Submission for OMB Review; Data Collection for a National Evaluation of the American Rescue Plan
| Published date | 02 April 2024 |
| Record Number | 2024-06913 |
| Citation | 89 FR 22726 |
| Court | General Services Administration |
| Section | Notices |
Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 2024)
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22726-22727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06913]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 3090-XXXX; Docket No. 2023-0001; Sequence No. 8]
Submission for OMB Review; Data Collection for a National
Evaluation of the American Rescue Plan
AGENCY: Office of Evaluation Sciences; General Services Administration
(GSA).
ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding a request for a new
OMB clearance.
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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, OES is
proposing new data collection activities conducted for the National
Evaluation of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The objective of this
project is to provide a systematic look at the contributions of
selected ARP-funded programs toward achieving equitable outcomes to
inform program design and delivery across the Federal Government. The
project will include in-depth, cross-cutting evaluations and data
analysis of selected ARP programs, especially those with shared
outcomes, common approaches, or overlapping recipient communities; and
targeted, program-specific analyses to fill critical gaps in evidence
needs.
DATES: Submit comments on or before May 2, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for this information
collection should be sent within 30 days
[[Page 22727]]
of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Martin, Program Manager,
267-455-8556 at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
The goal of this study is to look systematically across the
selected subset of ARP programs, to provide an integrated account of
whether, how, and to what extent their implementation served to achieve
their intended outcomes, particularly with respect to advancing equity.
More specifically, the study aims to learn how lessons from examination
of ARP programs and interventions with shared outcomes, common
approaches, or overlapping recipient communities may inform equitable
program design and delivery across the Federal Government. The study
aims to address these overarching evaluation questions:
To what extent did ARP investments and policy
interventions advance equitable outcomes for those they were designed
to serve?
What strategies contributed to the successes, and where
are different strategies needed?
Where multiple ARP programs aim to reach similar outcomes,
especially among a shared population:
[cir] To what extent is there coordination across programs in their
administration, customer experience strategies, or performance or
outcome measurement practices?
[cir] To what extent are there collective impacts that could be
attributed to more than one program? What kinds of impacts, if any, are
observed?
[cir] What kinds of secondary effects are observed that may not be
captured in targeted outcome measures?
The list of 32 programs covered in the May 2022 White House report
``Advancing Equity through the American Rescue Plan'' provided the
scope of programs included in the National Evaluation. A partnership
between the Office of Management and Budget Evidence Team and GSA's
Office of Evaluation Sciences, this study is also guided by leadership
from the White House ARP Implementation Team, who participate on the
Steering Committee, as well as a team of agency experts across the
Federal Government.
To build evidence in support of the study goals, this project
includes a series of up to five in-depth, cross-cutting evaluations of
selected ARP programs or recipient communities of multiple ARP program
investments with shared outcomes, common approaches, or overlapping
recipient groups. These evaluations will be selected based on program,
population, place, community, or a combination of these factors. A
mixed-methods approach is anticipated in order to ensure that
appropriate attention is paid to context and that data collection and
analysis methods reflect the complexity of program implementation and
address the specific evaluation questions identified through the
ongoing planning and consultation process.
The ARP National Evaluation will use a multiple-phased approach for
this proposed information collection activity. In Phase 1 (current
request) the research team seeks approval to carry out consultations
with the relevant state and local agencies, community-based
organizations, and program participants, including the formal
recruitment process to establish community advisory boards for each of
the planned in-depth evaluations.
Under subsequent phases of the request, the project will update the
information collection request for the instruments tailored to each in-
depth evaluation, to reflect the specific evaluation design,
information collection methods and instruments, and associated burden.
The proposed information collection activities cover mixed-method
approaches to implement primarily outcome and process evaluations. Data
collection activities for these studies may include: (1) interviews
with program administrators and staff; (2) focus groups, (3) short
surveys of program participants and/or eligible non-participants, and
(4) data requests.
Respondents: State and local program administrators, program staff,
community-based program partners, and individuals who participate or
are eligible to participate in the relevant ARP programs.
B. Annual Burden Estimates
Currently, three cross-cutting in-depth evaluations are
anticipated. The burden estimates below reflect the expectations for
information collection and related activities associated with the
conduct of those three studies, in addition to the anticipated burden
for this initial, formative phase of the overall study. During Phase 1,
we estimate the following: consultations with approximately 95 state
and/or local program administrators or representatives from community-
based organizations, recruitment of up to 9 participants for each of up
to seven Community Advisory Groups established across the three
studies, and the initiation of the group meetings.
The anticipated information collections to be undertaken in Phase 2
are expected to vary in their approaches to data collection and sample
size. The subsequent information collection requests will describe the
specific study design and associated burden for each evaluation. The
estimates below include our current expectations for the burden
associated with these evaluations.
Total Respondents: 1,241.
Total Annual Responses: 15.
Average Burden Hours per Response: 1.9.
Total Burden Hours: 3,034.5.
C. Public Comments
A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register at 88 FR 85621 on
December 8, 2023. Two comments were received, but neither provided
substantive comments relevant to this specific information collection
request.
Obtaining Copies: Requesters may obtain a copy of the information
collection documents from the GSA Regulatory Secretariat Division, by
calling 202-501-4755 or emailing [email protected]. Please cite OMB
Control No. 3090-XXXX, Data Collection for a National Evaluation of the
American Rescue Plan.
Lois Mandell,
Director, Regulatory Secretariat Division, General Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-06913 Filed 4-1-24; 8:45 am]
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