[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 31306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12697]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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: Census Field Staff Exit Questionnaires.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0404.
    Form Number(s): BC-1294, BC-1294D.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 84.
    Number of Respondents: 650.
    Average Hours per Response: BC-1294 = 7 minutes, BC-1294D = 10 
minutes.
    Needs and Uses: 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. Therefore, 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 their Census 
Bureau jobs.
    The exit questionnaires are the instruments we use to collect 
turnover data from a sample of former current survey interviewers 
(field representatives) and decennial census interviewers (enumerators 
and listers). The goal or 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 interviewers not to 
leave. Thus the exit questionnaires seek reasons interviewers quit, 
inquire about motivational factors that would have kept interviewers 
from leaving, attempt to identify training program strengths and 
weaknesses and their impacts on turnover, and explore the impact of 
pay, working conditions and supervisory styles on employees' reasons 
for quitting.
    As the environment in which surveys take place, the demographics of 
our labor force and the way surveys are conducted continues to change, 
it is important that we continue to examine the interviewers' concerns 
about their job. 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 us determine if the 
reasons for interviewer turnover appear to be systemic or localized. 
The exit questionnaires have shown to be useful and, therefore, we 
believe it is important to continue to use them to affect program 
planning and management.
    Forms BC-1294 and the BC-1294(D) are the instruments we currently 
use to collect turnover data from a sample of former current survey 
interviewers, and decennial census listers/enumerators, respectively.
    This submission includes changes to the BC-1294, which reflect 
Census Bureau policy and procedural changes to current surveys since 
the last request for clearance. This submission does not include 
changes to the BC-1294(D). We are dropping the BC-1294(CM), Coverage 
Measurement Exit Questionnaire, from this clearance.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 5 U.S.C., Sections 301, 2301 and 3101.
    OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 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 Brian Harris-Kojetin,
    OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or email 
([email protected]).

    Dated: May 21, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-12697 Filed 5-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P