[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 9131-9132] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-4513] [[Page 9131]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request
Agency
Corporation for National and Community Service.
Action
Notice.
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Summary
The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. Sec. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirement on respondents can be properly assessed. Copies of the proposed information collection request may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning its proposed request for approval of a proposed new information collection regarding the internal clearance of a series of customer satisfaction surveys and community impact surveys. We are asking for this clearance under the requirements of Presidential Executive Order 12862 ``Setting Customer Service Standards'' and those of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. The Corporation is particularly interested in comments which: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Corporation, including whether the information will have practical utility; • 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; • Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Propose ways to 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.
Dates
Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section by April 26, 1999.
Addresses
Send comments to Corporation for National and Community Service, Attn. William Ward, Office of Policy Research, 9th Floor, 1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20525.
For Further Information Contact
William Ward (202) 606-5000, ext. 375.
Supplementary Information
The Corporation's annual performance plans for fiscal year 1999 and 2000 set performance goals for AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps. Included in the plans for each program are two types of customer surveys. One type is the customer satisfaction survey. Our Fiscal 2000 Performance Plan provides this description:
Customer Satisfaction Surveys. The Corporation's programs have many customers: program participants, grantees, community residents receiving services, local and state governments, and others. Gathering their perspectives on how well the Corporation is meeting their needs is an essential part of its commitment to continuous quality improvement. Targeted customer satisfaction surveys will be conducted annually, emphasizing how well the Corporation goes about its business of serving direct customers: the grantees and program participants.
The information from these surveys will be used to refine and improve the management of our programs so that we can better serve our grantees, subgrantees, and the participants in the service programs they operate. Moreover, we will be reporting each year to Congress, the results of these surveys as part of our annual performance report. The Corporation's annual performance plan includes specific measures derived from the proposed customer satisfaction surveys. Here are two examples of performance measures from our Fiscal 2000 Performance Plan: • Percent of AmeriCorps*State and National members rating program as offering a successful service experience. • Percent of AmeriCorps*State and National partners, including grantees, subgrantees, and host organizations reporting that the Corporation practices effective government. The second type of customer survey covered under this request for clearance is the community impact rating survey. The Fiscal 2000 Performance Plan provides this description:
Community Impact Ratings. This method assesses the impact of national service programs on the communities and organizations in which members serve. This assessment, or rating, consists of a survey of important community representatives. These informants should have first-hand knowledge of the quality and impact of the service work performed by members of national service programs. Each local program nominates a small number of community representatives. These representatives are not employees of the grantee or the local program. They could be professionals working in the same setting as national service participants. The local program will have the option of referring to a list of typical community institutions suggested by the Corporation they should try to include in their roster of nominees. The Corporation would build a roster from the list of nominees.
Some examples of performance measures derived from impact ratings included in our Performance Plans are: • Percent of community representatives with direct and informed knowledge of service activities rating AmeriCorps*VISTA programs as highly successful in meeting critical community needs. • Percent of community representatives reporting positive perceptions of benefits provided by AmeriCorps programs. These benefits will include increases in community collaboration, mobilization of volunteers, and local service capacity. Copies of the Corporation's Fiscal 2000 Performance Plan can be obtained in one of two ways. First, it will be available on the Corporation's Internet web page March 1, 1999 at: https:// www.nationalservice.org. Second, a copy can be obtained by contacting the office in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Background
There are two requirements driving this request for generic clearance of customer surveys by the Corporation. First, Executive Order 12862 (9/11/93) ``Setting Customer Service Standards'' requires agencies to ``survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services.'' Second, our Fiscal 1999 and Fiscal 2000 Performance Plans, under the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, set performance goals in the areas of customer satisfaction and community impact for every program activity we offer.
Current Action
The Corporation is seeking approval to conduct a series of customer surveys under an internal clearance process requiring no more than 10 days. These
surveys are required to fulfill the above stated requirements. Over the course of the next several months, we will be designing and implementing customer satisfaction surveys and community impact rating surveys for each of our program activities. These include: AmeriCorps (State and National, VISTA, and the National Civilian Community Corps), Learn and Serve America (K-12, Higher Education, and Community-based programs) and the National Senior Service Corps (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Foster Grandparent Program, and the Senior Companion Program). The results of these surveys will be reported in our annual performance reports to Congress, beginning in March 2000. Type of Review: New approval. AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service. Title: Generic Customer Survey Clearance Request. OMB Number: None. Agency Number: None. Affected Public: Current and future grantees and subgrantees of the Corporation, members of the service programs operated by these grantees and subgrantees, and members of the communities receiving services from these service programs. Total Respondents: Not available. Frequency: Annually. Average Time Per Response: 30 min. Estimated Total Burden Hours: Not available. Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): Not available. Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.
Dated: February 18, 1999. Thomas L. Bryant, Acting General Counsel. [FR Doc. 99-4513 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6050-28-U