83 FR 40087 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) Impact Evaluation, New Collection

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 156 (August 13, 2018)

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) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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, DOL is soliciting comments concerning the collection of survey data about the HVRP Impact Evaluation. 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 83, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40087-40088]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17244]



[[Page 40087]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) 
Impact 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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, DOL is soliciting comments concerning the collection of 
survey data about the HVRP Impact Evaluation. 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 October 12, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following 
methods: Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: 
Christina Yancey, 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: Christina Yancey by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Background: As the only federal program wholly focused on 
employment services for veterans experiencing homelessness, HVRP sits 
at the nexus of these three critical policy arenas: veterans, 
employment, and housing. Since 1987, HVRP has assisted veterans 
experiencing homelessness through competitive grants to state, local, 
and tribal governments; local Workforce Development Boards; private 
for-project and non-profit organizations; and community organizations. 
In the most recent Program Year (PY) 2018, DOL announced awards to 163 
grantees to support an estimated 18,000 veterans. These are one-year 
grants; a new set of grantees will receive PY 2019 awards.
    The HVRP Impact Evaluation is examining the effectiveness of the 
HVRP program, building evidence of HVRP's effects on participants' 
employment and earning-related outcomes. In addition, the evaluation 
will provide a better understanding of program models and variations, 
partnerships, and populations served. Goals of the specific data 
collection plan included in this Notice is to help DOL make informed 
decisions about effective ways to improve the service systems seeking 
to support veterans experiencing homelessness. The research questions 
to be answered by the planned data collection pertain to how HVRPs are 
implemented; what are the different approaches to service provision; 
how systems and partnerships are developed and maintained; and what the 
service landscape is in the absence of HVRP.
    This Federal Register Notice provides the opportunity to comment on 
four proposed data collection instruments that will be used in the 
evaluation's implementation study:
    * Grantee survey. The grantee survey will be administered to all 
HVRP grantees to collect the following information: (1) Key referral 
sources for participants; (2) key recruitment sources and challenges; 
(3) number and type of services; (4) list of services offered on-site 
and through referrals; (5) key partners and referral sources; (6) type 
and mode of communication; and (7) types of coordination and 
collaboration. The survey will be administered via web. It is expected 
to take participants an average of 60 minutes to complete the survey 
and yield a 100% response rate.
    * Key informant interview guide. The study team will visit eight 
grantees for two to three days to interview (1) program directors and 
managers; (2) job developers; (3) employment specialists; (4) case 
managers; and (5) outreach workers with interviews averaging 60 
minutes. In addition to the grantee staff, the team will interview 
managers of partner entities from employment, homelessness/housing, and 
veteran's agencies and service providers. To ensure consistent data 
collection, the team will use a field discussion guide designed to 
gather information relevant to all of the implement research questions. 
The guide will focus on understanding (1) target populations and 
enrollment process; (2) key components of the HVRP program model; (3) 
HVRP partners; and (4) implementation challenges and facilitators. The 
guide will also be used for telephone interviews with similar partner 
types in eight comparison areas that are selected for the impact study.
    * Partner assessment tool. A brief assessment will be administered 
to collect data on the strength of the HVRP partnership network. The 
assessment tool will be administered on paper, taking less than ten 
minutes to completed, and will ask key informants to assess and rate 
the strength of their community partners in providing employment 
services, assistance locating housing, critical health support 
services, and the use of employer relations for job placement. An open-
ended question will allow respondents the opportunity to provide more 
information to contextualize their rating of each partner.
    * In-depth interview guide. The study team will conduct in-depth 
interviews with current and former HVRP participants. HVRP program 
directors will be asked to identify veterans who are currently enrolled 
in HVRP or those who recently exited the program. The instrument will 
collect data detailing information on (1) the participant's pathways to 
homelessness; (2) barriers they face to looking for and staying in 
work; (3) experiences in HVRP and other employment and supportive 
services; and (4) their post-program outcomes. In addition, 
participants will be asked which parts of the HVPR program was most 
important to their success.
    II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, DOL is soliciting 
comments concerning the above data collection for the HVRP Evaluation. 
DOL is particularly interested in comments that do the following:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility.
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information,

[[Page 40088]]

including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     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 submission of responses.
    III. Current Actions: DOL is requesting clearance for the grantee 
survey, key informant interview guide, partner assessment tool, and in-
depth participant interview guide.
    Type of Review: New information collection request.
    OMC Control Number: 1290-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Veterans experiencing homelessness.
    Estimated Burden Hours:

                                              Implementation Study
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Average burden
                                   Total number    Annual number   Annual number     hour per         Annual
       Type of instrument           respondents   of respondents   of responses      response        estimated
                                                                  per respondent      (hours)      burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grantee Survey..................             163              54               1               1              54
Key Informant Interview Guide...             168              56               1               1              56
Partner Assessment Tool.........              80              27               1              .2               5
In-Depth Interview Guide........          \a\ 32              11               1             1.5              16
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................             443             148  ..............  ..............             131
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ In-depth HVRP participant interviews will be conducted approximately 8 participants at four sites.

    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.

    Dated: August 3, 2018.
Molly Irwin,
Chief Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2018-17244 Filed 8-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-HX-P