81 FR 67957 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 191 (October 3, 2016)

Page Range		67957-67959
FR Document		2016-23821
Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 191 (Monday, October 3, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67957-67959]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23821]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: American Community Survey (ACS) Methods Panel, Online 
Communications Improving Survey Response Campaign.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS-1 (Spanish), ACS CATI, ACS CAPI, ACS 
Internet.
    Type of Request: Nonsubstantive Change Request.
    Number of Respondents: None.
    Average Hours per Response: None.
    Burden Hours: No additional burden hours are requested under this 
nonsubstantive change request.
    Needs and Uses: The American Community Survey collects detailed 
socioeconomic data from about 3.5 million households in the United 
States and 36,000 in Puerto Rico each year. The ACS also collects 
detailed socioeconomic data from about 195,000 residents living in 
Group Quarter (GQ) facilities. An ongoing data collection effort with 
an annual sample of this magnitude requires that the ACS continue 
research, testing, and evaluations aimed at improving data quality, 
achieving survey cost efficiencies, and improving ACS questionnaire 
content and related data collection materials. The ACS Methods

[[Page 67958]]

Panel is a research program that is designed to address and respond to 
issues and survey needs. In line with the Census Bureau's goal to 
increase survey response rates through communications, the Census 
Bureau seeks to launch a pilot of a targeted digital advertising 
campaign. During the 2000 and 2010 decennial enumerations, the Census 
Bureau saw an uptick of ACS response rates.\1\ A year-over-year 
increase of 6.4 percentage points was observed in the Savannah, GA 
media market during the 2015 Census Site Test.\2\
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    \1\ Chesnut, J. & M. Davis. (2011). ``Evaluation of the ACS Mail 
Materials and Mailing Strategy during the 2010 Census.'' American 
Community Survey Research and Evaluation Program. U.S. Census 
Bureau.
    \2\ Walejko, G. et al. (2015). ``Modeling the Effect of Diverse 
Communication Strategies on Decennial Census Test Response Rates.'' 
Presentation. 2015 Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology 
Research Conference. December 2nd, 2015. Washington, DC.
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    Outside of decennial years, traditional broad-based advertising 
methods are cost-prohibitive because of the relatively small sample 
size for most Census Bureau surveys compared to the general population. 
With the advent of digital advertising tactics, however, the Census 
Bureau now has the potential opportunity to cost-effectively deliver 
promotional messages to individual households within a survey sample. 
The ACS offers a large enough national sample to field a test of such 
tactics and determine whether they lift response rates. If digital 
advertisements encourage recipients to respond to a survey early in the 
process of data collection, including responding online, then the 
Census Bureau will save money on costly follow-up efforts to collect 
data from nonrespondents, including sending Census Bureau interviewers 
to respondents' households in person. Offsetting data-collection costs 
in this way would ultimately save taxpayers money. Findings from this 
pilot campaign will have applications across the range of the Census 
Bureau's collection efforts as advertisements will not be survey-
specific and will focus on the value of the Census Bureau's work in 
general.
    We propose to execute the pilot campaign aiming to using the 
January and February 2017 ACS production samples. We will deliver 
targeted digital advertisements to a panel of in-sample residents that 
can be linked by household address to digital profiles (including 
cookies and/or device ID) by a third-party data vendor. This technique 
is an emerging standard in online advertising, in line with the 
advertising households receive from companies and organizations every 
day. We will place video, display banners, and paid social media 
advertisements. Linked households will be served ads shortly before 
they receive a mailed survey questionnaire and during the ACS data 
collection process. Ads will not directly call on recipients to 
complete the ACS or any particular survey, nor will they mention any 
survey by name. Rather they will be designed to create positive 
associations with the Census Bureau's work generally and make the case 
