[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21530-21531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06623]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID: FEMA-2023-0033; OMB No. 1660-NW171]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review, Comment Request; Generic Clearance for FEMA's Collection of 
Feedback on Customer Satisfaction and Disaster Recovery

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland 
Security.

ACTION: 30-Day notice of new collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will submit the 
information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and 
Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. FEMA invites the general public to 
take this opportunity to comment on a new information collection. In 
accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, this notice seeks comments concerning a generic clearance to 
collect feedback from applicants on service delivery and their 
subsequent disaster recovery.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 29, 2024.

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: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection should be made to Director, 
Information Management Division, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472, 
email address FEMA-Information-Collections-

[[Page 21531]]

[email protected] or Kristin Brooks, Statistician, FEMA's 
Recovery Reporting and Analytics Division, Customer Survey and Analysis 
Section, at (202) 826-6291 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 12862, ``Setting Customer 
Service Standards,'' requires that all Federal Agencies implement 
customer service standards and provide service to the public that 
matches or exceeds the best service available in the private sector. To 
accomplish this, Federal Agencies are required to survey customers to 
determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of 
satisfaction with existing services.
    The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 2010 also 
requires quarterly performance assessments of Government programs for 
purposes of assessing agency performance and improvement. One of the 
primary goals of GPRA is to improve Federal program effectiveness and 
public accountability by promoting a focus on results, service quality, 
and customer satisfaction.
    The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
(``Evidence Act'') supports that data collection and analysis are 
important inputs to be used as evidence for prioritizing agency efforts 
to support civic engagement, delivering on mission, service, and 
stewardship objectives, and supporting decision-making.
    FEMA seeks Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a 
generic clearance to collect feedback from applicants on service 
delivery and their subsequent disaster recovery. The Agency has 
numerous touchpoints with applicants through several specialized 
customer-facing programs. The feedback collected from applicants may be 
quantitative or qualitative in nature depending on the population of 
interest, specific research questions, and the types of required 
analysis.
    This proposed information collection previously published in the 
Federal Register on December 11, 2023, at 88 FR 85896 with a 60-day 
public comment period. FEMA received one public comment stating that 
the creation of this generic collection was counterintuitive to the 
purpose of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Executive Order 12862, 
``Setting Customer Service Standards,'' requires that all Federal 
Agencies implement customer service standards and provide service to 
the public that matches or exceeds the best service available in the 
private sector. To accomplish this, Federal Agencies are required to 
survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they 
want and their level of satisfaction with existing services. The GPRA 
also requires quarterly performance assessments of Government programs 
for purposes of assessing agency performance and improvement.
    FEMA currently administers several customer satisfaction surveys to 
meet government standards. The goal of this submission is to 
consolidate customer satisfaction surveys under one clearance to 
streamline the approval process--not to add surveys or increase burden. 
A generic clearance will allow FEMA to be more flexible in revising 
surveys when questions become outdated or irrelevant, which will 
ultimately minimize burden on the end-user. Survey participation is 
completely voluntary.
    The purpose of this notice is to notify the public that FEMA will 
submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of 
Management and Budget for review and clearance.

Collection of Information

    Title: Generic Clearance for FEMA's Collection of Feedback on 
Customer Satisfaction and Disaster Recovery.
    Type of Information Collection: New information collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-NW171.
    FEMA Forms: Not Applicable.
    Abstract: Federal Agencies are required to survey their customers 
to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level 
of satisfaction with those services. In order for the Agency to 
maintain customer service standards, there must be continuous 
assessment of service delivery throughout all phases of the customer 
journey. The Agency will collect, analyze, and interpret information 
gathered from this generic clearance to identify strengths and 
weaknesses with program delivery.
    Affected Public: Individuals and Households; State, Local or Tribal 
Governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 389,770.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 389,770.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 69,135.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $3,015,890.
    Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.
    Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: $0.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $2,886,676.

Comments

    Comments may be submitted as indicated in the ADDRESSES caption 
above. Comments are solicited to (a) evaluate whether the proposed data 
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the Agency, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) 
evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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 responses.

Millicent Brown Wilson,
Records Management Branch Chief, Office of the Chief Administrative 
Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2024-06623 Filed 3-27-24; 8:45 am]
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