DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No.: AMS-LRRS-24-0025]
Notice of Request for an Extension of a Currently Approved Information
Collection: Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice
announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for an extension of a currently
approved information collection associated with qualitative customer and stakeholder
feedback on service delivery by the AMS.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS
AFTER PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] to be assured of
consideration.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning this notice
online using the electronic process available at https://www.regulations.gov. Written
comments may be submitted to: Legislative & Regulatory Review Staff, AMS, USDA,
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0202, Room 2938-S, Washington, D.C. 20250;
Fax: (202) 690-3767. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be posted
without change, including any personal information provided, at
https://www.regulations.gov/, included in the record, and made available to the public.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joell Gilham, Legislative &
Regulatory Review Staff, AMS, USDA; Telephone (202) 720-2986, or E-mail
norma.gilham@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency
Service Delivery-AMS.
OMB Number: 0581-0269
Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 2024
Type of Request: Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection.
Abstract: The proposed information collection activity provides a means for
AMS to garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely
manner, in accordance with the Agency’s commitment to improving service delivery.
By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful insights on
perceptions and opinions, but not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can
be generalized to the population of study. This feedback will provide insights into
customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations; provide an early
warning of issues with service; or focus attention on areas where communication,
training, or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. This
collection will allow for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communications between
the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute
directly to the improvement of program management.
The solicitation of feedback will target areas such as: timeliness, appropriateness,
accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution of issues
with service delivery. Responses will be assessed to plan and inform efforts to improve
or maintain the quality of service offered to the public. If this information is not
collected, vital feedback from customers and stakeholders on the Agency’s services will
be unavailable.
AMS will only submit a collection for approval under this generic clearance if it
meets the following conditions:
•

The collection is voluntary;

•

The collection is low-burden for respondents (based on considerations of total
burden hours, total number of respondents, or burden-hours per respondent)
and is low-cost for both the respondents and the Federal Government;

•

The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to
other Federal agencies;

•

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 near future;

•

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

•

Information gathered is intended to be used only internally for general service
improvement and program management purposes and is not intended for
release outside of AMS (if released, AMS must indicate the qualitative nature
of the information);

•

Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially
informing influential policy decisions; and

•

Information gathered will yield qualitative information; the collection will not
be designed or expected to yield statistically reliable results or used as though
the results are generalizable to the population of study.

Feedback collected under this generic clearance provides useful information, but it
does not yield data that can be generalized to the overall population. This type of generic
clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information
collections that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as monitoring trends
over time or documenting program performance. Such data uses require more rigorous
designs that address: the target population to which generalizations will be made, the
sampling frame, the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the precision

requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected
response rate, methods for assessing potential nonresponse bias, the protocols for data
collection, and any testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding
this study. Depending on the degree of influence the results are likely to have, such
collections may still be eligible for submission for other generic mechanisms that are
designed to yield quantitative results.
As a general matter, this information collection will not result in any new system of
records containing privacy information and will not ask questions of a sensitive nature,
such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are
commonly considered private.
AMS currently has approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for this information collection. This approval is for 60,000 burden hours, based on our
initial request to OMB in April 2011. We are requesting that the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) to approve our use of these information collection activities for 3
years.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 0.50 hours per response.
Respondents: Individuals and households; businesses and organizations; State,
local, or Tribal government.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 110,000
Estimated Number of Responses: 110,000
Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 60,000 (Due to averaging, the
total annual burden hours may not equal the product of the annual number of responses
multiplied by the reporting burden per response.)

Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of the
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for
OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Erin Morris,
Associate Administrator,
Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-13012 Filed: 6/12/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/13/2024]