[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 141 (Friday, July 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 43168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18001]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration on Aging


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Service Provider Study

AGENCY: Administration on Aging, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration on Aging (AoA) is announcing that the 
proposed collection of information listed below has been submitted to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This collection of 
information relates to the Area Agency on Aging and Local Service 
Provider Study.

DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by 
August 23, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by 
fax 202.395.6974 to the OMB Desk Officer for AoA, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Klocinski at 202-357-0146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, AoA has 
submitted the following proposed collection of information to OMB for 
review and clearance.
    The Older Americans Act programs are administered and implemented 
through the Aging Service Network which is comprised of State Units on 
Aging (SUA), Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and Local Service Providers 
(LSP). The Administration on Aging (AoA) collects annual program data 
at the state level and has sponsored studies to collect information 
regarding the Area Agencies on Aging. The third component of the Aging 
Network, the Local Service Providers, are poorly understood and 
characterized. AoA recognizes that basic information of their 
characteristics and understanding of their relationship with the other 
Aging Network components and in particular AAAs is an important 
knowledge gap that is in need of filling.
    A qualitative study that involves a brief pre-interview 
questionnaire followed by interviews with AAA directors and their staff 
and focus groups with provider organizations was deemed to be the most 
appropriate method at this stage of research on LSPs. A total of 10 
states will be selected for study and within each of those states three 
AAAs will be selected with the help of the SUA to represent a maximum 
range of AAA and service provider network characteristics. A focus 
group will be conducted with LSPs for each AAA.
    The primary purpose of the study is to better understand the 
complexity of the Local Service Provider network and the interactions 
with the Area Agencies on Aging to inform planning, policy development 
and implementation of the OAA reauthorization provisions. The pre-site 
visit questions, interviews and focus groups will provide information 
on the range of LSP organizational characteristics, nature of the 
relationship including the division of roles and responsibilities 
between AAAs and LSPs, and types of management information systems and 
provider tracking systems at the AAA level.
    A second purpose will be to provide information needed for the 
design of future representative studies. Probabilistic sampling 
requires accurate definitions of the study population and the ability 
to construct accurate sampling frames. The information collected will 
be used to develop operational definitions of LSPs that will be 
meaningful not only to AoA but to AAAs and LSPs. Information on 
provider tracking systems will help AoA devise methods for sampling 
frame construction that take into account the variety of systems used 
across AAAs. The proposed data collection tools may be found on the AoA 
Web site at http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Program_results/Program_Evaluation.aspx.
    AoA estimates the burden of this collection of information as 
follows: 350 hours.

    Dated: July 19, 2010.
Kathy Greenlee,
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2010-18001 Filed 7-22-10; 8:45 am]
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