[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 9422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03981]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
February 19, 2016.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments
are requested regarding (1) whether the collection of 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 burden including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (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.
Comments regarding this information collection received by March
28, 2016 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to:
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office
Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are
encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to:
[email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-
8681. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Generic Clearance of Survey Improvement Projects
OMB Control Number: 0535-0248
Summary of Collection: The primary objectives of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare and issue State
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, economic and
environmental statistics related to agriculture and to conduct the
Census of Agriculture under the general authority of Title 7 U.S.C.
Sec. 2204. The purpose of this generic clearance is to allow NASS to
respond quickly to emerging issues and data collection needs. NASS will
continue to develop, test, evaluate, adopt, and use state-of-the-art
techniques to cover a broad range of topics designed to improve NASS'
data collection on agriculture.
Need and Use of the Information: NASS will use a number of survey
improvement techniques, as appropriate to the individual project under
investigation. These include focus groups, cognitive and usability
laboratory and field techniques, exploratory interviews, behavior
coding, respondent debriefing, pilot surveys and split-panel tests. The
information gathered will be used mainly for questionnaire development
and other research and evaluation. Additionally, NASS anticipates the
benefit of increased response rates through improved survey design, a
goal tied directly to addressing OMB requirements for higher response
rates and measurement of non-response bias.
Description of Respondents: Farms.
Number of Respondents: 25,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 15,000.
Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-03981 Filed 2-24-16; 8:45 am]
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