Transmittal Memo to OIRA from HRSA CBO PRA Approval Request 07.09.2021 approved

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services
Administration

Rockville, MD 20857

DATE:

July 9, 2021

TO:

Sharon Block, Acting Administrator
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget

FROM:

Diana Espinosa, Acting Administrator

SUBJECT: Request for Expedited Review – Reporting Data Elements for CommunityBased Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Program
ISSUE
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting an expedited
review of the data collection tool for use in the Community-Based Workforce for COVID19 Vaccine Outreach Programs (CBO Programs), which include:



Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach (HRSA-21-136)
Local Community-Based Workforce to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Access
(HRSA-21-140)

This new data collection tool was developed by HRSA to support a requirement to monitor
and report on funds distributed under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is in
alignment with Office of Management and Budget Memo 21-20 (Promoting Public Trust in
the Federal Government through Effective Implementation of the American Rescue Plan
Act and Stewardship of the Taxpayer Resources). Among other grant Terms and
Conditions, each recipient is required to submit reports to the Department of Health and
Human Services.
BACKGROUND
As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), HHS through HRSA will award $250
million to develop and support a community-based workforce that will engage in locally
tailored efforts to build vaccine confidence and bolster COVID-19 vaccinations in
underserved communities. In July 2021, under the Community-Based Workforce for
COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Programs (CBO Programs), HRSA expects to award funding
to over 100 organizations, including those comprising community health workers, patient
navigators, and social support specialists. These organizations are responsible for educating
and assisting individuals in accessing and receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes
activities such as conducting face-to-face and other forms of direct outreach to community
members to educate them about the vaccine, assisting individuals in making a vaccine
appointment, providing resources to find convenient vaccine locations, assisting individuals
with transportation or other needs to get to a vaccination site. The program will address
persistent health disparities by offering support and resources to vulnerable and medically
underserved communities, including racial and ethnic minority groups and individuals

Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Page 2

living in areas of high levels of social vulnerability. As the ARPA was signed into law on
March 11, 2021, and no existing data collection system currently captures the information
contained in the proposed CBO Program data collection effort, HRSA needs to move
expeditiously to establish a mechanism to monitor the outcomes of this investment.
DISCUSSION
HRSA is proposing a new data reporting tool – the Community Based Vaccine Outreach
Program Reporting Module – to collect information on CBO Program-funded activities.
The CBO Program will collect monthly progress report data from funded organizations.
This data will be related to the public health workforce developed, the vaccine outreach
performed by this workforce, and the vaccination rate by this workforce in a manner that
assesses equitable access to vaccine services and that the most vulnerable populations and
communities are reached. This data will allow HRSA to clearly identify how the funds are
being used and monitored throughout the period of performance and to ensure that highneed populations are being reached and vaccinated. Responses to some data requirements
are only reported during the initial reporting cycle (e.g., the name, location, affiliation, etc.
of the individual supporting community outreach), though respondents may update the data
should any of that change during the duration of the reporting period. To make data
reporting as straightforward and efficient as possible for awardees, HRSA has developed a
Survey Monkey data collection tool that can be completed quickly and easily by the public
health workers supported by these programs.
HRSA aims to open the CBO Program Reporting Module for reporting on the first of each
month (beginning on August 1, 2021). Information provided via the CBO Program will be
compiled in a summary report to include information related to program funding recipients
and outreach participants, including vaccination status following engagement with program
funding recipients.
Approval of the CBO Program data collection request is urgent and time-sensitive to meet
federal reporting requirements as outlined in the ARPA and to allow HRSA to address
opportunities for program improvements. Because of the urgent nature of the COVID-19
pandemic response, combined with the quick disbursement of and the short-term duration
of this funding (one-time disbursement in July 2021 of 6-month funds for HRSA-21-136
and 12-month funds for HRSA-21-140), it is important for HRSA to obtain data as quickly
as possible. The data will allow HRSA to ensure CBO Program recipients are meeting the
terms and conditions of their grant award, while providing HRSA with information on the
effectiveness of funds distributed through this program.
Thank you for considering this expedited approval.

________________________________
Diana Espinosa
Attachments:
PRA Emergency Clearance Package