Supporting Statement A

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SUPPORTING STATEMENT
FAST-TRACK OCCASIONAL QUALITATIVE SURVEYS
(OMB No. 3064-0127)

INTRODUCTION

The FDIC is requesting an extension without change of a fast-track generic survey information collection for occasional qualitative surveys to gather information from the public.  The surveys to be deployed under this information collection generally do not require more than one hour per respondent to complete, and are always voluntary in nature.  FDIC estimates that it will deploy approximately 20 such surveys in any given year.  The purpose of the surveys is, in general terms, to obtain anecdotal information about quality of service, regulatory burden, problems or successes in the bank supervisory process (including both safety-and-soundness and consumer-related exams), the perceived need for regulatory or statutory change, and similar concerns.  This information collection currently expires on July 31, 2026.

A.	JUSTIFICATION

1.	Circumstances that make the collection necessary:

The FDIC, to inform policy and assess the efficiency, value and quality of services and information provided to the general public and the effectiveness, responsiveness and burden associated with the agency’s interactions with the depository institutions it insures and supervises, has developed a plan to deploy occasional surveys designed to obtain anecdotal feedback or opinions from these institutions and the general public regarding these matters. While the need for these data collections can be evaluated in advance, the FDIC cannot determine the details of the specific individual collections until a later time. 

2.	Use of the information:

The surveys to be deployed pursuant to this generic clearance involve samples that are not necessarily random; the results are not necessarily representative of a larger class of potential respondents; and the goal is not to produce a statistically valid data.  Rather, the surveys are expected to yield anecdotal information about the particular experiences and opinions of members of the public, primarily staff at respondent banks or bank customers, to inform the FDICs’ development and improvement of the services the agency delivers and the performance of its mission.  The information is used to improve the way FDIC relates to the banking industry and the public, to develop agendas for regulatory or statutory change, and in some cases to simply learn how particular policies or programs are working, or are perceived in particular cases.  One use of the information is to learn ways in which burden on small banks can be reduced.


3.	Consideration of the use of improved information technology:

Appropriate technology is used to minimize burden whenever possible.  The majority of the surveys are expected to be deployed in electronic form and the responses are expected to be returned in electronic form.

4.	Efforts to identify duplication:

Each survey to be deployed under this generic clearance is unique. No duplication with other information collections exists.

5.	Methods used to minimize burden if the collection has a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities:

The information collection does not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.  Care is taken to minimize the burden on small banks.  One use of the information is to learn ways in which burden on small banks can be reduced.

6.	Consequences to the Federal program if the collection were conducted less frequently:

The frequency of collection is held to the absolute minimum. These generic surveys are usually deployed one time.  In some instances, clearance will be sought to repeat a survey each year to allow continuous monitoring of feedback on the effectiveness of FDIC programs and related interactions with the public.  In the absence of these surveys the FDIC would not be able to assess the efficiency, value and effectiveness of its various programs and services and would not be able to obtain timely input from the public and the institutions it supervises.

7.	Special circumstances necessitating collection inconsistent with 5 CFR Part 1320.5(d)(2):

None.  The information is collected in a manner consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).

8.	Efforts to consult with persons outside the agency:

The FDIC published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment for a 60-day period on renewal of this information collection on April 23, 2026 (91 FR 21819).  No comments were received.

9.	Payment or gifts to respondents:

None.

10.	Any assurance of confidentiality:

Information is kept private to the extent allowed by law.

11.	Justification for questions of a sensitive nature:

Not applicable. No sensitive information is collected.

12.	Estimate of hour burden including annualized hourly costs:

Estimated Annual Burden:

The estimated annual burden, in hours, is the product of the estimated annual number of respondents, number of responses per respondent per year, and time per response, as summarized in Table 1 below. The total estimated annual burden for this ICR is 17,000 hours, which is the same as the previously approved burden in the 2023 ICR. The estimated annual burden, in hours, is based on the assumptions explained above (approximately 20 surveys per year, 850 respondents per survey, and one hour response time each) which translates to 850 hours per survey or 17,000 hours in aggregate.

Table 1. Summary of Estimated Annual Burden (OMB No. 3064-0127)

Information Collection (IC) (Obligation to Respond)
Type of Burden
(Frequency of Response)
 Number of Respondents
 Number of Responses per Respondent
Average Time per Response (HH:MM)
Annual Burden (Hours)

1. Fast-Track Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback, (Voluntary)
Reporting
(Once)
17,000
1
01:00
17,000

Total Annual Burden (Hours):
17,000

Source: FDIC.

Note: The estimated annual IC time burden is the product, rounded to the nearest hour, of the estimated annual number of responses and the estimated time per response for a given IC. The estimated annual number of responses is the product, rounded to the nearest whole number, of the estimated annual number of respondents and the estimated annual number of responses per respondent. This methodology ensures the estimated annual burdens in the table are consistent with the values recorded in OMB’s consolidated information system.









Annualized Cost of Internal Hourly Burden:

	To estimate the average cost of compensation per hour, the FDIC uses the 75th percentile hourly wage reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (OEWS) for all occupations across all industries. However, the latest OEWS wage data are as of May 2024 and do not include non-wage compensation. To adjust these wages for use in the memo, the FDIC multiplied the OEWS hourly wages by approximately 1.53 to account for non-wage compensation, using the BLS Employer Cost of Employee Compensation (ECEC) data as of March 2024 (the latest published release prior to the OEWS wage data), then multiplied the resulting compensation rates by approximately 1.06 to account for the change in the seasonally adjusted E employment Cost Index for All Workers (NAICS Code 000) between March 2024 and December 2025. See Table 2. 

Table 2. Summary of Hourly Burden Cost Estimate (OMB No. 3064-0127)

Information Collection (IC) (Obligation to Respond) 
Hourly Weight 
(%)
Percentage Shares of Hours Spent by and 
Hourly Compensation Rates for each Occupation Group 
(by Collection)
Estimated Hourly Compensation Rate








General Public ($57.14)







1. Fast-Track Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback, (Voluntary)
100.00
100
$57.14 

Weighted Average Hourly Compensation Rate:
$57.14 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics: 'National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Industry: Cross Sector' (May 2024), Employer Cost of Employee Compensation (March 2024), and Employment Cost Index (March 2024 and December 2025). Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: General Public = 00-0000 All Occupations.







Note: The estimated hourly compensation rate for a given IC is the average of the hourly compensation rates for the occupations used to comply with that IC, weighted by the estimated share of hours spent by each occupation. The weighted average hourly compensation rate for the entire ICR is the average of the estimated hourly compensation rates for all ICs, weighted by the share of hourly burden for IC. These hourly weights, as shown in the “Hourly Weight” column of this table, are the quotients of the estimated number of annual burden hours for each IC and the total estimated number of annual burden hours across all ICs.









13.	Estimate of start-up costs to respondents:

None.

14.	Estimate of annualized costs to the government:

None.

15.	Analysis of change in burden:

There is no change in the substance or methodology of this information collection. The total estimated annual burden remains the same..

16.	Information regarding collections whose results are planned to be published for statistical use:

The information collection results are not intended to be published.

17.	Display of expiration date:

Each survey instrument will display the OMB Control Number and its expiration date.

18.	Exceptions to certification:

None.

B.	COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Not applicable.