47878 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 176 / Thursday, September 11, 1997 / Notices

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1998 .. 2 hours .................... 600 hours.

1999 .. 2 hours .................... 600 hours.

VA Loan Customer Service Survey:

VBA plans to develop a new national

survey of veterans who apply for VA

home loan guaranty benefits.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1999 .. 15 minutes .............. 4,600 hours.

VA Regional Office Specific Service

Improvement Initiatives (Comment

Card): VBA plans to develop a comment

card which would be given to customers

to determine what effect service

improvement initiatives are having on

customer satisfaction.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1997 .. 5 minutes ................ 4,275 hours.

1998 .. 5 minutes ................ 8,550 hours.

1999 .. 5 minutes ................ 8,550 hours.

Survey of Educational Institutions:

VBA plans to develop new survey of

educational institutions where veterans

attend. This survey would gauge the

institution’s level of satisfaction with

their dealings with VA offices.

Year

Estimated average

burden per respondent

Estimated annual burden

1999 .. 15 minutes .............. 250 hours.

Survey of Veterans Who Filed for an

Increase in their Service-Connected

Disability Compensation: VBA plans to

develop a new survey to determine

customer satisfaction levels of those

who have applied for an increase in

their service-connected disability

compensation.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1999 .. 20 minutes .............. 167 hours.

Survey of Veterans and their

Survivors Who Have Been Denied

Claims for Service-Connected Disability

Compensation or Related Benefits: VBA

plans to develop a new survey of

veterans and survivors to determine

customer satisfaction levels of those

who have been denied benefits.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1999 .. 20 minutes .............. 167 hours.

Survey of Military Personnel Who are

Separating from Active Duty: VBA plans

to develop a new survey intended to

gauge customer satisfaction expectations

of military personnel as they leave

active service.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1999 .. 20 minutes .............. 167 hours.

Survey of Veterans Service Officers:

VBA plans to develop a new survey

intended to gauge customer satisfaction

levels of Veterans Service Officer that

work in partnership with VA in service

to veterans.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1998 .. 20 minutes .............. 50 hours.

Undetermined Focus Groups: VBA

plans to conduct focus groups

consisting of specific population groups

that have yet to be determined. There

will be approximately 200 focus groups

of 10 participants.

Year

Estimated average

burden per

respondent

Estimated

annual

burden

1998 .. 2 hours .................... 4,000 hours.

1999 .. 2 hours .................... 4,000 hours.

Most customer satisfaction surveys

will be recurring so that the VBA 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 VBA’s performance.

The VBA expects to conduct focus

groups involving an estimated burden of

2,467 hours during the remainder of

1997, 6,947 hours in 1998, and 7,067

hours in 1999. In addition, the VBA

expects to distribute written surveys

with a total annual burden of

approximately 13,308 hours in 1997,

17,559 hours in 1998, and 27,683 hours

in 1999. The grand totals for both focus

groups and written surveys are—15,775

hours in 1997, 24,506 hours in 1998,

and 34,750 hours in 1999.

The areas of concern to the VBA and

its customers may change over time, and

it is important to have the ability to

evaluate customer concerns quickly.

Participation in the surveys and focus

groups 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 VBA 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 14, 1997.

By direction of the Secretary.

Donald L. Neilson,

Director, Information Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24061 Filed 9–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

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.

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
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 176 / Thursday, September 11, 1997 / Notices 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.)

Year Number of respondents

Estimated annual burden

(hours)

Frequency of response

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.

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]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900–0091]

Agency Information Collection

Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Veterans Health

Administration, 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 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.

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. 2900–0091.’’

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title and Form Numbers: Application

for Medical Benefits, VA Forms 10–10

and 10–10T; Insurance Information, VA

Form 10–10I; Financial Worksheet, VA

Form 10–10F; and Funeral

Arrangements, VA Form 10–2065.

OMB Control Number: 2900–0091.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Abstract: The OMB approvals for use

of these forms is due to expire on

August 31, 1997. Many of these forms

will be redesigned to meet the

requirements of Public Law 104–262,

Veterans’ Health Care Eligibility Reform

Act of 1996. VHA is requesting an

extension until such time as these forms