Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Collection of Data for Program Evaluation
Federal Register Notice
July 13, 2006
Volume 71, Number 134
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information
Collection Request (ICR) described below is being forwarded to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval for a new
information collection related to the evaluation of a five-year
demonstration/research program on voluntary reporting of close calls
and near misses in the rail environment. The ICR describes the nature
of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the
following collection of information was published on May 10, 2006 (71
FR 27313) and the comment period ended on July 9, 2006. The 60-day
notice produced no comments.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 14, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Demetra V. Collia, Room 3430,
RITA, BTS, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone (202) 366-1610, Fax (202) 493-0568
or e-mail demetera.collia@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Collection of Data for Program Evaluation.
Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
OMB Control Number: New.
Affected Public: Workers in the railroad industry.
Number of Respondents: 1200.
Number of Responses: 1200.
Total Annual Burden: 600 hours (Average estimate of 30 minutes to
complete the survey resulting in a total of 600 hours).
Abstract: Collecting data on the nation's transportation system is
an important component of BTS' responsibility to the transportation
community and is authorized in BTS statutory authority (49 U.S.C.
111(c)(1) and (2) and 49 U.S.C. 111(c)(5)(j)). Further, BTS and FRA
share a common interest in promoting rail safety based on better data.
In recognition of the need for new approaches to improving safety, the
FRA has initiated a research program called the Confidential Close Call
Reporting System (C3RS). The C3RS is designed to identify safety
issues and propose corrective actions based on voluntary reports of
close calls submitted to BTS. BTS will collect reports on close calls
and near misses submitted by railroad employees, develop an analytical
database containing the reported data and other pertinent information,
and protect the confidentiality of these data through its own statute
(49 U.S.C. 111(i)) and the Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). BTS is seeking a separate
OMB approval for the collection of close call reports (71 FR 24913,
April 27, 2006) which does not involve the evaluation of the reporting
system.
While C3RS is being implemented with the participation of the
FRA, railroad labor, and railroad management, there are legitimate
questions about whether it is being implemented in the most effective
way, and whether it will have its intended effect. Further, even if
C3RS is successful, it will be necessary to know if it is successful
enough to implement on a wide scale. To address these important
questions, the FRA is implementing a formative evaluation to guide
program development, a summative evaluation to assess impact, and a
sustainability evaluation to determine how C3RS can continue after
the test period is over. BTS will collect, process, and analyze the
survey data for the evaluation of C3RS.
Employees of selected railroad sites (pilot sites) will be asked to
fill out a questionnaire which will be made available to them at town
hall meetings and mail back to BTS. Data will be collected from the
entire population of affected workers (estimate 1200 or less). The
survey will ask respondents to provide information on: (a) Beliefs
about rail safety; (b) issues and personal concerns related to
implementation of safety programs in their work environment; (c)
knowledge and views on voluntary reporting of unsafe events; and (d)
opinions and observations about the operation of C3RS at their work
site. It is estimated that the survey will take no more than 30 minutes
to complete for a maximum total burden of 600 hours (1200
respondents*30 minutes/60 = 600 hours).
ADDRESSES: The agency seeks public comments on its proposed information
collection. Comments should address whether the information will have
practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology. Send comments to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: BTS Desk Officer.
Issued in Washington, DC, on this 6th day of July, 2006.
William Bannister,
Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research
and Advanced Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation.
[FR Doc. E6-11035 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am]
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