[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 201 (Monday, October 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55844-55845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28065]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
National Food and Agriculture Council; Request for Approval of a
New Information Collection
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-13), this notice announces the Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) intent to request approval of a new information collection in
support of the USDA's National Food and Agriculture Council's (FAC)
customer service initiative.
DATES: Submit written comments on the collection of information by
December 18, 1998, to be assured consideration.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Leonard Covello, Quality
Customer Service Team Leader, Service Center Implementation Team, Farm
Service Agency (FSA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
STOP 0512, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0512,
telephone (202) 720-7796; FAX (202) 690-3434; e-mail covello@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Information Collection.
OMB Control Number: New submission.
Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
Abstract: President Clinton's Executive Order 12862, ``Setting
Customer Service Standards,'' September 11, 1993, requires agencies to
annually survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services
they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services.
Executive Order 12862, and ensuing memoranda: ``Improving Customer
Service,'' March 22, 1995; and Conducting ``Conversations with
America'' to Further Improve Customer Service, March 3, 1998, require,
among other things, that agencies, on an ongoing basis, measure results
achieved against published customer service standards and report the
results annually. Agencies are directed to provide significant services
directly to the public to make information, services, and complaint
systems easily accessible, and to provide a means to address customer
complaints. The proposed information will enable USDA Service Center
and their partner agencies (Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD)) to
comply with Executive Order 12862 and the above referenced memoranda.
The types of information collection instruments the FAC Service
Center Implementation Team plans to use for the next 3 years are
written surveys, focus groups, comment and complaint cards, customer
call backs, benchmarking studies, telephone surveys, and structured
interviews.
FAC and the USDA Service Center partner agencies will use the
information collected to meet requirements of the Government
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and to improve USDA's
Service Center operations. The proposed collections will provide
current performance and trend data in support of GPRA performance
requirements and USDA's National FAC's Strategic and Annual Performance
Plans.
Survey data has been collected since 1994 and has been used for
creating GPRA initiatives, to support the Service Center and the three
partner agencies' strategic plans, and to obtain customer service
baseline, as well as, to measure performance against established
baselines.
Written and telephone surveys will be designed and conducted in
accordance with appropriate sampling design principles. The design and
implementation of the surveys will meet the requirements and guidelines
of OMB as set forth in the OMB manuals, ``The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995: Implementing Guidance'' and ``Resource Manual for Customer
Surveys.''
Focus groups have and will continue to be a useful and productive
data collection activity. They will be used to explore what our
customers view as important service attributes. Focus groups are also
very useful for getting customer views of new proposed ways of doing
things. In 1996, USDA employees from the three partner agencies
conducted 37 focus group meetings across the country. States were
selected to insure a balance of programs and farming regions. The goal
was to find out what kinds of service customers want and how USDA might
best deal
[[Page 55845]]
with customer complaints. This qualitative data was compared with our
quantitative data from our previous surveys. Customers' views were
instrumental in developing USDA Service Center Customer Service
Standards and in designing a nationwide comment and complaint process
that is now in the pilot test phase. Both of these accomplishments
implement mandates of Executive Order 12862 and the above referenced
memoranda.
Comment/complaint card participation is voluntary. Cards are given
to customers at time of service or are available at the service point
of contact. Customers will be able to use the card to submit
complaints, compliments, and comments. Use of comment cards was
developed as a system for resolving complaints in the minimum amount of
time and is an integral part of the comment/complaint process.
Customer callbacks (commonly called service quality calls) will be
used to obtain continuous feedback from customers. Specially trained
Service Center employees will place telephone calls to a random sample
of customers who have received service within the past 24-48 hours.
Customers' comments will be entered into a database and summarized.
Reports will be produced for the service provider and management
concerning the quality of service being provided. This data will also
identify points in our work processes in need of review.
As part of the 3-year plan, benchmarking studies will be conducted
when needed and appropriate to ensure that our customers get service
that is equal to ``best in business.'' These studies will examine
business practices and performance in both the private sector as well
as in other governmental entities. Such studies need not be restricted
to companies that are in the same general business as the Federal
Government.
Structured or personal (one-on-one) interviews will be conducted as
needed to obtain information from potential or existing customers. This
data will be used as an indicator of potential problems, areas of
concern, or areas for improvement.
Information collection requests will be designed to produce valid
results that will be generalized, when applicable, to the target
participants. All collection instruments will collect reactions,
recollections and opinions, not statistical or archival data.
No information collection activity will ask respondents to submit
trade secrets or other confidential information. No information
collection activity will contain questions of a sensitive nature, such
as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters
that are commonly considered private.
The target population is customers who receive or might be eligible
to receive service in, from, or through a USDA Service Center.
Customers include, but are not limited to, all producers and
participants in single and multi-family housing, business and community
development, and water and waste programs. USDA will collect data
mostly during off-season times, generally from December through early
April. This will minimize interference with customers' crop planting
and other concentrated agri-business activities, while hopefully,
maximizing response rates. Burden estimations for the information
collection are based on a 3-year timeframe.
The attached Table is an explanation of the various data collection
instruments with regard to Estimate of Burden; Respondents; Estimated
Number of Respondents; Estimated Number of Responses Per Respondent;
and Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents.
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Estimated
Estimated Estimated time for total annual
Data collection instrument Frequency number of responses per burden on
respondents respondent respondents
(hours)
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Written surveys................ Annual................. 27,000 15 minutes............ 6,750
State surveys (15 States)...... As appropriate......... 57,000 15 minutes............ 14,250
Focus groups................... As appropriate......... 500 120 minutes........... 2,400
State focus groups (6 States).. As appropriate......... 288 120 minutes........... 576
Comment and complaint cards Ongoing................ 58,500 5 minutes............. 4,875
(all States).
Customer call backs (6 States). As appropriate......... 22,500 5 minutes............. 1,875
Benchmarking studies........... As appropriate......... 120 4 hours............... 480
Telephone surveys (1 national). As appropriate......... 500 10 minutes............ 84
Structured interviews (6 As appropriate......... 4,500 30 minutes............ 2,250
States).
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Proposed topics for comments are: (1) whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the USDA Service
Center function, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the USDA Service Center estimate of
burden, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(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 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 should be sent to Leonard Covello, Quality Customer
Service Team Leader, Service Center Implementation Team, Farm Service
Agency, Department of Agriculture, STOP 0512, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0512.
OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection
contained in these proposed regulations between 30 and 60 days after
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a
comment to the OMB is best assured of having its full effect if it is
received within 30 days of publication.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for the OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Signed at Washington, DC, on October 14, 1998.
Gregory L. Carnill,
Executive Officer, USDA, National Food and Agriculture Council.
[FR Doc. 98-28065 Filed 10-15-98; 1:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P
