NonSub Change - Follow-up Survey Token of Appreciation Experiment Results

To: Kelsi Feltz

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

From: Marie Lawrence

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Date: June 13, 2025

Subject: NonSubstantive Change Request – OPRE Evaluation: Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project [Impact, Descriptive, and Cost Studies] (OMB #0970-0545)

This memo requests approval of nonsubstantive changes to the approved information collection, OPRE Evaluation: Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project [Impact, Descriptive, and Cost Studies] (OMB #0970-0545).

Background

The Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project is testing the effectiveness of employment programs designed to help individuals with low incomes secure a pathway toward economic independence. The project is conducting four randomized controlled trials of employment programs. Data to measure the programs’ effects on employment, earnings, and other outcomes of interest are collected, in part, through follow-up surveys with study participants.

As approved in the NextGen Project’s OMB clearance requests (OMB Number 0970-0545), the NextGen Project team conducted an experimental test of a $5 prepaid cash token of appreciation offered before a sample member responds to the first follow-up survey. This experimental test has now concluded.

Overview of Requested Changes

Per the NextGen Project’s OMB clearance request, the study team has provided a memo that presents background on the experiment and its implementation, findings from the analysis, a discussion of the findings, and next steps following from the findings. On average, across all NextGen study participants, providing a prepay token did not impact the response rate to the first follow-up survey. However, among participants in one program designed to serve people with recent criminal justice system involvement, providing a prepay token had a significant negative impact on the response rate. Based on these findings, the study team has discontinued use of the prepay cash token of appreciation in the NextGen Project.