SUPPORTING STATEMENT - PART A
Study on Reducing Barriers to Minority Participation in Elite Units in the Armed Services -0704-XXXX
1. Need for the Information Collection
Section 557 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) requires DoD to sponsor research to assess existing barriers to minority participation in specialized units, including Special Operations Forces (SOF) and pilot and navigator military occupational specialties.
2. Use of the Information
DoD asked the Institute of Defense Analyses (IDA) to conduct a study on barriers and facilitators to participation in special operations and other elite forces because it wants an independent assessment of Service members’ perspectives to help inform policy decisions. The respondents in the study will be DoD Active Duty and Reserve Component members from units specified in section 557 of the NDAA (i.e., Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Army Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Navy SEALs, Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman, Air Force Combat Control Teams, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Special Reconnaissance, Air Force Tactical Control Party, Marine Raider Regiments, Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, Pilot/Navigator military occupational specialties, and other special operations forces) as well as comparison groups of Service members not currently serving in these units.
The study will include focus groups (i.e., open-ended questions discussed in a group format) covering the topics of: recruitment, accession and training, culture and climate, and career progression as well as a small set of survey questions completed individually at the end of the session. Some focus groups will be conducted on military bases where members of the identified units serve and some focus groups will be conducted using an online platform that meets government compliance and security standards (Microsoft Teams or Zoom for Government). Survey responses will be collected either on a paper form (with no personally identifying information collected) or with an anonymous collection through Qualtrics, which has met the security standards required for government use (i.e., Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP authorized)). Data collected in the focus groups (i.e., typed and hand-written notes, and surveys in paper form or through Qualtrics, which is FedRAMP authorized) will be stored securely in a locked cabinet and all study-related electronic data will be stored on secure password protected servers. Only the study research staff will have access to the data collected
Project officers will be chosen by each military Service to act as coordinators and support liaison to the IDA research team. Project officers will recruit participants on a voluntary basis and determine focus group dates and specific locations, so as to minimize impact on units’ training and operational requirements. The IDA research team will coordinate with each installation’s project officer to answer any questions, and determine focus group dates. IDA will leave the process for selecting participants open to determination by local project officers, and suggest the following specific recruitment language:
3. Use of Information Technology
Focus groups will be conducted either in person or using an online platform that meets government compliance and security standards (Microsoft Teams or Zoom for Government). Survey responses will be collected either on a paper form or with an anonymous collection through Qualtrics, which has met the security standards required for government use (i.e., Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP authorized)). With an expected 2/3 of focus groups conducted remotely, the responses collected electronically (here defined as electronic surveys delivered via Qualtrics) will represent an estimated 35% of responses. Efforts were made to maximize the percentage of responses collected electronically, but the study design involves both open-ended focus group discussions and individual surveys, in a ratio of about 50% for each.
4. Non-duplication
The information obtained through this collection is unique and is not already available for use or adaptation from another cleared source.
5. Burden on Small Businesses
This information collection does not impose a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses or entities.
6. Less Frequent Collection
This is a one-time study effort, not a repeated collection. If the study were not conducted, DoD would not be able to assess existing barriers to minority participation in elite units, as required by NDAA FY21 Section 557.
7. Paperwork Reduction Act Guidelines
This collection of information does not require collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines delineated in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).
8. Consultation and Public Comments
Part A: PUBLIC NOTICE
An emergency 30-Day Federal Register Notice for the collection published on Thursday, December 30, 2021. The 30-Day FRN citation is 86 FR 74408 FRN 74408-74409.
Part B: CONSULTATION
No additional consultation apart from soliciting public comments through the Federal Register was conducted for this submission.
9. Gifts or Payment
No payments or gifts are being offered to respondents as an incentive to participate in the collection.
10. Confidentiality
A Privacy Act Statement is not required for this collection because we are not requesting individuals to furnish personal information for a system of records.
A System of Record Notice (SORN) is not required for this collection because records are not retrievable by PII.
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is not required for this collection because PII is not being collected electronically.
Records are retained in the offices of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, immediate offices of the Under and Assistant Secretaries of Defense, or any element of any OSD Component involved in making, promulgating, or analyzing policy relating to a Component's mission.
Permanent. Retire to the WNRC when superseded or obsolete. Transfer to NARA 25 years after cutoff.
11. Sensitive Questions
The study focus group and survey include questions about perceptions of inclusion, command climate, and diversity that may lead to discussions about prejudice, sexism, and discrimination, but the questions are not sensitive by themselves. These questions are essential to fully understand barriers women and ethnic/racial minorities may experience, as required by NDAA FY21 Section 557.
12. Respondent Burden and its Labor Costs
Part A: ESTIMATION OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
[Focus groups open-ended questions]
Number of Respondents: 500
Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1
Number of Total Annual Responses: 1
Response Time: .75 hours
Respondent Burden Hours: .75 hours
[Survey questions]
Number of Respondents: 500
Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1
Number of Total Annual Responses: 1
Response Time: .25 hours
Respondent Burden Hours: .25 hours
Total Submission Burden
Total Number of Respondents: 500
Total Number of Annual Responses: 1
Total Respondent Burden Hours: 1 hour
Part B: LABOR COST OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
[Focus groups open-ended questions]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 1
Response Time: .75 hours
Respondent Hourly Wage: $60
Labor Burden per Response: $45
Total Labor Burden: $45
[Survey questions]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 1
Response Time: .25 hours
Respondent Hourly Wage: $60
Labor Burden per Response: $15
Total Labor Burden: $15
Overall Labor Burden
Total Number of Annual Responses: 1
Total Labor Burden: $60
The Respondent hourly wage was determined by using the Department of Labor Wage Website.
13. Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs
There are no annualized costs to respondents other than the labor burden costs addressed in Section 12 of this document to complete this collection.
14. Cost to the Federal Government
Collection Instrument(s)
[Focus groups open-ended questions]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 500
Processing Time per Response: .75 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses: $60
Cost to Process Each Response: $45
Total Cost to Process Responses: $22,500
[Survey questions]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 500
Processing Time per Response: .25 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses: $60
Cost to Process Each Response: $15
Total Cost to Process Responses: $7,500
Overall Labor Burden to the Federal Government
Total Number of Annual Responses: 500
Total Labor Burden: $30,000
Part B: OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
Cost Categories
Equipment: $0
Printing: $0
Postage: $0
Software Purchases: $0
Licensing Costs: $0
Other: $0
Total Operational and Maintenance Cost: $0
Part C: TOTAL COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Total Labor Cost to the Federal Government: $30,000
Total Operational and Maintenance Costs: $0
Total Cost to the Federal Government: $30,000
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
This is a new collection with a new associated burden.
16. Publication of Results
The results of this information collection will be published.
17. Non-Display of OMB Expiration Date
We are not seeking approval to omit the display of the expiration date of the OMB approval on the collection instrument.
18. Exceptions to “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Submissions”
We are not requesting any exemptions to the provisions stated in 5 CFR 1320.9.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kaitlin Chiarelli |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2022-01-11 |