Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) wants people to tell them what they think about a new way they're planning to collect information for their website. They want to know if it's a good idea, if it's too much work for everyone, and if there's a better way to do it using technology.
Summary AI
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is asking for public comments on a new information collection related to their Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T) Portfolio website. This request is part of the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. The agency seeks feedback on whether the proposed data collection is necessary, the accuracy of its estimated burden, improvements for data quality, and ways to minimize the burden through technology. Comments are due by March 3, 2021, and can be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal, fax, mail, or hand delivery.
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on November 25, 2020. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document titled "Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection" from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a formal notice seeking public input on a proposed information collection. This initiative is part of the compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, a law that aims to minimize the paperwork burden for individuals, businesses, and others imposed by federal agencies.
General Summary
The FHWA is looking to gather information related to its Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T) Portfolio via a newly developed website. They are interested in obtaining feedback from various stakeholders such as states, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, the private sector, and public interest groups. The goal is to ensure that the federal surface transportation research is addressing national needs effectively. Interested parties are invited to submit their comments by March 3, 2021, through several avenues, including the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One of the notable issues is the lack of a detailed breakdown of the expected costs associated with the information collection effort. Transparency in the cost could help in evaluating whether there is any potential for wasteful spending.
Additionally, the document estimates the total annual burden to be approximately 167 hours based on 1,000 respondents each spending about 10 minutes to respond annually. However, there is no explanation of how the number of respondents was determined, which may lead to questions regarding its accuracy and transparency.
Furthermore, the document uses somewhat subjective language, referring to addressing the "most critical national challenges" without clearly defining these challenges or providing examples. This lack of clarity might hinder proper understanding and objective evaluation by respondents.
Moreover, there is no detailed explanation of how feedback from stakeholders will be processed or utilized. This might result in stakeholder feedback being underutilized or potentially ineffective.
Public Impact
For the general public, this document represents an opportunity to engage with and influence federal transportation research and development activities. By commenting, individuals and organizations can help shape policies and guide the RD&T agenda, potentially leading to more targeted and effective transportation innovations.
Impact on Stakeholders
For specific stakeholders like local governments, the private sector, researchers, and public interest groups, this information collection initiative provides a platform to voice their concerns and suggestions directly to the FHWA. It enables these entities to collaborate on identifying and addressing transportation challenges, aligning federal efforts with local and sector-specific needs.
However, the lack of transparency regarding the processing and utilization of feedback might deter some stakeholders from engaging actively, fearing their input might not be meaningfully considered. On the positive side, if handled effectively, this process might lead to enhanced cooperation and innovation through better-aligned objectives between FHWA and its stakeholders.
In sum, while this initiative could potentially foster improved communication and targeted research, its impact greatly depends on the FHWA's ability to transparently and effectively incorporate stakeholder feedback into the broader RD&T agenda.
Issues
• The document does not provide a detailed breakdown of the expected cost associated with the information collection, which could be necessary for understanding potential wasteful spending.
• The estimated total annual burden is calculated as 167 hours based on 1,000 annual respondents and an average of 10 minutes per response, which seems accurate, but the rationale for this number of respondents is not explained, potentially lacking transparency.
• The language used in certain sections, like 'most critical national challenges,' might be considered subjective or unclear without further definition or examples.
• There's no detailed explanation of how feedback from stakeholders is processed or utilized, which could render the communication mechanism ineffective or underutilized.