Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

AGENCY:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION:

Notice with comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collect project entitled “Evaluation of Enhancing HIV Prevention Communication and Mobilization Efforts through Strategic Partnerships”.

DATES:

Written comments must be received on or before April 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2016-0012 by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulation.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to Regulations.gov.

Please note:

All public comment should be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, contact the Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: omb@cdc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described below.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

Proposed Project

Evaluation of Enhancing HIV Prevention Communication and Mobilization Efforts through Strategic Partnerships—New—National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

In an effort to refocus attention on domestic HIV and AIDS, CDC launched the Act Against AIDS (AAA) initiative in 2009 with the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AAA is a multifaceted national communication initiative that supports reduction of HIV incidence in the U.S. through multiple, concurrent communication and education campaigns for a variety of audiences including, the general public, populations most affected by HIV and health care providers. All campaigns support the comprehensive HIV prevention efforts of CDC and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).

Within this context, the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) is implementing various partnership activities to increase HIV awareness among the general public, reduce new HIV infections among disproportionately impacted populations, and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS in the United States and its territories.

For example, DHAP is funding the “Enhancing HIV Prevention Communication and Mobilization Efforts through Strategic Partnerships” program. Partners funded under the partnership program will (1) support the dissemination of Act Against AIDS (AAA) campaign materials, messaging, and other CDC resources that support HIV prevention and (2) implement national engagement efforts focusing on HIV prevention and awareness. Partners represent civil, media, and LGBT-focused organizations.

In addition, DHAP will continue to support the Business Responds to AIDS (BRTA) program. Founded in 1992, the purpose of the BRTA program is to engage and support the private sector in promoting HIV education, awareness, and policies in the workplace. This partnership between CDC, business, labor, and the public health sector aims to encourage businesses to implement HIV/AIDS policies and education programs in the workplace with the overarching goal of increasing public understanding of, involvement in, and support for HIV prevention. Other partnership efforts serve the same purpose: To increase HIV awareness among the general public, reduce new HIV infections among disproportionately impacted populations, and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS in the United States and its territories.

The project will evaluate the extent to which activities implemented by partners meet the initiative's goals for disseminating, communicating, and engaging the public in HIV prevention and education activities. We will collect information from partners on their activities for disseminating HIV messages through materials distribution at national and local events, media and advertising, HIV testing facilitation, and formation and coordination of strategic partnerships; barriers and facilitators to implementation of these activities, and factors that may help contextualize their progress towards meeting the initiative's goals; and their involvement in promoting HIV education, awareness, and policies in their organization. We will collect this information through these five sources: (a) Metrics Database: Partners will be required to report quarterly data to CDC and CDC's evaluation contractor through a metrics database. (b) Biannual key informant interviews: The point of contacts from some partner organizations will be interviewed twice yearly via telephone. (c) Interim Progress Reports: Partners will complete a standardized progress report on a biannual basis via a user-friendly electronic form. The progress reports will gather information on key successes, facilitators and barriers, and major achievements. (d) Partner Survey: Partners will complete a brief online survey to assess their involvement in promoting HIV education, awareness, and policies in their organization. (e) Partnerships Activities Form: Partners may be asked to complete a brief electronic form to provide information on each partner activity that they complete. The form will collect information on information such as the type of event, the audience, and key highlights; the number of HIV tests administered (if any) and the number of preliminary positives; the number and type of materials distributed. This information will allow CDC to know what partners are doing to advance HIV prevention and education, and how CDC can alter their partnership efforts to facilitate HIV prevention and education in the future.

The information obtained from the proposed study will be used by federal policy makers to assess the effectiveness of the partnership activities and the appropriateness of continued or expanded funding of partnership projects.

There is no cost to participants other than their time. The total estimated annualized burden hours are 5,200.