81_FR_3148 81 FR 3136 - Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

81 FR 3136 - Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 12 (January 20, 2016)

Page Range3136-3138
FR Document2016-00940

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 the proposed revision of the information collection entitled ``Division of Community Health (DCH) Training and Technical Assistance: Needs Assessment and Satisfaction Surveys''.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 12 (Wednesday, January 20, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3136-3138]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00940]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-16-1076; Docket No. CDC-2016-0009]


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 the proposed 
revision of the information collection entitled ``Division of Community 
Health (DCH) Training and Technical Assistance: Needs Assessment and 
Satisfaction Surveys''.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 21, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2016-
0009 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: [email protected].

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

    Division of Community Health (DCH) Training and Technical 
Assistance: Needs Assessment and Satisfaction Surveys (OMB No. 0920-
1076, exp. 7/31/2017)--Revision--National Center for Chronic Disease 
Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of 
Community Health (DCH), requests OMB approval to revise an ongoing 
information collection. The original information collection plan was 
based on two needs assessments conducted with DCH awardees at two 
different time points. In the proposed Revision, CDC describes plans to 
assess awardee satisfaction with the training and technical assistance 
(TA) being provided to them, in lieu of conducting the second needs 
assessment. The project title is being revised to reflect changes in 
the information collection plan. The original project title was ``DCH 
Awardee Training Needs Assessment.''
    In 2014, DCH announced the availability of funding for two 
cooperative agreement programs authorized by the Public Health Service 
Act: Partnerships for Community Health (PICH) and Racial and Ethnic 
Approaches to Community Health (REACH). The REACH cooperative agreement 
is financed in part by the Prevention and Public Health Fund of the 
Affordable Care Act. The cooperative agreements are designed to address 
chronic diseases and risk factors for chronic diseases, including 
physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity, and tobacco use. These risk 
factors contribute to chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, 
diabetes, and obesity. Over three-year funding periods, PICH and REACH 
awardees are providing support for implementation of broad, evidence- 
and practice-based policy and environmental improvements in large and 
small cities, urban and rural areas, tribes, multi-sector community 
coalitions, and racial and ethnic communities experiencing chronic 
disease disparities. PICH and REACH awardees include a mix of state,

[[Page 3137]]

