83_FR_788 83 FR 783 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

83 FR 783 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 5 (January 8, 2018)

Page Range783-783
FR Document2018-00085

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 5 (Monday, January 8, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 783]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00085]


========================================================================
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. 83, No. 5 / Monday, January 8, 2018 / 
Notices

[[Page 783]]



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.
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: American Community Survey Methods Panel Tests, 2018 Data 
Slide Test.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS CAPI, ACS internet.
    Type of Request: Non-substantive Change Request.
    Number of Respondents: 288,000.
    Average Hours Per Response: 40 minutes.
    Burden Hours: No additional burden hours are requested under this 
non-substantive change request.
    Needs and Uses:
    The American Community Survey (ACS) collects detailed socioeconomic 
data from about 3.5 million housing units 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 reducing respondent burden, improving 
data quality, achieving survey cost efficiencies, and improving ACS 
questionnaire content and related data collection materials. The ACS 
Methods Panel is a research program designed to address and respond to 
issues and survey needs.
    Residents of sampled housing units are invited to self-respond to 
the ACS through a series of up to five mailings. Some respondents call 
the Census Bureau with questions or concerns about the survey after 
receiving the mail invitation. One common reason for calling is to 
verify that the ACS is a real survey. Respondents are hesitant to 
provide information about their household online or on a paper 
questionnaire without knowing that the survey is legitimate. 
Additionally, respondents want to understand how the data are used. To 
address these concerns, in addition to potentially improving the self-
response rate, the Census Bureau seeks to test the inclusion of a data 
slide (also known as a slide chart) with the current ACS mail 
materials. The primary goals of the data slide are to help legitimize 
the survey and to present statistics of interest. The data slide could 
also potentially serve as a reminder to complete the survey. Promoting 
survey legitimacy and respondent trust may ultimately reduce respondent 
burden and increase self-response. The data slide will contain 
information on selected statistics from the ACS for each state, the 
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
    Two experimental treatments are proposed. This test will involve 
the initial package (the first mailing) and the paper questionnaire 
package (the third mailing); some experimental cases will receive a 
data slide in the initial package and other experimental cases will 
receive it in the paper questionnaire package (if a response is not 
received prior to the third mailing).
    This test will study the impact on self-response and cost of 
including the data slide in the mail materials. To field this test, the 
Census Bureau plans to use the ACS production sample (clearance number: 
0607-0810, expires 06/30/2018). Thus, there is no increase in burden 
from this test since each treatment will result in 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 Census Bureau proposes to test the data slide as part of the 
ACS May 2018 panel, adhering to the same data collection protocols as 
production ACS. The Census Bureau proposes to use two randomly selected 
methods panel groups for each treatment. Hence, each treatment will 
have a sample size of approximately 24,000 addresses. In total, 
approximately 48,000 addresses will be used for the two experimental 
treatments. Additionally, 24,000 addresses will receive the current 
production mail materials, but will be sorted and mailed at the same 
time as the other treatment materials and serve as the control for 
statistical comparison. The remaining sample will receive production 
materials.
    The Census Bureau proposes to evaluate treatment comparisons by 
comparing self-response rates at various points in the mailing schedule 
and by comparing the final response rates. For each comparison a two-
tailed test will be used so that the Census Bureau can measure the 
impact on the evaluation measure in either direction with 80 percent 
power, at the [alpha]=0.1 level. The effective samples were calculated 
based on the previous year's data for the May panel. The sample size 
will be able to detect differences of approximately 1.25 percentage 
points between the self-response return rates of the control and 
experimental treatments. Additionally, a cost analysis will also be 
conducted.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    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 OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-00085 Filed 1-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P



                                                                                                                                                                                                            783

                                                Notices                                                                                                        Federal Register
                                                                                                                                                               Vol. 83, No. 5

