[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]



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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: http://
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

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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