Overview
Title
Proposed Collection; 60-Day Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery (NIH)
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The NIH wants to know how they're doing when they help people, and they’re asking anyone who’s used their services to tell them. This is just like asking friends for their thoughts after sharing toys, so the NIH can get better at sharing their own "toys."
Summary AI
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is seeking public comments as part of their routine process under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. They aim to gather qualitative feedback on agency service delivery to improve performance. This initiative is not intended to generate statistical data but to gather insights and opinions that help enhance the quality of NIH's services. Stakeholders or customers who have interacted with NIH services are encouraged to provide their feedback within 60 days of the notice's publication date.
Abstract
In compliance with the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 to provide opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of propose projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the Health and Human Services Department, regarding their intent to collect qualitative feedback on their service delivery. This is part of their compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, which requires such public involvement. The main purpose is to gather insights and opinions from stakeholders or customers who have engaged with NIH services. These insights aim to help improve the quality and effectiveness of NIH's service delivery.
General Summary
The notice invites public comments on the proposed data collection, which the NIH plans to submit to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The feedback to be collected is qualitative rather than quantitative, focusing on perceptions and opinions that could improve service delivery. Respondents have a 60-day window from the notice's publication to submit their comments. This effort emphasizes ongoing communication between the NIH and its stakeholders to enhance program management and service quality.
Significant Issues or Concerns
Several concerns arise from the document's content:
Ambiguity in Feedback Collection: The document lacks specificity about the methods of feedback collection, which might create uncertainty about how the feedback will be gathered and utilized.
Inaccessibility of Additional Information: It notes that formal written requests are required to obtain further data collection plans and instruments. This could potentially pose a barrier to accessing detailed information, limiting ease of participation.
Vague Utilization of Feedback: The document does not clearly articulate how the qualitative feedback will directly contribute to service improvements. This lack of detail may lead to questions regarding the actual impact of the feedback.
Unclear Scope of Data Use: Although it states that the feedback will not influence significant policy decisions, this explanation is vague, which could result in misunderstanding about the scope of how this feedback might be used.
Transparency in Costs: While it specifies that there are no costs for respondents aside from their time, it does not elaborate on the actual costs to the NIH, which could raise transparency concerns.
Public Impact
Broadly, this initiative offers the public an opportunity to participate in the service improvement process of a major federal agency. This participatory approach could foster a sense of involvement and responsibility among stakeholders but also necessitates clear communication and transparency to ensure effective engagement.
Impact on Stakeholders
Positive Impact:
Stakeholders, including patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals who have interacted with NIH services, stand to benefit from improved services informed by their feedback.
Increased service responsiveness and quality could enhance stakeholder experience when interacting with the NIH.
Negative Impact:
If stakeholders find the process for providing feedback cumbersome or unclear, it may reduce their willingness to participate.
Ambiguities in how the feedback will be used and the implications for service or policy changes might discourage contribution from individuals seeking influential or substantial engagement.
In summary, while this process presents a valuable opportunity for stakeholder involvement, addressing identified ambiguities and improving communication on the feedback's application are critical to maximize its effectiveness and encourage meaningful public engagement.
Issues
• The document is not specific about the type of feedback or data collection methods to be used, which could be considered ambiguous.
• The requirement for submitting formal requests in writing for additional plans and instruments might be seen as potentially inefficient or a barrier to easy access to information.
• There is a lack of detail on how the collected qualitative feedback will be used to make specific improvements in agency services, which could be seen as ambiguous.
• The language describing the limits of the qualitative data — that it won't be used to make influential policy decisions — is somewhat vague and might invite questions about the actual scope of its use.
• The document mentions there are no costs to respondents other than time, but it does not provide an estimate of costs to the NIH, which might be seen as a lack of transparency in spending.