80 FR 19286 - Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 69 (April 10, 2015)

Page Range		19286-19287
FR Document		2015-08262

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 69 (Friday, April 10, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 69 (Friday, April 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19286-19287]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08262]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency
Service Delivery

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden,
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public
Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 9, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651-
New: Generic Clearance comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division Director,
Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division
Director, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent
and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by
telephone at 571-272-8123; or by email to Marcie.Lovett@uspto.gov with
``Paperwork'' in the subject line.
Additional information about this collection can be found at http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Executive Order 12862 (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf) directs Federal agencies to provide
services to the public that matches or exceeds the best services
available in the private sector. In order to work continuously to
ensure that its programs are effective and meet its customers' needs,
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter ``USPTO'' or
``the Agency'') seeks to obtain OMB approval of a generic clearance to
collect qualitative feedback on its service delivery. Qualitative
feedback refers to information that provides useful insights on
perceptions and opinions, but is not in the form of statistical surveys
which yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the
population of study.
Collecting feedback will allow for the Agency to have a pulse on
customer satisfaction and adjust where necessary to meet and exceed
expectations. This feedback collection will provide for ongoing,
collaborative, and actionable communication between the Agency and its
customers and stakeholders. It also will enable the Agency to garner
customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient and timely manner, in
accordance with the USPTO's commitment to improving services. The
information collected from Agency customers and stakeholders will help
ensure users have an opportunity to convey their experience with USPTO
programs. This collection will also provide insights into customer or
stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations, which will
allow the Agency to focus attention on areas where communication,
training, or changes in operations may be necessary.
Improving Agency programs requires ongoing assessment. The Agency
will collect, analyze, and interpret information gathered to identify
strengths and weaknesses of current services. Based on feedback
received, the Agency will identify operational changes needed to
improve programs and services. The solicitation of feedback will target
areas such as: timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of information,
courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution of issues with
service delivery. The Agency is committed to hearing feedback from its
customers. Responses will be assessed to identify service areas in need
of improvement. If this information is not collected, then the Agency
will miss opportunities to obtain vital feedback from its customers and
stakeholders on ways to improve their program and services.
The Agency will only submit a collection for approval under this
generic clearance if it meets the following conditions:
The collection is voluntary;
The collection is low-burden for respondents (based on
considerations of total burden hours, total number of respondents, or
burden-hours per respondent) and are low-cost for both the respondents
and the Federal Government;
The collection is noncontroversial and does not raise
issues of concern to other Federal agencies;
Any collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions
from respondents who have experience with the program or may have
experience with the program in the near future;
Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected
only to the extent necessary and is not retained;
Information gathered will only be used internally for
general program and service improvement as well as program

[[Page 19287]]

administrative purposes, and is not intended for release outside the
Agency;
Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of
substantially informing influential policy decisions; and
Information gathered will yield qualitative information;
the collections are not designed or expected to yield statistically
reliable results nor used as though the results are generalizable to
the population of study.
As a general matter, these information collections will not result
in any new system of records containing privacy information and will
not ask questions of a sensitive nature.

II. Method of Collection

The USPTO uses surveys, focus groups, interviews, questionnaires,
and usability testing to collect feedback from its customers. These may
be conducted via telephone, through electronic means, or in person. The
USPTO expects customers will respond to the questionnaires and surveys
primarily through electronic means, and to the focus groups,
interviews, and usability testing primarily in person.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0651--New.
IC Instruments and Forms: The individual instruments in this
collection, as well as their associated forms, are listed in the table
below.
Type of Review: New.
Affected Public: Individuals and households; businesses or other
for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 27,900 responses per year.
Estimated Time per Response: Between 5 minutes (0.08 hours) and 120
minutes (2 hours), depending on the instruments used and the item being
completed.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 5,059 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden:
$917,348.47. The USPTO expects that attorneys, paralegals and pro se
applicants will complete these applications. The professional hourly
rate for attorneys is $389, and the hourly rates for paralegals and pro
se applicants are $125 and $30, respectively. The average of the
combined respondent rate is $181.33. Using this blended hourly rate,
the USPTO estimates that the total respondent cost burden for this
collection is $917,348.47 per year.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated time Estimated Estimated
IC Number Information for response annual annual burden Rate (S/
collection item (minutes) responses hours hr)
(a) (b) (a) x (b) =
(c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1................................. Customer Surveys.... 5 20,000 1,667 $181.33
2................................. Questionnaires/ 5 300 25 181.33
Customer Comment
Cards/Complaint
Forms.
3................................. Focus Groups/ 15 6,000 1,500 181.33
Interviews.
4................................. Small Discussion 120 600 1,200 181.33
Groups.
5................................. Usability Tests (In- 40 1,000 667 181.33
person observation
(i.e., Website/
Software).
-------------------------------------------------------
Total (Three -Year Period).... .................... .............. 27,900 5,059 .........
(83,700) (15,177)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: There are
no capital start-up, maintenance, postage, or recordkeeping costs
associated with this information collection.

