[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47878-47879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24062]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900-0570]
Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review
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
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Veterans
Health Administration (VHA), 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. In addition, OMB is being requested to:
a. Grant the VHA a 3-year generic clearance approval authority.
b. Allow the VHA to establish a maximum number of annual burden
hours against which burden will be charged for each survey actually
used.
c. Allow for the submission of a summary of objectives, specific
burden
[[Page 47879]]
estimates, and all final or near final survey instruments covered by
the generic clearance for inclusion in the OMB public docket prior to
their use.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 14, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT: Ron
Taylor, Information Management Service (045A4), Department of Veterans
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8015
or FAX (202) 273-5981. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0570.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Clearance for the Veterans Health Administration
Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 2900-0570.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: 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. The VHA
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
VHA 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 June 12, 1997 at pages 32148-32149.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Special Emphasis (Different Special Emphasis Programs will be
surveyed annually; for example, in 1997, VHA is surveying inpatient and
outpatient Persian Gulf Veterans and inpatient and outpatient Spinal
Cord Injury patients. Special Emphasis program selections have not been
made for FYs 1998-2000. Burden hours for the out-years are based on
1997 estimates.)
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Estimated
Year Number of annual burden Frequency of response
respondents (hours)
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1998................................... 46,800 18,200 Annually.
1999................................... 46,800 18,200 Annually.
2000................................... 46,800 18,200 Annually.
Local Facilities Surveys:
1998............................... 12,000 3,000 One-time.
1999............................... 12,000 3,000 One-time.
2000............................... 12,000 3,000 One-time.
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Most customer satisfaction surveys will be recurring so that the
VHA 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 the VHA's performance. The
VHA expects to distribute written surveys with a total annual burden of
approximately 21,200 hours in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
The areas of concern to the VHA and its customers may change over
time, and it is important to have the ability to evaluate customer
concerns quickly. Participation in the surveys 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. The VHA
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 OMB Desk Officer, Allison Eydt, OMB
Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room
10235, Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395-4650. Please refer to ``OMB
Control No. 2900-0570'' in any correspondence.
Dated: August 13, 1997.
By direction of the Secretary.
Donald L. Neilson,
Director, Information Management Service.
[FR Doc. 97-24062 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
