National Assessment of Mechanics OMB

National Assessment of newly certificated Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanics

2120-XXXX

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of data necessary.

Objective two of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2004-2008 Strategic Plan (Flight Plan) Increased Safety Goal intends “to reduce the number of fatal accidents in general aviation.” In order to help meet this objective, the FAA’s Regulatory Support Division (AFS-600) plans to improve the Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) program. The DME administers a practical test to evaluate the examinee’s (mechanic) knowledge and skill to perform a task. The goal of the data collection is to identify areas of concern so that the FAA may affect corrections in FAA policy, guidance material, and FAA-sponsored programs in order to improve the overall quality of the Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanic’s practical test program.

This evaluation requires that information be collected from the affected population— newly certificated Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanics.

This information collection directly supports the Department of Transportation (DOT) goal of improved safety by developing and evaluating methods for improving the safety of general aviation operations.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.

The Regulatory Support Division/Designee Quality Assurance Branch (AFS-650) will collect the information on behalf of the FAA’s Flight Standards Service (AFS) organization. Newly certified Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanics within the U. S. will receive an anonymous and voluntary survey to complete and return by mail. The survey will be used to assess the mechanic’s experiences during the certification process. AFS-650 will be responsible for the logistical details associated with collecting and processing the responses. This information will be used by AFS to help evaluate the current certification process.

3. Describe any consideration of the use of improved information technology...to reduce burden.

The information sought may be obtained only from the respondents as it consists of measures of attitudes for which no other source is available. Other methods of data collection are viewed as less efficient and may result in increasing burden rather than reducing it. For example, conducting individual interviews would be considerably more time-consuming for the public as well as for the government; telephone surveys would be more time-consuming for the government to administer and code and would not reduce the public’s burden. We have concluded that mailing surveys will provide the most efficient way of obtaining the data from the perspective of both the public and the government.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

No existing information of the type required for these studies, such as that available from the Aviation Safety Reporting System, exists in any other data repository.

5. If the collection of information involves small business, describe methods to minimize burden.

This effort involves individual mechanics, not small business entities.

6. Describe consequences to Federal program if collection were conducted less frequently.

Since Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanic certifications occur repeatedly throughout the year, and we wish to capture the opinions and attitudes of respondents soon after his or her oral and practical test, it is necessary to conduct multiple data collections throughout the year. However, respondents will be asked for information only once.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause the information collection to be conducted:

a. More often than quarterly. No participant will be asked to provide information more often than quarterly. Participation will be a one-time event.

b. Response in less than 30 days. No participant will be asked to give a response in less than 30 days.

c. More than original. No participant will be asked to submit more than the original copy of the data collection instrument.

d. Using records for more than three years. No participant will be asked to retain records for more than 3 years.

e. In connection with an invalid statistical survey. No invalid statistical survey is anticipated.

f. Requiring unapproved data classification. No unapproved data classification activities are anticipated.

g. Includes unsupported pledge of confidentiality. Information collected during this survey will be protected to the extent available under applicable laws and regulations and no individually identifiable information will be included in the published report. Additionally, identifying information will not be retained once the data collection is done. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary.

h. Requires trade secret of confidential information. No trade secrets or items of similar confidential information will be requested.

8. If applicable, identify date and page number of publication in Federal Register of agency notice required by 5 CFR 1320.8 and provide summary of comments and agency responses. Describe any efforts to consult with persons outside the agency.

A 60-day notice for public comments was published in the Federal Register on July 9, 1007, vol. 72, no. 130, page 37305. No comments were received.

9. Explain decision to provide payment to respondents.

No payments will be made to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents.

AFS-650 will receive and process the questionnaires. AFS-650 strictly adheres to ethical standards, public law, and Federal policies for safeguarding the confidentiality of all respondents. Information collected during this survey will be protected to the extent available under applicable laws and regulations and no individually identifiable information will be included in the published report. Additionally, identifying information will not be retained once the data collection is done. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. In addition, responses to the questionnaire will be aggregated and reported in summary form for groups and on variables with no fewer than eight respondents.

11. Provide justification for questions of a sensitive nature.

No questions of a sensitive nature relating to sexual behavior or religious attitudes will be used. All questions used in the information collection efforts will relate to testing experiences.

12. Provide estimates of burden to respondents.

Over the 3 year period, we anticipate receiving an average of 2,200 responses per year.

The total number of participants is therefore 6,600. With an average participation time of 1 hour per participant, the total burden over the 3 years of the study is 6,600 hours.

AFS-650 estimates that on the average, participants will spend 1 hour completing surveys. Since the participants are Airframe and/or Powerplant Mechanics, it is likely they are employed in a wide variety of occupations. Therefore, the exact cost of the 1 hour to complete the survey cannot be precisely estimated, but might be on the order of $25.

13. Estimate total annual cost burden to respondents.

The annual cost burden to respondents is estimated at $55,000.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to Federal government and to respondents.

The estimated cost (in dollars) to the government is less than $25,000. Contract research assistants and technicians, and data-entry clerks may assist in this project. The tasks they will perform with cost estimates are as follows:

Task description Estimated cost

Survey development $4,345.21

Open & sort process, scan, & distribution $1,742.40

Database management $1,329.20

Quantitative report template $2,924.24

Quantitative report generation $1,684.60

TOTAL $12,025.65

FAA Researcher time: The mission of AFS-650 is the development and implementation of a headquarters/regional oversight methodology for Flight Standards Designees and therefore the principal element of Flight Standards concerning designee quality assurance. Specifically, the AFS-650 mission is to develop business requirements to collect and analyze data on the performance of designees and the designee systems and to develop and implement customer satisfaction survey tools to measure effectiveness of the designee systems. The proposed questionnaire supports these responsibilities as described in Order VS 1100.2, Managing AVS Delegation Programs. Specifically, each service and office must develop and maintain methodologies to evaluate the delegation system using risk management principles. In addition, all aspects of the delegation system, including sufficiency of policy, process, documentation, training, tools, and audits, will be periodically evaluated. Evaluation must include assessment of the designee's performance, technical proficiency, and judgment.

No new employees will be hired to conduct this project. PC & B expenses will be incurred for current employees whether or not this project is undertaken. Thus, it is not necessary to include the cost of FAA employee time.

The cost to the respondent will include the time required to complete the questionnaire. Because postage-paid envelopes will be enclosed with the questionnaire, the respondents will incur no out-of-pocket costs. It is estimated that it will take respondents approximately 1 hour to complete the questionnaire.

15. Explain reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

This is a request for a new data collection. It is a program change.

16. For collections whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation, analysis, and publication.

One purpose of this study is program evaluation. AFS-650 will deliver summary data reports (i.e., item-by-item frequency distributions) for each FAA region that has at least eight respondents. AFS-650 will provide these reports on an annual basis if the appropriate number respondent questionnaires are returned. AFS-650 will also provide an overall data summary report.

AFS-650 will deliver a technical report summarizing the overall annual findings of the survey project. This report will be delivered 6 months following the delivery of the annual report.

17. If seeking approval to not display expiration date of OMB approval, explain why.

Approval to not display the expiration date of the OMB approval is not sought.

18. Explain each exception to certification statement identified in Item 19 of OMB Form 83-1.

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.