83 FR 23428 - Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 98 (May 21, 2018)
Patent and Trademark Office
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 98 (May 21, 2018)
| Page Range | 23428-23430 | |
| FR Document | 2018-10768 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 23428-23430] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-10768] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on a proposed extension of an existing information collection; 0651-0080: Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 20, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include ``0651- 0080: Generic Clearance comment'' in the subject line of the message. Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. [[Page 23429]] Mail: Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information should be directed to Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-8123; or by email to informationcollection@uspto.gov with ``Paperwork'' in the subject line. Additional information about this collection can be found at http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information Collection Review.'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Executive Order 12862 (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf) directs Federal agencies to provide services to the public that matches or exceeds the best services available in the private sector. In order to work continuously to ensure that its programs are effective and meet its customers' needs, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter ``USPTO'' or ``the Agency'') proposes the following generic clearance to collect qualitative feedback on its service delivery. Qualitative feedback refers to information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but is not in the form of statistical surveys which yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. Collecting feedback will allow for the Agency to have a pulse on customer satisfaction and adjust where necessary to meet and exceed expectations. This feedback collection will provide for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communication between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It also will enable the Agency to garner customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient and timely manner, in accordance with the USPTO's commitment to improving services. The information collected from Agency customers and stakeholders will help ensure users have an opportunity to convey their experience with USPTO programs. This collection will also provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations, which will allow the Agency to focus attention on areas where communication, training, or changes in operations may be necessary. Improving Agency programs requires ongoing assessment. The Agency will collect, analyze, and interpret information gathered to identify strengths and weaknesses of current services. Based on feedback received, the Agency will identify operational changes needed to improve programs and services. The solicitation of feedback will target areas such as: Timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution of issues with service delivery. The Agency is committed to hearing feedback from its customers. Responses will be assessed to identify service areas in need of improvement. If this information is not collected, then the Agency will miss opportunities to obtain vital feedback from its customers and stakeholders on ways to improve their program and services. The Agency will only submit a collection for approval under this generic clearance if it meets the following conditions: The collection is voluntary; The collection is low-burden for respondents (based on considerations of total burden hours, total number of respondents, or burden-hours per respondent) and are low-cost for both the respondents and the Federal Government; The collection is noncontroversial and does not raise issues of concern to other Federal agencies; Any collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the near future; Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected only to the extent necessary and is not retained; Information gathered will only be used internally for general program and service improvement as well as program administrative purposes, and is not intended for release outside the Agency; Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions; and Information gathered will yield qualitative information; the collections are not designed or expected to yield statistically reliable results nor used as though the results are generalizable to the population of study. As a general matter, these information collections will not result in any new system of records containing privacy information and will not ask questions of a sensitive nature. II. Method of Collection The USPTO uses surveys, focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, and usability testing to collect feedback from its customers. These may be conducted via telephone, through electronic means, or in person. The USPTO expects customers will respond to the questionnaires and surveys primarily through electronic means, and to the focus groups, interviews, and usability testing primarily in person. III. Data OMB Number: 0651-0080. IC Instruments and Forms: The individual instruments in this collection, as well as their associated forms, are listed in the table below. Type of Review: Regular. Affected Public: Individuals and households; businesses or other for-profits; and not-for-profit institutions. Estimated Number of Respondents: 143,000 responses per year. Estimated Time per Response: Between 3 minutes (0.05 hours) and 120 minutes (2 hours), depending on the instruments used and the item being completed. Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 18,475 hours. Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: $4,387,986.75. The USPTO expects that attorneys, paralegals and pro se applicants will complete these applications. The professional hourly rate for attorneys is $438, and the hourly rates for paralegals and pro se applicants are $145 and $30, respectively. The average of the combined respondent rate is $204.33. Using this blended hourly rate, the USPTO estimates that the total respondent cost burden for this collection is $4,387,986.75 per year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estimated time for Estimated Estimated IC No. Information collection item response annual annual burden Rate (S/hr) (minutes) responses hours ....................................... (a) (b) (a) x (b) = .............. (c) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.............................................. Customer Surveys....................... 5 40,000 3,333.33 $204.33 [[Page 23430]] 2.............................................. Questionnaires/Customer Comment Cards/ 5 600 50.00 $204.33 Complaint Forms. 3.............................................. Focus Groups/Interviews................ 15 500 125.00 $204.33 4.............................................. Small Discussion Groups................ 120 400 800.00 $204.33 5.............................................. Usability Tests (In-person observation 30 1,000 500.00 $204.33 (i.e., Website/Software). 6.............................................. ForeSee Surveys (USPTO.GOV)............ 10 100,000 16,666.67 $204.33 --------------------------------------------------------------- Total (Three-Year Period).................. ....................................... .............. 143,000 18,475 .............. (429,000) (55,425) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There are no capital start-up, maintenance, postage, recordkeeping costs, or any other fees associated with this information collection. IV. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, e.g., the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Marcie Lovett, Records Management Division Director, USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2018-10768 Filed 5-18-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
![23428 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2018 / Notices
The MDP operates within the Office Budget (OMB) for clearance the trip, and zip code. A mail-survey mode
of Response and Restoration as part of following proposal for collection of will be used for the follow-up
NOAA’s National Ocean Service. information under the provisions of the questionnaire. The mail survey
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. instrument will combine a selection of
II. Method of Collection
Chapter 35). questions from a previously OMB-
Respondents to this collection may Agency: National Oceanic and approved survey instrument used in
choose to submit electronically or in Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Orange County, California with new
paper format. Title: Preliminary Case Study contingent behavior questions
III. Data Assessing Economic Benefits of Marine developed specifically for this study to
Debris Reduction. determine the impact of the presence of
OMB Control Number: 0648–0718. OMB Control Number: 0648–0756. marine debris on respondents’
Form Number(s): None. Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission recreation choices. This data collection
Type of Request: Regular (revision of will determine the impact of marine
(extension of an existing information a currently approved information
collection). debris on survey respondents’ recreation
collection). choices at these seven coastal
Affected Public: Business or other for- Number of Respondents: 1,600.
