Notice of Request for an Information Collection; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery, 68401-68402 [2016-23956]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 4, 2016 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture
Notice of Request for an Information
Collection; Generic Clearance for the
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery
National Institute of Food and
Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The National Institute of Food
and Agriculture, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the
general public to take this opportunity
to comment on the ‘‘Generic Clearance
for the Collection of Qualitative
Feedback on Agency Service Delivery’’
for approval under the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA). This collection
was developed to create a vehicle for
obtaining stakeholder feedback. This
notice announces our intent to submit
this collection to Office of Management
and Budget for approval and solicits
comments on specific aspects for the
proposed information collection.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all
comments received by December 5,
2016. Comments received after that date
will be considered to the extent
practicable.
SUMMARY:
Written comments may be
submitted by any of the following
methods: Email: rmartin@nifa.usda.gov;
Fax: 202–720–0857; Mail: Office of
Information Technology (OIT), NIFA,
USDA, STOP 2216, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250–
2216.
ADDRESSES:
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Martin, Records Officer; email:
rmartin@nifa.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Clearance for the
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery.
Abstract: The National Institute of
Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S.
Department of Agriculture, oversees
roughly $1.5 billion to fund research,
education, and extension efforts in a
wide range of scientific fields related to
agricultural and behavioral sciences.
NIFA achieves its mission through
partnerships with Land-Grant
Universities (LGU), non-profit
organizations, private sector firms, and
other government agencies. These
partners, through research, education,
and extension activities, help NIFA and
USDA address highly complex and
multidimensional challenges in food
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:01 Oct 03, 2016
Jkt 241001
and agriculture. To ensure that our
programs address the Nation’s food and
agricultural priorities and our processes
minimize burden without jeopardizing
accountability, NIFA seeks OMB
approval of a generic clearance to
collect qualitative feedback on our
service delivery. By qualitative
feedback, we mean information that
provides insights on perceptions and
opinions, but are not statistical surveys
or quantitative results that can be
generalized to the population of study.
This collection of information is
necessary to enable NIFA, herein ‘‘the
Agency,’’ to garner feedback from
customers, stakeholders, and partners
(herein ‘‘stakeholders’’) in an efficient
and timely manner, and in accordance
with our commitment to providing the
highest quality service delivery. The
information collected from our
stakeholders will help NIFA identify
emerging and significant priorities in
food and agriculture; refine NIFA’s
business processes; and promote
inclusiveness and diversity to ensure
that NIFA drives outcomes that meets
the needs of all Americans.
Improving agency programs requires
ongoing assessment of NIFA’s programs
and processes, by which we mean
systematic review of the operation of a
program compared to a set of explicit or
implicit standards. NIFA will collect,
analyze, and interpret information
gathered through this generic clearance
to identify strengths and weaknesses of
current services and make
improvements based on stakeholder
feedback. If this information is not
collected, NIFA’s ability to respond to
stakeholders’ needs and continuously
improve programs and services will be
greatly diminished.
The solicitation of feedback will target
areas in: Strategic, portfolio, and
programmatic planning; competitive
and non-competitive awards processes;
post-award management; information
technology systems and Web sites; and,
grants management training. Responses
will inform efforts to improve or
maintain the quality of service offered to
the public.
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;
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68401
• 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;
• Information gathered will be used
only internally for general service
improvement and program management
purposes and is not intended for release
outside of the agency;
• 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
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.
Current Actions: Request for approval
for a new collection of information.
Type of Review: New.
Affected Public: Individuals and
Households, Businesses and
Organizations, State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
11,250.
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
68402
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 4, 2016 / Notices
Below we provide projected average
estimates for the next three years:
Average Expected Annual Number of
activities: 15.
Average number of Respondents per
Activity: 750.
Annual responses: 11,250.
Frequency of Response: Once per
request.
Average minutes per response: 30.
Burden hours: 5,625.
Request for Comments: Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval. Comments
are invited on: (a) Whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology;
and (e) estimates of capital or start-up
costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services
to provide information. Burden means
the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal
agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; develop, acquire,
install and utilize technology and
systems for the purpose of collecting,
validating and verifying information,
processing and maintaining
information, and disclosing and
providing information; train personnel
and to be able to respond to a collection
of information, to search data sources, to
complete and review the collection of
information; and to transmit or
otherwise disclose the information.
All written comments will be
available for public inspection on
Regulations.gov.
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
Office of Management and Budget
control number.
Done at Washington, DC, this 23rd day of
September, 2016.
Catherine E. Woteki,
Under Secretary, Research, Education, and
Economics.
[FR Doc. 2016–23956 Filed 10–3–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–22–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:01 Oct 03, 2016
Jkt 241001
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Request for Extension of a
Currently Approved Information
Collection
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed collection; comments
requested.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Rural BusinessCooperative Service’s intention to
request an extension for a currently
approved information collection in
support of the Rural Economic
Development Loan and Grant Program.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by December 5, 2016, to be
assured of consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Director, Specialty Programs Division,
Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP
3226, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–3226,
Telephone (202) 720–1400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Rural Economic Development
Loan and Grant Program.
OMB Number: 0570–0035.
