Summary
Under the Government Service Delivery Improvement Act (GSDIA), along with the OMB Circular A-11, Section 280 Implementation, agencies are obligated to continually improve the services they provide the public and to collect qualitative and quantitative data from the public to do so. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) seeks to obtain OMB approval for the extension of a generic clearance to collect qualitative feedback on our delivery of services. By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study.
Need and Use of the Information
This feedback will continue to: (1) provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and expectations, (2) provide an early warning of issues with service and, (3) focus attention on areas where communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. This collection allows for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It also allows feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program management.
The solicitation of feedback targets areas such as: timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution of issues with service delivery. Responses are assessed to plan and inform efforts to improve or maintain the quality of service offered to the public. If this information is not collected, vital feedback from customers and stakeholders on the Agency's services will not be available.