82 FR 11891 - Notice of Request for a Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection: Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 37 (February 27, 2017)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for a revision to and an extension of approval of an information collection associated with qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback on service delivery by the AMS.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11891-11892]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03812]


========================================================================
Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 37 / Monday, February 27, 2017 / 
Notices

[[Page 11891]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No.: AMS-SC-17-0010]


Notice of Request for a Revision to and Extension of Approval of 
an Information Collection: Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information 
collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention 
to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for 
a revision to and an extension of approval of an information collection 
associated with qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback on 
service delivery by the AMS.

DATES: All comments received by April 28, 2017 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Comments are welcome and should referenced OMB No. 0581-0269 
and AMS' Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, and the date 
and page number of this issue of the Federal Register. Comments may be 
submitted by mail to the Docket Clerk, Legislative & Regulatory Review 
Staff, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 0202, Room 3943-S, 
Washington, DC 20250; Fax: (202) 690-3767; or submitted online at 
www.regulations.gov. All comments received will be available for public 
inspection in the Office of the Docket Clerk during regular USDA 
business hours or they can be viewed at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Marylin Pish, Legislative & 
Regulatory Review Staff, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 0202, 
Room 3943-S, Washington, DC 20250. Phone: (202) 580-9971. Fax: (202) 
690-3767. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 
on Agency Service Delivery-AMS.
    OMB Number: 0581-0269.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2017.
    Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an 
information collection.
    Abstract: The proposed information collection activity provides a 
means for AMS to garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback 
in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Agency's 
commitment to improving service delivery.
    By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful 
insights on perceptions and opinions, but not statistical surveys that 
yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of 
study. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder 
perceptions, experiences, and expectations; provide an early warning of 
issues with service; or focus attention on areas where communication, 
training, or changes in operations might improve delivery of products 
or services. This collection will allow for ongoing, collaborative and 
actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and 
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the 
improvement of program management.
    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. 
Responses will be assessed to plan and inform efforts to improve or 
maintain the quality of service offered to the public. If this 
information is not collected, vital feedback from customers and 
stakeholders on the Agency's services will be unavailable.
    AMS 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 is low-cost for both the respondents 
and the Federal Government;
     The collection is non-controversial and does not raise 
issues of concern to other Federal agencies;
     The 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 is intended to be used only 
internally for general service improvement and program management 
purposes and is not intended for release outside of AMS (if released, 
AMS must indicate the qualitative nature of the information);
     Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of 
substantially informing influential policy decisions; and
     Information gathered will yield qualitative information; 
the collection will not be designed or expected to yield statistically 
reliable results or used as though the results are generalizable to the 
population of study.
    Feedback collected under this generic clearance provides useful 
information, but it does not yield data that can be generalized to the 
overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative 
information will not be used for quantitative information collections 
that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as 
monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such 
data uses require more rigorous designs that address: The target 
population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, 
the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the 
precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed 
sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing 
potential nonresponse bias, the protocols for data collection, and any 
testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding 
this study. Depending on the degree of influence the results are likely 
to have, such collections may still be eligible for submission for 
other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative 
results.
    As a general matter, this information collection will not result in 
any new

[[Page 11892]]

system of records containing privacy information and will not ask 
questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, 
religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered 
private.
    AMS currently has approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for this information collection. This approval is for 60,000 
burden hours, based on our initial request to OMB in April 2011. We are 
asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of 
these information collection activities for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .50 hours per response.
    Respondents: Individuals and households; businesses and 
organizations; State, local, or Tribal government.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 110,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 110,000.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 60,000/(Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    Comments may be sent to [name and address of AMS representative]. 
All comments received will be available for public inspection during 
regular business hours at the same address.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

    Dated: February 22, 2017.
Bruce Summers,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03812 Filed 2-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P