local, and tribal government entities as well as organizations based in 
the private sector.
    DCH engaged contractors to provide training and TA services to PICH 
and REACH awardees on a variety of topics. ICF International provides 
training and TA on program implementation and sustainability (ICF-P), 
and also on evaluation (ICF-E); and FHI 360 provides training and TA 
related to communications (e.g., public education campaigns, social 
marketing, and using digital and social media). Services are provided 
in a variety of formats including in-person TA, phone-based TA, and in-
person and online training.
    The original information collection plan involved two needs 
assessments designed to inform the delivery of training and TA 
services. The first needs assessment was conducted in 2015 and the 
second was scheduled for fall 2016. CDC has since determined that 
program management will be better informed by an assessment of awardee 
satisfaction with the training and TA services being provided than an 
additional needs assessment. As a result, the needs assessment 
scheduled for fall 2016 will be replaced with new surveys designed to 
assess the extent to which training and TA provided through the ICF-P, 
ICF-E and FHI 360 contracts are being delivered as intended; to assess 
DCH awardees' satisfaction with the services they receive and the 
usefulness of provided services; and to inform improvement to training 
and TA services.
    The two questions guiding this assessment of training and TA are: 
(1) How satisfied are DCH awardees with the TA services they receive?; 
and (2) Do the customers of DCH, who receive TA services, consider 
these services to be beneficial to them as they develop capacity to 
move forward in implementing their community health interventions? 
Survey instruments include questions to assess the following dimensions 
of training and TA:
     Accessibility--awardees' experience with acquiring 
training and TA in the various formats (e.g., in-person, phone-based, 
Web-based);
     Usefulness--perceptions about the relevance of provided 
training and TA, and whether it provides helpful guidance for 
implementing and/or evaluating community health interventions and fits 
with the unique contexts in which awardees work;
     Utilization--whether and how awardees have actually used 
available training and TA services, or whether awardees plan to apply 
the training and TA received to their community health work.
     Quality--opinions about the clarity, organization, visible 
appeal, credibility, and user-friendliness of training and TA services; 
and
     Areas for Improvement--recommendations for enhancing the 
content, delivery and format of training and TA, suggestions for 
increasing awareness about available services, and recommendations for 
addressing training and TA gaps.
    Three web-based survey instruments have been developed to support 
revised goals. The questions on each instrument are tailored to the 
type of training or TA service provided to DCH awardees (in-person 
technical assistance, phone-based technical assistance, or in-person or 
online training). Information collection will be open for approximately 
three months in spring/summer 2016. Respondents will be a convenience 
sample of REACH and PICH awardees who receive training and TA within 
the data collection period. Based on DCH records of the training and TA 
services provided to date, CDC estimates up to 40 respondents per 
survey.
    Completion of the training and TA surveys will provide a rich set 
of information that can be used for planning purposes and to ensure 
that DCH is responsive to the training needs of awardees, is proactive 
in improving support, and provides support in the format(s) most useful 
to awardees. Findings will help DCH ensure that it provides support 
that awardees perceive to be accessible, useful, and of high quality. 
The information will be used by DCH in aggregate.
    OMB approval is requested until the current expiration date of July 
31, 2017. The revised information collection plan will result in 
reductions in the number of responses and burden hours. Participation 
is voluntary and there are no costs to respondents other than their 
time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         Average
                                                         Number of      Number of      burden per       Total
        Type of respondent              Form name       respondents   responses per   response  (in   burden (in
                                                                       respondent          hr)           hr)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sector Respondents         In-Person Technical           20               1           20/60            7
 Associated with PICH or REACH      Assistance Survey.
 Awards.
                                   Phone Technical               20               1           20/60            7
                                    Assistance Survey.
                                   In-Person/Online              20               1           20/60            7
                                    Training Survey.
State/Local/Tribal Government      In-Person Technical           20               1           20/60            7
 Sector Respondents Associated      Assistance Survey.
 with PICH or REACH Awards.
                                   Phone Technical               20               1           20/60            7
                                    Assistance Survey.
                                   In-Person/Online              20               1           20/60            7
                                    Training Survey.
                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total........................  ...................  ...........  ..............  ..............           42
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



[[Page 3138]]

Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-00940 Filed 1-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P



                                              3136                       Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices

