G421 PEP Survey 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: G421: Public Engagement Partnership (PEP) Post-Event Survey

PURPOSE: USPTO’s Office of Public Engagement (OPE) PEP event allows the USPTO to reach newer audiences, including customers who may not be potential patent or trademark applicants, yet are interested in learning more about the patent examination process and how they can engage with the USPTO. The purpose of the PEP is to obtain feedback from participants regarding their experience in attending the event. Information collected from the participants will assist the USPTO agency-wide, as well as improve future events, including training on public patent search and Patent Center tools.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Respondents are individuals who registered for the Public Engagement Partnership event to .

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] 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 Certification: Lena Munasifi

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

Personally Identifiable Information:

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

2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [ X ] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Survey - Private Sector	500	10 minutes	83 Hours
Totals	500	- - -	83 Hours

The USPTO estimates that 100% of the surveys will be conducted electronically.

FEDERAL COST:

Public Engagement Partnership Event Survey

The USPTO estimates that it takes a GS-14 step 8, 5 hours for summary, data analysis, and reporting for the event surveys.

The hourly rate for a GS-14, step 8, is currently $82.38 according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) 2024 wage chart, including locality pay for the Washington, DC area.  When 30% ($24.71) is added to account for a fully loaded hourly rate (benefits and overhead), the rate per hour for a GS-14, step 7, is $107.09. 

The total estimated annual cost to the Federal government for the Public Engagement Partnership Event end of course survey is the combined average hourly rate of $107.09 per hour * 5 = $535.

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] Yes [ ] 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?

One PEP event is scheduled for June, 2024 and another in September, 2024. Each will comprise about 150 attendees. Every participant will be sent the end of course survey invitation via an emailed weblink once the event has ended.

Administration of the Instrument

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

[X] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

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

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

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