[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52492-52493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20243]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[18XD4523WT DWT000000.000000 DS64950000 DP.64920; OMB Control Number 
1090-0007]


Agency Information Collection Activities; American Customer 
Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Government Customer Satisfaction Surveys

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Strategic Employee and 
Organization Development, Federal Consulting Group, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the Federal Consulting Group (FCG), is proposing to renew an 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 21, 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. Please 
provide a copy of your comments to Federal Consulting Group, Attention: 
Rafael Williams, 1849 C St. NW, MS 4344, Washington, DC 20240-0001, or 
via email to [email protected] or by phone to (202) 748-3770. 
Please reference OMB Control Number 1090-0007 in the subject line of 
your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Federal Consulting Group, Attention: Rafael 
Williams, 1849 C St. NW, MS 4344, Washington, DC 20240-0001, or via 
email to [email protected] or by phone to (202) 748-3770. You 
may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
April 29, 2021 (86 FR 22701). No comments were received.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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) How might the agency 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., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying

[[Page 52493]]

information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    Abstract: The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 
(Pub. L. 103-62) requires agencies to ``improve Federal program 
effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a new focus on 
results, service quality, and customer satisfaction.'' To fulfill this 
responsibility, Federal agencies must collect data from their 
respective user groups to better understand the needs and desires of 
the public and to respond accordingly. Executive Order 12862 ``Setting 
Customer Service Standards'' also requires all executive departments to 
``survey customers to determine . . . their level of satisfaction with 
existing services.'' FCG provides access for all Federal agencies to 
use the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for customer 
satisfaction surveying to help the Federal government fulfill its 
responsibilities to provide excellence in government by proactively 
consulting with those we serve.
    The Office of Management and Budget regulation @ 5 CFR 1320, which 
implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities [see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)]. The 
Office of Strategic Employee and Organization Development, Federal 
Consulting Group will submit a request to the Office of Management and 
Budget to renew its approval of this collection of information for 
three years.
    The proposed renewal of this information collection activity 
provides a means to consistently assess, benchmark, and improve 
customer satisfaction with Federal government agency programs and/or 
services within the Executive Branch. The Federal Consulting Group of 
the Department of the Interior serves as the executive agent for this 
methodology and has partnered with the Claes Fornell International 
Group (CFI Group) and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 
to offer the ACSI to Federal government agencies.
    The CFI Group, a leader in customer satisfaction and customer 
experience management, offers a comprehensive model that quantifies the 
effects of quality improvements on citizen satisfaction. The CFI Group 
has developed the methodology and licenses it to the American Customer 
Satisfaction Index, an independent organization which produces the 
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This national indicator is 
developed for different economic sectors each quarter, which are then 
published in The Wall Street Journal. The ACSI was introduced in 1994 
by Professor Claes Fornell under the auspices of the University of 
Michigan, the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and the CFI Group. 
The ACSI monitors and benchmarks customer satisfaction across more than 
200 companies and many U.S. Federal agencies.
    The ACSI is the only internationally recognized cross-industry, 
cross-agency methodology for obtaining comparable measures of customer 
satisfaction for Federal government programs and/or services. Along 
with other economic objectives--such as employment and growth--the 
quality of outputs (goods and services) is a part of measuring living 
standards. The ACSI's ultimate purpose is to help improve the quality 
of goods and services available to American citizens.
    ACSI surveys conducted by the Federal Consulting Group are subject 
to the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a). The agency information collection is an integral part of 
conducting an ACSI survey. The contractor will not be authorized to 
release any agency information upon completion of the survey without 
first obtaining permission from the Federal Consulting Group and the 
participating agency. In no case shall any new system of records 
containing privacy information be developed by the Federal Consulting 
Group, participating agencies, or the contractor collecting the data. 
In addition, participating Federal agencies may only provide 
information used to randomly select respondents from among established 
systems of records provided for such routine uses.
    There is no other agency or organization able to provide the 
information accessible through the surveying approach used in this 
information collection. Further, the information will enable Federal 
agencies to determine customer satisfaction metrics with discrimination 
capability across variables. Thus, this information collection will 
assist Federal agencies in making the best use of resources in a 
targeted manner to improve service to the public.
    This survey asks no questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual 
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, or other matters that are 
commonly considered private.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it is operating under 
a currently valid OMB control number. The Office of Management and 
Budget control number for this collection is 1090-0007. The control 
number will be displayed on the surveys used. Response to the surveys 
is voluntary.
    Title of Collection: American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 
Government Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 1090-0007.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals, Business, and State, 
Local, or Tribal Governments who have utilized Federal Government 
services.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Participation by 
Federal agencies in the ACSI is expected to vary as new customer 
segment measures are added or deleted. However, based on historical 
records, projected average estimates for the next three years are as 
follows:

    Average Expected Annual Number of Customer Satisfaction Surveys: 
100 with 800 respondents per survey.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 80,000.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 12.0 minutes
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 16,000.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Once per survey.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Jessica Reed,
Director, Federal Consulting Group.
[FR Doc. 2021-20243 Filed 9-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P