Sept 29 -- The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites comments to OMB by October 31, 2022 regarding its request for a three-year extension of the semi-annual reporting format for CED grant recipients, the Performance Progress Report (PPR), which collects information regarding the outcomes and management of CED projects. There are minor changes requested to the form to provide clarity to users completing the form.
Grant recipients of the Community Economic Development (CED) program are required to use this reporting format, called the Performance Progress Report (PPR), to submit performance data twice a year. OCS uses this data to develop comprehensive performance snapshots on each CED grant, as well as to track program performance over time and to conduct cohort analyses. These reports are also used to inform annual reports to Congress on each project’s performance. OCS’ intent is to obtain approval to continue the use of the PPR for collecting performance data twice a year from CED grant recipients.
The PPR forms collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data elements deal with program outputs and outcomes, while the qualitative questions provide space for grant recipients to discuss their successes and challenges, as well as changes to their grant that might not be captured in the quantitative section. By requiring grant recipients to report on a consistent set of data elements on a twice-annual basis, OCS improves its understanding of grant recipient success, strengthens its understanding and knowledge of each grant recipient’s progress, and ultimately enhances the efficacy and effectiveness of CED grant dollars. Overall, the standardized reporting format increases the quality and clarity of the data collected by OCS, while providing a singular, clear data collection tool for grant recipients. The proposed changes to the PPR form are minor and fall into two categories: 1. Wording edits to the form that provide clarity to the use on what information is requested. 2. Requesting grant recipients report the names of businesses created or expanded in the explanation field.
CED Program:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/ced
CED submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202209-0970-014 Click IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this webpage.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-21063
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806
