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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96256-96259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28428]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation Statement of 
Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

AGENCY: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration 
for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has 
reorganized the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). 
This reorganization creates a new Office of Research and Evaluation 
(ORE) and an Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO). This notice 
provides the Statement of Organizations, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority for the new office of officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Supplee, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 330 C Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice amends Part K of the Statement 
of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for 
Children and Families (ACF), as follows: Chapter KM, Office of 
Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), as last amended 87 FR 67693-
67696 (November 2022).
    I. Under Chapter KM, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation,

[[Page 96257]]

delete in its entirety and replace with the following:

KM.00 Mission

    OPRE is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for 
Children and Families on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of 
programs designed to make measurable improvements in the economic and 
social well-being of children and families. OPRE provides guidance, 
analysis, technical assistance, and oversight to ACF programs and 
across programs in the agency on strategic planning aimed at measurable 
results; performance measurement and management; research and 
evaluation methodologies; demonstration testing and model development; 
statistical policy and program analysis; synthesis and dissemination of 
research, evaluation, and demonstration findings; data science; data 
governance; data use, re-use, and integration; data ethics; data 
sharing, privacy, and confidentiality; data talent; interoperability; 
and application of emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness 
of programs and service delivery.

KM.10 Organization

    OPRE is headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary, who reports to the 
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. The Office is organized 
as follows:

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary (KMA)
Office of Research and Evaluation (KMF)
Division of Economic Independence (KMB)
Division of Child and Family Development (KMC)
Division of Family Strengthening (KMD)
Office of the Chief Data Officer (KMG)
Division of Data Governance (KMH)
Division of Data Capacity (KMI)
Division of Data Privacy (KMJ)

KM.20 Functions

    A. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary provides day-to-day 
direction and executive leadership to OPRE in administering its 
responsibilities. It serves as principal advisor to the Assistant 
Secretary for Children and Families on all matters and directs and 
coordinates all activities pertaining to improving the effectiveness 
and efficiency of ACF programs. It represents the Assistant Secretary 
for Children and Families at various planning, research, evaluation, 
data, and improvement forums and carries out special Departmental and 
Administration initiatives.
    The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary manages the 
formulation and execution of budgets for OPRE programs; manages 
correspondence; coordinates the provision of OPRE staff development and 
training; provides support for OPRE's personnel administration, 
including staffing, employee and labor relations, and employee 
recognition; manages OPRE space, facilities, and supplies; and oversees 
travel, time and attendance, and other administrative functions for 
OPRE. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research, and 
Evaluation currently serves as ACF's Chief Evaluation Officer and 
Scientific Integrity Officer and provides support for and oversight of 
the ACF Evaluation Policy and ACF's implementation of the Foundations 
for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Planning, Research and Evaluation provides day-to-day 
executive leadership and direction to the Office of Research and 
Evaluation and the Office of the Chief Data Officer.
    F. The Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) is directed by ACF's 
Chief Evaluation Officer, who serves as the principal advisor to the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Research and Evaluation on all 
matters related to ACF's evaluation and learning agenda activities. The 
ORE provides coordination and leadership in implementing Titles I and 
III of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 and 
oversees and manages the research and evaluation programs under 
sections 403, 413, 418, 429, 510, 511, 513, 1110, and 2008 of the 
Social Security Act and section 640 and 649 of the Head Start Act, as 
well as other research, evaluation, and evidence-building activities 
authorized by Congress and related to ACF programs and the populations 
they serve. These activities include priority setting and analysis; 
developing learning agendas; managing and coordinating major cross-
cutting, leading-edge studies and special initiatives; improving ACF 
capacity to support the development and use of evaluation; and 
collaborating with federal partners, states, communities, foundations, 
professional organizations, and others to promote the safety, well-
being, and development of children, families, and communities.
    The ORE provides strategic direction, focus, and support to the 
research and evaluation activities that occur within OPRE's three 
research and evaluation divisions: Division of Economic Independence, 
Division of Child and Family Development, and Division of Family 
Strengthening. It serves as principal advisor to the Assistant 
Secretary for Children and Families on all matters pertaining to 
improving the effectiveness and efficiency of ACF programs; strategic 
planning; research, evaluation, statistical, and analysis methods; 
program and policy evaluation; research and demonstrations; state and 
local innovations and progress; and synthesis and dissemination of 
research and evaluation findings.
    B. The Division of Economic Independence, in cooperation with ACF 
income support programs and others, works with federal counterparts, 
states, community agencies, and the private sector to understand and 
overcome barriers to economic independence; promote parental 
responsibility; and assist in improving the effectiveness of programs 
that further economic independence. The Division provides guidance, 
analysis, technical assistance, and oversight in ACF on strategic 
planning and performance measurement for economic independence; 
statistical, policy, and program analysis; surveys, research, and 
evaluation methodologies; demonstration testing and model development; 
synthesis and dissemination of research and evaluation findings; and 
application of emerging technologies to programs that promote 
employment, parental responsibility, and economic independence. The 
Division develops learning agendas and policy-relevant research 
priorities; conducts, manages, and coordinates major cross-program, 
leading-edge research, demonstrations, and evaluation studies; manages 
and conducts statistical, policy, and program analyses on trends in 
employment, child support payments, and other income supports; and 
works in partnership with states, communities, and the private sector 
to promote employment, parental responsibility, and family economic 
independence. Division staff also provides consultation, coordination, 
direction, and support for research and evaluation activities related 
to employment, parental responsibility, and family economic 
independence across ACF programs.
    C. The Division of Child and Family Development, in cooperation 
with ACF programs and others, works with federal counterparts, states, 
community agencies, and the private sector to improve the effectiveness 
and efficiency of programs, and foster safety and sound growth and 
development of children and their families. The Division provides 
guidance, analysis, technical assistance, and oversight in ACF on 
strategic planning and performance measurement for child and family 
development; statistical, policy, and