IV. Request for Comments

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 (including
hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, e.g., the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or
included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 1, 2015.
Marcie Lovett,
Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-08262 Filed 4-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P

19286 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 69 / Friday, April 10, 2015 / Notices

the Workgroup to plan development of continuing effort to reduce paperwork feedback collection will provide for
a new initiative pursuant to the and respondent burden, invites the ongoing, collaborative, and actionable
Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plan. The general public and other Federal communication between the Agency
Council adopted this initiative, the agencies to comment on the Clearance and its customers and stakeholders. It
Coordinated Ecosystem Indicator for the Collection of Qualitative also will enable the Agency to garner
Review Initiative, at its March 2015 Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, customer and stakeholder feedback in
meeting. The Council requested the as required by the Paperwork Reduction an efficient and timely manner, in
EWG, in concert with the Scientific and Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13 (44 accordance with the USPTO’s
Statistical Committee’s Ecosystem- U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). commitment to improving services. The
Based Fishery Management DATES: Written comments must be information collected from Agency
Subcommittee and NMFS’s Integrated submitted on or before June 9, 2015. customers and stakeholders will help
Ecosystem Assessment Team, to ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
ensure users have an opportunity to
evaluate ecosystem indicators presented by any of the following methods: convey their experience with USPTO
in the Annual State of the California • Email: InformationCollection@ programs. This collection will also
Current Ecosystem Report, identify uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–New: Generic provide insights into customer or
potential new indicators, and coordinate Clearance comment’’ in the subject line stakeholder perceptions, experiences,
review of indicators by the Pacific of the message. and expectations, which will allow the
Council’s other advisory bodies. The • Federal Rulemaking Portal: http:// Agency to focus attention on areas
EWG is expected to report back to the www.regulations.gov. where communication, training, or
Pacific Council with a workload • Mail: Marcie Lovett, Records changes in operations may be necessary.
assessment and timeline later this year. Management Division Director, Office of Improving Agency programs requires
Related matters stemming from the the Chief Information Officer, United ongoing assessment. The Agency will
Pacific Council’s assignment also may States Patent and Trademark Office, collect, analyze, and interpret
be discussed. Public comment will be P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– information gathered to identify
taken at the discretion of the EWG 1450. strengths and weaknesses of current
Chair. services. Based on feedback received,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Although non-emergency issues not the Agency will identify operational
Requests for additional information
contained in the meeting agenda may be changes needed to improve programs
should be directed to Marcie Lovett,
discussed, those issues may not be the and services. The solicitation of
Records Management Division Director,
subject of formal action during this feedback will target areas such as:
Office of the Chief Information Officer,
meeting. Action will be restricted to timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of
United States Patent and Trademark
those issues specifically listed in this information, courtesy, efficiency of
Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA
document and any issues arising after service delivery, and resolution of
22313–1450; by telephone at 571–272–
publication of this document that issues with service delivery. The
8123; or by email to Marcie.Lovett@
require emergency action under section Agency is committed to hearing
uspto.gov with ‘‘Paperwork’’ in the
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery feedback from its customers. Responses
subject line.
Conservation and Management Act, will be assessed to identify service areas
Additional information about this
provided the public has been notified of in need of improvement. If this
collection can be found at http://www.
the intent to take final action to address information is not collected, then the
reginfo.gov under ‘‘Information
the emergency. Agency will miss opportunities to
Collection Review.’’
obtain vital feedback from its customers
Special Accommodations SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: and stakeholders on ways to improve
The meeting is physically accessible I. Abstract their program and services.
to people with disabilities. Requests for The Agency will only submit a
Executive Order 12862 (http:// collection for approval under this
sign language interpretation or other
www.archives.gov/federal-register/ generic clearance if it meets the
auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr.
executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf) directs following conditions:
Kris Kleinschmidt at (503) 820–2425 at
Federal agencies to provide services to • The collection is voluntary;
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
the public that matches or exceeds the • The collection is low-burden for
Dated: April 7, 2015. best services available in the private respondents (based on considerations of
Tracey L. Thompson, sector. In order to work continuously to total burden hours, total number of
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable ensure that its programs are effective respondents, or burden-hours per
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. and meet its customers’ needs, the respondent) and are low-cost for both
[FR Doc. 2015–08269 Filed 4–9–15; 8:45 am] United States Patent and Trademark the respondents and the Federal
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Office (hereafter ‘‘USPTO’’ or ‘‘the Government;
Agency’’) seeks to obtain OMB approval • The collection is noncontroversial
of a generic clearance to collect and does not raise issues of concern to
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE qualitative feedback on its service other Federal agencies;
delivery. Qualitative feedback refers to • Any collection is targeted to the
Patent and Trademark Office information that provides useful solicitation of opinions from
insights on perceptions and opinions, respondents who have experience with
Clearance for the Collection of
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

but is not in the form of statistical the program or may have experience
Qualitative Feedback on Agency
surveys which yield quantitative results with the program in the near future;
Service Delivery
that can be generalized to the • Personally identifiable information
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment population of study. (PII) is collected only to the extent
request. Collecting feedback will allow for the necessary and is not retained;
Agency to have a pulse on customer • Information gathered will only be
SUMMARY: The United States Patent and satisfaction and adjust where necessary used internally for general program and
Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its to meet and exceed expectations. This service improvement as well as program