profit organizations, not-for-profit Average Hours per Response: On-site communities and represents the first
institutions, state, local or tribal intercept, 2 minutes; full survey, 10 component to be undertaken as part of
government. minutes. the larger study.
Estimated Number of Respondents: Burden Hours: 729. Affected Public: Individuals or
70. Needs and Uses: This request is for households.
Estimated Time per Response: 10 revision of a currently approved Frequency: One time.
hours (semi-annually). information collection. A pretest was Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Estimated Total Annual Burden conducted at one site, and the survey is This information collection request
Hours: 1,400. now being extended to 4 sites. may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow
Estimated Total Annual Cost to The National Ocean Service, Office of the instructions to view Department of
Public: $0 in recordkeeping/reporting Response and Restoration, Marine Commerce collections currently under
costs. Debris Program is sponsoring this data review by OMB.
IV. Request for Comments collection. The Marine Debris Program Written comments and
was created under the 2006 ‘‘Marine recommendations for the proposed
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether Debris Research, Prevention, and information collection should be sent
the proposed collection of information Reduction Act’’ (33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.) within 30 days of publication of this
is necessary for the proper performance which was reauthorized in 2012 as the notice to OIRA_Submission@
of the functions of the agency, including ‘‘Marine Debris Act Amendments of omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
whether the information shall have 2012’’ (H.R. 1171) as part of the Coast
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Dated: May 16, 2018.
Guard Maritime Transportation Act Sarah Brabson,
agency’s estimate of the burden (H.R. 2838). Among other activities, the
(including hours and cost) of the NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
bill requires NOAA ‘‘. . . to address the
proposed collection of information; (c) adverse impacts of marine debris on the
[FR Doc. 2018–10746 Filed 5–18–18; 8:45 am]
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and United States economy . . .’’ To that BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P
clarity of the information to be aim, the proposed data collection will
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the support the goals of a larger study
burden of the collection of information DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
whose purpose is to develop a regional
on respondents, including through the economic model to estimate the value to
use of automated collection techniques Patent and Trademark Office
local economies of increased spending
or other forms of information on recreation and tourism from the Generic Clearance for the Collection of
technology. reduction or elimination of marine Qualitative Feedback on Agency
Comments submitted in response to
debris on beaches in seven coastal Service Delivery
this notice will be summarized and/or
communities of the continental U.S. The
included in the request for OMB ACTION: Proposed collection; comment
data collection will consist of on-site
approval of this information collection; request.
sampling to generate a pool of
they also will become a matter of public
respondents who will be sent a mail
record. SUMMARY: The United States Patent and
survey that asks questions related to
Dated: May 16, 2018. beach attributes, local beach familiarity, Trademark Office (USPTO), as required
Sarah Brabson, number of beach trips taken, and ratings by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer. of marine debris encountered while on 1995, invites comments on a proposed
these trips. Onsite sampling will involve extension of an existing information
[FR Doc. 2018–10748 Filed 5–18–18; 8:45 am]
intercepting people at several beaches in collection; 0651–0080: Qualitative
BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P
each study area and asking them to Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.
participate in a mail survey. For those DATES: Written comments must be
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE willing to take the mail survey, a brief submitted on or before July 20, 2018.
onsite interview will ask the ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
National Oceanic and Atmospheric respondent’s name and mailing address, by any of the following methods:
Administration as well as several demographic • Email: InformationCollection@
questions such as age and education. uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0080: Generic
Submission for OMB Review;
Those who do not agree to participate in Clearance comment’’ in the subject line
Comment Request
the mail survey will only be asked the of the message.
The Department of Commerce will demographic questions, whether they • Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://
submit to the Office of Management and participated in a single or multi-day www.regulations.gov.
