83 FR 52190 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Census Bureau Field Tests and Evaluations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 200 (October 16, 2018)

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 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.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52190-52191]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22493]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic 
Clearance for Census Bureau Field Tests and Evaluations

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 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.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before December 17, 2018.

[[Page 52191]]


ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]). You may also submit comments, identified by Docket 
Number USBC-2018-0013, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: 
http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the 
public record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov 
for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments 
will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Jennifer Childs, Census Bureau, Washington, DC 
20233; (301) 763-4932 (or via the internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request an extension of the current 
OMB approval to conduct a series of studies to research and evaluate 
how to improve data collection activities for data collection programs 
at the Census Bureau. These studies will explore how the Census Bureau 
can improve efficiency, data quality, and response rates and reduce 
respondent burden in future census and survey operations, evaluations 
and experiments.
    This information collection will operate as a generic clearance. 
The estimated number of respondents and annual reporting hours 
requested cover both the known and yet to be determined tests. A 
generic clearance is needed for these tests because though each share 
similar methodology, the exact number of tests and the explicit details 
of each test to be performed has yet to be determined. Once information 
collection plans are defined, they will be submitted on an individual 
basis in order to keep OMB informed as these tests progress.
    The Census Bureau plans to test the use of new and improved data 
collection techniques for self-enumeration and interviewer data-
collection tasks surrounding and following the ongoing census and 
survey operations. The research and evaluation may include: Developing 
alternative enumeration or follow-up questionnaires; usability issues; 
conducting interviews or debriefings; and non-English language training 
and interviews. To study enumeration, the Census Bureau may conduct the 
enumeration directly with a household member or knowledgeable 
respondent. The questions asked in these studies will be typical census 
or survey questions and questions related to that content, along with 
potential attitudinal and satisfaction debriefing questions.

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected through observations, self-
response, face-face interviews, and/or telephone interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0971.
    Form Number: Not yet determined.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100,000 per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 16,667 hours annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to the respondent 
other than time to answer the information request.
    Respondents Obligation: Mandatory or Voluntary, depending on cited 
authority.
    Legal Authority: Data collection for this project is authorized 
under the authorizing legislation for the questionnaire being tested. 
This may be Title 13, Sections 131, 141, 161, 181, 182, 193, and 301 
for Census Bureau sponsored surveys, and Title 13 and 15 for surveys 
sponsored by other Federal agencies. We do not now know what other 
titles will be referenced, since we do not know what survey 
questionnaires will be pretested during the course of the clearance.

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, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-22493 Filed 10-15-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P