                                              Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB),                 personal information provided. For                     maintaining information, and disclosing
                                              1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC                       access to the docket to read background                and providing information; to train
                                              20405, telephone 202–501–4755. Please                   documents or comments received, go to                  personnel and to be able to respond to
                                              cite OMB Control No. 9000–0132,                         Regulations.gov.                                       a collection of information, to search
                                              Contractors’ Purchasing Systems                            Please note: All public comment                     data sources, to complete and review
                                              Reviews, in all correspondence.                         should be submitted through the                        the collection of information; and to
                                                Dated: January 13, 2016.                              Federal eRulemaking portal                             transmit or otherwise disclose the
                                                                                                      (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the               information.
                                              Lorin S. Curit,
                                                                                                      address listed above.
                                              Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division,                                                                 Proposed Project
                                              Office of Governmentwide Acquisition Policy,            FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
                                                                                                      request more information on the                          Division of Community Health (DCH)
                                              Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of
                                                                                                      proposed project or to obtain a copy of                Training and Technical Assistance:
                                              Governmentwide Policy.
                                                                                                      the information collection plan and                    Needs Assessment and Satisfaction
                                              [FR Doc. 2016–00989 Filed 1–19–16; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                      instruments, contact the Information                   Surveys (OMB No. 0920–1076, exp. 7/
                                              BILLING CODE 6820–EP–P                                                                                         31/2017)—Revision—National Center
                                                                                                      Collection Review Office, Centers for
                                                                                                      Disease Control and Prevention, 1600                   for Chronic Disease Prevention and
                                                                                                      Clifton Road NE., MS–D74, Atlanta,                     Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers
                                              DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND                                                                                       for Disease Control and Prevention
                                              HUMAN SERVICES                                          Georgia 30329; phone: 404–639–7570;
                                                                                                                                                             (CDC).
                                                                                                      Email: omb@cdc.gov.
                                              Centers for Disease Control and                         SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the                   Background and Brief Description
                                              Prevention                                              Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)                     The Centers for Disease Control and
                                                                                                      (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), Federal agencies                Prevention (CDC), Division of
                                              [60Day–16–1076; Docket No. CDC–2016–
                                              0009]                                                   must obtain approval from the Office of                Community Health (DCH), requests
                                                                                                      Management and Budget (OMB) for each                   OMB approval to revise an ongoing
                                              Proposed Data Collection Submitted                      collection of information they conduct                 information collection. The original
                                              for Public Comment and                                  or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also                  information collection plan was based
                                              Recommendations                                         requires Federal agencies to provide a                 on two needs assessments conducted
                                                                                                      60-day notice in the Federal Register                  with DCH awardees at two different
                                              AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and                 concerning each proposed collection of                 time points. In the proposed Revision,
                                              Prevention (CDC), Department of Health                  information, including each new                        CDC describes plans to assess awardee
                                              and Human Services (HHS).                               proposed collection, each proposed                     satisfaction with the training and
                                              ACTION: Notice with comment period.                     extension of existing collection of                    technical assistance (TA) being
                                                                                                      information, and each reinstatement of                 provided to them, in lieu of conducting
                                              SUMMARY:   The Centers for Disease                      previously approved information                        the second needs assessment. The
                                              Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of                collection before submitting the                       project title is being revised to reflect
                                              its continuing efforts to reduce public                 collection to OMB for approval. To                     changes in the information collection
                                              burden and maximize the utility of                      comply with this requirement, we are                   plan. The original project title was
                                              government information, invites the                     publishing this notice of a proposed                   ‘‘DCH Awardee Training Needs
                                              general public and other Federal                        data collection as described below.                    Assessment.’’
                                              agencies to take this opportunity to                       Comments are invited on: (a) Whether                   In 2014, DCH announced the
                                              comment on proposed and/or                              the proposed collection of information                 availability of funding for two
                                              continuing information collections, as                  is necessary for the proper performance                cooperative agreement programs
                                              required by the Paperwork Reduction                     of the functions of the agency, including              authorized by the Public Health Service
                                              Act of 1995. This notice invites                        whether the information shall have                     Act: Partnerships for Community Health
                                              comment on the proposed revision of                     practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the             (PICH) and Racial and Ethnic
                                              the information collection entitled                     agency’s estimate of the burden of the                 Approaches to Community Health
                                              ‘‘Division of Community Health (DCH)                    proposed collection of information; (c)                (REACH). The REACH cooperative
                                              Training and Technical Assistance:                      ways to enhance the quality, utility, and              agreement is financed in part by the
                                              Needs Assessment and Satisfaction                       clarity of the information to be                       Prevention and Public Health Fund of
                                              Surveys’’.                                              collected; (d) ways to minimize the                    the Affordable Care Act. The
                                              DATES:  Written comments must be                        burden of the collection of information                cooperative agreements are designed to
                                              received on or before March 21, 2016.                   on respondents, including through the                  address chronic diseases and risk factors
                                              ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,                     use of automated collection techniques                 for chronic diseases, including physical
                                              identified by Docket No. CDC–2016–                      or other forms of information                          inactivity, poor diet, obesity, and
                                              0009 by any of the following methods:                   technology; and (e) estimates of capital               tobacco use. These risk factors
                                                Federal eRulemaking Portal:                           or start-up costs and costs of operation,              contribute to chronic conditions such as
                                              Regulation.gov. Follow the instructions                 maintenance, and purchase of services                  heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and
                                              for submitting comments.                                to provide information. Burden means                   obesity. Over three-year funding
                                                Mail: Leroy A. Richardson,                            the total time, effort, or financial                   periods, PICH and REACH awardees are
                                              Information Collection Review Office,                   resources expended by persons to                       providing support for implementation of
                                              Centers for Disease Control and                         generate, maintain, retain, disclose or                broad, evidence- and practice-based
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS–                  provide information to or for a Federal                policy and environmental
                                              D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.                            agency. This includes the time needed                  improvements in large and small cities,
                                                Instructions: All submissions received                to review instructions; to develop,                    urban and rural areas, tribes, multi-
                                              must include the agency name and                        acquire, install and utilize technology                sector community coalitions, and racial
                                              Docket Number. All relevant comments                    and systems for the purpose of                         and ethnic communities experiencing
                                              received will be posted without change                  collecting, validating and verifying                   chronic disease disparities. PICH and
                                              to Regulations.gov, including any                       information, processing and                            REACH awardees include a mix of state,


