Proposed Information Collection (Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Voice of the Veteran (VOV) Pilot Surveys) Activity: Comment Request, 4152-4154 [2011-1273]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2011 / Notices
Agenda of Council Teleconference
Meeting, February 9, 2011
The tentative agenda includes the
following:
Wednesday February 9, 2011
(1) Opening Remarks—Chair and
Designated Federal Officer.
(2) Introduction of Members and all in
attendance.
(3) Overview of Health Care Reform
and Emergency Medical Services.
(4) Other Business.
(5) Public Comment Period.
(6) Next Steps and Future Meetings.
While the entire meeting is open to
the public, the public comment period
will take place on February 9, 2011
between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. EST.
Public Attendance: The meeting is
open to the public. Persons with
disabilities who require special
assistance should advise Drew Dawson
of their anticipated special needs as
early as possible. Members of the public
who wish to make comments on
February 9, 2011 between 3:30 and 3:45
p.m. are requested to register in
advance. In order to allow as many
people as possible to speak, speakers are
requested to limit their remarks to
3 minutes. For those wishing to submit
written comments, please follow the
procedure noted above.
Individuals wishing to register for
attendance in the teleconference must
provide their name, affiliation, phone
number, and e-mail address to Drew
Dawson by e-mail at
drew.dawson@dot.gov or by telephone
at (202) 366–9966 no later than February
4, 2011. There will be limited call-in
lines, so please register early. Preregistration is necessary to enable
proper arrangements. Minutes of the
NEMSAC Meeting will be available to
the public online at https://
www.ems.gov.
Issued on: January 19, 2011.
Michael L. Brown,
Acting Associate Administrator for Research
and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2011–1364 Filed 1–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35460]
CSX Transportation, Inc.—Temporary
Trackage Rights—Norfolk Southern
Railway Company
Pursuant to a written trackage rights
agreement dated January 16, 2011,
Norfolk Southern Railway Company
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15:51 Jan 21, 2011
Jkt 223001
(NSR) has agreed to grant CSX
Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) temporary
overhead trackage rights generally
between CSXT’s connection to NSR’s
tracks at Deepwater, W.Va., milepost
V434.1 located on the Vaco Branch via
Alloy, W.Va., east to the connection
with the Vaughn Railroad Company at
milepost WV227.6, including all
necessary tracks designated for the
purposes of movement by NSR’s
operating officer, including head and
tail room as necessary. The lines in
question total 12.3 miles of track.
The exemption became effective on
January 18, 2011, and will expire on
July 1, 2011.1 CSXT explains that the
temporary trackage rights will permit it
to resume overhead rail service to the
Fola Coal Mine at Bickmore, W.Va.2
As a condition to this exemption, any
employees affected by the temporary
trackage rights will be protected by the
conditions imposed in Norfolk and
Western Railway—Trackage Rights—
Burlington Northern, 354 I.C.C. 605
(1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast
Railway—Lease and Operate—
California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C.
653 (1980), and any employees affected
by the discontinuance of those trackage
rights will be protected by the
conditions set out in Oregon Short Line
Railroad—Abandonment Portion
Goshen Branch Between Firth and
Ammon, in Bingham and Bonneville
Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).
This notice is filed under 49 CFR
1180.2(d)(8). If it contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
may be filed at any time. The filing of
a petition to revoke will not
automatically stay the effectiveness of
the exemption.
An original and 10 copies of all
pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD
35460, must be filed with the Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, a copy of each pleading must
be served on Louis E. Gitomer, Law
Offices of Louis E. Gitomer, 600
Baltimore Avenue, Suite 301, Towson,
MD 21204.
1 By decision served on January 18, 2011, the
Board granted CSXT’s request for waiver of 49 CFR
1180.4(g) and allowed the exemption to become
effective immediately.
2 CSXT used to use its own line to serve this
mine, but it cannot do so now, because a necessary
bridge has been closed due to safety concerns since
September 2010. After the closure, CSXT had been
providing service to the mine over NSR lines
pursuant to a detour agreement. That agreement has
now expired. NSR is willing to continue to allow
CSXT to use its lines to reach the mine, but NSR
now wishes that such service be provided through
temporary trackage rights. CSXT expects the bridge
to be in service again by July 1, 2011.
PO 00000
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Sfmt 4703
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at https://
www.stb.dot.gov.
