The Administration on Aging (AoA) through the Older Americans Act(OAA)programs provide a comprehensive and coordinated system of home-and community-based services to assist older adults stay in their community. The OAA Title III-C Elderly Nutrition Services Program(ENSP) is part of these comprehensive home-and community-based services. It is intended to reduce hunger and food insecurity, reduce social isolation and improve the health and well-being of the older adult who participate.
The Older Americans Act requires AoA to conduct evaluations of OAA programs. Specifically, their effectiveness in achieving stated goals, and in relation to their cost, their impact on related programs, their effectiveness in targeting services to vulnerable older individuals, and their structure and mechanisms for delivery of services, including, comparisons with appropriate control groups composed of persons who have not participated in such programs.
The purpose of this data collection is to fulfill this requirement and understand how well this program is meeting its goals and mission through the conduct of a process and outcome evaluation that is a rigorous and independent assessment of the Program's progress, efficiency and effectiveness. This information collection will be used by AoA to measure how well and under what circumstances the ENSP meets its legislative intent and goals. The evaluation design is comprised of three primary components, but this data collection request is only for the Process evaluation and cost study:
1. A process study, which examines the strategies, activities, and resources of the program at each level of the Aging Network - State Unit on Aging (SUA), Area Agency on Aging (AAA), and Local Service Provider (LSP);
2. A cost study, which determines the cost per meal by cost category and program type at the local level; and
3. A client outcome study, which examines the health and social effects of the program on participants compared to non-participants. Included is an analysis of the nutrient quality of the meals provided.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.