for the importance of completing a Census Bureau questionnaire if 
selected. When an advertisement is clicked, the user will be directed 
to a Census.gov web landing page featuring general information about 
the value of the Census Bureau's work and a link to the ``Are You in a 
Survey?'' page.\3\
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    \3\ See https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/are-you-in-a-survey.html.
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    The purpose of this test is to study the impact of these changes on 
self-response behavior and assess any potential savings overall or with 
subgroups. The advertisements will include a mix of online video, 
banner display ads, and paid social media content on both desktop and 
mobile devices. They will be displayed around the web on various Web 
sites targeted to linked households in the treatment groups. Ad serving 
will be optimized based on audience reach and user engagement with the 
ads (measured in terms of video and click metrics). The optimal media 
mix will be applied evenly across both treatments. We will prioritize 
rich media placements including video and social video over standard 
placements such as banner display, with the goal to maximize video 
advertising to tell a compelling story to raise awareness of the Census 
Bureau's work.
    This pilot will include two experimental treatments (a high-spend 
group and a low-spend group) as well as a control group. Households in 
the high-spend group will receive roughly twice the number of 
advertisement exposures as households in the low-spend treatment group, 
though the channel mix and content of the advertisements will remain 
the same between the two groups. The Control group will not receive any 
advertisements.
    To field this test, we plan to use ACS production (clearance 
number: 0607-0810, expires 06/30/2018). Thus, there is no increase in 
burden from this test since the treatment will result in approximately 
the same burden estimate per interview (40 minutes). The ACS sample 
design consists of randomly assigning each monthly sample panel into 24 
groups of approximately 12,000 addresses each. Each group, called a 
methods panel group, within a monthly sample is representative of the 
full monthly sample. Each monthly sample is a representative subsample 
of the entire annual sample and is representative of the sampling 
frame.
    The test will include two months of production sample (aiming for 
January and February 2017). We will choose eight randomly selected 
methods panel groups per month for each of the two experimental 
treatments; the remaining eight methods panel groups will be the 
control. Over the two production months, each treatment will use 16 
methods panel groups, or a mail out sample of roughly 192,000 
addresses, which will be used for linking to establish eligibility for 
micro targeted digital advertising. We estimate that approximately 31 
percent of the mailable addresses will be eligible for digital 
advertising, which is approximately 30,000 addresses for each of the 
two experimental treatments per month.
    We will compare the Internet return rates at the cut date for the 
replacement mailing, the Internet, mail, and self-response return rates 
before the start of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), 
and the Internet, mail, self-response, and CATI return rates prior to 
the start of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). We will 
compare the self-response and CAPI return rates as well as the overall 
response rates when all data collection activities end. Additionally, 
the overall response rate will be calculated for all sample addresses. 
For each comparison, we will use [alpha] = 0.1 and a two-tailed test so 
that we can measure the impact on the evaluation measure in either 
direction with 80 percent power. Based on previous year's data for the 
January and February panels we calculated effective sample sizes. We 
assumed an Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) rate of 18.0 percent (these 
addresses may be advertised to, but will be removed from self-response 
analysis because they do not have an opportunity to respond), a self-
response rate of 57.5 percent for all three groups, a CATI response 
rate of 25 percent, and a CAPI response rate of 85 percent. We expect 
to be able to detect self-response differences between the high- and 
low-spend treatment panel of 0.8 percentage points, and between a 
treatment panel and the control on the order of 0.8 percentage points. 
Additional metrics of interest include overall costs and response rates 
by subgroups.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.

