[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38500-38501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15457]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration


Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection Request 
Submitted for Public Comment; EBSA Participant Assistance Program 
Customer Survey

AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the 
ADDRESSES section on or before September 20, 2021.

ADDRESSES: James Butikofer, Department of Labor, Employee Benefits 
Security Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, N-5718, 
Washington, DC 20210, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice requests public comment on the 
Department's revision of a currently approved collection of information 
regarding a customer survey that solicits 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 (EBSA), 
Department of Labor.
    Title: EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey.
    OMB Number: 1210-0161.
    Respondents: (Annual) 11,200.
    Number of Annual Responses: 11,200.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,867 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $0.
    Description: The demographic questions in the EBSA Participant 
Assistance Program Customer Survey are being updated in response to 
Executive Order 13985--Advancing Racial Equity and Support for 
Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.\1\ The new 
demographic survey information will be used to provide additional 
training to EBSA benefits advisors in order to better

[[Page 38501]]

serve the underserved populations that the Department assists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Presidential Documents, 86 FR 7009 (Jan. 25, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey collects 
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 are 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 are analyzed to provide actionable data that could be used 
to improve program performance. Examples of improved performance that 
may result from that study 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 survey 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.
     Evaluate the effectiveness of the additional demographic 
questions.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the ICR for OMB approval of the information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 14th day of July, 2021.
Ali Khawar,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, 
U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2021-15457 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P