[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35759-35760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14455]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID DoD-2021-OS-0059]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 
announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public 
comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: 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; the accuracy of the agency's 
estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information 
collection on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by 
September 7, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: DoD cannot receive written comments at this time due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Comments should be sent electronically to the docket 
listed above.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Ms. Angela Duncan at 
the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, ATTN: 
Executive Services Directorate, Directives Division, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, Suite 03F09-09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100 or call 571-372-7574.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Service Academy Gender 
Relations Survey; OMB Control Number 0704-SAGR.
    Needs and Uses: The legal requirements for the Service Academy 
Gender Relations (SAGR) surveys can be found in the following:
    <bullet> 10 U.S.C. 4361, as amended by John Warner National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Sec. 532.
    <bullet> 10 U.S.C. 481.
    <bullet> Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6495.02 and 
6495.03.
    These legal requirements mandate that the SAGR solicit information 
relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender 
discrimination in the MSAs, as well as the climate at the MSAs and 
social perspectives. MSAs include the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), the 
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The 
requirements state that the assessment cycle consists of surveys and 
focus groups during alternate years. They also give the Department 
authority to conduct such surveys under the guidance of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)). The U.S. 
Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), the only Federal Military Academy within 
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is not required to 
participate in the assessments codified by U.S.C. Section 10. However, 
USCGA officials requested the Coast Guard be included, beginning in 
2008, in order to evaluate and improve their programs addressing sexual 
assault and sexual harassment. Similarly, the U.S. Merchant Marine 
Academy (USMMA), under the Department of Transportation (DOT), 
requested their inclusion beginning in 2012. USCGA and USMMA will 
continue to participate in the assessments. Surveys of USCGA and USMMA 
are not covered under this DoD licensure and will not be mentioned 
further. The Office of People Analytics (OPA) administers both web-
based and paper-and-pen surveys to support the personnel information 
needs of the USD(P&R). The SAGR survey expands a series of surveys that 
began in 2004 with the DoD Inspector General's first survey, 
subsequently transferred to OPA. OPA conducted the SAGR survey at the 
MSAs in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012,

[[Page 35760]]

2014, 2016, and 2018. The 2020 administration of the survey was 
postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 survey would be the 
ninth iteration of the SAGR survey. The first focus group assessment 
was conducted in 2007, with subsequent focus groups in 2009, 2011, 
2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. Information from the SAGR surveys 
will be used by 4 DoD policy offices, the Military Departments, the 
MSAS, and Congress for program evaluation and, specifically, to assess 
and improve policies, programs, practices, and training related to 
gender relations at the MSAs. OPA will provide reports to DoD policy 
offices, each Military Department, the MSAs, the Joint Chiefs of Staff 
(JCS), and Congress.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 5,000 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 10,000.
    Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.
    Frequency: Biennially.
    The target population of the 2022 SAGR will consist of all students 
at the Military Service Academies (MSAs): U.S. Military Academy (USMA), 
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), 
including the Preparatory Schools. Excluded are Service Academy 
Students who are (1) non-citizens and (2) are visiting from another 
MSA. Students under 18 years of age are also excluded. Working with the 
MSAs, we estimate the approximate numbers of cadets and midshipmen to 
be 14,200. The survey will be administered to all cadets/midshipmen 
(i.e., a census). Based on the 2018 SAGR survey that had a 73% response 
rate, we estimate a 70% response rate. To achieve sufficient 
statistical analytical power, we will include a census of the 
population of interest in the study to achieve sufficient coverage. 
Each Academy notifies students about the survey with an electronic 
message explaining the overall survey process and providing them 
instructions on how to select a session for administration of the 
survey. OPA staff is on location during the survey week to brief 
students and administer the survey in person using a paper survey. 
Sessions are typically scheduled from 0700 through 1500 and follow the 
Academy's class periods. Attendance is checked when a student arrives 
for their session (attendance is only for purposes of following up and 
not for identifying survey responses by individuals). Academy officials 
follow up with students who do not appear at their designated session 
and reschedule accordingly. OPA staff provides an overview briefing on 
the purpose for the survey. Students are advised they may leave at any 
time after the briefing if they choose not to complete the survey. Data 
will be weighted, using an industry standard process, to reflect each 
Academy's population as of the time of the survey. Weighting produces 
survey estimates of population totals, proportions, and means (as well 
as other statistics) that are representative of their respective 
populations. OPA creates variance strata so precision measures can be 
associated with each estimate. We produce precision measures for 
reporting categories using 95% confidence intervals with the goal of 
achieving a precision of 5% or less (e.g. 80% (+/-5%) of cadets/
midshipmen are satisfied with their training).

    Dated: June 29, 2021.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2021-14455 Filed 7-6-21; 8:45 am]
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