[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 76 (Thursday, April 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21305-21306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08326]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Generic
Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on
the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-
0080 (Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60
days for public comment preceding submission of the information
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this information
collection must be received on or before June 21, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
any of the following methods. Do not submit Confidential Business
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information:
Email: [email protected]. Include ``0651-
0080 comment'' in the subject line of the message.
Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450,
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Kimberly Hardy, Office of the Chief
Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O.
Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450; by telephone at 571-270-0968; or
by email to informationcollection @uspto.gov with ``0651-0080 comment''
in the subject line. Additional information about this information
collection can be found at http://www.reginfo.gov under ``Information
Collection Review.''
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 21306]]
I. Abstract
Executive Order 12862 (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12862.pdf) directs Federal agencies to provide
services to the public that matches or exceeds the best services
available in the private sector. In order to work continuously to
ensure that its programs are effective and meet its customers' needs,
the United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter ``USPTO'' or
``the Agency'') proposes the following generic clearance to collect
qualitative feedback on its service delivery. Qualitative feedback
refers to information that provides useful insights on perceptions and
opinions, but is not in the form of statistical surveys which yield
quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of
study.
The Agency will collect, analyze, and interpret information
gathered to identify strengths and weaknesses of current services.
Based on feedback received, the Agency will identify operational
changes needed to improve programs and services. 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.
Collecting feedback will allow for the Agency to have a pulse on
customer satisfaction. This feedback will provide for ongoing,
collaborative, and actionable communication between the Agency and its
customers and stakeholders and allow it to gather feedback in an
efficient and timely manner. The information collected from Agency
customers and stakeholders will help ensure users have an opportunity
to convey their experience with USPTO programs. This information
collection will also provide insights into customer or stakeholder
perceptions, experiences, and expectations, which will allow the Agency
to focus its attention on areas where communication, training, or
changes in operations may be necessary.
This information collection covers a variety of methods used by
USPTO to obtain qualitative feedback from the public. The estimated
number of annual responses and burden hours being requested are based
on the number of information collections we expect to conduct over the
period of this clearance. Each specific request for clearance under
this generic information collection will detail estimates for the
following information: Respondent types, number of respondents, number
of responses, time per response, burden hours, and associated costs.
II. Method of Collection
The methods of collection include, but are not limited to, in-
person surveys, telephone interviews, questionnaires, mail and email
survey, web-based products, focus groups, and comment cards.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0651-0080.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Affected Public: Private Sector; Individuals or Households; State,
Local or Tribal governments; Federal government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 90,000 respondents.
Estimated Time per Response: Varied, dependent upon the data
collection method used. The average response time will be 10 minutes
per response.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 15,000 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent (Hourly) Cost Burden: $2,989,650.
The estimated annual respondent costs are based on the number of
estimated hours for the information collections we expect to conduct
over the requested period of this clearance. The total hourly cost
burden ($199.31) is determined by using a combined rate of attorney,
paralegal, and pro se wages. The USPTO uses the mean rate for attorneys
in private firms, estimated at $400 per hour, from data published in
the 2019 Report of the Economic Survey from the American Intellectual
Property Law Association (AIPLA).\1\ The hourly rate for paralegals is
estimated at $145 from data published in the 2018 Utilization and
Compensation Survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants
(NALA).\2\ The pro se wage rate uses the mean hourly wage ($52.93) for
physical scientists according to the data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics program (occupational
code 19-2099) \3\.
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\1\ https://www.aipla.org/detail/journal-issue/2019-report-of-the-economic-survey.
\2\ https://www.nala.org/paralegals/research-and-survey-findings.
\3\ https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes192099.htm.
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Estimated Total Annual (Non-hour) Respondent Cost Burden: $0. There
are no capital start-up, maintenance, postage, recordkeeping costs, or
any other fees associated with this information collection.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
IV. Request for Comments
The USPTO is soliciting public comments to:
(a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) Evaluate 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;
(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(d) 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, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
All comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. USPTO will include or summarize each comment in the
request to OMB to approve this information collection. Before including
an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying
information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment--including
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any
time. While you may ask in your comment to withhold personal
identifying information from public view, USPTO cannot guarantee that
it will be able to do so.
Kimberly Hardy,
Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-08326 Filed 4-21-21; 8:45 am]
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