Conducting Focus Groups For Retail Securities Products

Forms and Documents

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Savings Bond Product Development Screener 11 15 10.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2010-11-19	Available
New Retail Securities Product Focus Group.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2010-11-10	Available
Supporting Statement B_New Product.doc	Supporting Statement B	Uploaded 2010-11-09	Repair queued
Supporting Statement_New Product.doc	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2010-11-09	Available

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
195374	Screening	Instruction	New
195221	Discussion Guide	Other-null	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1535-0142	ICR Reference No: 201011-1535-004
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: TREAS/BPD	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Conducting Focus Groups For Retail Securities Products
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 11/12/2010
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 12/03/2010
	Date Received in OIRA: 11/10/2010
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	06/30/2011	6 Months From Approved
Responses	264	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	264	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: Focus groups will be conducted to: • Better understand the financial investment behaviors and practices of current and future customers • Gather customers’ opinions, beliefs, and attitudes about a small number of pre-defined potential products and delivery mechanisms • Fulfill Public Debt’s commitment under Executive Order 12862 to provide customer service equal to the best in the business

Emergency Justfication: Recent discussions with Treasury Department officials have focused on the Administration’s desire to reduce the cost of the paper savings bond program, to improve program efficiencies, and to offer a “modern” savings product. Due to the rising cost of issuing and servicing paper securities, the plan is to stop offering paper savings bonds in the next few years. Retiring a decades-old product that Americans have valued presents an opportune time to unveil a new security. To coordinate these two events, the Department has asked us to conduct the research and submit a proposal for a new security by the end of January 2011, in time to be included in the fiscal year 2013 budget. We are asking for an expedited approval of our plan to conduct the focus groups in December.

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Authorizing Statute(s): EO: EO 12862 Name/Subject of EO: Setting Customer Service Standards
   US Code: 31 USC 31 Name of Law: null
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Discussion Guide
Screening

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	264	0	0	264	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	264	0	0	264	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: New collection

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $0

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 11/10/2010

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