[[Page 67959]]

    Frequency: One-time test as part of the monthly American Community 
Survey.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141, 193, 
and 221.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
PRA Departmental Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-23821 Filed 9-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 191 / Monday, October 3, 2016 / Notices 67957

conference call number and conference (Committee) will hold a meeting on committee/meetings.aspx?cid=247).
ID number. Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at Persons interested in the work of this
Members of the public are also 2:00pm EDT for the purpose of Committee are directed to the
entitled to submit written comments; discussing a draft report regarding the Commission’s Web site, http://
the comments must be received in the school to prison pipeline in the state. www.usccr.gov, or may contact the
regional office one week prior to the DATES: The meeting will be held on Regional Programs Unit Office at the
start of the meeting, by Tuesday Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at 2:00 above email or street address.
November 8, 2016. Written comments p.m. EDT.
may be mailed to the Regional Programs Agenda
Public call information: Dial: 888–
Unit Office, U.S. Commission on Civil 455–2265, Conference ID: 3309385. Welcome and Introductions
Rights, 55 W. Monroe St., Suite 410, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Discussion Draft Report: Civil Rights
Chicago, IL 60615. They may also be Melissa Wojnaroski, DFO, at and the School to Prison Pipeline in
faxed to the Commission at (312) 353– mwojnaroski@usccr.gov or 312–353– Indiana
8324, or emailed to Carolyn Allen at 8311. Public Comment
callen@usccr.gov. Persons who desire Future Plans and Actions
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members
additional information may contact the Adjournment
of the public can listen to the
Regional Programs Unit Office at (312) discussion. This meeting is available to Dated: September 27, 2016.
353–8311. the public through the following toll- David Mussatt,
Records generated from this meeting
free call-in number: 888–455–2265, Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
may be inspected and reproduced at the
conference ID: 3309385. Any interested [FR Doc. 2016–23728 Filed 9–30–16; 8:45 am]
Regional Programs Unit Office, as they
member of the public may call this BILLING CODE 6335–01–P
become available, both before and after
number and listen to the meeting. An
the meeting. Records of the meeting will
open comment period will be provided
be available via www.facadatabase.gov
to allow members of the public to make DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
under the Commission on Civil Rights,
a statement as time allows. The
Indiana Advisory Committee link
conference call operator will ask callers Submission for OMB Review;
(http://www.facadatabase.gov/
to identify themselves, the organization Comment Request
committee/meetings.aspx?cid=247).
they are affiliated with (if any), and an
Persons interested in the work of this The Department of Commerce will
email address prior to placing callers
Committee are directed to the submit to the Office of Management and
into the conference room. Callers can
Commission’s Web site, http:// Budget (OMB) for clearance the
expect to incur regular charges for calls
www.usccr.gov, or may contact the following proposal for collection of
they initiate over wireless lines,
Regional Programs Unit Office at the information under the provisions of the
according to their wireless plan. The
above email or street address. Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
Commission will not refund any
Agenda incurred charges. Callers will incur no chapter 35).
charge for calls they initiate over land- Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Welcome and Introductions
line connections to the toll-free Title: American Community Survey
Civil Rights Report, Final Review and
telephone number. Persons with hearing (ACS) Methods Panel, Online
Approval
Civil Rights and the School to Prison impairments may also follow the Communications Improving Survey
Pipeline in Indiana proceedings by first calling the Federal Response Campaign.
Public Comment Relay Service at 1–800–977–8339 and OMB Control Number: 0607–0936.
Future Plans and Actions providing the Service with the Form Number(s): ACS–1, ACS–1
Adjournment conference call number and conference (Spanish), ACS CATI, ACS CAPI, ACS
ID number. Internet.
Dated: September 27, 2016.
Members of the public are also Type of Request: Nonsubstantive
David Mussatt, entitled to submit written comments; Change Request.
Chief, Regional Programs Unit. the comments must be received in the Number of Respondents: None.
[FR Doc. 2016–23729 Filed 9–30–16; 8:45 am] regional office within 30 days following Average Hours per Response: None.
BILLING CODE 6335–01–P the meeting. Written comments may be Burden Hours: No additional burden
mailed to the Regional Programs Unit hours are requested under this
Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, nonsubstantive change request.
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 55 W. Monroe St., Suite 410, Chicago, Needs and Uses: The American
IL 60615. They may also be faxed to the Community Survey collects detailed
Notice of Public Meeting of the Indiana socioeconomic data from about 3.5
Commission at (312) 353–8324, or
Advisory Committee for a Meeting To million households in the United States
emailed to Carolyn Allen at callen@
Discuss an Updated Draft Report on and 36,000 in Puerto Rico each year.
usccr.gov. Persons who desire
Civil Rights and the School to Prison The ACS also collects detailed
additional information may contact the
Pipeline in the State socioeconomic data from about 195,000
Regional Programs Unit Office at (312)
AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 353–8311. residents living in Group Quarter (GQ)
Rights. Records generated from this meeting facilities. An ongoing data collection
may be inspected and reproduced at the effort with an annual sample of this
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

ACTION: Announcement of meeting.
Regional Programs Unit Office, as they magnitude requires that the ACS
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, become available, both before and after continue research, testing, and
pursuant to the provisions of the rules the meeting. Records of the meeting will evaluations aimed at improving data
and regulations of the U.S. Commission be available via www.facadatabase.gov quality, achieving survey cost
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the under the Commission on Civil Rights, efficiencies, and improving ACS
Federal Advisory Committee Act that Indiana Advisory Committee link questionnaire content and related data
the Indiana Advisory Committee (http://www.facadatabase.gov/ collection materials. The ACS Methods

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 191 / Monday, October 3, 2016 / Notices 67959

