24684 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 25, 2012 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; 2013–2015 

American Community Survey Methods 

Panel Testing 

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be submitted on or 

before June 25, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th and Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at jjessup@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument(s) and instructions should 

be directed to Cheryl Chambers, U.S. 

Census Bureau, American Community 

Survey Office, Washington, DC 20233, 

by FAX to (301) 763–8070 or email at 

acso.communications@census.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The American Community Survey 

(ACS) collects detailed socioeconomic 

data from about 3.5 million households 

in the United States and 36,000 in 

Puerto Rico each year. The ACS also 

collects detailed socioeconomic data 

from about 195,000 residents living in 

Group Quarter (GQ) facilities. Resulting 

tabulations from that data collection are 

provided on a yearly basis. The ACS 

allows the Census Bureau to provide 

timely and relevant housing and socioeconomic statistics for even low levels 

of geography. 

An ongoing data collection effort with 

an annual sample of this magnitude 

requires that the ACS continue research, 

testing and evaluations aimed at 

improving data quality, achieving 

survey cost efficiencies, and improving 

ACS questionnaire content and related 

data collection materials. The ACS 

Methods Panel is a research program 

that is designed to address and respond 

to survey issues and needs. During the 

2013–2015 period, the Methods Panel 

may include testing methods for 

increasing survey efficiencies, reducing 

survey cost, lessening respondent 

burden, and improving response rates. 

Testing may also include methods that 

might increase data quality. At this 

time, plans are in place to propose 

several tests: A 2013 Questionnaire 

Design Test, a 2015 ACS Content Test, 

and a series of Internet tests. Since the 

ACS Methods Panel is designed to 

address emerging issues, we may 

conduct additional testing as needed. 

Testing would focus on methods for 

reducing data collection costs, 

improving data quality or testing new 

questions that have an urgent need to be 

included on the ACS. 

During the 2010 Content Test, the 

Census Bureau determined that the ACS 

paper questionnaire did not contain 

enough space to accommodate certain 

configurations of proposed content 

changes. Thus, we need to test an 

alternative questionnaire design to 

accommodate additional content on the 

ACS mail questionnaire. In the 2013 

ACS Questionnaire Design Test, we will 

study the impact of a longer (36-page) 

questionnaire against our current 28- 

page form. We will also study whether 

changing the size of the form to a 

standard size (8.5′′x11′′) booklet has an 

impact on response, compared to both 

the 28-page (current ACS form) and 36- 

page forms. The results of this testing 

will help the Census Bureau to decide 

which questionnaire format change 

performs best on response and data 

quality. 

This test will also include several 

changes to evaluate making the 

questionnaire more compatible with 

optical character recognition software, 

including altering the response box 

formats for numeric write-in fields to 

allow them to be captured automatically 

rather than keyed. It will help provide 

insight on how effective the new 

response boxes are at reducing keying, 

and thus the potential cost savings. 

Lastly, this test will include a quick 

look at variations in the relationship 

and marital status questions per the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) initiative to ensure these 

questions are inclusive of all 

relationship types and partnerships. 

Second, in response to Federal 

agencies’ requests for new and revised 

ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans 

to conduct the 2015 ACS Content Test. 

Changes to the current ACS content and 

the addition of new content will be 

identified through the OMB Interagency 

Committee for the ACS in 2013. The 

objective of the 2015 ACS Content Test, 

for both new and existing questions, is 

to determine the impact of changing 

question wording, response categories, 

and redefinition of underlying 

constructs on the quality of the data 

collected. The Census Bureau proposes 

to evaluate changes to the questions by 

comparing the revised questions to the 

current ACS questions, or for new 

questions, to compare the performance 

of question versions to each other as 

well as to other well-known sources of 

such information. 

The Census Bureau conducted two 

Internet tests on the ACS in 2011, both 

of which studied the impact of different 

notifications of an Internet option in the 

survey invitations. Based on these tests, 

the ACS plans to begin collecting data 

using the Internet in January 2013. One 

problem detected in the 2011 tests was 

the impact of Internet break-offs on item 

nonresponse for questions in the later 

part of the survey. The Internet tests in 

2013–2015 will look at potential ways to 

restructure messaging and change the 

Internet design to help reduce breakoffs, lower item nonresponse and 

encourage response in a timely manner. 

We will also reexamine the possibility 

of using the Internet to collect data in 

Puerto Rico. 

II. Method of Collection 

Questionnaire Design Test—Data 

collection for this test will follow the 

same protocol proposed for ACS 

production starting in 2013. That is, the 

first mailing to sampled cases will ask 

them to use the Internet to respond to 

the survey. If they have not responded 

within about two and a half weeks, they 

will receive a paper questionnaire. By 

using the standard ACS protocol for this 

test, we can see whether the paper form 

design has any impact on overall selfresponse, and also on response by 

Internet or mail. We will not conduct 

Computer-Assisted Telephone 

Interviews (CATI) or Computer-Assisted 

Personal Interviews (CAPI) nonresponse 

follow-up on test cases. 

