Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; EEO Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet Common Form
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ELI5 AI
The Department of Commerce wants to make a form for people to report unfair treatment at work, like being treated differently because of how they look or their age. Before the form is used, they want people to share their thoughts on it to make it better, but anyone who comments might have their words and personal details seen by others.
Summary AI
The Department of Commerce is inviting public comments on a new information collection process related to handling informal complaints about employment discrimination at the Census Bureau, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice encourages public input on the proposed "EEO Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet Common Form" before it is submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The form will help collect necessary information to address claims of discrimination based on factors such as race, gender, or age. Feedback is sought to optimize the form's utility, accuracy, and efficiency, and comments will be publicly accessible.
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed new information collection--EEO Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet Common Form, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary
The document is an official notice from the Department of Commerce inviting public comments on a new process for collecting information on informal complaints about employment discrimination at the Census Bureau. This initiative, mandated by the Paperwork Reduction Act, aims to gather feedback before the form, "EEO Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet Common Form," is submitted for approval to the Office of Management and Budget. The form seeks to document complaints based on discrimination due to race, gender, age, and other factors. Public comments are encouraged to improve the form's usefulness, accuracy, and effectiveness, with an emphasis on publicly accessible feedback.
Significant Issues and Concerns
There are several issues within the document that deserve attention:
Low Estimated Respondent Numbers: The notice estimates an extremely low number of respondents (between 1 and 15), which brings into question the necessity or effectiveness of this new process. A clearer justification is necessary to understand its impact.
Limited Burden Hours: The estimated total annual burden is only 25 hours, indicating the initiative might have a minimal scope. This raises questions about whether resources are efficiently allocated.
Privacy Concerns in Public Comments: While the document invites public input, it warns that personal information could become publicly available, possibly deterring participation and undermining the transparency goal.
Complexity and Clarity Issues: The document uses technical language related to the EEO process, which may be difficult for the average respondent to understand. Simplifying this would help with broader public comprehension.
Legal Framework: The notice references Title 29 CFR part 1614 but does not explain its relevance or implications, potentially confusing those unfamiliar with such regulatory language.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, this document may have several impacts on the public. It encourages involvement in governmental procedures, promoting transparency and accountability. However, the warnings about public access to personal data in comments could discourage public participation, impacting the breadth and diversity of the feedback received.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For potential stakeholders, such as current and former employees of the Census Bureau, and applicants, this new process has significant implications:
Positive Impacts: Stakeholders may benefit from a more structured and potentially streamlined process for filing and resolving complaints about discrimination, fostering an environment of fairness and transparency.
Negative Impacts: The complexity of the form and procedural language, along with the privacy concerns about submitted comments, might deter individuals from engaging fully. The lack of clear rationale for the low respondent numbers might also raise doubts about the effectiveness of this initiative in addressing discrimination issues within the agency.
By addressing these issues, the Department of Commerce can enhance the utility and accessibility of this important tool for handling discrimination complaints.
Financial Assessment
The document under review is a notice from the Department of Commerce, specifically detailing a proposed information collection by the Census Bureau. This relates to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet Common Form. The financial elements mentioned in this notice primarily concern the estimated costs associated with the information collection process.
Cost to the Public
The document mentions an estimated total annual cost to the public of $0. This figure indicates that while the respondents may not bear direct expenses related to this collection process, there are potential indirect costs. These may include purchases of specialized software or hardware, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services needed to comply specifically with this collection. This aspect might contribute to the relatively low number of respondents—estimated between 1 to 15—raising questions about the overall economic impact and efficiency of the initiative.
Relation to Identified Issues
The financial reference of $0 cost to the public aligns with several issues identified in the document. Firstly, the lack of direct costs for respondents suggests a minimal financial burden, yet the potential for indirect costs may require clearer justification and communication to preempt misunderstandings and encourage participation. Furthermore, the notice indicates an estimated total annual burden of only 25 hours. This assessment reflects a limited scale, potentially implying minimal financial justification for the resources allocated to this initiative. It prompts a consideration of efficiency in the use of agency resources to address the low impact suggested by these financial estimates.
Additionally, the notice calls for public comments to help minimize reporting burdens. However, it does not outline specific strategies to mitigate any possible indirect financial pressures, beyond the use of email for information collection. This aspect presents an opportunity for the Department to enhance its transparency on financial matters, aligning with the goal of reducing the public's reporting burden.
In conclusion, while the financial reference of $0 annual cost to the public suggests an anticipation of minimal direct economic impact, the gap in addressing potential indirect costs or further elaborating on efficiency measures might call for deeper discussions within the public comment section. Providing clarity on these aspects could improve the public's understanding and engagement with the initiative.
Issues
• The estimated number of respondents (1 to 15) is quite low, which might indicate a limited impact and could question the necessity of the new information collection. This needs to be justified more clearly.
• The estimated total annual burden hours is only 25, suggesting the scope or scale of this collection may be minimal, raising questions about the efficiency of the resource allocation for this initiative.
• There is a potential issue of clarity with the public comment section; while it encourages public input, it also warns that personal data may be publicly accessible, which may deter participation and impacts the transparency objective.
• The notice lacks detailed information on why the particular data fields collected in the Initial Informal Complaint Contact Sheet are necessary, which may lead to ambiguity about the form's purpose.
• The language detailing the EEO process and rights could be considered overly complex for individuals not familiar with legal or bureaucratic terminology, potentially complicating comprehension for the average respondent.
• Though the document requests comments to help minimize reporting burdens, it does not provide specific ways the agency aims to reduce such burdens within this specific initiative, beyond the use of email.
• The legal authority refers to Title 29 CFR part 1614, yet there is no explanation of this regulation in the document, which could be disconcerting for those unfamiliar with regulatory references.