NIA mini supporting to omb--senior center project-2

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0925-0634

Mini Supporting Statement

Focus Groups with Senior Center Staff/Administrators

Section A

A.1 Circumstances Requiring the Collection of Data

This project will help support 42 USC 285e, in which the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was established to improve the health and well being of older people through research and authorized to, “conduct and support [of] biomedical, social, and behavioral research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of the aged.” Based on this US Code, part of NIA’s mission is to communicate information about aging and advances in research on aging to the scientific community, health care providers, and the public.

To ensure that NIA’s Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL) successfully develops and disseminates health communications on aging-related issues, NIA plans to conduct formative research with senior center staff, an important gatekeeper to older audiences.

A.2 Purposes and Uses of the Data

In this project, information will be collected through focus groups. Senior center staff will be asked open-ended questions to determine (1) approaches that NIA’s OCPL can use to more effectively raise awareness of NIA’s free health and aging information resources available to senior center staff; (2) if OCPL outreach materials and activities identify NIA resources as accessible, introductory, and trust-worthy sources of health information among senior center administrators; and (3) if OCPL’s outlets for its outreach activities correspond with where senior center administrators look for their health and aging-related information for their older adult members.

A.3 Use of Information Technology to Reduce Burden

As appropriate, automated information technology in the collection and processing of data will be used to reduce respondent burden and make processing data maximally efficient.

A.4 Efforts to Identify Duplication

Users will be asked to only participate in one focus group.

A.5. Small Business

As appropriate, NIA will work through established societies to gain access to the senior center administrators, and obtain feedback on NIA’s instruments and data collection plans. As a result, NIA will be able to minimize the placement of additional burden on these community-based groups.

A.6 Consequences of Not Collecting the Information

Information about senior center administrators’ perspective of NIA materials and outreach strategies to raise awareness of NIA information resources will be collected through this particular focus group project. Respondents will not be re-contacted. If NIA does not collect this information, NIA cannot adapt its outreach strategies to best meet the needs of senior centers and their administrators, staff.

A7. Special Circumstances Justifying Inconsistencies with Guidelines in 5 C.F.R. 1320.5

Because NIA’s activities are primarily qualitative in nature, some results may not be generalizable to the population at large, but instead represent a significant portion of the particular audience under study, in this case senior center staff. However, the nature of formative research is such that generalizability is not a critical feature; the emphasis is on obtaining timely, useful information that can be fed back into the development of new health and aging materials or outreach strategies or the revision of existing materials or strategies.

There are no other special circumstances.

A.8. Consultation Outside the Agency

The project will be administered by a contractor of NIA’s choosing (using an open announcement) and completed under close supervision of an NIA employee.

A.9. Payments or Gifts to Respondents

No payment or gifts will be provided to focus group participants.

A.10. Assurance of Confidentiality

Individual respondents will not be identified and participation will be strictly voluntary. Respondents will be assured that neither their participation/non-participation nor any responses to items will have any effect on their eligibility for, or receipt of, services.

A.11 Questions of a Sensitive Nature

No questions will be asked of a personal or sensitive nature.

A.12Estimates of Response of Burden

Estimates of Annual Hours Burden
Types of Respondents	Number of Respondents	Frequency of Response	Average Response Time	Annual Hour Burden
Senior Center Staff/Administrators	54	1	50 min	45 hrs (2700 min)

Annualized Cost to Respondents
Types of Respondents	Number of Respondents	Frequency of Response	Est. Hourly Wage Rate	Respondent Cost
Senior Center Staff/Administrators	54	1	$30.00	$1350.00

A.13. Estimate of Total Capital and Startup Costs/Operation and Maintenance Costs to Respondents or Record Keepers

There are no capital or start-up costs to the data collection efforts requested; nor are there any costs associated with operation, maintenance, or purchase of services.

A.14. Estimates of Costs to the Federal Government

The cost of this focus group project will not exceed $50,000

A.15. Changes in Burden

This is a new collection of information.

A.16. Plans for Publication, analysis and Schedule

The entire project, from hiring the contractor to completing the final report is estimated to take 45 weeks, or 11 months.

Week 1–week 5 (five weeks)	Hire contractor for evaluation project, establish final moderator guide
Week 3–week 7 (five weeks)	Secure space at D.C. and second location for focus groups/in-depth interview/other qualitative research method
Week 6 –week 11 (six weeks)	Finalize focus group conversation stimulation guide/interview questions/other research instrument and informed consent
Week 6 – week 15 (ten weeks)	Recruit participants
Week 16 – week 24 (nine weeks)	Conduct focus groups/in-depth interview/other qualitative research method
Week 25 – week 30 (six weeks)	Analyze data
Week 30 – week 41 (12 weeks)	Write report
Week 37	Draft of report to NIA for first revision
Week 39	Draft back to contractor for revision
Week 40 – week 43 (4 weeks)	Prepare presentation on study findings
Week 44	Final report and presentation due to NIA
Week 44	Prepare report for online publication

Results will be tabulated after the completion of the focus groups. Results of selected findings may be published in refereed journals and other publications within a timely fashion in order to contribute to literature.

A.17. Approval to Not Display Expiration Date

We are not requesting an exemption to the display of the OMB Expiration date.

A.18 Exceptions to Item 19 of OMB form 83-I

NIA is in full compliance with the provisions contained within the Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions in 5 CFR 1320.9.

Section B

B.1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

Focus groups will be used to collect information from senior center staff about their perspectives of NIA materials and outreach methods to improve NIA OCPL’s support of senior center staff. Focus groups were selected based on the nature of the project and intended audience. Recommended methodologies and sample sizes are based on a review of the relevant literature, consultation with experts in the field, and a baseline of data gathered over many years of testing materials among professional, patient, and public audiences.

Communications testing, like this project, generally relies on qualitative methods and is not intended to yield results that are statistically projectable. Quota sampling will be used to select a convenience sample of individuals who meet certain qualifications that reflect characteristics typical of the target audience. Response rate is not applicable to quota sampling because this type of sampling results in a nonprobability sample which is not representative of the population. Respondents will be initially contacted by telephone, through the mail, or in-person at a senior center; over-recruiting by approximately 30% is done to compensate for non-respondents.

B.2. Information Collection Procedures/Limitations of the Study

NIA will collect all information in a manner that is consistent with the following principles:

• Appropriate sample sizes will be determined for the focus group so that the burden is minimized while reliable estimates are produced.

• Participation will be fully voluntary, and non-participation will have no impact on eligibility for, or receipt of, future services.

• Collected information will be limited to that which is needed to assess NIA’s effectiveness at supporting the health information needs of senior center staff.

B.3. Methods for Maximizing the Response Rate and Addressing Issues of Nonresponse

Consistent with sound focus group methodology, the design of the focus groups will include approaches to maximize response rates, while retaining the voluntary nature of the effort.

B.4. Tests of Procedures of Methods

All pre-testings will be carried out at a level and in a manner consistent with the specific focus group methodology.

Before each information collection is implemented, a contractor will pilot test the instrument(s) and method of data collection. Lessons from the pilot test will be identified, and changes as necessary will be incorporated into the instrument and method. All pilot tests will involve no more than nine individuals.

B.5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

Contractors chosen to collect communications testing information will be responsible for the design of statistical and sampling procedures undertaken as part of these data collection activities. NIA staff will confirm these procedures.