[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32931-32932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15430]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted 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 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting Research.
    Form Number(s): Various.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0725.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 5,500 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 5,500.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 1 hour.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau maintains a generic clearance 
which relaxes some of the time constraints and enables the Census 
Bureau to conduct extended cognitive and questionnaire design research 
as part of testing for its censuses and surveys. This research program 
is used by the Census Bureau and survey sponsors to improve 
questionnaires and procedures, reduce

[[Page 32932]]

respondent burden, and ultimately increase the quality of data 
collected in the Census Bureau censuses and surveys. Pretesting 
activities are generally small-scale and involve one of the following 
methods for identifying measurement problems with the questionnaire or 
survey procedure: field tests, respondent debriefings, split sample 
experiments, cognitive interviews, and focus groups.
    A block of burden hours is reserved at the beginning of each fiscal 
year. The particular activities that will be conducted under the 
clearance are not specified in advance. The Census Bureau provides 
information to OMB about the specific pretesting activities on a flow 
basis throughout the year. OMB is notified of each pretesting activity 
in a letter that gives specific details about the activity, rather than 
by means of individual clearance packages. At the end of each year, a 
report is submitted to OMB that summarizes the number of hours used as 
well as the nature and results of the activities completed under the 
clearance.
    This request is for an extension of the current OMB approval of the 
generic clearance. There is no change in the estimated number of 
activities to be conducted per fiscal year or in the types of testing 
to be undertaken.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, Businesses or other for 
profit, Farms.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Data collection for this project is authorized 
under the authorizing legislation for the questionnaire being tested. 
This may be Title 13, Sections 131, 141, 161, 181, 182, 193, and 301, 
for Census-Bureau sponsored surveys, and Title 13 and 15 for surveys 
sponsored by other Federal agencies.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Madeleine Clayton, Departmental Paperwork 
Clearance Officer, (202)482-3129, Department of Commerce, room 6086, 
14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 
Internet at [email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: June 14, 2001.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-15430 Filed 6-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P