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 69 / Friday, April 10, 2015 / Notices 19287

administrative purposes, and is not its customers. These may be conducted Estimated Time per Response:
intended for release outside the Agency; via telephone, through electronic Between 5 minutes (0.08 hours) and 120
• Information gathered will not be means, or in person. The USPTO minutes (2 hours), depending on the
used for the purpose of substantially expects customers will respond to the instruments used and the item being
informing influential policy decisions; questionnaires and surveys primarily completed.
and through electronic means, and to the Estimated Total Annual Respondent
• Information gathered will yield focus groups, interviews, and usability Burden Hours: 5,059 hours.
qualitative information; the collections testing primarily in person.
are not designed or expected to yield Estimated Total Annual Respondent
statistically reliable results nor used as III. Data (Hourly) Cost Burden: $917,348.47. The
though the results are generalizable to USPTO expects that attorneys,
OMB Number: 0651—New. paralegals and pro se applicants will
the population of study. IC Instruments and Forms: The
As a general matter, these information complete these applications. The
individual instruments in this professional hourly rate for attorneys is
collections will not result in any new
collection, as well as their associated $389, and the hourly rates for paralegals
system of records containing privacy
forms, are listed in the table below. and pro se applicants are $125 and $30,
information and will not ask questions
of a sensitive nature. Type of Review: New. respectively. The average of the
Affected Public: Individuals and combined respondent rate is $181.33.
II. Method of Collection households; businesses or other for- Using this blended hourly rate, the
The USPTO uses surveys, focus profits; and not-for-profit institutions. USPTO estimates that the total
groups, interviews, questionnaires, and Estimated Number of Respondents: respondent cost burden for this
usability testing to collect feedback from 27,900 responses per year. collection is $917,348.47 per year.

Estimated time Estimated Estimated Rate
IC Number Information collection item for response annual annual (S/hr)
(minutes) responses burden hours

(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (c)

1 .............................................................. Customer Surveys .................................. 5 20,000 1,667 $181.33
2 .............................................................. Questionnaires/Customer Comment 5 300 25 181.33
Cards/Complaint Forms.
3 .............................................................. Focus Groups/Interviews ........................ 15 6,000 1,500 181.33
4 .............................................................. Small Discussion Groups ....................... 120 600 1,200 181.33
5 .............................................................. Usability Tests (In-person observation 40 1,000 667 181.33
(i.e., Website/Software).

Total (Three –Year Period) ............. ................................................................. ........................ 27,900 5,059 ................
(83,700) (15,177)

Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) they also will become a matter of public subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as
Respondent Cost Burden: There are no record. amended. This system is a DoD
capital start-up, maintenance, postage, Dated: April 1, 2015. enterprise automated system for
or recordkeeping costs associated with Marcie Lovett,
personnel security, providing a
this information collection. common, comprehensive medium to
Records Management Division Director,
USPTO, Office of the Chief Information
record, document, and identify
IV. Request for Comments
Officer. personnel security actions within the
Comments are invited on: [FR Doc. 2015–08262 Filed 4–9–15; 8:45 am]
Department including submitting
(a) Whether the proposed collection of adverse information, verification of
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P
information is necessary for the proper clearance status (to include grants of
performance of the functions of the interim clearances), requesting
agency, including whether the investigations, and supporting
information shall have practical utility; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Continuous Evaluation activities.
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s DATES: Comments will be accepted on or
Office of the Secretary
estimate of the burden (including hours before May 11, 2015. This proposed
and cost) of the proposed collection of [Docket ID: DoD–2015–OS–0031] action will be effective the date
information; following the end of the comment
(c) ways to enhance the quality, Privacy Act of 1974; System of period unless comments are received
utility, and clarity of the information to Records which result in a contrary
be collected; and determination.
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of
(d) ways to minimize the burden of Defense, DoD. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
the collection of information on
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

ACTION: Notice to alter a System of identified by docket number and title,
respondents, e.g., the use of automated Records. by any of the following methods:
collection techniques or other forms of * Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://
information technology. SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary of www.regulations.gov. Follow the
Comments submitted in response to Defense proposes to alter a system of instructions for submitting comments.
this notice will be summarized or records, DMDC 12 DoD, entitled ‘‘Joint * Mail: Department of Defense, Office
included in the request for OMB Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS)’’ of the Deputy Chief Management
approval of this information collection; in its inventory of record systems Officer, Directorate of Oversight and

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Document Created: 2018-02-21 10:08:20
Document Modified: 2018-02-21 10:08:20

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Proposed collection; comment request.
Dates		Written comments must be submitted on or before June 9, 2015.
Contact		Requests for additional information should be directed to Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division Director, Office of the Chief Information Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-8123; or by email to [email protected] with ``Paperwork'' in the subject line.
FR Citation		80 FR 19286

80 FR 19286 - Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCEPatent and Trademark Office

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 69 (April 10, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office