[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 197 (Thursday, October 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59715-59716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20515]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Supplemental 
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request--Monitoring Trends in the Public Health 
Workforce Survey

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is publishing for public comment a 
summary of a proposed information collection. FNS wishes to monitor 
trends in education and training, work experience, areas of practice, 
and training needs of the public health and community nutrition 
workforce at the State and local government levels. A descriptive 
profile will assist FNS to determine the extent to which the current 
and future workforce has the necessary training to administer the WIC 
Program, for which FNS is responsible.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 12, 2005 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Send comments and requests for copies of this proposed 
collection of information to Patricia N. Daniels, Director, 
Supplemental Food Programs Division; Food and Nutrition Service; 3101 
Park Center Drive; Room 528; Alexandria, VA 22302-1500. 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 will have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used; (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 those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. All responses to this notice will be summarized and 
included in the request for OMB clearance. All comments will thus 
become public documents.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Whitford, Chief, Policy and 
Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food 
and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, (703) 305-2746.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Monitoring Trends in the Public Health Nutrition Workforce.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: N/A.
    Type of Request: New collection of information.
    Abstract: The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition 
Service (FNS) wishes to obtain information to assess the agency's 
efforts to recruit and retain public health and community nutritionists 
to staff the WIC Program. Goal 2, Objective 2.2 of the USDA/FNS 
Corporate Priorities focuses on improving agency support for Program 
management. This priority addresses management of human capital to 
ensure a high quality workforce and work environment that attracts and 
retains employees. Since 1992, FNS has been involved in an initiative 
targeted at assisting WIC State and local agencies in recruiting and 
retaining qualified nutrition staff. Recruitment and retention of 
qualified staff is essential to maintaining quality nutrition services 
by providing an environment where staff are appropriately selected, 
trained, and supported. Opportunities for ongoing training, job 
advancement, challenging duties, and competitive salaries are important 
considerations in recruiting and retaining qualified nutrition staff. 
Workforce profile data are essential to evaluate the impact of the 
agency's effort to recruit and retain public health and community 
nutritionists. State nutrition directors use descriptive information 
about the community nutrition workforce in their respective States to 
support recruitment and retention efforts, design training programs, 
and advise on licensure and certification policy. According to the 
findings from previous workforce surveys conducted by the Association 
of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors, 90 percent 
of the public health and community nutrition workforce is employed in 
WIC Programs.
    This survey will be implemented as a Web-based survey to expedite 
the survey and data collection and analysis

[[Page 59716]]

process. In addition to the Web-based version, a paper version of the 
questionnaire will be available for those respondents who do not have 
Internet access.
    This data collection will be carried out by State public health 
nutrition directors through their professional association--the 
Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors 
(ASTPHND), and will result in a national profile of the public health 
and community nutrition workforce. State nutrition directors will be 
responsible for coordinating data collection within their respective 
State including identifying appropriate respondents, assigning unique 
identifiers, distributing the Web site URL and/or paper version of the 
questionnaire, providing technical assistance to respondents on how to 
complete the web-or paper version of the questionnaire, answering any 
questions from respondents, providing follow-up to non-respondents, and 
assisting in editing data as needed. ASTPHND has conducted five 
previous surveys of the public health and community nutrition workforce 
and the State nutrition directors have performed a similar function in 
the previous surveys.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 20 hours per State nutrition 
director. Per individual respondent, the average estimated burden is 
20.6 minutes for those who are completing the Web-based questionnaire 
and 25.1 minutes for those completing the written, fixed-response 
version (print version) of the questionnaire.
    Respondents: There are two classes or levels of respondents: (1) 
The designated State and territorial public health nutrition directors 
and (2) persons employed in public health nutrition programs within 
States, including persons employed by Inter-Tribal Organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Fifty-five State and territorial 
public health nutrition directors will be surveyed. They will survey 
approximately 10,000 nutrition workers in their respective States and 
territories. It is expected that 85 percent of individual respondents 
will complete the web-based survey (8,500) and 15 percent will complete 
the paper version (1,500).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Public reporting 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 
hours per State or 1,100 hours (calculated at 20 hours by 55 State 
designees). In addition, the estimated reporting burden for individual 
respondents using the web-based version is 2,918 hours (calculated at 
20.6 minutes per individual with 8,500 respondents) and 627 hours 
(calculated at 25.1 minutes per individual respondent with 1,500 
respondents) for the paper version for a total estimated individual 
reporting burden of 3,545 hours. The total expected public reporting 
burden is 4,645 hours.

    Dated: October 5, 2005.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-20515 Filed 10-12-05; 8:45 am]
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