Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

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]

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