[[Page 96258]]

program analysis; surveys, research, and evaluation methodologies; 
demonstration testing and model development; synthesis and 
dissemination of research and evaluation findings; and application of 
emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of programs and 
service delivery. The Division conducts, manages, and coordinates major 
cross-programs, leading-edge research, demonstration and evaluation 
studies; develops learning agendas and policy-relevant research 
priorities; and manages and conducts statistical, policy, and program 
analyses related to children and families. Division staff also provides 
consultation, coordination, direction, and support for research and 
evaluation activities related to children and families across ACF 
programs.
    D. The Division of Family Strengthening, in cooperation with ACF 
programs and others, works with federal counterparts, states, community 
agencies, and the private sector to improve the effectiveness and 
efficiency of programs; foster the safety, positive growth and 
development of children, youth, parents, and vulnerable populations; 
and strengthen families. The Division provides guidance, analysis, 
technical assistance, and oversight in ACF on parent, child, youth, and 
family development and dynamics; child safety; statistical, policy, and 
program analysis; surveys, research, and evaluation methodologies; 
demonstration testing and model development; synthesis and 
dissemination of research and evaluation findings; and application of 
emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of programs and 
service delivery. The Division conducts, manages, and coordinates major 
cross-program, leading-edge research, demonstration, and evaluation 
studies; develops learning agendas and policy-relevant research 
priorities; and manages and conducts statistical, policy, and program 
analyses related to strengthening families. Division staff also 
provides consultation, coordination, direction, and support for 
research and evaluation activities related to strengthening families 
across ACF programs.
    G. The Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) is directed by the 
Chief Data Officer (CDO). The responsibilities of the CDO are to 
oversee data governance and facilitate the use of data to create 
evidence to support decision-making. OCDO supports ACF programs in 
responsibly managing and using data to improve the effectiveness, 
equity, and efficiency of human services programs; provides 
coordination, oversight, and leadership in ACF's implementation of the 
Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act, the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, the Information Quality Act, and the Title II of the 
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018; and provides 
expert advice on matters related to data use and reuse, privacy and 
confidentiality, and the sharing of information. The office coordinates 
mandated Office of Management and Budget (OMB) information collection 
approvals and plans and includes ACF's Information Collection Clearance 
Officer. OCDO works with ACF programs and, in cooperation with ACF 
programs and others, works with federal counterparts, states, community 
agencies, and the private sector to improve the effectiveness, 
efficiency, and equity of programs through improved management and use 
of data.
    The OCDO provides strategic direction, focus, and support to the 
data activities that occur within OPRE's three data divisions: Division 
of Data Governance, Division of Data Capacity, and Division of Data 
Privacy. The OCDO serves as principal advisor to the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Planning, Research, and Evaluation on all matters 
pertaining to performance measurement and management; supporting ACF 
programs in responsibly managing and using data to improve the 
effectiveness, equity, and efficiency of human services programs; data 
governance; data management, collection, analysis, and use; data 
sharing, privacy, and confidentiality; data talent; interoperability; 
and application of emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness 
of programs and service delivery.
    H. The Division of Data Governance provides coordination, 