Expiration Date of Approval: February
28, 2017.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: Under this program, loans
and grants are provided to electric and
telecommunications utilities that have
borrowed funds from the Agency. The
purpose of the program is to encourage
these electric and telecommunications
utilities to promote rural economic
development and job creation projects
such as business start-up costs, business
expansion, community development,
and business incubator projects. The
utilities must use program loan funds to
make a pass-through loan to an ultimate
recipient such as a business. The utility
is responsible for fully repaying its loan
to the Government, even if the ultimate
recipient does not repay its loan. The
intermediary must use program grant
funds, along with its required
contribution, to create a revolving loan
fund that the utility will operate and
administer. Loans to the ultimate
recipient are made from the revolving
loan fund for a variety of community
development projects. The information
requested is necessary and vital in order
for the Agency to be able to make
prudent and financial analysis
decisions.
SUMMARY:
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Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 2 hours per
response.
Respondents: Rural Utilities Service
Electric and Telecommunications
Borrowers.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
120.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 17.
Estimated Number of Responses:
2,075.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 4,728.
Copies of this information collection
can be obtained from Jeanne Jacobs,
Regulations and Paperwork
Management Branch, Support Services
Division at (202) 692–0040.
Comments: Comments are invited on:
(a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of USDA,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
USDA’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to 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. Comments may be sent to
Jeanne Jacobs, Regulations and
Paperwork Management Branch,
Support Services Division, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, STOP 0742, 1400
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–0742. All
responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
also become a matter of public record.
Dated: September 28, 2016.
Justin Hatmaker,
Acting Administrator, Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–23914 Filed 10–3–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Request for Extension of a
Currently Approved Information
Collection
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, Department of Agriculture.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68401-68402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23956]
[[Page 68401]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Notice of Request for an Information Collection; Generic
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery
AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites
the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the ``Generic
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This
collection was developed to create a vehicle for obtaining stakeholder
feedback. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection to
Office of Management and Budget for approval and solicits comments on
specific aspects for the proposed information collection.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by December
5, 2016. Comments received after that date will be considered to the
extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by any of the following
methods: Email: rmartin@nifa.usda.gov; Fax: 202-720-0857; Mail: Office
of Information Technology (OIT), NIFA, USDA, STOP 2216, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2216.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Martin, Records Officer; email:
rmartin@nifa.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback
on Agency Service Delivery.
Abstract: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA),
U.S. Department of Agriculture, oversees roughly $1.5 billion to fund
research, education, and extension efforts in a wide range of
scientific fields related to agricultural and behavioral sciences. NIFA
achieves its mission through partnerships with Land-Grant Universities
(LGU), non-profit organizations, private sector firms, and other
government agencies. These partners, through research, education, and
extension activities, help NIFA and USDA address highly complex and
multidimensional challenges in food and agriculture. To ensure that our
programs address the Nation's food and agricultural priorities and our
processes minimize burden without jeopardizing accountability, NIFA
seeks OMB approval of a generic clearance to collect qualitative
feedback on our service delivery. By qualitative feedback, we mean
information that provides insights on perceptions and opinions, but are
not statistical surveys or quantitative results that can be generalized
to the population of study.
This collection of information is necessary to enable NIFA, herein
``the Agency,'' to garner feedback from customers, stakeholders, and
partners (herein ``stakeholders'') in an efficient and timely manner,
and in accordance with our commitment to providing the highest quality
service delivery. The information collected from our stakeholders will
help NIFA identify emerging and significant priorities in food and
agriculture; refine NIFA's business processes; and promote
inclusiveness and diversity to ensure that NIFA drives outcomes that
meets the needs of all Americans.
Improving agency programs requires ongoing assessment of NIFA's
programs and processes, by which we mean systematic review of the
operation of a program compared to a set of explicit or implicit
standards. NIFA will collect, analyze, and interpret information
gathered through this generic clearance to identify strengths and
weaknesses of current services and make improvements based on
stakeholder feedback. If this information is not collected, NIFA's
ability to respond to stakeholders' needs and continuously improve
programs and services will be greatly diminished.
The solicitation of feedback will target areas in: Strategic,
portfolio, and programmatic planning; competitive and non-competitive
awards processes; post-award management; information technology systems
and Web sites; and, grants management training. Responses will inform
efforts to improve or maintain the quality of service offered to the
public.
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 non-controversial 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;
Information gathered will be used only internally for
general service improvement and program management purposes and is not
intended for release outside of the agency;
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 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 non-response 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.
Current Actions: Request for approval for a new collection of
information.
Type of Review: New.
Affected Public: Individuals and Households, Businesses and
Organizations, State, Local or Tribal Government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 11,250.
[[Page 68402]]
Below we provide projected average estimates for the next three
years:
Average Expected Annual Number of activities: 15.
Average number of Respondents per Activity: 750.
Annual responses: 11,250.
Frequency of Response: Once per request.
Average minutes per response: 30.
Burden hours: 5,625.
Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of
operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide
information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose
or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the
time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install and
utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting,
validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining
information, and disclosing and providing information; train personnel
and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search
data sources, to complete and review the collection of information; and
to transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
All written comments will be available for public inspection on
Regulations.gov.
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 Office of Management and Budget control number.
Done at Washington, DC, this 23rd day of September, 2016.
Catherine E. Woteki,
Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2016-23956 Filed 10-3-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P
