[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7561-7562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3359]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 34 / Monday, February 22, 2010 / 
Notices  

[[Page 7561]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights


Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights' intention to request approval for a new 
information collection for the USDA Independent Assessment of the 
Delivery of Technical and Financial Assistance.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 23, 2010 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Stacy Porto, Esq., Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Mail Stop 0115, Washington, 
DC 20250; Fax: (202) 690-1782; E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: USDA Independent Assessment of the Delivery of Technical and 
Financial Assistance.
    OMB Number: 0503-New.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Three years from approval date.
    Type of Request: New information collection.
    Abstract: USDA is interested in conducting an independent 
assessment of the delivery of programs of technical and financial 
assistance by certain agencies noted above. The project will examine 
USDA's program delivery at the State and local levels. The purpose of 
this project is to assess the effectiveness of USDA's programs in 
reaching America's diverse population in a non-discriminatory manner. 
This study will identify barriers to equal and fair access for USDA 
customers and provide recommendations to assist the Secretary of 
Agriculture in transforming USDA into a model organization.
    As part of this assessment of the laws, regulations, policies, 
practices, and results achieved in administering key programs 
administered by four entities within USDA [the Farm Service Agency 
(FSA), the Rural Development (RD) mission area, the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Risk Management Agency (RMA)], 
actual program delivery will be reviewed. The activities to be 
undertaken subject to this notice include:
     Conducting multi-modal (e.g. paper, Web, and telephone) 
survey of approximately 21,400 USDA customers and potential customers.
     Conducting in-depth in-person interviews with a sub-sample 
of up to 100 USDA customers.
     Conducting an impact analysis.
    These activities are described below:
     Multi-modal Survey. Surveys will be administered to 
potential customers and customers who applied for FSA, RD, NRCS, or RMA 
financial or technical programs, including those for commodities, 
credit, conservation, disaster relief, and any providing for grants or 
loans, (as authorized by Congress in 84 Counties across 14 States. A 
sample of 21,400 customers including African American, Hispanic, 
American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islanders, persons with 
disabilities, or women farm and ranch operators will be drawn from USDA 
databases.
     In-depth Interviews. After the surveys are completed, a 
sub-sample will be drawn from among the customers who completed the 
surveys and up to 100 in-depth interviews will be conducted to delve 
deeper into the experiences of the customers about the process of 
application and services they received.
     Impact Analysis. Actual practices, and results, including 
those at USDA Headquarters, agency Headquarters, State/Regional/Local 
USDA and State/County areas will be analyzed. The use of statistical 
data (such as the percent of low-resource farmers participating in a 
specific loan program); the findings and conclusions of internal and 
external reports on USDA civil rights; other sources, such as the 
existing minority/female farmer lawsuits, and advocacy organizations 
will be determined under this task.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average twenty (20) minutes per Self 
Administered Survey (paper or Web)/Telephone Survey response and two 
(2) hours per in-depth interview response. See Table 1 below.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Out of 21,400 USDA customers and 
potential customers to be surveyed, 15,100 respondents, (15,000 
respondents for the Self Administered Survey/Telephone Survey and 100 
respondents for the in-depth interview) are expected to respond.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 15,100.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5,200 hours.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Estimated
                                                      Annual         Estimated      burden per     Total burden
   Data collection activity        Respondents     frequency per     number of      respondent       estimate
                                                     response       respondents      (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Self administered survey/       USDA customers                 1          15,000              20           5,000
 Telephone survey.               and potential
                                 customers.
In depth interviews...........  USDA customers                 1             100             120             200
                                 and potential
                                 customers.
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[[Page 7562]]

 
    Total.....................  ................  ..............          15,100  ..............           5,200
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 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. All comments received will be available for 
public inspection during regular business hours at the same address.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for the Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments 
will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: February 8, 2010.
Joe Leonard, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, United States Department of 
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2010-3359 Filed 2-19-10; 8:45 am]
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