Decided: January 18, 2011.
By the Board.
Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2011–1300 Filed 1–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–New (VOV)]
Proposed Information Collection
(Veterans Benefits Administration
(VBA) Voice of the Veteran (VOV) Pilot
Surveys) Activity: Comment Request
Veterans Benefits
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA), Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an
opportunity for public comment on the
proposed collection of certain
information by the agency. Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, Federal agencies are required to
publish notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of
information, including each proposed
new collection, and allow 60 days for
public comment in response to the
notice. This notice solicits comments
information needed to determine
beneficiary satisfaction with benefit
application and servicing processes for
the VBA Compensation and Pension
(C&P) Service, Education (EDU) Service,
Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (VR&E) Service and Loan
Guaranty (LGY) Service.
DATES: Written comments and
recommendations on the proposed
collection of information should be
received on or before March 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
the Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) at https://www.Regulations.gov
or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans
Benefits Administration (20M35),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20420 or e-mail
nancy.kessinger@va.gov. Please refer to
‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–New (VOV)’’ in
any correspondence. During the
comment period, comments may be
viewed online through FDMS.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2011 / Notices
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Nancy J. Kessinger at (202) 461–9769 or
FAX (202) 275–5947.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13; 44 U.S.C.
3501–3521), Federal agencies must
obtain approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information they conduct
or sponsor. This request for comment is
being made pursuant to Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
With respect to the following
collection of information, VBA invites
comments on: (1) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of VBA’s
functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of VBA’s estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of
information; (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 through the use
of automated collection techniques or
the use of other forms of information
technology.
Title: Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA) Voice of the
Veteran (VOV) Pilot Surveys.
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P)
Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing three
survey instruments for the
Compensation and Pension (C&P)
Service line of business. Based on the
numerous interviews conducted, JDPA
has separated the Veterans experience
with C&P into two categories—
Enrollment in a Benefit and Servicing of
a Benefit. There will be one survey
instrument for the Enrollment category
that will be used for both compensation
and pension claimants; compensation
beneficiaries and pension beneficiaries
will receive separate Servicing
instruments. The Enrollment
questionnaire will include factors
relating to benefit eligibility and the
application process, benefit entitlement,
benefit information, and VA personnel.
The Servicing questionnaires will
include the same factors as Enrollment,
with the exception of benefit eligibility
and the application process factor. The
results of the pilot test will be used to
examine the effectiveness and reliability
of the survey instrument, including an
evaluation of the levels of non-response
for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot C&P
Enrollment questionnaire will include
individuals who have received a
decision on a compensation or pension
benefit claim within 30 days prior to the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:51 Jan 21, 2011
Jkt 223001
fielding period. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Type of benefit
(i.e., Compensation, Pension), (2)
claimants who were found eligible, (3)
claimants who were found ineligible
and are not appealing their claim. The
survey pool for the pilot Compensation
servicing questionnaire will include
individuals who have been receiving
compensation benefits for at least 6
months or individuals who received a
decision on a compensation claim 6–18
months prior to the field period. The
sample will be stratified as follows: (1)
Individuals who were granted a
decision, are receiving benefits and not
appealing their benefit, (2) individuals
who were granted a decision, are
receiving benefits and are appealing
their benefit, (3) individuals who were
denied benefits and are appealing, (4)
individuals who were denied benefits
and are not appealing. The survey pool
for the pilot Pension servicing
questionnaire will include individuals
who have been receiving pension
benefits for at least 6 months or
individuals who received a decision on
a pension claim 6–18 months prior to
the field period. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Individuals who
were granted a decision, are receiving
benefits and not appealing their benefit,
(2) individuals who were granted a
decision, are receiving benefits and are
appealing for additional special benefits
(i.e., Aid and Attendance, Housebound),
(3) individuals who were denied
benefits and are appealing.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing two
survey instruments for the Education
(EDU) Service line of business. Based on
the numerous interviews conducted,
JDPA has separated the Veterans
experience with Education into two
categories—Enrollment in a Benefit and
Servicing of a Benefit. There will be one
survey instrument for the Enrollment
category and one survey instrument for
the Servicing category. The Enrollment
questionnaire will include factors
relating to benefit eligibility and the
application process, benefit entitlement,
benefit information, and VA personnel.
