Notice2021-24394
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Primary source
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Published
November 9, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNational Agricultural Statistics Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Generic Clearance for Survey Research Studies. Burden hours and number of contacts will be increased to accommodate the proposed testing for the upcoming three year period.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 214 (Tuesday, November 9, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 214 (Tuesday, November 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62146-62147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24394]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently
approved information collection, the Generic Clearance for Survey
Research Studies. Burden hours and number of contacts will be increased
to accommodate the proposed testing for the upcoming three year period.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 10, 2022 to
be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0248, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f59a98979a93939c969087b59b948686db80869194db929a83"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87e8eae5e8e1e1eee4e2f5c7e9e6f4f4a9f2f4e3e6a9e0e8f1">[email protected]</span></a>. Include docket number
above in the subject line of the message.
<bullet> E-fax: (855) 838-6382.
<bullet> Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to:
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-2024.
<bullet> Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock,
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin L. Barnes, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-2707. Copies of this information
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from
David Hancock, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5936343b363f3f303a3c2b1937382a2a772c2a3d38773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fb949699949d9d92989e89bb959a8888d58e889f9ad59c948d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Clearance To Conduct Survey Research Studies.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0248.
Type of Request: To revise and extend a currently approved
information collection for a period of three years.
Abstract: The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will request
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a generic
clearance that will allow NASS to rigorously develop, test, and
evaluate its survey instruments and methodologies. The primary
objectives of the National Agricultural Statistics Service are to
prepare and issue State and national estimates of crop production,
livestock production, economic statistics, and environmental statistics
related to agriculture and to conduct the Census of Agriculture. This
request is part of an on-going initiative to improve NASS surveys, as
recommended by both its own guidelines and those of OMB.
In the last decade, state-of-the art techniques have been
increasingly instituted by NASS and other Federal agencies and are now
routinely used to improve the quality and timeliness of survey data and
analyses, while simultaneously reducing respondents' cognitive workload
and burden. The purpose of this generic clearance is to allow NASS to
continue to adopt and use these state-of-the-art techniques to improve
its current data collections efforts. These tests will also be used to
aid in the development of new surveys.
NASS envisions using a variety of survey improvement techniques, as
appropriate to the individual project under investigation. These
include focus groups, cognitive and usability laboratory and field
techniques, exploratory interviews, behavior coding, respondent
debriefing, pilot surveys, and split-panel tests. After obtaining
participants' permission, NASS plans to audio-record some cognitive
interviews
[[Page 62147]]
and usability interviews, in order to allow for more complete and
accurate summaries of these qualitative interviews. This is a standard
procedure for cognitive interviews and usability interviews at many
other survey organizations, including Federal agencies. The consent
form would be used for audio recording some cognitive interviews and
usability interviews for research purposes. For these types of
interviews, there will be no collection of Personally Identifiable
Information (PII) or any identifying information about the operator or
operation.
In addition to the testing techniques listed above NASS will be
including parallel testing with this renewal request. NASS is
investigating methodologies using additional sources of farm operators
(including web scraping). These methodologies will be tested against
the NASS's current multi-frame methodology.
Following standard OMB requirements NASS will submit a change
request to OMB individually for each survey improvement project it
undertakes under this generic clearance and provide OMB with a copy of
the questionnaire (if one is used), and all other materials describing
the project.
Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of 7
U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this
authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act of
1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict
confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. This
Notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget regulations
at 5 CFR part 1320. Participation in all surveys and studies conducted
under this approval will be voluntary.
NASS also complies with OMB Implementation Guidance,
``Implementation Guidance for Title V of the E-Government Act,
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of
2002 (CIPSEA),'' Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p.
33362.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for these collections
of information is estimated to average from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours per
respondent, dependent upon the survey and the technique used to test
for that particular survey. The overall average is estimated to be 0.60
hours per response.
Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, farm managers, farm contractors,
agri-businesses, and households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,000.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 15,000 hours.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms of information
technology collection methods.
All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record
and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.
Signed at Washington, DC, November 3, 2021.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-24394 Filed 11-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P
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