Ss-b

Models of Coordination and Technical Assistance to Achieve Outcomes in Communities

ASPE Generic Information Collection Request

OMB No. 0990-0421

Supporting Statement – Section B

Submitted: January 15, 2020

Program Official/Project Officer

Amanda Benton

Social Science Analyst

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201

202–690–7290

[email protected]

Section B – Data Collection Procedures

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

This data collection is being conducted using the Generic Information Collection mechanism ASPE – OMB No. 0990-0421. Statistical methods are not being used for this data collection, and the data we collect will not be generalizable. Data will be collected from the following types of respondents, identified purposively based on their knowledge of the research topics of interest, and acting in their official capacities:

1. Participants in initiatives using multiple policy levers: Approximately 17 non-federal staff respondents who designed, funded, implemented, or participated in recent federal or philanthropic efforts that used multiple, varying policy levers to enable local cross-sector collaboration (see Supporting Statement A and Attachment A: Key informant semi-structured discussion guide on using policy levers to enable local cross-sector collaboration).

   1. Some respondents will be purposively identified. For example ASPE staff have collaborated with some potential informants on these initiatives in the past. Some respondents will also be identified purposively by obtaining recommendations from other key informants or federal staff.

   2. Respondents will come from a mix of organizations, such as state or county agencies, community-based organizations, colleges and universities, and others.

2. TA recipients: Approximately 30 representatives of local social services organizations who have received or have attempted to receive federally-funded TA to improve service delivery (see Supporting Statement A and Attachment B: Focus group semi-structured discussion guide on experiences receiving TA).

   1. Focus group participants will be purposively identified as representatives of organizations who have received (or attempted to receive) T) from federally-funded TA providers.

   2. Focus group participants will come from a mix of programmatic areas, urban and rural locations, and organizational types (such as state agencies, county agencies, community-based organizations, colleges and universities, and others).

Since nearly all respondents will be identified purposively and will be asked to answer questions about their experience as professionals, as well as because many are known to or connected to ASPE staff, we expect few refusals to participation. However, in case any of the selected respondents refuse to participate, we will identify up to three alternate respondents for each respondent category.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

First, data will be collected from respondents who designed, funded, implemented, or participated in recent federal or philanthropic efforts using policy levers to try to enable local cross-sector collaboration. We will use the following procedures:

1. Identify approximately 17 non-federal respondents who can share insights on how to facilitate initiatives using multiple policy levers to try to promote local cross-sector collaboration.

2. Contact the respondents by email to invite them to participate in a one-hour key informant semi-structured interview conducted by the contractor (see attachment C).

3. For each respondent who confirms that he or she will participate, use a semi-structured discussion guide (see Attachment A) to conduct each interview over the telephone. Each interview will be attended by up to two contractor staff—one to facilitate the interview and one to take notes. Each respondent will be asked to consent to having the interview audio-recorded (if they decline, the interview will not be recorded). During each interview, the notetaker will also take detailed notes to serve as documentation of data collection, and in case any respondents decline consent to being audio-recorded.

4. Respondents’ full names will not be documented in notes. All recordings and notes will be saved to a secure project folder accessible only to members of the contractor’s project team for this project and deleted after the project ends.

Secondly, to collect data from TA recipients, the following procedures will be used:

1. Identify approximately 30 potential respondents who can share insights on how they have used (or tried to use) federally-funded TA and how useful this TA has been to them to improve service delivery.

2. Contact the potential respondents by email to invite them to participate in a 1.5-hour focus group conducted by the contractor (see attachment D).

3. Each respondent who confirms that he or she will participate will be assigned to a small focus group based on his or her availability. The contractor will then send respondents a confirmation email that includes the date and time for their focus group, as well as telephone or videoconference information to join the interview.

4. The focus groups will be conducted using a semi-structured focus group discussion guide (see Attachment B) over either the telephone or a videoconference system. Two contractor staff will attend each focus group—one to serve as the lead facilitator and the other to serve as a notetaker. Each respondent will be asked to consent to having the interview audio-recorded. During each focus group, the notetaker will also take detailed notes (these notes will serve as documentation of data collection, and in case any respondents decline consent to being audio-recorded).

5. Respondents’ full names will not be documented in notes. All recordings and notes will be saved to a secure project folder accessible only to members of the contractor’s project team. The findings will be aggregated in project reporting to preserve individual confidentiality. All recordings and notes will be destroyed after the project ends.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Nonresponse

Statistical methods are not being used for this data collection. Respondents will be purposively selected and contacted with tailored email correspondence that highlights their knowledge of the topic of interest and the reasons that they are well-suited to participate in an interview on the relevant topic. Respondents are expected to speak in their professional capacity and will be interviewed during business hours.

If the initial outreach emails are unsuccessful, the contractor will follow up one to two weeks later with the potential participant by email or telephone (see attachments E and F). Up to three replacement respondents will also be identified for each respondent type. These methods and circumstances should limit nonresponse and maximize response rates.

4. Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

There are no plans to test the data collection procedures. Similar interviews have been conducted in the past with other projects conducted by the contractor’s research team, as well as by ASPE, and these have been found to be an effective strategy for gathering information.

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

Because this is a qualitative data collection, no statistical methods will be used and therefore, no individuals were consulted on statistical aspects. ASPE subject matter experts with technical and qualitative expertise were consulted on the development of this exploratory data collection. This includes:

• Amanda Benton, Social Science Analyst, ASPE, (202) 690-7290, [email protected]

• Gretchen Lehman, Social Science Analyst, ASPE, (202) 401-6614, Gretchen, [email protected]

• Kelly Kinnison, Director of the Division of Family and Community Policy, ASPE, (202) 730-3904, [email protected]

Individuals collecting and/or analyzing data are:

• Annalisa Mastri, Senior Researcher, Mathematica, (609) 275-2390, [email protected]

• Jesse Chandler, Survey Researcher, Mathematica, (734) 205-3088, [email protected]

• Mary Anne Anderson, Researcher, Mathematica, (202) 554-7512, [email protected]

• Kara Conroy, Research Analyst, Mathematica, (734) 205-3105, [email protected]

• Delara Aharpour, Research Analyst, Mathematica, (202) 552-6410, [email protected]

• Whitney Ajibola, Program Analyst, Mathematica, (609) 297-4508, [email protected]