The Servicing questionnaire will
include the same factors as Enrollment,
with the exception of benefit eligibility
and the application process factor. The
results of the pilot test will be used to
examine the effectiveness and reliability
of the survey instrument, including an
evaluation of the levels of non-response
for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot
Education Enrollment questionnaire
will include individuals who have
received a decision on their education
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
4153
benefit application within 90 days (i.e.,
the original end-product has been
cleared within the past 90 days) prior to
the fielding period. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Accepted and
enrolled, (2) accepted and not enrolled,
(3) denied. The survey pool for the pilot
Education Servicing questionnaire will
include beneficiaries who have been
enrolled and receiving education benefit
payments for at least 2 consecutive
school terms prior to the fielding period.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service
Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing two
survey instruments for the Loan
Guaranty (LGY) Service line of business.
Based on the numerous interviews
conducted, JDPA has separated the
Veterans experience with Loan
Guaranty into two categories—Home
Loan Enrollment and Processing, and
Specially Adapted Housing Servicing
(Assessment and Grant Process). There
will be one survey instrument for the
Home Loan category, and one survey
instrument for the Specially Adapted
Housing category. The Home Loan
Enrollment questionnaire will include
factors relating to benefit eligibility and
the application process, benefit
entitlement, benefit information, and
VA personnel. Additionally, the Home
Loan questionnaire will address areas
specific to the Loan Process. The
Specially Adapted Housing Servicing
questionnaire will include the same
factors as Home Loan, but will address
the grant process rather than the loan
process. The results of the pilot test will
be used to examine the effectiveness
and reliability of the survey instrument,
including an evaluation of the levels of
non-response for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot LGY
Enrollment questionnaire will include
individuals who closed a VA home loan
in the 30 days prior to the fielding
period. The sample will be stratified as
follows: (1) Those who closed on
purchase loans, (2) those who received
loans for interest rate reductions, and
(3) those who obtained cash out or other
refinancing. The survey pool for the
pilot SAH servicing questionnaire will
include individuals who are eligible for
a specially adapted housing grant in FY
2009. The sample will be stratified as
follows: (1) Those who have not yet
applied, (2) those who have applied but
have not yet received a decision,
(3) those who have received an approval
on their grant and are currently
somewhere in post-approval, (4) those
who have had all their funds disbursed
and final accounting is not yet
complete, and (5) those who have had
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24JAN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2011 / Notices
all of their funds disbursed and final
accounting is complete.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (VR&E) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing three
survey instruments for the Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E)
Service line of business. Based on the
numerous interviews conducted, JDPA
has separated the Veterans experience
with Education into three categories—
Enrollment in a Benefit, Servicing of a
Benefit, and Escaped Beneficiaries.
There will be one survey instrument for
the Enrollment category, one survey
instrument for the Servicing category,
and one survey instrument for the
Escaped Beneficiary category. The
Enrollment questionnaire will include
factors relating to benefit eligibility and
the application process, benefit
entitlement, benefit information, and
VA personnel. The Servicing
questionnaire will include the same
factors as Enrollment, with the
exception of benefit eligibility and the
application process factor. The Escaped
Beneficiary questionnaire will include
similar factors to Enrollment and
Servicing; however, the questionnaire
will address the experience that is
unique to potential beneficiaries who
applied for the benefit but decided not
to pursue the benefit or services
provided, including the reasons why
they chose not to continue with the
benefit application process or the VR&E
program. The results of the pilot test
will be used to examine the
effectiveness and reliability of the
survey instrument, including an
evaluation of the levels of non-response
for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot VR&E
Enrollment questionnaire will include
individuals who had an initial meeting
with their VR&E counselor and were
granted a decision regarding their
entitlement in the past 60 days prior to
the fielding period. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Those who
applied, showed up for an initial
appointment, were found entitled to and
decided to pursue the program, (2) those
who applied, showed up for an initial
appointment, were found entitled to and
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15:51 Jan 21, 2011
Jkt 223001
decided not to pursue the program, (3)
those who applied, showed up for an
initial appointment and were not found
entitled to the program. The survey pool
for the pilot VR&E Servicing
questionnaire will include individuals
who have entered and been enrolled in
one of the five tracks for at least 60 days
prior to the fielding period. The sample
will be stratified as follows: (1) Veterans
who are currently participating,
(2) Veterans who have been
rehabilitated, (3) Veterans who did not
fully complete program (negative
closures), and (4) Veterans who have
reached maximum rehabilitation gain
and could not proceed in program. The
survey pool for the pilot VR&E Escaped
Beneficiary questionnaire will include
individuals who dropped out of the
program prior to completing a
rehabilitation plan. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Applicants who
never attended the initial meeting with
a counselor, (2) applicants who were
determined to be entitled and did not
complete a rehabilitation plan, and (3)
applicants who started, but did not
complete rehabilitation (i.e., negative
closures).
