[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 117 (Monday, June 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35393-35394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3149]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Notice of Information Collection

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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    Bureau: International Trade Administration.
    Title: Commercial Service Client Focus Groups.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506 (2) (A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 19, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th & 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Request for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to: Joseph Carter, 14th & Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; Phone number: (202) 482-3342; E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The International Trade Administration's U.S. Commercial Service is 
mandated by Congress to help U.S. businesses, particularly small and 
medium-sized companies, export their products and services to global 
markets.
    As part of its mission, the U.S. Commercial Service currently uses 
``Quality Assurance Surveys'' to collect feedback from the U.S. 
business clients it serves. These surveys ask the client to evaluate 
the U.S. Commercial Service on its customer service provision. Results 
from the surveys are used to make improvements to the agency's business 
processes in order to provide better and more effective export 
assistance to U.S. companies. In

[[Page 35394]]

addition to collecting client feedback through Quality Assurance 
Surveys, the U.S. Commercial Service would like to institutionalize 
client focus groups as another mechanism to obtain further client 
feedback and substantiate customer service trends we are seeing in the 
surveys. Client focus groups will enrich the quantitative data of 
surveys by providing a qualitative context for the trends that emerge. 
The purpose of the attached client focus group questioning routes is to 
collect feedback from U.S. businesses that receive export assistance 
services from the U.S. Commercial Service. In providing these services, 
the U.S. Commercial Service promotes the goods and services of small 
and medium-sized U.S. businesses in foreign markets.

II. Method of Collection

    Recruit firms over phone using Commercial Service domestic offices 
(USEACs). Data collection will be conducted during face-to-face 
interview forums (6-8 participants per focus group) by a client focus 
group moderator who will transcribe via computer. All comments from 
participants will be anonymous

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0625-XXXX.
    Form Number: ITA-XXXX.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: U.S. companies that are recruited by the U.S. 
Commercial Service.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 96.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 192 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: The estimated annual cost for this 
collection is $6720.00.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for proper performance of the functions of the 
agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; 
(b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including 
hours and costs) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or forms of information technology. Comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included 
in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they 
also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 14, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E5-3149 Filed 6-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P