2018-06948. Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

ACTION:

Notice, request for comment.

SUMMARY:

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) invites comment on a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the voluntary Federal Reserve Clearance for Board Public website Usability Surveys (FR 3076, OMB No. 7100-0366). On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board. In exercising this delegated authority, the Board is directed to take every reasonable step to solicit comment. In determining whether to approve a collection of information, the Board will consider all comments received from the public and other agencies.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before June 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by FR 3076, by any of the following methods:

• Agency website: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments at http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx.
• Email: [e-mail]. Include OMB number in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: [phone] or [phone].
• Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20551.

All public comments are available from the Board's website at http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​foia/​proposedregs.aspx as submitted, unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper form in Room 3515, 1801 K Street (between 18th and 19th Streets NW) Washington, DC 20006 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. For security reasons, the Board requires that visitors make an appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling [phone]. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued photo identification and to submit to security screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.

Additionally, commenters may send a copy of their comments to the OMB Desk Officer—Shagufta Ahmed—Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

A copy of the PRA OMB submission, including the proposed reporting form and instructions, supporting statement, and other documentation will be placed into OMB's public docket files, once approved. These documents will also be made available on the Federal Reserve Board's public website at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/​apps/​reportforms/​review.aspx or may be requested from the agency clearance officer, whose name appears below.

Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer—Nuha Elmaghrabi—Office of the Chief Data Officer, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551 [phone]. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact [phone], Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comment on Information Collection Proposal

The Board invites public comment on the following information collection, which is being reviewed under authority delegated by the OMB under the PRA. Comments are invited on the following:

a. Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the Federal Reserve's functions; including whether the information has practical utility;

b. The accuracy of the Federal Reserve's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

c. Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

d. Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and

e. Estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.

At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the Federal Reserve should modify the proposal prior to giving final approval.

Proposal To Approve Under OMB Delegated Authority the Extension for Three Years, Without Revision, of the Following Report

Report title: Federal Reserve Clearance for Board Public website Usability Surveys.

Agency form number: FR 3076.

OMB control number: 7100-0366.

Frequency: As needed.

Respondents: Individuals.

Estimated number of respondents: Surveys: 100, Focus Groups: 20.

Estimated average hours per response: Surveys: 0.25, Focus Groups: 1.5.

Estimated annual burden hours: 420.

General description of report: The FR 3076 is used to gather qualitative and quantitative information directly from users or potential users of the Board's website such as Congress, other government agencies, the public, economic educators, economists, financial institutions, financial literacy groups, and community development groups and more. Participation is voluntary.

The FR 3076 may seek information from users or potential users of various Board web pages, including press releases, data releases and downloads, reports, supervision manuals, brochures, new web pages, audio, video, and use of social media. Information gathered may also include general input on users' interests and needs, feedback on website navigation and layout, distribution channels, or other factors which may affect the ability of users to locate and access content online.

Qualitative surveys conducted using the FR 3076 would include data gathering methods such as focus groups and individual interviews. Quantitative surveys conducted using the FR 3076 would include surveys conducted online or via mobile device, by phone or by mail, emails, or a combination of these methods. The Board may contract with an outside vendor to conduct focus groups, interviews, or surveys, or the Board may collect the data directly. As the Board's public website continues to evolve, the Board may seek input from users or potential users of Board's public website on questions such as the following:

• Did you find the content and layout relevant and of value?
• How did you find the content you were looking for?
• Was the navigation useful?
• How did you learn about the content?
• How did you access the content? (e.g.: paper copy distributed at an event, online, or mobile device). If online or through a mobile device, was the document printed, viewed on a tablet, or on a computer screen?
• What suggestions do you have for improving the format and appearance of online presentation? (e.g.: readability—font size, charts, and graphs; organization of information; and navigating—indexing, search tools, and links)
• What other information would be of value to enhance the online tool or information?

Legal authorization and confidentiality: The Board uses its website and social media to communicate important information to the public about a variety of different issues. The Board is required to provide certain information on its website. For example, under section 2B of the Federal Reserve Act the Board is required to provide certain reports, audits, and other information that “the Board reasonably believes is necessary or helpful to the public in understanding the accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls of the Board and the Federal reserve banks.” 12 U.S.C. 225b(c). In addition, the Board uses its website to provide the public with information about a variety of other matters, including information about the Board, its actions, and the economy. The responses to the FR 3076 help the Board determine how to most effectively communicate this information to the public in order to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. The FR 3076 is voluntary. The information collected by the FR 3076 is not considered to be confidential.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, April 2, 2018.

Ann Misback,

Secretary of the Board.