[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 5241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01503]



[[Page 5241]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment; EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey

AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA 95), provides the general 
public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed 
and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department 
assess the impact of its information collection requirements and 
minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public 
understand the Department's information collection requirements and 
provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits 
Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) described below. A copy of the 
ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice. ICRs also are available at reginfo.gov (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the 
ADDRESSES section on or before March 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Joseph Piacentini, Department of Labor, Employee Benefits 
Security Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, N-5718, 
Washington, DC 20210, [email protected], (202) 693-8410, Fax (202) 219-
4745 (these are not toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice requests public comment on the 
Department's proposed collection of information regarding a customer 
survey that will solicit inquirers' feedback on the applicability and 
utility of EBSA's Participant Assistance Program. A summary of the ICR 
and the current burden estimates follows:
    Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of 
Labor.
    Title: EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey.
    OMB Number: 1210-NEW.
    Respondents: (Annual) 11,200.
    Number of Annual Responses: 11,200.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,493 hours.
    Total Annualized Capital/Startup Costs: $0. Total Annual Costs: $0.
    Description: This survey will collect customer satisfaction data 
for a sample of private citizens who call into the participant 
assistance program to ask about their private sector employer provided 
benefits such as pensions, retirement savings, and health benefits. 
Three types of callers will be queried: (1) Those who need benefit 
claim assistance (2) Those who have a valid benefit claim and (3) Those 
who have an invalid benefit claim. The results of the survey will be 
analyzed to provide actionable data that could be used to improve 
program performance. Examples of improved performance include, but are 
not limited to:

 Being more attuned to inquirers' needs--Benefits Advisors 
should be more adept at identifying issues that lead to benefits 
recoveries and enforcement leads
 Survey data will enable National and Regional management to 
identify potential training needs
 Satisfaction scores will guide EBSA leadership to determine 
which Regions need assistance improving customer service
 Scores on individual BAs will reveal high performers and allow 
the agency to use those BAs' techniques as best practices for program-
wide improvement.

    The study will include data from regional offices in Atlanta, 
Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New 
York, Philadelphia and San Francisco and District offices in Miami, 
Seattle and Washington.

Focus of Comments

    The Department is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the collections of information are 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
collections 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 to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., by 
permitting electronic submissions of responses.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the ICRs for OMB approval of the information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 23, 2020.
Joseph S. Piacentini,
Director, Office of Policy and Research, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-01503 Filed 1-28-20; 8:45 am]
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