OMB Information Collection Supporting Statement
JUSTIFICATION
Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary
This is a request, made by the National Agricultural Library (NAL) Office of the Director (OD), Office of the Associate Director of Information Products that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve, under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an extension to the previous three-year blanket clearance for NAL to conduct user satisfaction research about its Internet sites. This effort is according to Executive Order 12862, which directs federal agencies that provide significant services directly to the public to survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services.
The NAL Internet sites are a vast collection of web pages. NAL web pages are visited by an average of 8.6 million people per month. All NAL Information Centers have an established web presence that provides information to their respective audiences.
The NAL migrated the majority of its internet sites to a dynamic Content Management System. This migration includes user interface and federated search interface enhancements, as well as creating digital repositories.
NAL is rapidly expanding the availability of vital agricultural information. With the many changes we are making to the NAL Internet sites, we have a need to measure user satisfaction and their ability to find the information they are looking for. This allows us to comply with Executive Branch and Congressional mandates.
Purpose and Use of the Information Collection
The purpose of the research is to ensure that intended audiences find the information provided on the Internet sites easy to access, clear, informative, and useful. Specifically, the research will examine whether the information is presented in an appropriate technological format and whether it meets the needs of users of NAL Internet sites. The research will also provide a means by which to classify visitors to the NAL Internet sites, to best understand how to serve them.
The information generated from this research will enable NAL to evaluate the success of this new modality in response to fulfilling its legislative mandate to disseminate vital agricultural information and truly become the national digital library of agriculture.
Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction
Automated information technology will be used to collect and process information in order to reduce the burden on the public.
Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information
In an effort to identify duplication, a poll of NAL Webmasters was conducted to discover if any of the Divisions or Information Centers had conducted online surveys. Of the 22 content generators only 2 had been able to conduct an evaluative study with OMB clearance, the Food Stamp Educational Materials Resource sharing form (PRA#0518-0031) and the Foresee Results Customer Satisfaction Survey (PRA#1505-0186). This request applies to all NAL sites to conduct ongoing research.
Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities
The burden on small businesses or other small entities will be reduced by the voluntary nature of the study and the short length of time required responding to the surveys. There are 1200 small businesses.
Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently
This research will be conducted over the next three years. Survey results will be administered, analyzed, and interpreted as needed by NAL content owners. Additional surveys will be offered on an as-needed basis to identify improvements to the content and navigation of the NAL Internet sites. If this collection is not conducted, NAL will be limited in its ability to provide accurate, timely information to its user community.
Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5CFR 1320.5
There are no special circumstances that require the information to be collected in any of the formats identified, and this request fully complies with regulation 5CFR 1320.5.
Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice and Efforts to Consult Outside the Agency
A Federal Register notice was published September 17, 2019, https://www.federalregister.gov/a/2019-20094. No comments were received.
Outside sources:
Name: David Cameron
Address: [email protected]
Phone: 918-830-8775
Comments: Looks reasonable.
Name: Meredith Evans
Address: [email protected]
Phone: 301-792-4589
Comments: I guess it’s okay.
Name: Aaron Romero
Address: [email protected]
Phone: 240-438-3880
Comments: That’s it? Short survey.
Explanation of Any Payment or Gift to Respondents
There are no payments to respondents.
Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents
The Privacy Act is not applicable. Demographic information will be used for analytical purposes only. Names will not be recorded on the survey. Personal identifying data will not be collected. While respondents may be given the option of providing their e-mail addresses for receiving a response to a particular inquiry, these addresses will not be used for purposes of linking particular respondents to particular survey responses. The addresses will not be retained after the reply is sent to the respondent.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
No questions of a sensitive nature are included in the survey.
Estimates of Hourly Burden Including Annualized Hourly Costs
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours:
Approximately 1400 people are expected to complete the form annually. The time required to complete this information is estimated to average 8 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The burden for this collection is 187 hours. See copy of spreadsheet.
Estimated Annualized Burden Costs:
An average hourly salary of approximately $25.12 is assumed for all respondents, based on the Department of Labor (DOL) Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June 2019). With a maximum annual respondent burden of 187 hours, the overall annual cost of respondents’ time for the proposed interviews is estimated to be a maximum $4698. There will be no direct costs to the respondents other than their time to participate in each study.
c. Fringe Benefits of the Respondents:
Total hourly benefits of approximately $19.20 is assumed for all respondents, based on the Department of Labor (DOL) Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June 2019. With a maximum annual respondent burden of 187 hours, the overall benefits is estimated to be a maximum $3590.
Estimate of Other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondent or Record-keepers
There will be no capital, operating, or maintenance costs to the respondent.
Annualized cost to the Federal Government
The approximate cost to the government for this study is $7,000. This price includes costs for research design, pre-testing, development of the clearance package, data collection, data entry, data analyses, and development of a final report. It is estimated that three NAL staff members will require, collectively, 200 hours for the duration of the proposed research. Assuming 160 hours at an hourly salary of $35.56
(Grade 11 - step 3) and 40 hours at an hourly salary of $57.02 (Grade 13 - step7), total government personnel costs will be $7970.
Changes in Hour Burden
The number of respondents is decreased from 12000 to 1400, the number of responses decrease from 12000 to 1400, and the burden hours decrease from 720 to 187. The decrease in respondents, responses, and the burden hours is due to less people responding to the survey.
Plans for Tabulation, Publication, and Project Time Schedule
There are no statistical methods used in this study.
Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate
No exemption is requested.
Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission
No changes were made from the previous collection.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR |
| Author | NAL |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-14 |