OMB Control Number: 2900—New
(VOV).
Type of Review: New collection.
Abstract: In 2008, VBA recognized a
need to develop and design an
integrated, comprehensive Voice of the
Veteran (VOV) measurement program
for their lines of business. This
continuous measurement program will
help VBA understand what is important
to Veterans relative to VBA services and
will provide VA/VBA leadership with
actionable and timely customer
feedback on how VBA is performing
against those metrics. Insights will help
identify opportunities for improvement
and measure the impact of improvement
initiatives.
The program started with numerous
interviews with stakeholders at various
levels within the VBA organization and
Veterans Service Organizations to
identify information needs and
perceived gaps in current processes.
Surveys are designed to address those
needs.
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Frm 00067
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
VBA has engaged J.D. Power and
Associates to conduct this survey
initiative. The questionnaires are
drafted in accordance with the J.D.
Power and Associates Index Model—the
cornerstone of all proprietary and
syndicated research studies conducted
by J.D. Power. The model will allow J.D.
Power to quantify, based on the survey
data, what is most important and least
important with regard to satisfying our
nation’s Veterans.
All survey instruments for each line
of business, Compensation and Pension
Service, Education Service, Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment Service,
and Loan Guaranty Service, will contain
common factors to allow VBA to
compare scores across lines of business.
In addition, JDPA will be in a position
to provide VBA with an Overall
Satisfaction score for their experience
across all benefits provided by VBA.
Affected Public: Individuals and
Households.
Estimated Annual Burden:
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P)
Service Surveys—3,000 hours.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys—
1,500 hours.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service
Surveys—1,125 hours.
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (VR&E) Service Surveys—
1,875 Hours
Estimated Average Burden per
Respondent: 15 minutes.
Frequency of Response: One time.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P)
Service Surveys—12,000.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys—
6,000.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service
Surveys—4,500.
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (VR&E) Service Surveys—
7,500.
Dated: January 18, 2011.
By direction of the Secretary.
Denise McLamb,
Program Analyst, Enterprise Records Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–1273 Filed 1–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 15 (Monday, January 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4152-4154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1273]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900-New (VOV)]
Proposed Information Collection (Veterans Benefits Administration
(VBA) Voice of the Veteran (VOV) Pilot Surveys) Activity: Comment
Request
AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment
on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are
required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information, including each proposed new
collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the
notice. This notice solicits comments information needed to determine
beneficiary satisfaction with benefit application and servicing
processes for the VBA Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service, Education
(EDU) Service, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service
and Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection
of information should be received on or before March 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information
through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at https://www.Regulations.gov or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits
Administration (20M35), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420 or e-mail nancy.kessinger@va.gov.
Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-New (VOV)'' in any
correspondence. During the comment period, comments may be viewed
online through FDMS.
[[Page 4153]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy J. Kessinger at (202) 461-9769
or FAX (202) 275-5947.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44
U.S.C. 3501-3521), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of
information they conduct or sponsor. This request for comment is being
made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
With respect to the following collection of information, VBA
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of VBA's functions, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy
of VBA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (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 through the use
of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of
information technology.
Title: Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Voice of the Veteran
(VOV) Pilot Surveys.
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing three survey instruments for the
Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service line of business. Based on the
numerous interviews conducted, JDPA has separated the Veterans
experience with C&P into two categories--Enrollment in a Benefit and
Servicing of a Benefit. There will be one survey instrument for the
Enrollment category that will be used for both compensation and pension
claimants; compensation beneficiaries and pension beneficiaries will
receive separate Servicing instruments. The Enrollment questionnaire
will include factors relating to benefit eligibility and the
application process, benefit entitlement, benefit information, and VA
personnel. The Servicing questionnaires will include the same factors
as Enrollment, with the exception of benefit eligibility and the
application process factor. The results of the pilot test will be used
to examine the effectiveness and reliability of the survey instrument,
including an evaluation of the levels of non-response for each
question.
