FTC Clearance Request for Focus Group Research re Senior Consumer Fraud

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 3084-0159)
TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Fraud Against Older Consumers:
Conversations with Decision-Makers and Caregivers
PURPOSE: The focus groups will inform the design of a consumer education program to reach
older consumers with messages about fraud. The Division of Consumer and Business Education
seeks to reach older consumers who visit or reside in facilities that serve seniors. This research
with the people who work in those facilities will help us create content that is relevant to those
older consumers, and design the content delivery mechanisms in a way most useful to the people
who deliver educational programs in facilities that serve seniors. Without this research, we are
less confident that the delivery mechanisms, particularly, would serve this audience well; with
the research, we are confident that the education program will be used in the target audience.
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Respondents for focus groups will be active
institutional decision-makers in assisted living facilities, senior residence communities, local
community centers, public libraries, the YMCA/YMHA, and other similar groups, focusing on
those who select and approve the adoption of educational and social activities for their
organizations. The focus groups will also recruit individual caregivers, such as instructors,
nurses, social workers, aides, and others who work closely with seniors and who have direct
experience with senior-directed education programs.
TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)
[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form
[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software
[x] Focus Group

[ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey
[ ] Small Discussion Group
[ ] Other: In-depth interviews

CERTIFICATION:
I certify the following to be true:
1. The collection is voluntary.
2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.
3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal
agencies.
4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.
5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential
policy decisions.
6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have
experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.
Name: Jennifer M. Leach
To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:
Personally Identifiable Information:
1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [x] No
2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No
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3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No [x] N/A
Gifts or Payments:
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to
participants? [ ] Yes [x] No
We will offer an incentive of $75 for focus group participants. There will be out-of-pocket costs
to the respondent (i.e. transportation cost to site, taking time off work, etc.). In addition, other
organizations pay respondents for these types of studies.
BURDEN HOURS
Category of Respondent

Burden

Private sector (Focus Groups)

No. of
Participation
Respondents Time
40
90 minutes

Totals

40

60 hrs

60 hrs

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $40,000.
If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please
provide answers to the following questions:
The selection of your targeted respondents
1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential
respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?
[x] Yes [ ] No
If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If
the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of
respondents and how you will select them?
The researchers will recruit participants using databases of professionals (both proprietary and
other databases). Respondents will be selected according to screeners for the focus groups.
Administration of the Instrument
1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)
[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[ ] Telephone
[x] In-person
[ ] Mail
[ ] Other, Explain
2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [x] Yes [ ] No

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