Generic Clearance Summary Template

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing and Research” (OMB Control Number: 1905-0186)

Business Knowledge and Perceptions of EIA Efforts to Protect Confidentiality and Test Alternative Wording For Revising The CIPSEA Pledge

PURPOSE: Study the perceptions that survey respondents have regarding EIA efforts to protect the confidentiality of information reported on survey forms protected under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) and test revisions to the CIPSEA pledge. This research has two main goals. The first goal is to compare the results from last year’s study on business perceptions of EIA’s ability to protect confidential information. The research in 2015 focused on surveys that were protected using exemptions under the FOIA statute. This study focuses on respondents to EIA surveys that are protected using the CIPSEA statute. Since CIPSEA is a stronger statute than the FOIA statute for protecting confidential information, the research will measure whether there is a stronger trust relationship with respondents to surveys protected under CIPSEA or if their perceptions are similar to respondents that report on other surveys that are not protected under CIPSEA. The second goal is to conduct cognitive research on alternative wording for the CIPSEA pledge that the federal statistical community is considering in response to new requirements arising from the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. In this research, interviewers will read two versions of the revised pledge and collect information on respondent’s reaction to the revised pledges.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Current respondents to EIA surveys that are protected using the CIPSEA statute.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Field Testing [X] Cognitive Interviews

[ ] Usability Testing [ ] Focus Groups

[ ] Pilot Surveys [ ] Other: ______________________

[ ] Respondent Debriefings

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true regarding the proposed collection of information:

1. It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions.

2. It avoids unnecessary duplication.

3. It reduces burden on small entities.

4. It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents.

5. Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices.

6. It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements.

7. It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

   1. Why the information is being collected;

   2. Use of information;

   3. Burden estimate;

   4. Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

   5. Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

   6. Need to display currently valid OMB control number

8. It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

9. It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable).

10. It makes appropriate use of information technology.

Name: Nanda Srinivasan, Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration,

U.S. Energy Information Administration

To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Y [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Private Sector – Interviews	50	1	50
Totals	50	1	50

FEDERAL COST: $3,601.00. There are no additional costs to the Federal Government are anticipated. Expenses (equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff) will be incurred by EIA components as part of their normal operating budgets.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X ] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

We plan to conduct five (5) interviews of respondents that report on each of ten (10) EIA surveys protected under CIPSEA. The sample frame will be the respondents who report on the following EIA surveys:

1. Form EIA-878, “Motor Gasoline Price Survey”

2. Form EIA-888, “On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price Survey”

3. Form EIA-910, “Monthly Natural Gas Marketers Survey”

4. Form EIA-912, “Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report”

5. Form EIA-914, “Monthly Crude Oil, Lease Condensate, and Natural Gas Production Report”

6. Form EIA-851Q, “Domestic Uranium Production Report – Quarterly”

7. Form EIA-851A, “Domestic Uranium Production Report – Annual”

8. Form EIA-858, “Uranium Marketing Annual Survey”

9. Form EIA-871, “Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey”

10. Form EIA-457, “Residential Energy Consumption Survey”

The frame file for each petroleum and natural gas survey will be sorted by geographic area. There are five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) regions in the U.S used in the petroleum surveys. There are also five reporting regions for natural gas markets used in the natural gas surveys. The goal is to select a respondent from each PADD and natural gas region to control for any regional differences in perceptions. Since uranium production is concentrated in specific areas of the U.S., EIA will not sort the uranium frame files by geography. For Forms EIA-871 and EIA-457, i.e., the consumptions surveys, EIA will only interview the energy suppliers such as natural gas, electric power, and fuel oil suppliers. The goal is to interview two natural gas suppliers, two electric power suppliers, and one fuel oil supplier so that we may control for differences in perceptions among the type of fuel supplier.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[X] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[X] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X ] Yes [ ] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

Instructions for completing Request for Approval under the

“Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing and Research”

(OMB Control Number: 1905-0186)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Provide the name of the collection that is the subject of the request. (e.g. Comment card for soliciting feedback on xxxx)

PURPOSE: Provide a brief description of the purpose of this collection and how it will be used. If this is part of a larger study or effort, please include this in your explanation.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Provide a brief description of the targeted group or groups for this collection of information. These groups must have experience with the program.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: Check one box. If you are requesting approval of other instruments under the generic, you must complete a form for each instrument.

CERTIFICATION: Please read the certification carefully. If you incorrectly certify, the collection will be returned as improperly submitted or it will be disapproved.

Personally Identifiable Information: Provide answers to the questions. Note: Agencies should only collect PII to the extent necessary, and they should only retain PII for the period of time that is necessary to achieve a specific objective.

Gifts or Payments: If you answer yes to the question, please describe the incentive and provide a justification for the amount.

BURDEN HOURS:

Category of Respondents: Identify who you expect the respondents to be in terms of the following categories: (1) Individuals or Households; (2) Private Sector; (3) State, local, or tribal governments; or (4) Federal Government. Only one type of respondent can be selected per row.

No. of Respondents: Provide an estimate of the Number of respondents.

Participation Time: Provide an estimate of the amount of time required for a respondent to participate (e.g. fill out a survey or participate in a focus group)

Burden: Provide the Annual burden hours: Multiply the Number of responses and the participation time and divide by 60.

FEDERAL COST: Provide an estimate of the annual cost to the Federal government.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents. Please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them. If the answer is yes, to the first question, you may provide the sampling plan in an attachment.

Administration of the Instrument: Identify how the information will be collected. More than one box may be checked. Indicate whether there will be interviewers (e.g. for surveys) or facilitators (e.g., for focus groups) used.

Submit all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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