[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12495-12496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04899]



[[Page 12495]]

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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), as 
part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the 
general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be 
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial 
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, 
and the impact of collection requirement on respondents can be properly 
assessed. Currently, CNCS is soliciting comments on the following 
proposed Generic Information Collection Request (Generic ICR): 
``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Pilot and Test Data'' for 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. 
seq.). This collection was developed as part of a Federal Government-
wide effort to streamline the process for seeking feedback from the 
public on service delivery. This notice announces our intent to submit 
this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific 
aspects for the proposed information collection.
    Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed in the Addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the individual and office 
listed in the ADDRESSES section by May 5, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the title of the 
information collection activity, by any of the following methods:
    (1) By mail sent to: Corporation for National and Community 
Service; Attention Amy Borgstrom, Room 10508B; 1201 New York Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20525.
    (2) By hand delivery or by courier to the CNCS mailroom at Room 
8100 at the mail address given in paragraph (1) above, between 9:00 
a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    (3) Electronically through www.regulations.gov.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-
TDD) may call 1-800-833-3722 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern 
Time, Monday through Friday.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through regulations.gov. For this reason, please do not 
include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as 
sensitive personal information or proprietary information. If you send 
an email comment, your email address will be automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and 
made available on the Internet. Please note that responses to this 
public comment request containing any routine notice about the 
confidentiality of the communication will be treated as public comment 
that may be made available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion 
of the routine notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Borgstrom, 202-606-6930, or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CNCS is particularly interested in comments 
that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of CNCS, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate 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;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are expected to respond, including the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses).

Background

    CNCS seeks to use this new generic information collection to 
conduct focus groups and pilot test planned surveys.

Current Action

    This is a new information collection. The information collection 
activity will enable pilot testing of survey instruments in an 
efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's 
commitment to improving service delivery. By pilot testing we mean 
information that provides useful insights on how respondents interact 
with the instrument, but are not statistical surveys that yield 
quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of 
study. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder 
perceptions, experiences and expectations regarding prospective 
studies. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the 
improvement of research program management.
    The Agency will only submit a collection for approval under this 
generic clearance if it meets the following conditions:
     The collections are voluntary;
     The collections are low-burden for respondents (based on 
considerations of total burden hours, total number of respondents, or 
burden-hours per respondent) and are low-cost for both the respondents 
and the Federal Government;
     The collections are non-controversial and do not raise 
issues of concern to other Federal agencies;
     Any collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions 
from respondents who have experience with the program or may have 
experience with the program in the near future;
     Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected 
only to the extent necessary and is not retained;
     Information gathered will be used only internally for 
general service improvement and program management purposes and is not 
intended for release outside of the agency;
     Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of 
substantially informing influential policy decisions; and
     Information gathered will yield qualitative information; 
the collections will not be designed or expected to yield statistically 
reliable results or used as though the results are generalizable to the 
population of study.
    Feedback collected under this generic clearance provides useful 
information, but it does not yield data that can be generalized to the 
overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative 
information will not be used for quantitative information collections 
that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as 
monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such 
data uses require more rigorous designs that address: The target 
population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, 
the sample design (including stratification and clustering),

[[Page 12496]]

the precision requirements or power calculations that justify the 
proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing 
potential non-response bias, the protocols for data collection, and any 
testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding 
the study. Depending on the degree of influence the results are likely 
to have, such collections may still be eligible for submission for 
other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative 
results.
    As a general matter, information collections will not result in any 
new system of records containing privacy information and will not ask 
questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, 
religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered 
private.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Generic Clearance for the Testing/Piloting of Survey 
Instruments.
    OMB Number: TBD.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households; Businesses and 
Organizations; State, Local or Tribal Governments.
    Total Respondents: 350.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Average Time per Response: 7,500 minutes for 50 respondents to 
respond to test or pilot surveys. 300 minutes for 50 participants to 
participate in five focus groups. 3,000 minutes for 50 participants to 
participate in individual interviews.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 10,800.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

Request for Comments:

    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval. Comments are invited 
on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
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 of the collection of information; (c) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) 
estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden 
means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information 
to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.
    All written comments will be available for public inspection on 
regulations.gov.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.

    Dated: February 27, 2014.
Mary Hyde,
Acting Director, Research and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2014-04899 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
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