[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75049-75050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30451]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Request Extension, Without Change, of a 
Currently Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS) to request extension without change of a currently 
approved information collection, the Generic Clearance for Survey 
Research Studies. There are no revisions to burden hours or the number 
of responses under this information collection request.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 1, 2016 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0248, by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket number 
above in the subject line of the message.
     E-fax: (855) 838-6382.
     Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to: 
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 5336

[[Page 75050]]

South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-
2024.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock, 
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. Renee Picanso, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-2707. Copies of this information 
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from 
David Hancock, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Clearance to Conduct Survey Research Studies.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0248.
    Type of Request: To extend a currently approved information 
collection for a period of three years.
    Abstract: The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will request 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a generic 
clearance that will allow NASS to rigorously develop, test, and 
evaluate its survey instruments and methodologies. The primary 
objectives of the National Agricultural Statistics Service are to 
prepare and issue State and national estimates of crop production, 
livestock production, economic statistics, and environmental statistics 
related to agriculture and to conduct the Census of Agriculture. This 
request is part of an on-going initiative to improve NASS surveys, as 
recommended by both its own guidelines and those of OMB.
    In the last decade, state-of-the art techniques have been 
increasingly instituted by NASS and other Federal agencies and are now 
routinely used to improve the quality and timeliness of survey data and 
analyses, while simultaneously reducing respondents' cognitive workload 
and burden. The purpose of this generic clearance is to allow NASS to 
continue to adopt and use these state-of-the-art techniques to improve 
its current data collections efforts. These tests will also be used to 
aid in the development of new surveys.
    NASS envisions using a variety of survey improvement techniques, as 
appropriate to the individual project under investigation. These 
include focus groups, cognitive and usability laboratory and field 
techniques, exploratory interviews, behavior coding, respondent 
debriefing, pilot surveys, and split-panel tests. After obtaining 
participants' permission, NASS plans to audio-record some cognitive 
interviews and usability interviews, in order to allow for more 
complete and accurate summaries of these qualitative interviews. This 
is a standard procedure for cognitive interviews and usability 
interviews at many other survey organizations, including Federal 
agencies. The consent form would be used for audio recording some 
cognitive interviews and usability interviews for research purposes. 
For these types of interviews, there will be no collection of 
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or any identifying 
information about the operator or operation.
    Following standard OMB requirements NASS will submit a change 
request to OMB individually for each survey improvement project it 
undertakes under this generic clearance and provide OMB with a copy of 
the questionnaire (if one is used), and all other materials describing 
the project.
    Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of 7 
U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this 
authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 
1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict 
confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. This 
Notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations 
at 5 CFR part 1320. Participation in all surveys and studies conducted 
under this approval will be voluntary.
    NASS also complies with OMB Implementation Guidance, 
``Implementation Guidance for Title V of the E-Government Act, 
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 
2002 (CIPSEA),'' Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p. 
33362.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for these collections 
of information is estimated to average from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours per 
respondent, dependent upon the survey and the technique used to test 
for that particular survey. The overall average is estimated to be 0.6 
hours per response.
    Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, farm managers, farm contractors, 
agri-businesses, and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,000.
    Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 15,000 hours.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (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 
those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms of information 
technology collection methods.
    All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record 
and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.

    Signed at Washington, DC, November 20, 2015.
R. Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-30451 Filed 11-30-15; 8:45 am]
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