03-22085. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Pretesting of NCI Office of Communications Messages

Summary: Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2003, page 16295 and allowed 60 days for public comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Proposed Collection

Title: Pretesting of NCI Office of Communications Messages.

Type of Information Collection Request: Extension (OMB # 0925-0046, expires 8/31/03).

Need and Use of Information Collection: In order to carry out NCI's legislative mandate to educate and disseminate information about cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment to a wide variety of audiences and organizations (e.g., cancer patients, their families, the general public, health providers, the media, voluntary groups, scientific and medical organizations), the NCI Office of Communications (OC) needs to pretest its communications strategies, concepts, and messages while they are under development. The primary purpose of this pretesting, or formative evaluation, is to ensure that the messages, communication materials, and information services created by OC have the greatest capacity of being received, understood, and accepted by their target audiences. By utilizing appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies, OC is able to (1) understand characteristics of the intended target audience—their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors—and use this information in the development of effective communication tools and strategies; (2) produce or refine messages that have the greatest potential to influence target audience attitudes and behavior in a positive manner; and (3) expend limited program resource dollars wisely and effectively.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Affected Public: Individuals or households; Businesses or other for profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; State, local or tribal Government.

Type of Respondents: Adult cancer patients; members of the public; health care professionals; organizational representatives.

The annual reporting burden is as follows:

Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,780;

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1;

Average Burden Hours Per Response: .1458; and

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 2,010. There are no Capital Costs, Operating Costs and/or Maintenance Costs to report.

Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact Ellen Eisner, Communications Research Manager, OC Director's Office, NCI, NIH, Building 31, Room 10A03, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free number [phone] or e-mail your request, including your address to: [e-mail].

Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of the date of this publication.

Dated: August 21, 2003.

Reesa Nichols,

Project Clearance Liaison, NCI.