                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   18:12 Jan 19, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00043   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM   20JAN1


                                                                                 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices                                                                                                  3137

                                              local, and tribal government entities as                                     The two questions guiding this                                              Three web-based survey instruments
                                              well as organizations based in the                                        assessment of training and TA are: (1)                                       have been developed to support revised
                                              private sector.                                                           How satisfied are DCH awardees with                                          goals. The questions on each instrument
                                                 DCH engaged contractors to provide                                     the TA services they receive?; and (2)                                       are tailored to the type of training or TA
                                              training and TA services to PICH and                                      Do the customers of DCH, who receive                                         service provided to DCH awardees (in-
                                              REACH awardees on a variety of topics.                                    TA services, consider these services to                                      person technical assistance, phone-
                                              ICF International provides training and                                   be beneficial to them as they develop                                        based technical assistance, or in-person
                                              TA on program implementation and                                          capacity to move forward in                                                  or online training). Information
                                              sustainability (ICF–P), and also on                                       implementing their community health                                          collection will be open for
                                              evaluation (ICF–E); and FHI 360                                           interventions? Survey instruments                                            approximately three months in spring/
                                              provides training and TA related to                                       include questions to assess the                                              summer 2016. Respondents will be a
                                              communications (e.g., public education                                    following dimensions of training and                                         convenience sample of REACH and
                                              campaigns, social marketing, and using                                    TA:                                                                          PICH awardees who receive training and
                                              digital and social media). Services are                                      • Accessibility—awardees’
                                                                                                                                                                                                     TA within the data collection period.
                                              provided in a variety of formats                                          experience with acquiring training and
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Based on DCH records of the training
                                              including in-person TA, phone-based                                       TA in the various formats (e.g., in-
                                                                                                                                                                                                     and TA services provided to date, CDC
                                              TA, and in-person and online training.                                    person, phone-based, Web-based);
                                                                                                                           • Usefulness—perceptions about the                                        estimates up to 40 respondents per
                                                 The original information collection                                    relevance of provided training and TA,                                       survey.
                                              plan involved two needs assessments                                       and whether it provides helpful                                                Completion of the training and TA
                                              designed to inform the delivery of                                        guidance for implementing and/or                                             surveys will provide a rich set of
                                              training and TA services. The first needs                                 evaluating community health                                                  information that can be used for
                                              assessment was conducted in 2015 and                                      interventions and fits with the unique                                       planning purposes and to ensure that
                                              the second was scheduled for fall 2016.                                   contexts in which awardees work;                                             DCH is responsive to the training needs
                                              CDC has since determined that program                                        • Utilization—whether and how                                             of awardees, is proactive in improving
                                              management will be better informed by                                     awardees have actually used available                                        support, and provides support in the
                                              an assessment of awardee satisfaction                                     training and TA services, or whether                                         format(s) most useful to awardees.
                                              with the training and TA services being                                   awardees plan to apply the training and                                      Findings will help DCH ensure that it
                                              provided than an additional needs                                         TA received to their community health                                        provides support that awardees perceive
                                              assessment. As a result, the needs                                        work.                                                                        to be accessible, useful, and of high
                                              assessment scheduled for fall 2016 will                                      • Quality—opinions about the clarity,
                                                                                                                                                                                                     quality. The information will be used by
                                              be replaced with new surveys designed                                     organization, visible appeal, credibility,
                                              to assess the extent to which training                                                                                                                 DCH in aggregate.
                                                                                                                        and user-friendliness of training and TA
                                              and TA provided through the ICF–P,                                        services; and                                                                  OMB approval is requested until the
                                              ICF–E and FHI 360 contracts are being                                        • Areas for Improvement—                                                  current expiration date of July 31, 2017.
                                              delivered as intended; to assess DCH                                      recommendations for enhancing the                                            The revised information collection plan
                                              awardees’ satisfaction with the services                                  content, delivery and format of training                                     will result in reductions in the number
                                              they receive and the usefulness of                                        and TA, suggestions for increasing                                           of responses and burden hours.
                                              provided services; and to inform                                          awareness about available services, and                                      Participation is voluntary and there are
                                              improvement to training and TA                                            recommendations for addressing                                               no costs to respondents other than their
                                              services.                                                                 training and TA gaps.                                                        time.

