[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61452-61453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27082]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Evaluation of User 
Satisfaction With NIH Internet Sites

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 to provide opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institutes 
of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to 
be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval.
    Proposed Collection: Title: Evaluation of User Satisfaction with 
NIH Internet Sites. Type of Information Collection Request: Renewal. 
Need and Use of Information Collection: Executive Order 12862 directs 
agencies that provide significant services directly to the public to 
survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they 
want and their level of satisfaction with existing services. With this 
submission, the NIH, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, seeks 
to obtain OMB's generic approval to conduct online customer 
satisfaction surveys. Since the late 1980's, the NIH has seized the

[[Page 61453]]

opportunity to disseminate information and materials via the Internet. 
Today, rapid technological changes of the World-Wide Web warrant on-
going constituent and resource analysis. With survey data, the NIH is 
enabled to serve, and respond to, the ever-changing demand by the 
public. The `public' includes individuals (such as patients, health 
professionals, educators, and scientists), interested communities (such 
as national or local organizations/institutions) and businesses. Survey 
information will augment current Web content, delivery, and design 
research that is used to understand the needs of the Web user, and more 
specifically, the NIH user community. Primary objectives are to: (1) 
Classify NIH Internet users; (2) summarize and better understand 
customer needs; and (3) quantify the effectiveness/efficiency of 
current tools and delivery. Overall, the Institutes, Centers, and 
Offices of the NIH will use the survey results to identify strengths 
and weaknesses in current Internet strategies. Findings will help to: 
(1) Understand the user community and how to better serve Internet 
users; (2) discover areas requiring improvement in either content or 
delivery; (3) realize how to align Web offerings with identified user 
need(s); and (4) explore methods to offer and deliver information with 
efficacy and equity. Frequency of Response: On occasion [As needed on 
an on-going and potentially concurrent basis (by Institute, Center, or 
Office)]. Affected Public: Users of the Internet. Primarily, this is an 
individual at their place(s) of access including, but not limited to, 
home and/or work environments. Type of Respondents: Public users of the 
NIH Internet site, www.nih.gov, which may include organizations; 
medical researchers; physicians and other health care providers; 
librarians; students; and the general public. Estimated Number of 
Respondents: 104,000. Number of Respondents Per Respondent: 1. Average 
Burden Hours Per Response: 0.0835. Burden Hours Requested: 8684. Total 
annualized cost to respondents is estimated at $130,260. There are no 
capital costs, operating costs and/or maintenance costs to report.

                     Survey Title: Web Customer Satisfaction Survey Annual Reporting Burden
             [Web-based; Required for Federal Register requests under PRA, Paperwork Reduction Act]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         Avg. burden
                     Survey area                         Number of      Frequency of    per response     Burden
                                                        respondents       response         (hours)       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NIH Organization-wide (1 entity)................           4,000  ...............  ..............        334
                                                     -----------------
Overall customer satisfaction.......................           2,000               1         0.1002          200
Specific indicator: Top-level/Entry pages...........           1,000               1         0.0668           67
Specific indicator: Tools and initiatives...........           1,000               1         0.0668           67
                                                     -----------------
    Individual Institutes/Centers/Offices (25                100,000  ...............  ..............      8,350
     entities)......................................
                                                     -----------------
Overall customer satisfaction.......................          50,000               1         0.1002        5,010
Specific indicator: Top-level/Entry pages...........          25,000               1         0.0668        1,670
Specific indicator: Tools and initiatives...........          25,000               1         0.0668        1,670
                                                     =================
    Total...........................................         104,000  ...............        0.084         8,684
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the 
following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) 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; (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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information on 
the proposed collection of information contact Dennis Rodrigues, NIH 
Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg. 
31, Rm. 5B58, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2094, or call non toll-free at 
(301) 435-2932. You may also e-mail your request to [email protected].
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: September 29, 2003.
John Burklow,
Acting Associate Director for Communications, Office of the Director, 
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 03-27082 Filed 10-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P