Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 48216-48217 [2023-15786]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48216-48217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15786]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2023-OS-0064]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness (OUSD(P&R)), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: 60-Day information collection notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
OUSD(P&R) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks 
public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information 
collection on respondents, including through the use

[[Page 48217]]

of automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by 
September 25, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, 
4800 Mark Center Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-
1700.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Ms. Angela Duncan at 
the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, ATTN: 
Executive Services Directorate, Directives Division, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, Suite 03F09-09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100 or call 571-372-7574.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Service Academy Gender 
Relations Survey; OMB Control Number 0704-0623.
    Needs and Uses: The legal requirements for the Service Academy 
Gender Relations (SAGR) surveys can be found in the following:

 10 United States Code (U.S.C.), section 4361, as amended by 
John Warner National Defense Authorization Act NDAA for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2007, Section 532
 10 United States Code (U.S.C.), section 481
 Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6495.02

    These legal requirements mandate that the SAGR surveys solicit 
information relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender 
discrimination in the Military Service Academies (MSAs), as well as the 
climate at the MSAs and social perspectives. MSAs include the U.S. 
Military Service Academy (USMA), the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and 
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The requirements state that the 
assessment cycle consists of surveys and focus groups during alternate 
years. They also give the Department authority to conduct such surveys 
under the guidance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Personnel and Readiness (OUSD(P&R)). The U.S. Coast Guard Academy 
(USCGA), the only Federal Military Academy within the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS), is not required to participate in the 
assessments codified by U.S.C. 10. However, USCGA officials requested 
the Coast Guard be included beginning in 2008 to evaluate and improve 
their programs addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment. 
Similarly, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), under the 
Department of Transportation (DOT), requested their inclusion beginning 
in 2012. USCGA and USMMA will continue to participate in the 
assessments. Surveys of USCGA and USMMA are not covered under this DoD 
licensure and will not be mentioned further.
    The Office of People Analytics (OPA) administers both web-based and 
paper-and-pen surveys to support the personnel information needs of the 
OUSD(P&R). The SAGR surveys expand a series of surveys that began in 
2004 with the DoD Inspector General's first survey, subsequently 
transferred to OPA. OPA conducted the SAGR survey at the MSAs in 2005, 
2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022. The 2020 
administration of the survey was postponed due to the COVID-19 
pandemic. The 2024 survey would be the tenth iteration of the SAGR 
survey. The first focus group assessment was conducted in 2007, with 
subsequent focus groups in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 
and 2023. Information from the SAGR surveys will be used by DoD policy 
offices, the Military Departments, the MSAS, and Congress for program 
evaluation and, specifically, to assess and improve policies, programs, 
practices, and training related to gender relations at the MSAs. OPA 
will provide reports to DoD policy offices, each Military Department, 
the MSAs, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and Congress.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 5,000.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 10,000.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.
    Frequency: Biennially.
    The target population of the 2024 SAGR will consist of all students 
at the Military Service Academies (MSAs): U.S. Military Academy (USMA), 
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), 
including the Preparatory Schools. Excluded are Service Academy 
Students who are (1) non-citizens and (2) are visiting from another 
MSA. Students under 18 years of age are also excluded. Working with the 
MSAs, we estimate the approximate numbers of cadets and midshipmen to 
be 14,200. The survey will be administered to all cadets/midshipmen 
(i.e., a census). Based on the 2022 SAGR survey that had an 81% 
response rate, we estimate a 75% response rate. To achieve sufficient 
statistical analytical power, we will include a census of the 
population of interest in the study to achieve sufficient coverage. 
Each Academy notifies students about the survey with an electronic 
message explaining the overall survey process and providing them 
instructions on how to select a session for administration of the 
survey. OPA staff is on location during the survey week to brief 
students and administer the survey in person using a paper survey. 
Sessions are typically scheduled from 0700 through 1500 and follow the 
Academy's class periods. Attendance is checked when a student arrives 
for their session (attendance is only for purposes of following up and 
not for identifying survey responses by individuals). Academy officials 
follow up with students who do not appear at their designation session 
and reschedule accordingly. OPA staff provides an overview briefing on 
the purpose for the survey. Students are advised they may leave at any 
time after the briefing if they choose not to complete the survey.
    Data will be weighted using an industry standard process to reflect 
each Academy's population as of the time of the survey. Weighting 
produces survey estimates of population totals, proportions, and means 
(as well as other statistics) that are representative of their 
respective populations. OPA creates variance strata so precision 
measures can be associated with each estimate. We produce precision 
measures for reporting categories using 95% confidence intervals with 
the goal of achieving a precision of 5% or less (e.g., 80% (+/- 5%) of 
cadets/midshipmen are satisfied with their training).

    Dated: July 19, 2023.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2023-15786 Filed 7-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P