Frequency: One-time test as part of (DOC), announces the appointment of Board is responsible for (1) reviewing
the monthly American Community those individuals who have been performance appraisals and ratings of
Survey. selected to serve as members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. Departmental Performance Review Senior Level (SL) members and (2)
Legal Authority: Title 13, United Board. The Performance Review Board making recommendations to the
States Code, Sections 141, 193, and 221. is responsible for (1) reviewing appointing authority on other
This information collection request performance appraisals and ratings of performance management issues, such
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. Senior Executive Service (SES) members as pay adjustments, bonuses and
Follow the instructions to view and (2) making recommendations to the Presidential Rank Awards. The
Department of Commerce collections appointing authority on other appointment of these members to the
currently under review by OMB. performance management issues, such Performance Review Board will be for a
Written comments and as pay adjustments, bonuses and period of twenty-four (24) months.
recommendations for the proposed Presidential Rank Awards. The DATES: The period of appointment for
information collection should be sent appointment of these members to the those individuals selected for the Office
within 30 days of publication of this Performance Review Board will be for a of the Secretary Performance Review
notice to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop. period of twenty-four (24) months. Board begins on October 3, 2016.
gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. The name, position title, and type of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheleen Dumas,
appointment of each member of the Nancy Osborn, U.S. Department of
Performance Review Board are set forth Commerce, Office of Human Resources
PRA Departmental Lead, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
below: Management, Office of Executive
[FR Doc. 2016–23821 Filed 9–30–16; 8:45 am]
1. Jon Alexander, Deputy Director, Resources, 14th and Constitution
Financial Management Systems, Avenue NW., Room 51010, Washington,
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
Career SES DC 20230, at (202) 482–5815.
2. Dennis Alvord, Senior Advisor for SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Policy and Program Integration, accordance with 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4), the
Career SES Office of the Secretary, Department of
Membership of the Departmental 3. Stephen Burke, Chief Financial Commerce (DOC), announces the
Performance Review Board Officer and Director for appointment of those individuals who
Administration, Career SES have been selected to serve as members
AGENCY:Department of Commerce. 4. Kathleen James, Chief Administrative of the Office of the Secretary
ACTION:Notice of membership on the Officer, Career SES Performance Review Board. The
Departmental Performance Review 5. Lauren Leonard, Director of the Office Performance Review Board is
Board. of White House Liaison and Senior responsible for (1) reviewing
Advisor to the Secretary, Noncareer performance appraisals and ratings of
SUMMARY: In accordance with statutes SES
on ratings for performance appraisals, Senior Executive Service (SES) and
6. Holly Vineyard, Deputy Assistant Senior Level (SL) members and (2)
the Department of Commerce (DOC), Secretary for Global Markets, Career
announces the appointment of those making recommendations to the
SES appointing authority on other
individuals who have been selected to
serve as members of the Departmental Dated: September 20, 2016. performance management issues, such
Performance Review Board. The Denise A. Yaag, as pay adjustments, bonuses and
Performance Review Board is Director, Office of Executive Resources, Office Presidential Rank Awards. The
responsible for reviewing performance of Human Resources Management, Office of appointment of these members to the
appraisals and ratings of Senior the Secretary/Office of the CFO/ASA, Performance Review Board will be for a
Department of Commerce. period of twenty-four (24) months.
Executive Service (SES) members and
[FR Doc. 2016–23659 Filed 9–30–16; 8:45 am] DATES: The period of appointment for
making recommendations to the
appointing authority on other BILLING CODE 3510–25–P those individuals selected for the Office
performance management issues, such of the Secretary Performance Review
as pay adjustments, bonuses and Board begins on October 3, 2016. The
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE name, position title, and type of
Presidential Rank Awards. The
appointment of these members to the appointment of each member of the
Office of the Secretary Performance Review Board are set forth
Performance Review Board will be for a
period of twenty-four (24) months. Membership of the Performance below:
DATES: The period of appointment for Review Board for the Office of the 1. Gordon Alston, Director, Financial
those individuals selected for the Secretary Reporting and Internal Controls,
Departmental Performance Review Career SES
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, 2. Paige Atkins, Associate Administrator
Board begins on October 3, 2016.
Department of Commerce. for Spectrum Management, Career
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
ACTION: Notice of membership on the SES
Nancy Osborn, U.S. Department of 3. Kurt Bersani, Deputy Chief Financial
Office of the Secretary Performance
Commerce, Office of Human Resources and Administrative Officer, Career
Review Board.
Management, Office of Executive
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

SES
Resources, 14th and Constitution SUMMARY: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 4. Theodore LeCompte, Deputy Chief of
Avenue NW., Room 51010, Washington, 4314(c)(4), the Office of the Secretary, Staff and Senior Advisor to the
DC 20230, at (202) 482–5815. Department of Commerce (DOC), Secretary, Noncareer SES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In announces the appointment of those 5. Lauren Leonard, Director of the Office
accordance with Ratings for individuals who have been selected to of White House Liaison and Senior
Performance Appraisals, 5 U.S.C. serve as members of the Performance Advisor to the Secretary, Noncareer
4314(c)(4), the Department of Commerce Review Board. The Performance Review SES

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Document Created: 2018-02-13 14:11:10
Document Modified: 2018-02-13 14:11:10
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
FR Citation		81 FR 67957