1225-0093 A11 Section 280 Clearance Cover Page for DOL SGE Focus Groups OSHA

Request for Approval under the “DOL Generic Clearance for Improving Customer Experience: OMB Circular A-11, Section 280 Implementation”

(OMB Control Number: 1225-0093)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: SGE Focus Group for VPP Modernization

PURPOSE OF COLLECTION:

What are you hoping to learn / improve? How do you plan to use what you learn? Are there artifacts (user personas, journey maps, digital roadmaps, summary of customer insights to inform service improvements, performance dashboards) the data from this collection will feed?

This collection will provide customer insights into barriers to SGE participation in Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) activities.

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: (Check one)

[ X ] Customer Research (Interview, Focus Groups)

[ ] Customer Feedback Survey

[ ] User Testing

ACTIVITY DETAILS

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[X ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[X ] Other, Explain (2 virtual focus group sessions via Zoom, Webex or similar video conferencing platform)

2. Who will you collect the information from?

Explain who will be interviewed and why the group is appropriate for the Federal program / service to connect with. Please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and if only a sample will be solicited for feedback, how you will select them (e.g., anyone who provided an email address to a call center rep, a representative sample of Veterans who received outpatient services in May 2019, do you have a list of customers to reach out to (e.g., a CRM database that has the contact information, intercept interviews at a particular field office?)

The Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) recognize employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who manage exemplary safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. In VPP, management, labor, and OSHA work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through a system focused on: hazard prevention and control; worksite analysis; training; and management commitment and worker involvement. There are currently 1,084 SGEs across the country. The group interviewed will be comprised of Special Government Employees who currently assist in the VPP.

The participants in the focus group will be identified through a screening survey that will develop a representative group. The screening survey will be submitted through a separate A-11 Gen IC request package. The participants will be interviewed at the Voluntary Protection Program Participant’s Association (VPPPA) National Symposium in Orlando, FL on September 18.

3. How will you ask a respondent to provide this information?

(e.g., after an application is submitted online, the final screen will present the opportunity to provide feedback by presenting a link to a feedback form / an actual feedback form)

After a screening survey is completed before the conference, participants will be selected based on the responses to assure a representative sample of SGEs. The selected SGEs will attend the VPPPA National Symposium and participate in an in-person focus group. We plan to host two additional virtual focus groups as a later time to ensure that a wide variety of SGEs are interviewed.

4. What will the activity look like?

Describe the information collection activity – e.g. what happens when a person agrees to participate? Will facilitators or interviewers be used? What’s the format of the interview/focus group? If a survey, describe the overall survey layout/length/other details? If User Testing, what actions will you observe / how will you have respondents interact with a product you need feedback on?

We will be sending out a screener survey to identify individuals who are attending the VPPPA Safety+ Conference. A staff member in the Office of Partnerships and Recognition (OPR) will review responses and select candidates, and then will request their participation in the focus group.

There will be two sessions hosted at the VPPPA Conference, with 5-6 individuals in each session. There will be one facilitator and one note taker. We have plans to host two virtual focus groups as a later time to ensure that a wide variety of SGEs are interviewed. The focus group will be led by staff from OPR, using a question and discussion format.

5. Please provide your question list.

Paste here the questions or prompts presented to participants in your activity. If you have an interview / facilitator guide, that can be attached to the submission and referenced here.

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

Please see attached Focus Group Script.

6. When will the activity happen?

Describe the time frame or number of events that will occur (e.g., We will conduct focus groups on May 13,14,15, We plan to conduct customer intercept interviews over the course of the Summer at the field offices identified in response to #2 based on scheduling logistics concluding by Sept. 10^th, or “This survey will remain on our website in alignment with the timing of the overall clearance.”)

The activity will happen during the week of September 11 for the screening survey, and the focus group will take place on September 18. The two virtual focus groups will take place at a later time (TBD) to ensure that a wide variety of SGEs are interviewed.

7. Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants?

[ ] Yes [ X ] No

If Yes, describe:

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (In Hours)	Total Burden Hours
SGEs (in-person focus group, two sessions at 6 participants each) (Private Sector)	12	1	12
SGEs (virtual focus group, two sessions at 6 participants each) (Private Sector)	12	1	12
Totals	24		24

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collections are voluntary;

2. The collections are low-burden for respondents (based on considerations of total burden hours or burden-hours per respondent) and are low-cost for both the respondents and the Federal Government;

3. The collections are non-controversial and do not raise issues of concern to other Federal agencies;

4. Any 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 near future;

5. Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected only to the extent necessary and is not retained;

6. Information gathered is intended to be used for general service improvement and program management purposes

7. Upon agreement between OMB and the agency aggregated data may be released as part of A-11, Section 280 requirements only on performance.gov. Summaries of customer research and user testing activities may be included in public-facing customer journey maps.

8. Additional release of data will be coordinated with OMB.

Name: Sherman Williamson

All instruments used to collect information must include:

In the top right-hand corner of the first page of form:

Form Approved

OMB Control No. 1225-0093

Expiration Date: 02/29/2024

Across the bottom of the first page of form:

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 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. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave NW., Suite N3621, Washington, DC 20210-4537 and reference the OMB Control Number 1225-0093.

HELP SHEET

(OMB Control Number: 1225-0093)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Provide the name of the collection that is the subject of the request. (e.g. Comment card for soliciting feedback on xxxx)

PURPOSE: Provide a brief description of the purpose of this collection and how it will be used. If this is part of a larger study or effort, please include this in your explanation.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: Check one box. If you are requesting approval of other instruments under the generic, you must complete a form for each instrument.

CERTIFICATION: Please read the certification carefully. If you incorrectly certify, the collection will be returned as improperly submitted or it will be disapproved.

Personally Identifiable Information: Agencies should only collect PII to the extent necessary, and they should only retain PII for the period of time that is necessary to achieve a specific objective.

BURDEN HOURS:

Category of Respondents: Identify who you expect the respondents to be in terms of the following categories: (1) Individuals or Households;(2) Private Sector; (3) State, local, or tribal governments; or (4) Federal Government. Only one type of respondent can be selected per row.

No. of Respondents: Provide an estimate of the Number of respondents.

Participation Time: Provide an estimate of the amount of time required for a respondent to participate (e.g. fill out a survey or participate in a focus group)

Burden: Provide the Annual burden hours: Multiply the Number of responses and the participation time and divide by 60.

6