The survey pool for the pilot C&P Enrollment questionnaire will
include individuals who have received a decision on a compensation or
pension benefit claim within 30 days prior to the fielding period. The
sample will be stratified as follows: (1) Type of benefit (i.e.,
Compensation, Pension), (2) claimants who were found eligible, (3)
claimants who were found ineligible and are not appealing their claim.
The survey pool for the pilot Compensation servicing questionnaire will
include individuals who have been receiving compensation benefits for
at least 6 months or individuals who received a decision on a
compensation claim 6-18 months prior to the field period. The sample
will be stratified as follows: (1) Individuals who were granted a
decision, are receiving benefits and not appealing their benefit, (2)
individuals who were granted a decision, are receiving benefits and are
appealing their benefit, (3) individuals who were denied benefits and
are appealing, (4) individuals who were denied benefits and are not
appealing. The survey pool for the pilot Pension servicing
questionnaire will include individuals who have been receiving pension
benefits for at least 6 months or individuals who received a decision
on a pension claim 6-18 months prior to the field period. The sample
will be stratified as follows: (1) Individuals who were granted a
decision, are receiving benefits and not appealing their benefit, (2)
individuals who were granted a decision, are receiving benefits and are
appealing for additional special benefits (i.e., Aid and Attendance,
Housebound), (3) individuals who were denied benefits and are
appealing.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing two survey instruments for the
Education (EDU) Service line of business. Based on the numerous
interviews conducted, JDPA has separated the Veterans experience with
Education into two categories--Enrollment in a Benefit and Servicing of
a Benefit. There will be one survey instrument for the Enrollment
category and one survey instrument for the Servicing category. The
Enrollment questionnaire will include factors relating to benefit
eligibility and the application process, benefit entitlement, benefit
information, and VA personnel. The Servicing questionnaire will include
the same factors as Enrollment, with the exception of benefit
eligibility and the application process factor. The results of the
pilot test will be used to examine the effectiveness and reliability of
the survey instrument, including an evaluation of the levels of non-
response for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot Education Enrollment questionnaire
will include individuals who have received a decision on their
education benefit application within 90 days (i.e., the original end-
product has been cleared within the past 90 days) prior to the fielding
period. The sample will be stratified as follows: (1) Accepted and
enrolled, (2) accepted and not enrolled, (3) denied. The survey pool
for the pilot Education Servicing questionnaire will include
beneficiaries who have been enrolled and receiving education benefit
payments for at least 2 consecutive school terms prior to the fielding
period.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing two survey instruments for the
Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service line of business. Based on the numerous
interviews conducted, JDPA has separated the Veterans experience with
Loan Guaranty into two categories--Home Loan Enrollment and Processing,
and Specially Adapted Housing Servicing (Assessment and Grant Process).
There will be one survey instrument for the Home Loan category, and one
survey instrument for the Specially Adapted Housing category. The Home
Loan Enrollment questionnaire will include factors relating to benefit
eligibility and the application process, benefit entitlement, benefit
information, and VA personnel. Additionally, the Home Loan
questionnaire will address areas specific to the Loan Process. The
Specially Adapted Housing Servicing questionnaire will include the same
factors as Home Loan, but will address the grant process rather than
the loan process. The results of the pilot test will be used to examine
the effectiveness and reliability of the survey instrument, including
an evaluation of the levels of non-response for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot LGY Enrollment questionnaire will
include individuals who closed a VA home loan in the 30 days prior to
the fielding period. The sample will be stratified as follows: (1)
Those who closed on purchase loans, (2) those who received loans for
interest rate reductions, and (3) those who obtained cash out or other
refinancing. The survey pool for the pilot SAH servicing questionnaire
will include individuals who are eligible for a specially adapted
housing grant in FY 2009. The sample will be stratified as follows: (1)
Those who have not yet applied, (2) those who have applied but have not
yet received a decision, (3) those who have received an approval on
their grant and are currently somewhere in post-approval, (4) those who
have had all their funds disbursed and final accounting is not yet
complete, and (5) those who have had
[[Page 4154]]
all of their funds disbursed and final accounting is complete.
