Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery (VBA, VHA, NCA), 69290-69291 [2023-22143]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 192 (Thursday, October 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69290-69291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22143]



[[Page 69290]]

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0770]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Generic 
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service 
Delivery (VBA, VHA, NCA)

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of 
information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature 
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden, and it 
includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: 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. Refer to 
``OMB Control No. 2900-0770.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise 
and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 266-4688 or email 
[email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0770'' in 
any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521.
    Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback 
on Agency Service Delivery (VBA, VHA, NCA).
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0770.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Order 12862 directs Federal agencies to provide service 
to the public that matches or exceeds the best service available in the 
private sector. In order to work continuously to ensure that our 
programs are effective and meet our customers' needs, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks to obtain OMB approval of a generic 
clearance to collect qualitative feedback on our service delivery for 
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA); Veterans Health Administration 
(VHA); and National Cemetery Administration (NCA). By qualitative 
feedback, we mean information that provides useful insights on 
perceptions and opinions, but not statistical surveys that yield 
quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of 
study.
    The proposed information collection activity provides a means to 
garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, 
timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's commitment to 
improving service delivery. 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 
VA 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 provision of services will be unavailable to the 
Agency.
    The Agency will only submit information collections 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 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.
    The types of collections that this generic clearance covers 
include, but are not limited to, Program Satisfaction Surveys; Focus 
Groups; Customer Comment Cards; Small Discussion Groups of customers, 
potential customers, delivery partners, or other stakeholders; 
Cognitive Laboratory Studies, such as those used to refine questions or 
assess usability of a website; Qualitative Customer Satisfaction 
Surveys, such as post-transaction surveys and opt-out web surveys; In-
person Observation Testing, such as website or software usability 
tests; and Patient Surveys. As a general matter, information 
collections under this clearance 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.
    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 OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 
60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of 
information was published at 88 FR 147 on August 2, 2023, pages 50952 
and 50953.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Businesses and 
Organizations; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 256,000 total hours.
    Program Satisfaction Surveys: 75,000.
    Focus Groups: 32,000.
    Customer Comment Cards: 7,500.
    Small Discussion Groups: 2,750.
    Cognitive Laboratory Studies: 30,000.
    Qualitative Customer Satisfaction Surveys: 62,500.
    In-Person Observation Testing: 6,000.
    Patient Surveys: 40,250.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent:
    Program Satisfaction Surveys: 30 minutes.
    Focus Groups: 60 minutes.
    Customer Comment Cards: 30 minutes.
    Small Discussion Groups: 30 minutes.

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    Cognitive Laboratory Studies: 60 minutes.
    Qualitative Customer Satisfaction Surveys: 30 minutes.
    In-Person Observation Testing: 30 minutes.
    Patient Surveys: 30 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 450,000 total.
    Program Satisfaction Surveys: 150,000.
    Focus Groups: 32,000.
    Customer Comment Cards: 15,000.
    Small Discussion Groups: 5,500.
    Cognitive Laboratory Studies: 30,000.
    Qualitative Customer Satisfaction Surveys: 125,000.
    In-Person Observation Testing: 12,000.
    Patient Surveys: 80,500.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Maribel Aponte,
VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data 
Governance Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-22143 Filed 10-4-23; 8:45 am]
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