                                                                                                                                                               Monday, January 8, 2018



                                                This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER                    about the survey after receiving the mail              The Census Bureau proposes to use two
                                                contains documents other than rules or                  invitation. One common reason for                      randomly selected methods panel
                                                proposed rules that are applicable to the               calling is to verify that the ACS is a real            groups for each treatment. Hence, each
                                                public. Notices of hearings and investigations,         survey. Respondents are hesitant to                    treatment will have a sample size of
                                                committee meetings, agency decisions and                provide information about their
                                                rulings, delegations of authority, filing of                                                                   approximately 24,000 addresses. In
                                                petitions and applications and agency
                                                                                                        household online or on a paper                         total, approximately 48,000 addresses
                                                statements of organization and functions are            questionnaire without knowing that the                 will be used for the two experimental
                                                examples of documents appearing in this                 survey is legitimate. Additionally,                    treatments. Additionally, 24,000
                                                section.                                                respondents want to understand how                     addresses will receive the current
                                                                                                        the data are used. To address these                    production mail materials, but will be
                                                                                                        concerns, in addition to potentially                   sorted and mailed at the same time as
                                                DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                                  improving the self-response rate, the                  the other treatment materials and serve
                                                                                                        Census Bureau seeks to test the
                                                Submission for OMB Review;                                                                                     as the control for statistical comparison.
                                                                                                        inclusion of a data slide (also known as
                                                Comment Request                                                                                                The remaining sample will receive
                                                                                                        a slide chart) with the current ACS mail
                                                                                                                                                               production materials.
                                                   The Department of Commerce will                      materials. The primary goals of the data
                                                                                                        slide are to help legitimize the survey                   The Census Bureau proposes to
                                                submit to the Office of Management and
                                                                                                        and to present statistics of interest. The             evaluate treatment comparisons by
                                                Budget (OMB) for clearance the
                                                following proposal for collection of                    data slide could also potentially serve as             comparing self-response rates at various
                                                information under the provisions of the                 a reminder to complete the survey.                     points in the mailing schedule and by
                                                Paperwork Reduction Act.                                Promoting survey legitimacy and                        comparing the final response rates. For
                                                   Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.                          respondent trust may ultimately reduce                 each comparison a two-tailed test will
                                                   Title: American Community Survey                     respondent burden and increase self-                   be used so that the Census Bureau can
                                                Methods Panel Tests, 2018 Data Slide                    response. The data slide will contain                  measure the impact on the evaluation
                                                Test.                                                   information on selected statistics from                measure in either direction with 80
                                                   OMB Control Number: 0607–0936.                       the ACS for each state, the District of                percent power, at the a=0.1 level. The
                                                   Form Number(s): ACS–1, ACS CAPI,                     Columbia, and Puerto Rico.                             effective samples were calculated based
                                                ACS internet.                                              Two experimental treatments are                     on the previous year’s data for the May
                                                   Type of Request: Non-substantive                     proposed. This test will involve the                   panel. The sample size will be able to
                                                Change Request.                                         initial package (the first mailing) and                detect differences of approximately 1.25
                                                   Number of Respondents: 288,000.                      the paper questionnaire package (the                   percentage points between the self-
                                                   Average Hours Per Response: 40                       third mailing); some experimental cases
                                                                                                                                                               response return rates of the control and
                                                minutes.                                                will receive a data slide in the initial
                                                                                                                                                               experimental treatments. Additionally, a
                                                   Burden Hours: No additional burden                   package and other experimental cases
                                                                                                        will receive it in the paper                           cost analysis will also be conducted.
                                                hours are requested under this non-
                                                substantive change request.                             questionnaire package (if a response is                   Affected Public: Individuals or
                                                   Needs and Uses:                                      not received prior to the third mailing).              households.
                                                   The American Community Survey                           This test will study the impact on                     Frequency: One-time test as part of
                                                (ACS) collects detailed socioeconomic                   self-response and cost of including the                the monthly American Community
                                                data from about 3.5 million housing                     data slide in the mail materials. To field             Survey.
                                                units in the United States and 36,000 in                this test, the Census Bureau plans to use
                                                Puerto Rico each year. The ACS also                     the ACS production sample (clearance                      Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
                                                collects detailed socioeconomic data                    number: 0607–0810, expires 06/30/                         Legal Authority: Title 13, United
                                                from about 195,000 residents living in                  2018). Thus, there is no increase in                   States Code, Sections 141, 193, and 221.
                                                Group Quarter (GQ) facilities. An                       burden from this test since each                          This information collection request
                                                ongoing data collection effort with an                  treatment will result in the same burden               may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
                                                annual sample of this magnitude                         estimate per interview (40 minutes). The               Follow the instructions to view
                                                requires that the ACS continue research,                ACS sample design consists of                          Department of Commerce collections
                                                testing, and evaluations aimed at                       randomly assigning each monthly
                                                                                                                                                               currently under review by OMB.
                                                reducing respondent burden, improving                   sample panel into 24 groups of
                                                data quality, achieving survey cost                     approximately 12,000 addresses each.                      Written comments and
                                                efficiencies, and improving ACS                         Each group, called a methods panel                     recommendations for the proposed
                                                questionnaire content and related data                  group, within a monthly sample is                      information collection should be sent
                                                collection materials. The ACS Methods                   representative of the full monthly                     within 30 days of publication of this
                                                                                                        sample. Each monthly sample is a                       notice to OIRA_Submission@
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                Panel is a research program designed to
                                                address and respond to issues and                       representative subsample of the entire                 omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806.
                                                survey needs.                                           annual sample and is representative of
                                                                                                                                                               Sheleen Dumas,
                                                   Residents of sampled housing units                   the sampling frame.
                                                are invited to self-respond to the ACS                     The Census Bureau proposes to test                  Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief
                                                through a series of up to five mailings.                the data slide as part of the ACS May                  Information Officer.
                                                Some respondents call the Census                        2018 panel, adhering to the same data                  [FR Doc. 2018–00085 Filed 1–5–18; 8:45 am]
                                                Bureau with questions or concerns                       collection protocols as production ACS.                BILLING CODE 3510–07–P




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Document Created: 2018-01-06 02:31:56
Document Modified: 2018-01-06 02:31:56
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
FR Citation83 FR 783 

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