[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 72638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33510]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 72638]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


National Food and Agriculture Council (Service Center 
Initiative); Notice of Request for Approval of Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Service Center Initiative's (SCI) intention to 
request approval for information collection. This information 
collection consists of a limited customer survey in support of project 
pilot development prior to national deployment. This support is part of 
the Service Center reorganization authorized by the Federal Crop 
Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (Pub. L. 103-354)--the 1994 Act.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before February 
28, 2000 to be assured consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Dave McSween, Senior 
Financial Analyst, Business Case Team, Service Center Initiative, USDA, 
5602 Sunnyside Avenue; Beltsville, MD 20505-5000; telephone (301) 504-
7554; e-mail: [email protected]; or facsimile (301) 504-4103.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Customer Feedback from USDA Service Center Initiative Pilot 
Sites.
    OMB Control Number: Not assigned--this is a new request.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not assigned--this is a new request.
    Abstract: This request is to conduct customer interviews as to the 
quality, effectiveness, and utility of piloted projects. The 1994 Act 
authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to reorganize the Department. 
Within the goals and priorities of the National Partnership for 
Reinventing Government, a business process reengineering initiative was 
begun. USDA Service Centers nationwide are the backbone for providing 
USDA programs to rural America. The Service Center agencies are: Farm 
Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 
and Rural Development. Internal Department studies identified business 
processes and information technology at the Service Centers as having 
major deficiencies that impeded customer service. This Service Center 
Initiative (SCI) was formed to spearhead changes in service delivery.
    Nine national pilot sites were selected to be the test sites for 
new processes. Criteria for selection of the pilot sites included 
diversity of geographic, production, program and customer factors to 
ensure the full range of USDA's customers, partners and programs were 
represented. The nine pilot sites are: Snow Hill, MD; Okeechobee, FL; 
Scottsburg, IN; Paola, KS; Abilene, TX; Sacramento, CA; The Dalles, OR; 
Rolla, ND and Los Lunas, NM. As a result of business area analysis, 
specific projects were chartered to test new ideas at the pilot sites 
prior to nationwide deployment. The evaluation of the projects is 
scheduled to include internal USDA process savings and customer 
benefits. The Service Centers exist to provide customer service. There 
is no substitute for the opportunity to speak with customers and 
receive their candid thoughts on how well a specific project did or did 
not meet their needs. Without this information, projects may be 
deployed to 2500 Service Centers nationwide that do not meet basic 
customer requirements.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 hours per response.
    Respondents: Service Center customers and partners.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
    Estimated number of responses per respondent: 1.0.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 400 hours.
    Proposed topics for comment include: (a) whether the information to 
be collected is necessary for the proper performance of the agency's 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to 
enhance the clarity, quality, and usefulness of the information to be 
collected; or (d) ways to minimize further the burden of information 
collection for those who respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Comments must be sent to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC and to Dave McSween, Senior Financial Analyst, Business 
Case Team, Service Center Initiative, USDA, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue; 
Beltsville, MD 20705-5000; telephone (301) 504-7445; e-mail: 
[email protected]; or facsimile (301) 504-4103.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC on December 16, 1999.
Greg Carnill,
Executive Officer, National Food and Agriculture Council.
[FR Doc. 99-33510 Filed 12-27-99 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-VS-M