Notice2021-15457
Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment; EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 21, 2021
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentEmployee Benefits Security Administration
Abstract
The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) described below. A copy of the ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38500-38501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15457]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection Request
Submitted for Public Comment; EBSA Participant Assistance Program
Customer Survey
AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (the Department), in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, provides the general public and
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and
continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess
the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the
Department's information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format. The Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA) is soliciting comments on the proposed
information collection request (ICR) described below. A copy of the
ICRs may be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office shown in the
ADDRESSES section on or before September 20, 2021.
ADDRESSES: James Butikofer, Department of Labor, Employee Benefits
Security Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, N-5718,
Washington, DC 20210, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b5d0d7c6d49bdac5c7f5d1dad99bd2dac3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="50353223317e3f202210343f3c7e373f26">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice requests public comment on the
Department's revision of a currently approved collection of information
regarding a customer survey that solicits inquirers' feedback on the
applicability and utility of EBSA's Participant Assistance Program. A
summary of the ICR and the current burden estimates follows:
Agency: Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA),
Department of Labor.
Title: EBSA Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey.
OMB Number: 1210-0161.
Respondents: (Annual) 11,200.
Number of Annual Responses: 11,200.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,867 hours.
Total Annual Costs: $0.
Description: The demographic questions in the EBSA Participant
Assistance Program Customer Survey are being updated in response to
Executive Order 13985--Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.\1\ The new
demographic survey information will be used to provide additional
training to EBSA benefits advisors in order to better
[[Page 38501]]
serve the underserved populations that the Department assists.
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\1\ Presidential Documents, 86 FR 7009 (Jan. 25, 2021).
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The Participant Assistance Program Customer Survey collects
customer satisfaction data for a sample of private citizens who call
into the participant assistance program to ask about their private
sector employer provided benefits such as pensions, retirement savings,
and health benefits. Three types of callers are queried: (1) Those who
need benefit claim assistance; (2) those who have a valid benefit
claim; and (3) those who have an invalid benefit claim. The results of
the survey are analyzed to provide actionable data that could be used
to improve program performance. Examples of improved performance that
may result from that study include, but are not limited to:
<bullet> Being more attuned to inquirers' needs--Benefits Advisors
should be more adept at identifying issues that lead to benefits
recoveries and enforcement leads
<bullet> Survey data will enable National and Regional management to
identify potential training needs
<bullet> Satisfaction scores will guide EBSA leadership to determine
which Regions need assistance improving customer service
<bullet> Scores on individual BAs will reveal high performers and allow
the agency to use those BAs' techniques as best practices for program-
wide improvement.
The study will include survey data from regional offices in
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles,
New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco and District offices in Miami,
Seattle and Washington.
Focus of Comments
The Department is particularly interested in comments that:
<bullet> Evaluate whether the collections of information are
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
<bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
collections of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used;
<bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
<bullet> Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., by
permitting electronic submissions of responses.
<bullet> Evaluate the effectiveness of the additional demographic
questions.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the ICR for OMB approval of the information
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 14th day of July, 2021.
Ali Khawar,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration,
U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2021-15457 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P
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