M-11-26

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

June 15, 2011

M-11-26

MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES,
AND INDEPENDENT REGULATORY AGENCIES
FROM:

Cass R. Sunstein (~)
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

QZ,/

Jeffrey D. Zienls£:'\
Deputy Director\~?r Management and Federal Chief Performance Officer
SUBJECT: New Fast-Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act
As emphasized by the President's Executive Order (EO) 13571, on "Streamlining Service
Delivery and Improving Customer Service," issued on April27, 2011, agencies must work
continuously to ensure that their programs are effective and meet their customers' needs. This
guidance describes a new Fast Track Process that will allow agencies to obtain timely feedback
on service delivery while ensuring that the information collected is useful and minimally
burdensome for the public, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been working with many agencies to
create this new process. The process will apply to a wide range of information collections that
focus on the awareness, understanding, attitudes, preferences, or experiences of customers or
other stakeholders relating to existing or future services, products, or communication materials.
To begin utilizing this process, agencies must first submit a generic clearance to be approved for
the new process. Once that has occmTed, agencies submitting information collection requests
can consider their qualifying activities approved unless OMB notifies the agency otherwise
within five days. Please see Attachment A for the list of agencies that have created, or are in the
process of creating, the generic clearance establishing the Fast Track Process. If your agency is
not on this list, please contact your OIRA desk officer, who will assist you in submitting the 60­
day Federal Register notice to begin the creation of the Fast Track Process.
You should consider using the new process for your data collection activities when:
a.

The data collection is focused on the awareness, understanding, attitudes,
preferences, or experiences of customers or other stakeholders (e.g., delivery

b.
c.
d.
e.

partners; co-regulators; potential customers) in order to improve existing or future
services, products, or communication materials;
The data collection is voluntary and non-controversial;
Statistical rigor is not required;
The burden on participants is not high; and
Public dissemination of results is not intended.

As a general matter, the following kinds of voluntary collections fall under the new Fast
Track Process:
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

Focus groups: For example, 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.
One-time or panel discussion groups: For example, a regular panel of current
and past recipients of Small Business Administration loans who participate in a
monthly discussion on issues they are facing.
Customer satisfaction qualitative surveys: For example, a survey by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, 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.
Post-transaction customer surveys: For example, a post-transaction survey of
callers to the Internal Revenue Service call centers, asking callers about their
experience on the call and why they chose to call rather than use the Internet.
Online surveys: For example, 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.
Comment cards or complaint forms: For example, a ten question form asking
visitors to Social Security Administration offices about their satisfaction with
their particular visits as well as with the agency's services generally.
Moderated, unmoderated, in-person, and remote usability studies: For
example, in-person observation of individuals navigating a website that is in the
process of being developed.
Testing of a survey or other collection to refine questions: For example,
distributing to a small number of individuals the preliminary questions to use for a
statistically rigorous customer satisfaction survey, followed by a debriefing with
some of the respondents.

The new Fast Track Process is intended to support the efforts of program managers to
seek timely feedback from customers and others in order to improve service delivery. With this
goal in mind, examples of collections that would generally not fall under the new process are: (i)
surveys that require statistical rigor because they will be used for making significant policy or
resource allocation decisions; (ii) collections where the results are intended to be published; and
(iii) collections that are intended for the purpose of basic research and that do not directly benefit
the agency's service delivery.

2

We have created a resource for program managers and PRA officials to learn more about
the new process and different customer feedback options. The agency support website
www.HowTo.gov now has several types of relevant information. First, the website provides a
list of answers to frequently asked questions about the new process. Second, the website has an
introduction to different customer feedback tools designed for program managers who are
interested in improving service delivery. The introduction describes questions that program
managers should ask themselves before soliciting feedback, and explains the advantages and
disadvantages of different collection tools. Finally, the site has fact sheets on common types of
customer feedback tools such as comment cards, focus groups, usability studies, and surveys.
Each fact sheet provides a general introduction to the type of collection, tips on how to conduct it
effectively, and good examples of the collection.

3

Attachment A

The following agencies, and their subcomponents, signed on to the 60-day Federal
Register notice for a generic approval and have now received or will soon receive approval from
OMB. For questions about the status of your agency, contact your PRA official. If your agency
is not on this list, please contact your OIRA desk officer, who will provide you with templates
and instructions to file the 60-day Federal Register notice to begin the creation of the new
process.
Administrative Conference of the United States
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Corporation for National and Community Service
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Department of Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Trade Commission

4

General Services Administration
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Merit Systems Protection Board
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Credit Union Administration
National Endowment for the Arts
Natio:pal Endowment for the Humanities
National Science Foundation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Personnel Management
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Small Businesses Administration
Social Security Administration
Surface Transportation Board
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S. Access Board
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
U.S. International Trade Commission
United States Agency for International
Development