[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47878-47879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24062]


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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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