82 FR 38927 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 157 (August 16, 2017)

As part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process to seek feedback from the public on service delivery, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of the Chief Information Office (OCIO) has submitted a Generic Information Collection Request (ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. DHS previously published this information collection request (ICR) in the Federal Register on Friday, May 5, 2017, for a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received by DHS. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38927-38928]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17267]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Generic Clearance for 
the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments; Extension, 1670-0027.

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SUMMARY: As part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the 
process to seek feedback from the public on service delivery, the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs 
Directorate (NPPD), Office of the Chief Information Office (OCIO) has 
submitted a Generic Information Collection Request (ICR): ``Generic 
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. 
DHS previously published this information collection request (ICR) in 
the Federal Register on Friday, May 5, 2017, for a 60-day public 
comment period. No comments were received by DHS. The purpose of this 
notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until September 15, 
2017. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be 
addressed to OMB Desk Officer, Department of Homeland Security and sent 
via electronic mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collection activity provides 
a means to garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an 
efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's 
commitment to improving service delivery. NPPD is planning to submit 
this collection to OMB for approval. By qualitative feedback we mean 
information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, 
but are 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. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and 
actionable communications between NPPD 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 Directorate's services will be unavailable.
    NPPD will only submit a collection for approval under this generic 
clearance if it meets the following conditions: (1) The collections are 
voluntary; (2) The collections are low-

[[Page 38928]]

burden for respondents (based on considerations of total burden hours, 
total number of respondents, or burden-hours per respondent) and are 
low-cost for both the respondents and the Federal Government; (3) The 
collections are noncontroversial and do not raise issues of concern to 
other Federal agencies; (4) Any collection is targeted to the 
solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the 
program or may have experience with the program in the near future; (5) 
Personally identifiable information is collected only to the extent 
necessary and is not retained; (6) 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 the NPPD 
(if released, NPPD must indicate the qualitative nature of the 
information); (7) Information gathered will not be used for the purpose 
of substantially informing influential policy decisions; and (8) 
Information gathered will yield qualitative information; the 
collections 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 will provide useful 
information, but it will 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 fielding the 
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, information collections will not result in any 
new system of records containing personal 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.
    This is an extension of an existing information collection. The 
Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments 
which:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed 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 the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed 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, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

Analysis

    Agency: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.
    Title: Agency Information Collection Activities: Generic Clearance 
for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.
    OMB Number: 1670-0027.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households, Businesses and 
Organizations, State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 49,080.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 14 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 11,130 hours.

    Dated: August 9, 2017.
David Epperson,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-17267 Filed 8-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P