                                                                                                                        ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Average
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Number of                                            Total
                                                                                                                                                                               Number of                                           burden per
                                                                 Type of respondent                                                     Form name                                                    responses per                                         burden
                                                                                                                                                                              respondents                                           response
                                                                                                                                                                                                       respondent                                          (in hr)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      (in hr)

                                              Private Sector Respondents Associated with                                In-Person Technical Assist-                                           20                           1                   20/60                 7
                                                PICH or REACH Awards.                                                     ance Survey.
                                                                                                                        Phone Technical Assistance                                            20                           1                  20/60                   7
                                                                                                                          Survey.
                                                                                                                        In-Person/Online Training Sur-                                        20                           1                  20/60                  7
                                                                                                                          vey.
                                              State/Local/Tribal Government Sector Re-                                  In-Person Technical Assist-                                           20                           1                  20/60                   7
                                                spondents Associated with PICH or REACH                                   ance Survey.
                                                Awards.
                                                                                                                        Phone Technical Assistance                                            20                           1                  20/60                   7
                                                                                                                          Survey.
                                                                                                                        In-Person/Online Training Sur-                                        20                           1                  20/60                  7
                                                                                                                          vey.
                                                   Total ............................................................    ..................................................   ....................   ........................   ........................             42
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014       18:12 Jan 19, 2016         Jkt 238001       PO 00000       Frm 00044         Fmt 4703       Sfmt 4703       E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM              20JAN1


                                              3138                       Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices

