Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed three-year extension of existing form

DOE-887, ``Department of Energy Customer Surveys.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 24, 1997.

If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it

difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice,

you should advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so

as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Herbert T. Miller, Office of Statistical

Standards, EI-73, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy,

Washington, D.C. 20585, (Phone 202-426-1103, FAX 202- 426-1081, or e-

mail [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information should be

directed to Herbert Miller at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy

Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of

Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91), the Energy Information

Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and

unified energy data and information program. As part of this program,

EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and

information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand,

and technology, and related economic and statistical information

relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the

near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs.

The Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)), conducts a presurvey

consultation program to provide the general public and other Federal

agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing

reporting forms. This program helps to ensure that requested data can

be provided in the desired format, reporting burden is minimized,

reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Also, EIA will

later seek approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for

the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, Title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).

On September 11, 1993, the President signed Executive Order No.

12862 aimed at ``* * * ensuring the Federal government provides the

highest quality service possible to the American people.'' The Order

discusses surveys as a means for determining the kinds and qualities of

service desired by Federal Government customers and for determining

satisfaction levels for existing services. These voluntary customer

surveys will be used to ascertain customer satisfaction with the

Department of Energy in terms of services and products. Respondents

will be individuals and organizations that are the recipients of the

Department's services and products. Previous customer surveys have

provided useful information to the Department for assessing how well

the Department is delivering its services and products and for making

improvements. The results are used internally and summaries are

provided to the Office of Management and Budget on an annual basis, and

are used to satisfy the requirements and the spirit of Executive Order

No. 12862.

II. Current Actions

The request to OMB will be for a three-year extension of the

expiration date of approval for DOE to conduct customer surveys. During

the past clearance cycle, over 20 customer surveys have been conducted

by telephone and mail. (Examples of previously conducted customer

surveys are available upon request.) Our planned activities in the next

3 fiscal years reflect our increased emphasis on and expansion of these

activities, including an increased use of electronic means for

obtaining customer input (CD-ROM and World Wide Web).

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment

on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are

provided to assist in the preparation of responses.

General Issues

A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary, taking into

account its accuracy, adequacy, and reliability, and the agency's

ability to process the information it collects in a useful and timely

fashion?

B. What enhancements can EIA make to the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

A. Average public reporting burden for a customer survey is

estimated to be .25 hours per response (8,333 respondents per year x 15

minutes per response = 2,083 hours annually). Burden includes the total

time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain,

retain, or disclose or provide the information including: (1) reviewing

instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing

technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating,

verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and providing

information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with any

previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training

personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data

sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.

Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the

agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information,

including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

B. EIA estimates that respondents will incur no additional costs

for reporting other than the hours required to complete the collection.

What is the estimated (1) total dollar amount annualized for capital

and start-up costs and (2) recurring annual dollar amount of operation

and maintenance and purchase of services costs associated with this

data collection? The estimates should take into account the costs

associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing

the information.

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C. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that

collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data

element(s), and the methods of collection.

As a Potential User

A. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? If so,

what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized

and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also

will become a matter of public record.

Statutory Authority: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).

Issued in Washington, DC on January 13, 1997.

Yvonne M. Bishop,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-1353 Filed 1-17-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P