Request for Comments on the Approval of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Generic Clearance of Customer Satisfaction Surveys, 56532-56533 [2019-22996]

Agencies

• Maritime Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56532-56533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22996]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD-2019-0172]


Request for Comments on the Approval of a Previously Approved 
Information Collection: Generic Clearance of Customer Satisfaction 
Surveys

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments on 
our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval to renew an information collection. In order to work 
continuously to ensure that our programs are effective and meet our 
customers' needs, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) seeks to obtain 
OMB approval of previously approved generic clearance to collect 
feedback on our service delivery. By feedback we mean information that 
provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not 
statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be 
generalized to the population of study. We are required to publish this 
notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 23, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by Docket No. MARAD-
2019-0172 through one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Search using the above DOT docket number and follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the Department's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for the Department to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; 
and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the 
quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or 
include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this 
information collection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Jackson, (202) 366-0615, 
Office of Management and Administrative Services, Maritime 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Generic Clearance of Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 2133-0546.
    Type of Request: Renewal of a previously approved collection.
    Abstract: Executive Order 12862 ``Setting Customer Service 
Standards,'' direct Federal agencies to provide service to the public 
that matches or exceeds the best service available in the private 
sector (58 FR 48257, Sept. 11, 1993). In order to work continuously to 
ensure that our programs are effective and meet our customers' needs, 
MARAD seeks to obtain OMB approval of a previously approved generic 
clearance to collect qualitative feedback from our customers on our 
service delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that 
provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not 
statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be 
generalized to the population of study. This feedback will provide 
insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and 
expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus 
attention on areas where communication, training or changes in 
operations might improve delivery of products or services. These 
collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable 
communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. 
It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the improvement 
of program management.
    The solicitation of feedback will target areas such as: Timeliness, 
appropriateness, accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of 
service delivery, and resolution of issues with service delivery. 
Responses will be assessed to plan and inform efforts to improve or 
maintain the quality of service offered to the public. If this 
information is not collected, vital feedback from customers and 
stakeholders on the Agency's services will be unavailable.
    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 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;
     Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected 
only to the extent necessary and is not retained;
     Information gathered is intended to be used only 
internally for general service improvement and program management 
purposes and is not intended for release outside of the agency (if 
released, the agency must indicate the qualitative nature of the 
information);
     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

[[Page 56533]]

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.
    Respondents: Individuals or Households, Business or Other For-
Profit.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 15.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 5,900.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 10-120 minutes.
    Annual Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,758.
    Frequency of Response: Once Per Request.

(Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.93.)
* * * * *

    Dated: October 17, 2019.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-22996 Filed 10-21-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-81-P