PHE OMB non sub change memo 2023_1_26

Justification for Non-Material Change to OMB 1290-0039

This memo requests a non-material change to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) package previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Control No. 1290-0039) for data collection for the Pathway Home Grant Program Evaluation. These changes are requested as a result of customization of the forms that was necessary to align with study enrollment procedures in the sites selected for the impact study for both program and comparison group members.

Background

Since July 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded approximately $113 million dollars to two cohorts of Pathway Home grantees to expand the availability of employment-focused reentry services for individuals incarcerated in U.S. jails, prisons, and community correctional facilities. DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) has commissioned an evaluation of the Pathway Home grant program (Pathway Home Evaluation). The Pathway Home Evaluation offers a unique opportunity to build knowledge about the implementation and effectiveness of these programs.

In August 2022, OMB approved the new information collection request (ICR) for 6 instruments to be used in the evaluation. One of these instruments was the baseline survey of study participants, a web-based survey that will be fielded to study participants during study enrollment. A consent form will be used to register consent of study participants at the same time, and was also included in the approved ICR.

Change Requests

DOL requests minor changes to the baseline survey instrument and associated consent form to ensure the study enrollment process is aligned with procedures in the sites selected for the impact study. Specifically, the survey wording and logic has been revised to accommodate both program group and comparison group respondents, and to make question wording and instructions more consistent. In addition, the consent form has been replaced by two similar versions for the program group and comparison group respectively, and with simplified wording. Because the program group and comparison group may have different experiences, the changes were necessary to ensure the quality of the data collected for the study and the resulting analysis.

These requested non-substantive changes do not require any changes to the burden estimates. The field period for the baseline survey will begin in February 2023 in the first sites ready for study enrollment.