IC Submission Template

BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL UNDER THE
“GENERIC INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN FOR THE COLLECTION OF
QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THE SERVICE DELIVERY OF THE CONSUMER
FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU”
(OMB Control Number: 3170-0024)
1. TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION:
Recruitment Screener for Buying a House Project User Experience Testing
2. PURPOSE:
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-203)
directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to develop and implement “initiatives
intended to educate and empower consumers to make better informed financial decisions” (12
U.S.C. § 5493(d)). As part of fulfilling this mission, the CFPB has developed a suite of online
tools and resources, known as Buying a House, to help consumers make better, more informed
decisions about mortgages. The purpose of this information collection is to identify eligible
participants for user experience testing to improve the tools, resources, and overall online
experience of the Buying a House project.
This IC request seeks approval only for the recruitment screener, which is intended to be used for
a variety of user experience tests over time. This approach of using a standard, pre-approved
recruitment screener will allow us to more quickly and efficiently recruit participants for rapid,
iterative user testing. Separate IC requests will be submitted as applicable for specific user
experience tests.
3. DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:
This recruitment screener is used to recruit participants for qualitative user experience testing.
Respondents are recruited via a variety of local channels and may come from a wide range of
backgrounds and circumstances. The screener seeks to identify a variety of demographic and
socioeconomic characteristics, as well as the participant’s experience with homebuying, in order
to provide a diverse sample for the qualitative user experience test.
4. TYPE OF COLLECTION (ADMINISTRATION OF THE COLLECTION
INSTRUMENT):
a.

How will you collect the information? Check all that apply.
[X] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[ ] In-person

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[ ] Telephone
[ ] Mail

[ ] Small Discussion Group
[ ] Focus Group
[ ] Other (please explain) __________________________________
b.

Will interviewers or facilitators be used?

[X] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Applicable
The initial screener is conducted online. Interviewers are used to follow-up with
interested participants via telephone.

5. FOCUS GROUP OR SURVEY:
If you plan to conduct a focus group or survey, please provide answers to the following
questions:
a. 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 [ ] Not Applicable
b. If yes, please provide a description below. If no, please provide a description of how you
plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them.
The recruiting of respondents is contracted to Fors Marsh Group (FMG) on behalf of the
Bureau. FMG own and manage proprietary, national databases of potential respondents who
have opted in to participate in market research. At no point in the process will FMG or the
Bureau have access to the respondents’ names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone
numbers or any other information that would make it possible to identify or contact the
individuals. FMG and the Bureau will only have access to the demographic, attitudinal and
behavioral category data that comprise the contents of the screening criteria.
6. INFORMATION COLLECTION PROCEDURES:
Please summarize the procedures that will be used to collect data from respondents.
Screening data will be collected through web-based methods conducted by contractor
Fors Marsh Group (FMG). Qualitative research data will be collected through a variety
of methods such as in-person individual and group interviews and through online
Question & Answer sessions, all conducted by moderators.
7. PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION:
a. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [X] Yes [ ] No
b. If yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974?

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[X] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Applicable
c. Has a System or Records Notice (SORN) been published?
[X] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Applicable
If yes, list the SORN title and the Federal Register (FR) citation:
Title: CFPB.021 – CFPB Consumer Education and Engagement Records, 83 FR 23435
d. If applicable, please provide a link to the Privacy Impact Assessment.
http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201409_cfpb_consumer-education_pia.pdf.
8. INCENTIVES:
a. Is an incentive provided to participants? [ ] Yes [X] No
While incentives are provided to participants who attend a user experience testing
session, no incentive is provided to complete the recruitment screener. Incentives for
the actual user experience testing sessions will be captured in future IC requests
covering those tests, as applicable.
b. If yes, provide a statement justifying the use and amount of the incentive and the
amount or value of the incentive: $___________.
9. ASSURANCES OF CONFIDENTIALITY:
a. Will a pledge of confidentiality be made to respondents? [ ] Yes [X] No
b. If yes, please cite the statue, regulation, or contractual terms supporting the pledge.
10. JUSTIFICATION OF SENSITIVE QUESTIONS (if applicable):
11. BURDEN HOURS:
Collection of Information

Web-based screener
Follow-up phone screener

Totals

Number of
Respondents
5,000
1,000
5,000*

Frequency

Number of
Annual
Responses

1X
1X
////////////////

5,000
1,000
6,000

Average
Response
Time
(hours)
.08
.05
///////////////

Burden
(hours)

*NOTE: Respondents to the phone screener are a subset of those who responded to the web-based screener.

12. FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $___400_____.

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400
50
450

13. CERTIFICATION:
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 5 CFR 1320.9, AND THE RELATED PROVISIONS OF
5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3):
By submitting this document, the Bureau certifies the following to be true:
(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
(c) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous terminology that is understandable to
respondents;
(d) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and
recordkeeping practices;
(e) It indicates the retention period for recordkeeping requirements;
(f) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3):
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
(g) 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;
(h) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology; and
(i) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
CERTIFICATION FOR INFORMATION COLLECTIONS SUBMITTED UNDER A GENERIC
INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN
By submitting this document, the Bureau certifies the following to be true:
• The collection is voluntary.
• The collection is low-burden for respondents.
• The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other Federal
agencies.
• Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing
influential policy decisions.
• The collection is not statistically significant; the results are not intended to be
generalizable beyond the survey population.
• The results will not be used to measure regulatory compliance or for program
evaluation.

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