00-28074. Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY:

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefit Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted 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; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before December 4, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT:

Denise McLamb, Information Management Service (045A4), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or FAX [phone]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0569.”

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Generic Clearance for the Veterans Benefits Administration Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0569.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: VBA administers integrated programs of benefits and services, established by law for veterans and their survivors, and service personnel. Executive Order 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, requires Federal agencies and departments to identify and survey its customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing service. VBA uses customer satisfaction surveys to gauge customer perceptions of VA services as well as customer expectations and desires. The results of these information collections lead to improvements in the quality of VBA service delivery by helping to shape the direction and focus of specific programs and services.

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 on July 17, 2000 at pages 44094-44096.

Affected Public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-profit.

National Survey Activities

Survey of Veterans' Satisfaction with The VA Compensation and Pension Claims Process

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	22,800	5,700	One-time.
2002	22,800	5,700	One-time.
2003	22,800	5,700	One-time.

Survey of Veterans' Satisfaction with the VA Education Claims Process

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	3,200	800	One-time.
2002	3,200	800	One-time.
2003	3,200	800	One-time.

Survey of Educational Institution Certifying Officials

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2002	1,000	330	One-time.
2003	1,000	330	One-time.

Loan Guaranty Customer Satisfaction Survey—Veteran

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	7,200	1,202	One-time.
2002	7,200	1,202	One-time.
2003	7,200	1,202	One-time.

Loan Guaranty Customer Satisfaction Survey—Lender

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	1,000	330	One-time.
2002	1,000	330	One-time.
2003	1,000	330	One-time.

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program Survey

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	10,800	2,700	One-time.
2002	10,800	2,700	One-time.
2003	10,800	2,700	One-time.

Insurance Customer Surveys

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	2,800	280	One-time.
2002	2,800	280	One-time.
2003	2,800	280	One-time.

Undetermined Focus Groups

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	500	1,000	One-time.
2002	500	1,000	One-time.
2003	500	1,000	One-time.

National Telephone Survey

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	7,200	1,224	One-time.
2002	7,200	1,224	One-time.
2003	7,200	1,224	One-time.

VA Regional Office-Based Customer Satisfaction Focus Groups

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	600	1,800	One-time.
2002	600	1,800	One-time.
2003	600	1,800	One-time.

VA Regional Office-Specific Service Improvement Initiatives (Comment Card)

Year	Number of respondents	Estimated annual burden (in hours)	Frequency of response
2001	139,200	11,554	One-time.
2002	139,200	11,554	One-time.
2003	139,200	11,554	One-time.

Most customer satisfaction surveys will be recurring so that VBA can create ongoing measures of performance and to determine how well the agency meets customer service standards. Each collection of information will consist of the minimum amount of information necessary to determine customer needs and to evaluate VBA's performance. VBA expects to conduct an estimated 100 focus groups and receive up to 139,200 comment cards involving a total of 14,354 hours each year for 2001, 2002, and 2003. In addition, VBA expects to distribute written surveys with a total annual burden of approximately 12,236 hours in 2001, 12,566 hours in 2002, and 12,566 hours in 2003. The grand totals for both focus groups, comment cards, and written surveys are: 26,590 hours in 2001, 26,920 hours in 2002, and 26,920 hours in 2003.

Anyone may view the results of previously administered surveys on the internet by going to the following VBA surveys website: http://www.vba.va.gov/​surveys/​.

The areas of concern to VBA and its customers may change over time, and it is important to have the ability to evaluate customer concerns quickly. OMB will be requested to grant generic clearance approval for a 3-year period to conduct customer satisfaction surveys, focus groups and to send out comment cards. Participation in the surveys, focus groups, and comment cards will be voluntary and the generic clearance will not be used to collect information required to obtain or maintain eligibility for a VA program or benefit. In order to maximize the voluntary response rates, the information collection will be designed to make participation convenient, simple, and free of unnecessary barriers. Baseline data obtained through these information collections will be used to improve customer service standards. VBA will consult with OMB regarding each specific information collection during this approval period.

Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the information collection to VA's Desk Officer, OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 [phone]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0569” in any correspondence.

Dated: September 25, 2000.

By direction of the Acting Secretary.

Donald L. Neilson,

Director, Information Management Service.