b\ Assumes each visit will, on average, involve individual or group interviews with approximately 2 grant
  administrators, approximately 3 partner-staff administrators, and approximately 21 frontline staff. The team
  anticipates completing approximately 28 visits in total. The average burden time per response for the grant
  administrator interviews will be 3 hours. The average burden time per response for the partner-staff
  administrator interviews will be 1 hour. The average burden time per response for the frontline staff
  interviews will be 1 hour. For all types of staff, some meetings will be shorter and some will be longer than
  the averages. Additionally, the team anticipates conducting interviews with approximately 3 intermediary grant
  administrators in approximately 6 of the 28 visits. The intermediary grant administrator interviews will be
  approximately 1.5 hours, on average.
\c\ Assumes each participant focus group will, on average, involve 8 individuals and will be conducted in
  approximately 28 sites. The average burden time per response will be 1 hour.
\d\ Assumes each employer focus group will, on average, involve 4 individuals and will be conducted in
  approximately 28 sites. The average burden time per response will be 1 hour.
\e\ Assumes each phone interview will be conducted with approximately 3 program administrators from each of
  approximately 58 sites. The average length of the phone interview will be two hours.
\f\ Assumes approximately 15 virtual focus groups with approximately 9 program administrators participating per
  group. The average burden time per response will be 1 hour.
\g\ Assumes a follow-up survey will be conducted with approximately 1,890 study participants. The average burden
  time per response will be 20 minutes.


Molly Irwin,
Chief Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2019-04054 Filed 3-5-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-HX-P