[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 81551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27636]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 11278]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Generic 
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and submission to OMB of 
proposed collection of information.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State has submitted the information 
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for approval. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we 
are requesting comments on this collection from all interested 
individuals and organizations. The purpose of this Notice is to allow 
30 days for public comment.

DATES: Submit comments up to January 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information regarding the collection listed in this notice, including 
requests for copies of the proposed collection instrument and 
supporting documents to Pamela Watkins, Department of State, Office of 
Directives Management, who may be reached at [email protected] or 
202-485-2159.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
     Title of Information Collection: Generic Clearance for the 
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.
     OMB Control Number: 1405-0193.
     Type of Request: Extension of a Currently Approved 
Collection.
     Originating Office: Office of Directives Management, A/
GIS/DIR.
     Form Number: Various public surveys.
     Respondents: Individuals responding to Department of State 
customer service evaluation requests.
     Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,000,000.
     Estimated Number of Responses: 2,000,000.
     Average Time per Response: 3.5 minutes.
     Total Estimated Burden Time: 116,667 annual hours.
     Frequency: Once per request.
     Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.
    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department.
     Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost 
burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    Please note that comments submitted in response to this Notice are 
public record. Before including any detailed personal information, you 
should be aware that your comments as submitted, including your 
personal information, will be available for public review.

Abstract of Proposed Collection

    The information collection activity will garner qualitative 
customer feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with 
the Administration's commitment to improving service delivery. This 
qualitative feedback will provide insights into customer perceptions, 
experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of issues with 
service, or focus attention on areas where communication, training or 
changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. 
These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable 
communications between the Agency and its customers. It will also allow 
feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program 
management.
    Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful 
information, but it will not yield data that can 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), 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 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.
    The 60-day Notice was published on July 15, 2020 (85 FR 42966). The 
annual burden was increased to 116,667 from 58,333 in this 30-day 
Notice to capture the impact of COVID-19 on Department services.

Methodology

    Respondents will fill out a brief customer survey after completing 
their interaction with a Department Program Office or Embassy. Surveys 
are designed to gather feedback on the customer's experiences.

Zachary Parker,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-27636 Filed 12-15-20; 8:45 am]
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