[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47872-47873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24056]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0548]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Board of Veterans' Appeals, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Board of 
Veterans' Appeals (BVA), 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

[[Page 47873]]

expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection 
instrument. In addition, OMB is being requested to:
    a. Grant the BVA a 3-year generic clearance approval authority.
    b. Allow the BVA 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 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. 2900-0548.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Generic Clearance for the Board of Veterans' Appeals 
Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0548.
    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 satification with existing service. The BVA 
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 
BVA 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 32149-32150.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 400 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 6 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,000.
    The surveys will consist of no more than 4,000 appellants in whose 
cases final Board decisions were issued during the 180-day period 
immediately preceding the survey or whose appeals have been placed on 
the Board's docket but have not yet been decided. To facilitate data 
analysis, three customer categories will be targeted: appeals allowed; 
appeals denied; and current appeals. The anticipated rate of response 
is 80%.
    The areas of concern to the BVA 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 BVA 
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. 2900-0548'' in any correspondence.

    Dated: September 22, 1997.

    By direction of the Secretary.
William T. Morgan,
Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 97-24056 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-M