[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 15176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7543]


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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: Field Representative Exit Questionnaire.
    Form Number(s): BC-1294, BC-1294(D).
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0404.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of an expired 
collection.
    Burden: 59 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 500.
    Avg Hours Per Response: BC-1294-7 minutes; BC-1294(D)-10 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: Field interviewers are the foundation of Census 
Bureau data collection programs. Retention of trained field 
interviewing staff is a major concern for the Census Bureau because of 
both the monetary costs associated with employee turnover, as well as 
the potential impact on data quality. High turnover among interviewers 
can result in a reduction in the quality of data collected as well as 
increases in the cost of collecting data. In a continuous effort to 
devise policies and practices aimed at reducing turnover among 
interviewers, the Census Bureau collects data on the reasons 
interviewers leave the Census Bureau. The exit questionnaires (Forms 
BC-1294 and BC-1294(D)) are used to collect data from a sample of 
former current survey interviewers (field representatives) and 
decennial census interviewers (enumerators).
    The purpose of the exit questionnaires is to determine the reasons 
for interviewer turnover and what the Census Bureau might have done or 
can do to influence them not to leave. As the demographics of our labor 
force, the nature of the surveys conducted, and the environment in 
which surveys take place continue to change, it is important that we 
continue to examine the interviewers' concerns. Information provided by 
respondents to the exit questionnaire provides insight on the measures 
the Census Bureau might take to decrease turnover and is useful in 
helping to determine if the reasons for interviewer turnover appear to 
be systemic or localized. The exit questionnaires seek reasons 
interviewers quit, inquires about motivational factors that would have 
kept the interviewers from leaving, identify training program strengths 
and weaknesses as they impact on the decision to quit, identify 
supervisory style strengths and weaknesses as they impact on the 
decision to leave, and identify the impact of pay and other working 
conditions on the interviewer's decision to leave the job. The exit 
questionnaires have been shown to be useful and we want to continue 
their use.
    Both exit questionnaires have been revised since the last request 
for clearance to improve clarity in the wording of some questions. Some 
answer categories that are no longer germane have been deleted or 
replaced. Some questions have been removed. Changes to the exit 
questionnaires were made based on lessons learned and feedback on the 
current forms.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: 5 U.S.C. 3101; 13 U.S.C., 23.
    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 6608, 
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: March 26, 2002.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-7543 Filed 3-28-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P