G281 TC 2600 Partnership Surveys Submission Request

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0651-0080)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: G281: TC 2600 Customer Partnership Surveys

PURPOSE: To encourage open channels of communication, exchange of ideas, and feedback between patent practioners and Technology Center 2600’s patents management and examiners.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Patent Practitioners

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one or multiple)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [X] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: _________________

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.

Business Unit: _________Patents /David Ometz, SME, TC 2600/_ _______________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

1a. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to

the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

2. If applicable, has a System of 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

BURDEN HOURS

Name of Instrument	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Post Survey	60	10 minutes	10 hrs
Live polling	60	3 minutes	3 hrs
Totals	120	- - -	13 hours

The USPTO estimates that 50% of the surveys will be conducted electronically.

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is the combined average hourly rate of $65.63 per hour for a GS-15 step 1 + $19.69 (30%), which equals an hourly rate of $85.32. $85.32 * 5 hours for the surveys + 1 hour for the live polling = $511.92

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] [ ] 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 customer list that will be used is gathered from patent practitioners who have interacted with the TC 2600 art unit and have filed patent applications.

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 - post survey handed out to approx. 30 people

[ ] Mail

[X] Other: live poll software during presentation, approx. 60 people polled; and post survey emailed to approx. 30 people

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes [X] No

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