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![23430 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 98 / Monday, May 21, 2018 / Notices
Estimated Estimated Estimated
time for Rate
IC No. Information collection item annual annual burden
response (S/hr)
responses hours
(minutes)
(a) (b) (a) x (b) = (c)
2 ..................... Questionnaires/Customer Comment Cards/Complaint 5 600 50.00 $204.33
Forms.
3 ..................... Focus Groups/Interviews ..................................................... 15 500 125.00 $204.33
4 ..................... Small Discussion Groups .................................................... 120 400 800.00 $204.33
5 ..................... Usability Tests (In-person observation (i.e., Website/Soft- 30 1,000 500.00 $204.33
ware).
6 ..................... ForeSee Surveys (USPTO.GOV) ........................................ 10 100,000 16,666.67 $204.33
Total .............................................................................................. ........................ 143,000 18,475 ........................
(Three- (429,000) (55,425)
Year
Period).
Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) ACTION: Proposed extension of an States Patent and Trademark Office
Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There are existing information collection; (USPTO) charges fees for maintaining in
no capital start-up, maintenance, comment request. force all utility patents based on
postage, recordkeeping costs, or any applications filed on or after December
other fees associated with this SUMMARY: The United States Patent and 12, 1980. Payment of these maintenance
information collection. Trademark Office (USPTO), as part of its fees is due at 31⁄2, 71⁄2, and 111⁄2 years
continuing effort to reduce paperwork after the date the patent was granted. If
IV. Request for Comments and respondent burden, invites the the USPTO does not receive payment of
Comments are invited on: general public and other Federal the appropriate maintenance fee and
(a) Whether the proposed collection of agencies to comment on proposed and/ any applicable surcharge within a grace
information is necessary for the proper or continuing information collections, period of six months following each of
performance of the functions of the as required by the Paperwork Reduction the above due dates (at 4, 8, or 12 years
agency, including whether the Act of 1995. after the date of grant), the patent will
information shall have practical utility; DATES: Written comments must be expire at that time. After a patent
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s submitted on or before July 20, 2018. expires, it is no longer enforceable.
estimate of the burden (including hours ADDRESSES: Written comments may be Maintenance fees are not required for
and cost) of the proposed collection of submitted by any of the following design, plant, or reissue patents if the
information; methods: patent being reissued did not require
(c) ways to enhance the quality, • Email: InformationCollection@ maintenance fees.
utility, and clarity of the information to uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0016 Rules for Payments of maintenance fees that are
be collected; and Patent Maintenance Fees’’ in the subject submitted during the six-month grace
(d) ways to minimize the burden of line of the message. period before patent expiration must
• Mail: Marcie Lovett, Director, include the appropriate surcharge as
the collection of information on
Records and Information Governance indicated by 37 CFR 1.20(h).
respondents, e.g., the use of automated
Division, Office of the Chief Technology Submissions of maintenance fee
collection techniques or other forms of
Officer, United States Patent and payments and surcharges must include
information technology. Comments
Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, the relevant patent number and the
submitted in response to this notice will
Alexandria, VA 22313–1450. corresponding United States application
be summarized or included in the • Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://
request for OMB approval of this number in order to identify the correct
www.regulations.gov. patent and ensure proper crediting of
information collection; they also will
become a matter of public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: the fee being paid.
Requests for additional information If the USPTO refuses to accept and
Marcie Lovett, should be directed to Raul Tamayo, record a maintenance fee payment that
Records Management Division Director, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent was submitted prior to the expiration of
USPTO, Office of the Chief Information Legal Administration, United States a patent, the patentee may petition the
Officer. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Director to accept and record the
[FR Doc. 2018–10768 Filed 5–18–18; 8:45 am] P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– maintenance fee under 37 CFR 1.377.
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 1450; by telephone at 571–272–7728; or This petition must be accompanied by
by email at Raul.Tamayo@uspto.gov the fee indicated in 37 CFR 1.17(g),
with ‘‘Paperwork’’ in the subject line. which may be refunded if it is
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Additional information about this determined that the refusal to accept the
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
collection is also available at http:// maintenance fee was due to an error by
Patent and Trademark Office
www.reginfo.gov under ‘‘Information the USPTO.
Proposed Collection; Comment Collection Review.’’ If a patent has expired due to
Request; ‘‘Rules for Patent SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: nonpayment of a maintenance fee, the
Maintenance Fees’’ patentee may petition the Director to
I. Abstract accept a delayed payment of the
AGENCY:United States Patent and Under 35 U.S.C. § 41 and 37 CFR maintenance fee under 37 CFR 1.378.
Trademark Office, Commerce. 1.20(e)–(h) and 1.362–1.378, the United The Director may accept the payment of
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Document Created: 2018-11-02 11:07:53
Document Modified: 2018-11-02 11:07:53
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Proposed collection; comment request. | |
| Dates | Written comments must be submitted on or before July 20, 2018. | |
| Contact | Requests for additional information should be directed to Marcie Lovett, Director, Records and Information Governance Division, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-272-8123; or by email to [email protected] with ``Paperwork'' in the subject line. | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 23428 |
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