2015 Content Test—The ACS Content 

Test data collection protocol will be 

based on the protocol used in the 

production ACS. That is, we will collect 

data across four modes (Internet, mail, 

CATI and CAPI). During CATI and CAPI 

interviews in the 2015 Content Test, we 

will use Computer Audio Recorded 

Interviewing (CARI) technology to 

record portions of the interview related 

to the questions being tested for use in 

behavior coding. There will also be a 

Content Follow-up reinterview as part 

of the content test where we will 

attempt a follow-up CATI reinterview 

with all households that responded in 

the field test and for whom we have a 


pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 25, 2012 / Notices 24685 

telephone number. This reinterview will 

focus on the particular questions that 

we are evaluating in the field test, and 

will not include every question asked in 

the original interview. 

Internet Tests—We will use the same 

modes we offer in ACS production in 

the first month of data collection for the 

Internet tests; that is, we will send a 

mailing asking sampled units to respond 

online, with a nonresponse follow-up 

mailing of a paper questionnaire about 

two and a half weeks later. There are no 

plans to conduct CATI or CAPI 

nonresponse follow-up on test cases. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0607–0936. 

Form Number: ACS–1, ACS–1(PR)SP, 

ACS CATI(HU), ACS CAPI(HU) and 

ACS RI(HU). 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Affected Public: Individuals, 

households, and GQ facilities. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

We plan to contact the following 

number of respondents: Questionnaire 

Design Test: 40,000 sampled addresses; 

2013–2015 Internet Tests, 200,000 

sampled addresses in United States, 

4,000 in Puerto Rico; 2015 Content Test: 

70,000 sampled addresses during the 

field test and 40,000 responding 

addresses during the content follow-up 

conducted by telephone. Other potential 

testing includes a second Content 

Reinterview survey (as a follow-up to 

the 2012 Content Reinterview Survey) to 

assess data quality: 90,000 sampled 

households from ACS production; 

follow-up testing as needed from the 

Questionnaire Design Test: 20,000 

sampled addresses; and potential testing 

of methodological changes to the 

administration of the ACS in Group 

Quarter facilities (Two tests of 75 

facilities each with 15 residents selected 

in each facility (approximately 1,125 

residents in each test)). 

Estimated Time per Response: 

Estimates are: Questionnaire Design 

Test: 40 minutes; Internet Test, 40 

minutes; Content Test field test, 40 

minutes, Content Test follow-up, 15 

minutes; Content Reinterview Study, 20 

minutes; other potential test for 

questionnaire design and Group 

Quarters testing, 40 minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: The estimate is an annual 

average of 87,771 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost: Except 

for their time, there is no cost to 

respondents. 

Respondent Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 

Section 182. 

IV. Request for 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 shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden 

(including hours and cost) of the 

proposed collection of information; (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 respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval of this information collection; 

they also will become a matter of public 

record. 

Dated: April 20, 2012. 

Glenna Mickelson, 

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9939 Filed 4–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–07–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Client Focus 

Groups and Qualitative Interviews 

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration (ITA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before June 25, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th and Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at jjessup@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument and instructions should be 

directed to Suzan Winters, (202) 482– 

6042, suzan.winters@trade.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The International Trade 

Administration’s U.S. Commercial 

Service (CS) is mandated by Congress to 

help U.S. businesses, particularly small 

and medium-sized companies, export 

their products and services to global 

markets. 

As part of its mission, the CS uses 

‘‘Quality Assurance Surveys’’ to collect 

feedback from the U.S. business clients 

it serves. These surveys ask the client to 

evaluate the U.S. Commercial Service 

on its customer service provision. 

Results from the surveys are used to 

make improvements to the agency’s 

business processes in order to provide 

better and more effective export 

assistance to U.S. companies. In 

addition to collecting client feedback 

through Quality Assurance Surveys, the 

CS uses client focus groups as a 

mechanism to obtain further client 

feedback and substantiate customer 

service trends seen in the Surveys. 

Qualitative client focus group data will 

enrich the quantitative survey data by 

providing insights and a descriptive 

context to explain the trends that 

emerge in the quantitative data. 

The CS uses the focus group questions 

to address quality improvement issues. 

The focus group discussion guide will 

enable CS to obtain a better 

understanding of actions that can be 

taken to improve the export-related 

services that CS provide to U.S. firms. 

In providing these services, the CS 

promotes the goods and services of 

small and medium-sized U.S. 

businesses in foreign markets. 

II. Method of Collection 

U.S. firms will be recruited via 

telephone to participate in focus group 

discussions. Firms may be current 

Commercial Service clients or potential 

clients. Data will be collected through 

either face-to-face focus group 

discussion forums (6–8 participants per 

focus group) and conference calls, or 

through one-on-one qualitative 

interviews either in person or via 

phone. A moderator will facilitate the 

discussions and notes will be 

transcribed via computer. All comments 

from participants will be anonymous. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0625–0254. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a currently approved 

information collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 


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