2023-21535. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and approval; Comment Request; Master Generic Plan for Customer Surveys, Focus Groups, and Challenges/Contests

AGENCY:

Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved information collection request (ICR).

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for proposed information collection requests should be submitted within 30 days of publication of this notice. Click on this link www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain to access the site. Find this information collection request (ICR) by selecting “Department of Education” under “Currently Under Review,” then check the “Only Show ICR for Public Comment” checkbox. Reginfo.gov provides two links to view documents related to this information collection request. Information collection forms and instructions may be found by clicking on the “View Information Collection (IC) List” link. Supporting statements and other supporting documentation may be found by clicking on the “View Supporting Statement and Other Documents” link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Stephanie Valentine, 202–987–1805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Master Generic Plan for Customer Surveys, Focus Groups, and Challenges/Contests.

OMB Control Number: 1800–0011.

Type of Review: A revision of a currently approved ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 225,703.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 57,722.

Abstract: The Department is requesting an additional 30-day comment period due to the addition of challenges and contests to this generic clearance.

Surveys to be considered under this generic will only include those surveys that improve customer service or collect feedback about a service provided to individuals or entities directly served by ED. The results of these customer surveys will help ED managers plan and implement program improvements and other customer satisfaction initiatives. Focus groups that will be considered under the generic clearance will assess customer satisfaction with a direct service or will be designed to inform a customer satisfaction survey ED is considering. Surveys that have the potential to influence policy will not be considered under this generic clearance.

ED will also launch challenges or prize competitions on occasion in a short turnaround. The information collected for challenges and prize competitions will generally include the submitter's or other contact person's first and last name, organizational or school affiliation; email address or other contact information (to follow up if the submitted entry is selected as a finalist or winner); street address (to confirm that the submitter or affiliated school or organization for eligibility purposes); and a video or a narrative description for the specific challenge or contest. ED may also request information indicating the submitter's educational level, ethnicity, age range, gender, and race (to evaluate entrants' diversity and backgrounds). Finally, ED may ask for additional information tailored to the challenge or prize competition through structured questions. This information will enable the Department to create and administer challenges and prize competitions more effectively.

Upon entry or during the judging process, entrants under the age of 18 will be asked to confirm parental consent, which will require them to obtain and provide a parent or guardian signature in a format outlined in the specific criteria of each challenge or prize competition to qualify for the contest. To protect online privacy of minors, birthdate may be required by the website host to ensure the challenge platform meets the requirements of all privacy laws.

Dated: September 26, 2023.

Stephanie Valentine,

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.