[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 201 (Monday, October 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55844-55845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28065]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


National Food and Agriculture Council; Request for Approval of a 
New Information Collection

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13), this notice announces the Department of Agriculture's 
(USDA) intent to request approval of a new information collection in 
support of the USDA's National Food and Agriculture Council's (FAC) 
customer service initiative.

DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by 
December 18, 1998, to be assured consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Leonard Covello, Quality 
Customer Service Team Leader, Service Center Implementation Team, Farm 
Service Agency (FSA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 
STOP 0512, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0512, 
telephone (202) 720-7796; FAX (202) 690-3434; e-mail leonard_
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Information Collection.
    OMB Control Number: New submission.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: President Clinton's Executive Order 12862, ``Setting 
Customer Service Standards,'' September 11, 1993, requires agencies to 
annually survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services 
they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services. 
Executive Order 12862, and ensuing memoranda: ``Improving Customer 
Service,'' March 22, 1995; and Conducting ``Conversations with 
America'' to Further Improve Customer Service, March 3, 1998, require, 
among other things, that agencies, on an ongoing basis, measure results 
achieved against published customer service standards and report the 
results annually. Agencies are directed to provide significant services 
directly to the public to make information, services, and complaint 
systems easily accessible, and to provide a means to address customer 
complaints. The proposed information will enable USDA Service Center 
and their partner agencies (Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural 
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD)) to 
comply with Executive Order 12862 and the above referenced memoranda.
    The types of information collection instruments the FAC Service 
Center Implementation Team plans to use for the next 3 years are 
written surveys, focus groups, comment and complaint cards, customer 
call backs, benchmarking studies, telephone surveys, and structured 
interviews.
    FAC and the USDA Service Center partner agencies will use the 
information collected to meet requirements of the Government 
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and to improve USDA's 
Service Center operations. The proposed collections will provide 
current performance and trend data in support of GPRA performance 
requirements and USDA's National FAC's Strategic and Annual Performance 
Plans.
    Survey data has been collected since 1994 and has been used for 
creating GPRA initiatives, to support the Service Center and the three 
partner agencies' strategic plans, and to obtain customer service 
baseline, as well as, to measure performance against established 
baselines.
    Written and telephone surveys will be designed and conducted in 
accordance with appropriate sampling design principles. The design and 
implementation of the surveys will meet the requirements and guidelines 
of OMB as set forth in the OMB manuals, ``The Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995: Implementing Guidance'' and ``Resource Manual for Customer 
Surveys.''
    Focus groups have and will continue to be a useful and productive 
data collection activity. They will be used to explore what our 
customers view as important service attributes. Focus groups are also 
very useful for getting customer views of new proposed ways of doing 
things. In 1996, USDA employees from the three partner agencies 
conducted 37 focus group meetings across the country. States were 
selected to insure a balance of programs and farming regions. The goal 
was to find out what kinds of service customers want and how USDA might 
best deal

[[Page 55845]]

with customer complaints. This qualitative data was compared with our 
quantitative data from our previous surveys. Customers' views were 
instrumental in developing USDA Service Center Customer Service 
Standards and in designing a nationwide comment and complaint process 
that is now in the pilot test phase. Both of these accomplishments 
implement mandates of Executive Order 12862 and the above referenced 
memoranda.
    Comment/complaint card participation is voluntary. Cards are given 
to customers at time of service or are available at the service point 
of contact. Customers will be able to use the card to submit 
complaints, compliments, and comments. Use of comment cards was 
developed as a system for resolving complaints in the minimum amount of 
time and is an integral part of the comment/complaint process.
    Customer callbacks (commonly called service quality calls) will be 
used to obtain continuous feedback from customers. Specially trained 
Service Center employees will place telephone calls to a random sample 
of customers who have received service within the past 24-48 hours. 
Customers' comments will be entered into a database and summarized. 
Reports will be produced for the service provider and management 
concerning the quality of service being provided. This data will also 
identify points in our work processes in need of review.
    As part of the 3-year plan, benchmarking studies will be conducted 
when needed and appropriate to ensure that our customers get service 
that is equal to ``best in business.'' These studies will examine 
business practices and performance in both the private sector as well 
as in other governmental entities. Such studies need not be restricted 
to companies that are in the same general business as the Federal 
Government.
    Structured or personal (one-on-one) interviews will be conducted as 
needed to obtain information from potential or existing customers. This 
data will be used as an indicator of potential problems, areas of 
concern, or areas for improvement.
    Information collection requests will be designed to produce valid 
results that will be generalized, when applicable, to the target 
participants. All collection instruments will collect reactions, 
recollections and opinions, not statistical or archival data.
    No information collection activity will ask respondents to submit 
trade secrets or other confidential information. No information 
collection activity will contain questions of a sensitive nature, such 
as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters 
that are commonly considered private.
    The target population is customers who receive or might be eligible 
to receive service in, from, or through a USDA Service Center. 
Customers include, but are not limited to, all producers and 
participants in single and multi-family housing, business and community 
development, and water and waste programs. USDA will collect data 
mostly during off-season times, generally from December through early 
April. This will minimize interference with customers' crop planting 
and other concentrated agri-business activities, while hopefully, 
maximizing response rates. Burden estimations for the information 
collection are based on a 3-year timeframe.
    The attached Table is an explanation of the various data collection 
instruments with regard to Estimate of Burden; Respondents; Estimated 
Number of Respondents; Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent; 
and Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents.

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                                                                                                     Estimated
                                                             Estimated      Estimated time for     total annual
   Data collection instrument           Frequency            number of         responses per         burden on
                                                            respondents         respondent          respondents
                                                                                                      (hours)
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Written surveys................  Annual.................          27,000  15 minutes............           6,750
State surveys (15 States)......  As appropriate.........          57,000  15 minutes............          14,250
Focus groups...................  As appropriate.........             500  120 minutes...........           2,400
State focus groups (6 States)..  As appropriate.........             288  120 minutes...........             576
Comment and complaint cards      Ongoing................          58,500  5 minutes.............           4,875
 (all States).
Customer call backs (6 States).  As appropriate.........          22,500  5 minutes.............           1,875
Benchmarking studies...........  As appropriate.........             120  4 hours...............             480
Telephone surveys (1 national).  As appropriate.........             500  10 minutes............              84
Structured interviews (6         As appropriate.........           4,500  30 minutes............           2,250
 States).
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    Proposed topics for comments are: (1) whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the USDA Service 
Center function, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the USDA Service Center estimate of 
burden, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) 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.
    Comments should be sent to Leonard Covello, Quality Customer 
Service Team Leader, Service Center Implementation Team, Farm Service 
Agency, Department of Agriculture, STOP 0512, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0512.
    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection 
contained in these proposed regulations between 30 and 60 days after 
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a 
comment to the OMB is best assured of having its full effect if it is 
received within 30 days of publication.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for the OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on October 14, 1998.
Gregory L. Carnill,
Executive Officer, USDA, National Food and Agriculture Council.
[FR Doc. 98-28065 Filed 10-15-98; 1:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P