PowerPoint, 130 kb, 6 slides, January 2014

1. 0
The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA): Approval of
Information Collections
Review and approval of information collections – a few goals:
 Ensure the information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency
 Minimize the Federal information collection burden, with particular emphasis on those adversely
affected.
 Maximize the practical utility of and public benefit from information collected by the federal
government.
How is this accomplished?
 The agency must review the information to determine whether it meets the goals above (broadly
speaking) and publish a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the collection. OIRA
must review and approve the information collection.
For more information: See Memorandum on Information Collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act

2. 1
When do you have to comply?
The simplest version to remember:
Anytime you collect, or you sponsor collection
of, information using identical questions
posed to, or reporting or recordkeeping
requirements imposed on, “ten or more
persons” or a substantial majority of an
industry or sector within any twelve month
period.

3. 2
The Paperwork Reduction Act
Planning is required:
Expertise is needed:
Program Expertise
Some PRA Expertise
If planning to use statistical methods, some survey expertise
Some technological expertise
Agency
Develops
Information
Collection
Request
Agency
publishes 60-
day Federal
register
Notice
Agency
considers
Public
comments
Agency
publishes 30
day FR notice
OMB Review
OMB cannot act
until 30 days have
passed

4. 3
Overview of “fast track” process
The purpose of the process (and the underlying collection) is to garner customer and stakeholder
feedback in an efficient, timely manner.
PRA Fast-Track
Specific criteria
for PRA fast-track
clearance process
Key Details
 The data collection is focused on the customer experience and to improve
existing or future services, products or communication material
 Voluntary participation and non-controversial data collection
 Statistical rigor is not required; Information will be qualitative in nature
 The burden on participants and the cost to the Federal Government is low
 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is gathered only to the extent necessary
 Results are not intended to be shared publicly
 Information will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential
policy decisions
Customer
feedback
mechanisms
included
 One-time or panel discussion groups
 Post-transaction customer surveys
 Comment cards or complaint forms
 Online surveys
 Testing of a survey or other collection to refine questions
 Moderated, unmoderated, in-person and remote usability studies
 Customer Satisfaction qualitative Survey
 Focus groups

5. 4
OMB’s PRA fast-track guidance provides several examples of the types of
customer feedback activities that would fall under this new review
process
Customer
satisfaction
qualitative surveys
Focus groups
One-time or panel
discussion groups
Post-transaction
customer surveys
Online surveys
Comment cards or
complaint forms
A survey by the VA, asking patients (on a scale of 1-5) about their satisfaction with
different parts of their health care experience in order to identify early warning signs of
customer dissatisfaction and areas to explore further.
A series of focus groups of individuals who are eligible for (but not enrolled in)
Medicaid, focused on barriers to enrollment for the purpose of identifying problems and
potential solutions.
A regular panel of current and past recipients of Small Business Administration loans
who participate in a monthly discussion on issues they are facing.
A post-transaction survey of callers to the IRS call centers, asking callers about their
experience on the call and why they chose to call rather than use the Internet.
An email survey of school principals asking for their thoughts about, and ranking of,
specified ideas to improve outreach and communications materials for the school lunch
program.
A ten question form asking visitors to SSA offices about their satisfaction with
their particular visits as well as with the agency’s services generally.

6. 5
Examples of collections that would generally not fall under
the “Fast Track” Process
Surveys that require statistical rigor because they will be used for making significant
policy or resource allocation decisions;
Collections whose results are intended to be published;
Collections that impose significant burden on respondents or significant costs on the
Government;
Collections on controversial topics or that raise issues of significant concern to other
agencies;
Collections that are intended for the purpose of basic research and that do not
directly benefit the agency’s customer service delivery; and
Collections that will be used for program evaluation and performance measurement
purposes.

7. 6
For Further Information/Resources:
 Information Collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA Primer)
 FAQ for New Fast-Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback under the
Paperwork Reduction Act
 Paperwork Reduction Act – Generic Clearances
 Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act (Social
Media)
Complete list of OIRA guidance memos are online:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_infocoll/