[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 88 (Monday, May 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24840-24841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09806]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Information Collection: Generic Clearance for the Collection of 
Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and 
organizations on the renewal of a currently approved information 
collection, Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative 
Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before July 9, 2021 
to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will 
be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Commenters are encouraged to submit comments by email, if 
possible. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected] and/or [email protected]">dannet[email protected].
     Mail: Ann E. Goode, Branch Chief, Directives and 
Regulations Branch, Strategic Planning, Budget and Accountability, 
Forest Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Forest Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250.
    Comments received in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites and upon request. 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 comments that may be made 
available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine 
notice.
    The public may request an electronic copy of the draft supporting 
statement and/or any comments received. Requests should be emailed to 
[email protected]">dannet[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dannette Jones, Information 
Collections Officer, Directives and Regulations, Strategic Planning, 
Budget and Accountability, via email at [email protected]">dannet[email protected] or 
(202) 205-1295. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the 
hearing-impaired (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, including 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 
on Agency Service Delivery.
    OMB Number: 0596-0226.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2021.
    Type of Request: Extension with no Revision.
    Abstract: This information collection activity provides a means to 
garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, 
timely manner, in accordance with the Agency's commitment to improve 
service delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that 
provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions 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, 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 and 
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the 
improvement of program management. The solicitation of feedback will 
target areas such as: Timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of 
information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution 
of issues with service delivery. Responses will be assessed to plan and 
inform efforts to improve or maintain the quality of service offered to 
the public.
    If this information is not collected, vital feedback from customers 
and stakeholders on the Agency's services will be unavailable. 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 noncontroversial 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 is intended to be used only 
internally for general service improvement and program management 
purposes and is not intended for release outside of the agency (if 
released, the agency must indicate the qualitative nature of the 
information);
     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

[[Page 24841]]

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 nonresponse 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 Respondents: Individuals and Households, Business and 
Organizations, State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimate of Burden per Response: 1 to 60 Minutes.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 3,500,000.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 875,000 hours.
    Comment is Invited: Comment is invited on: (1) Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the stated purposes and the 
proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether 
the information will have practical or scientific utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for approval.

Amelia Steed,
Acting Assistant Director, Formulations Branch, Strategic Planning, 
Budget and Accountability.
[FR Doc. 2021-09806 Filed 5-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P