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service Surveys
J.D. Power will be pilot testing three survey instruments for the
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service line of
business. Based on the numerous interviews conducted, JDPA has
separated the Veterans experience with Education into three
categories--Enrollment in a Benefit, Servicing of a Benefit, and
Escaped Beneficiaries. There will be one survey instrument for the
Enrollment category, one survey instrument for the Servicing category,
and one survey instrument for the Escaped Beneficiary category. The
Enrollment questionnaire will include factors relating to benefit
eligibility and the application process, benefit entitlement, benefit
information, and VA personnel. The Servicing questionnaire will include
the same factors as Enrollment, with the exception of benefit
eligibility and the application process factor. The Escaped Beneficiary
questionnaire will include similar factors to Enrollment and Servicing;
however, the questionnaire will address the experience that is unique
to potential beneficiaries who applied for the benefit but decided not
to pursue the benefit or services provided, including the reasons why
they chose not to continue with the benefit application process or the
VR&E program. The results of the pilot test will be used to examine the
effectiveness and reliability of the survey instrument, including an
evaluation of the levels of non-response for each question.
The survey pool for the pilot VR&E Enrollment questionnaire will
include individuals who had an initial meeting with their VR&E
counselor and were granted a decision regarding their entitlement in
the past 60 days prior to the fielding period. The sample will be
stratified as follows: (1) Those who applied, showed up for an initial
appointment, were found entitled to and decided to pursue the program,
(2) those who applied, showed up for an initial appointment, were found
entitled to and decided not to pursue the program, (3) those who
applied, showed up for an initial appointment and were not found
entitled to the program. The survey pool for the pilot VR&E Servicing
questionnaire will include individuals who have entered and been
enrolled in one of the five tracks for at least 60 days prior to the
fielding period. The sample will be stratified as follows: (1) Veterans
who are currently participating, (2) Veterans who have been
rehabilitated, (3) Veterans who did not fully complete program
(negative closures), and (4) Veterans who have reached maximum
rehabilitation gain and could not proceed in program. The survey pool
for the pilot VR&E Escaped Beneficiary questionnaire will include
individuals who dropped out of the program prior to completing a
rehabilitation plan. The sample will be stratified as follows: (1)
Applicants who never attended the initial meeting with a counselor, (2)
applicants who were determined to be entitled and did not complete a
rehabilitation plan, and (3) applicants who started, but did not
complete rehabilitation (i.e., negative closures).
OMB Control Number: 2900--New (VOV).
Type of Review: New collection.
Abstract: In 2008, VBA recognized a need to develop and design an
integrated, comprehensive Voice of the Veteran (VOV) measurement
program for their lines of business. This continuous measurement
program will help VBA understand what is important to Veterans relative
to VBA services and will provide VA/VBA leadership with actionable and
timely customer feedback on how VBA is performing against those
metrics. Insights will help identify opportunities for improvement and
measure the impact of improvement initiatives.
The program started with numerous interviews with stakeholders at
various levels within the VBA organization and Veterans Service
Organizations to identify information needs and perceived gaps in
current processes. Surveys are designed to address those needs.
VBA has engaged J.D. Power and Associates to conduct this survey
initiative. The questionnaires are drafted in accordance with the J.D.
Power and Associates Index Model--the cornerstone of all proprietary
and syndicated research studies conducted by J.D. Power. The model will
allow J.D. Power to quantify, based on the survey data, what is most
important and least important with regard to satisfying our nation's
Veterans.
All survey instruments for each line of business, Compensation and
Pension Service, Education Service, Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Service, and Loan Guaranty Service, will contain common
factors to allow VBA to compare scores across lines of business. In
addition, JDPA will be in a position to provide VBA with an Overall
Satisfaction score for their experience across all benefits provided by
VBA.
Affected Public: Individuals and Households.
Estimated Annual Burden:
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service Surveys--3,000 hours.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys--1,500 hours.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service Surveys--1,125 hours.
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service
Surveys--1,875 Hours
Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 15 minutes.
Frequency of Response: One time.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
a. Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service Surveys--12,000.
b. Education (EDU) Service Surveys--6,000.
c. Loan Guaranty (LGY) Service Surveys--4,500.
d. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service
Surveys--7,500.
Dated: January 18, 2011.
By direction of the Secretary.
Denise McLamb,
Program Analyst, Enterprise Records Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-1273 Filed 1-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