consultation, direction, oversight, and technical assistance to ACF on 
data governance activities, policy, and operational issues. This 
includes work related to data standards setting, including 
interoperability and ACF-wide Paperwork Reduction Act policy, 
coordination, and support; open data initiative work, including ACF 
data asset cataloging and management; implementation and oversight of 
the Information Quality Act within ACF; advising on existing and 
emerging data governance policy issues, such as artificial 
intelligence; and coordination and support of the ACF Data Governance 
Council. The Division develops policy-relevant priorities for data 
collection and analysis and conducts demonstrations and develops tools, 
policies, and procedures that support the increased accessibility and 
reuse of administrative and survey data for statistical purposes.
    I. The Division of Data Capacity supports ACF leadership and ACF 
offices by providing ``surge support'' and leadership on high-priority 
campaigns to analyze and use data, including the associated capacity 
improvements necessary to maintain those activities going forward. 
Division staff provide guidance, analysis, technical assistance, and 
oversight on strategic planning and performance measurement and 
management; statistical policy and program analysis; continuous 
improvement; surveys, data collection, and analysis methodologies; 
application of data analyses to program operations and decision-making; 
and data skill development. Support includes both quantitative and 
qualitative data efforts. The Division conducts, manages, and 
coordinates major cross-program, leading-edge research, demonstration, 
and evaluation activities related to responsible data management and 
use, and provides consultation, coordination, direction, and support 
for ACF research and evaluation activities related to responsible data 
management and use.
    J. The Division of Data Privacy provides guidance, technical 
assistance, and oversight on data ethics, data sharing, data privacy, 
and data confidentiality. This includes provision of policy analysis to 
ACF programs on improving program coordination, enhancing information 
sharing and collaboration, and identifying statutory, regulatory, or 
policy limitations. Division staff interpret and analyze statutes, 
bills, reports, and policies relating to data sharing and privacy to 
determine their effect on ACF and its programs; design, schedule, and 
execute major projects and studies to analyze interrelated issues of 
legality, policymaking, and operational need; coordinate and 
collaborate with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to evaluate 
data sharing for potential privacy risks and recommend solutions, 
coordinate responsibility to ensure implementation of information 
privacy protections and adherence to federal laws, and support in ACF 
incident identification, notification, and response activities; 
develop, oversee, and implement privacy policies, procedures, and 
compliance across the full range of ACF activities; and advise ACF on 
data privacy, data confidentiality, and data sharing throughout the 
full life cycle of information from design, collection, maintenance, 
disclosure, and archiving or disposition.

[[Page 96259]]

    IV. Continuation of Policy. Except as inconsistent with this 
reorganization, all statements of policy and interpretations with 
respect to organizational components affected by this notice within 
ACF, heretofore issued and in effect on this date of this 
reorganization, are continued in full force and effect.
    V. Delegation of Authority. All delegations and redelegations of 
authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational 
components will continue in them or their successors pending further 
redelegations, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.
    VI. Funds, Personnel, and Equipment. Transfer of organizations and 
functions affected by this reorganization shall be accompanied in each 
instance by direct and support funds, positions, personnel, records, 
equipment, supplies, and other resources.

Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-28428 Filed 12-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-79-P
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