                                              Leroy A. Richardson,                                    by fax to (202) 395–5806. Written                      response to an event that may involve
                                              Chief, Information Collection Review Office,            comments should be received within 30                  multiple agencies and to manage limited
                                              Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of the           days of this notice.                                   resources. LRN Laboratories must also
                                              Associate Director for Science, Office of the                                                                  participate in and report results for
                                              Director, Centers for Disease Control and               Proposed Project
                                                                                                                                                             Proficiency Testing Challenges or
                                              Prevention.                                             Background and Brief Description                       Validation Studies. LRN Laboratories
                                              [FR Doc. 2016–00940 Filed 1–19–16; 8:45 am]                                                                    participate in multiple Proficiency
                                                                                                        Laboratory Response Network, (OMB
                                              BILLING CODE 4163–18–P
                                                                                                      Control Number 0920–0850, expires                      Testing Challenges, Exercises and/or
                                                                                                      April 30, 2016)—Extension—National                     Validation Studies every year consisting
                                                                                                      Center for Emerging and Zoonotic                       of five to 500 simulated samples
                                              DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND                                                                                       provided by the LRN Program Office. It
                                              HUMAN SERVICES                                          Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers
                                                                                                      for Disease Control and Prevention                     is necessary to conduct such challenges
                                              Centers for Disease Control and                         (CDC).                                                 in order to verify the testing capability
                                              Prevention                                                                                                     of the LRN Laboratories. The rarity of
                                                                                                      Background and Brief Description                       biological or chemical agents perceived
                                              [30Day–16–0850]                                           The Laboratory Response Network                      to be of bioterrorism concern prevents
                                                                                                      (LRN) was established by the                           some LRN Laboratories from
                                              Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork                                                                              maintaining proficiency as a result of
                                              Reduction Act Review                                    Department of Health and Human
                                                                                                      Services (HHS), Centers for Disease                    day-to-day testing. Simulated samples
                                                 The Centers for Disease Control and                  Control and Prevention (CDC) in                        are therefore distributed to ensure
                                              Prevention (CDC) has submitted the                      accordance with Presidential Decision                  proficiency across the LRN. The results
                                              following information collection request                Directive 39, which outlined national                  obtained from testing these simulated
                                              to the Office of Management and Budget                  anti-terrorism policies and assigned                   samples must also be entered into
                                              (OMB) for review and approval in                        specific missions to Federal                           Results Messenger for evaluation by the
                                              accordance with the Paperwork                           departments and agencies. The LRN’s                    LRN Program Office.
                                              Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for                   mission is to maintain an integrated                      During a surge event resulting from a
                                              the proposed information collection is                  national and international network of                  bioterrorism or chemical terrorism
                                              published to obtain comments from the                   laboratories that can respond to                       attack, LRN Laboratories are also
                                              public and affected agencies.                           suspected acts of biological, chemical,                required to submit all testing results
                                                 Written comments and suggestions                     or radiological threats and other public               using LRN Results Messenger. The LRN
                                              from the public and affected agencies                   health emergencies.                                    Program Office requires these results in
                                              concerning the proposed collection of                     When Federal, State and local public                 order to track the progression of a
                                              information are encouraged. Your                        health laboratories voluntarily join the               bioterrorism event and respond in the
                                              comments should address any of the                      LRN, they assume specific                              most efficient and effective way possible
                                              following: (a) Evaluate whether the                     responsibilities and are required to                   and for data sharing with other Federal
                                              proposed collection of information is                   provide information to the LRN Program                 partners involved in the response. The
                                              necessary for the proper performance of                 Office at CDC. Each laboratory must                    number of samples tested during a
                                              the functions of the agency, including                  submit and maintain complete                           response to a possible event could range
                                              whether the information will have                       information regarding the testing                      from 10,000 to more than 500,000
                                              practical utility; (b) Evaluate the                     capabilities of the laboratory.                        samples depending on the length and
                                              accuracy of the agencies estimate of the                Biennially, laboratories are required to               breadth of the event. Since there is
                                              burden of the proposed collection of                    review, verify and update their testing                potentially a large range in the number
                                              information, including the validity of                  capability information. Complete testing               of samples for a surge event, CDC
                                              the methodology and assumptions used;                   capability information is required in                  estimates the annualized burden for this
                                              (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and                   order for the LRN Program Office to                    event will be 2,250,000 hours or 625
                                              clarity of the information to be                        determine the ability of the Network to                responses per respondent.
                                              collected; (d) Minimize the burden of                   respond to a biological or chemical                       The requalification occurred between
                                              the collection of information on those                  threat event. The sensitivity of all                   October 24, 2014 and November 7, 2014.
                                              who are to respond, including through                   information associated with the LRN                    We had 122 domestic LRN labs tasked
                                              the use of appropriate automated,                       requires the LRN Program Office to                     with completing the requalification. We
                                              electronic, mechanical, or other                        obtain personal information about all                  had a 90% response rate.
                                              technological collection techniques or                  individuals accessing the LRN Web site.                   We conducted LRN proficiency
                                              other forms of information technology,                  In addition, the LRN Program Office                    testing (PT). The purpose of PT is to
                                              e.g., permitting electronic submission of               must be able to contact all laboratory                 simulate real samples for labs that
                                              responses; and (e) Assess information                   personnel during an event so each                      would not have regularly performed
                                              collection costs.                                       laboratory staff member that obtains                   some of the LRN procedures. Having the
                                                 To request additional information on                 access to the restricted LRN Web site                  ability to conduct LRN PTs under OMB
                                              the proposed project or to obtain a copy                must provide his or her contact                        approval has led to improved laboratory
                                              of the information collection plan and                  information to the LRN Program Office.                 performance and better preparedness. In
                                              instruments, call (404) 639–7570 or                       As a requirement of membership, LRN                  FY13, the PT passing rate was 89%,
                                              send an email to omb@cdc.gov. Written                   Laboratories must report all biological                which improved to 96% in FY14 and
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              comments and/or suggestions regarding                   and chemical testing results to the LRN                97% in FY15.
                                              the items contained in this notice                      Program at CDC using a CDC developed                      There is no cost to the respondents
                                              should be directed to the Attention:                    software tool called the LRN Results                   other than their time. The total
                                              CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management                  Messenger. This information is essential               estimated annualized burden is
                                              and Budget, Washington, DC 20503 or                     for surveillance of anomalies, to support              2,382,300 hours.




                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   18:12 Jan 19, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00045   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM   20JAN1



Document Created: 2016-01-19 23:43:51
Document Modified: 2016-01-19 23:43:51
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice with comment period.
DatesWritten comments must be received on or before March 21, 2016.
ContactTo 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: [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 3136 

2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR