Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

30-Day information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

The DoD has submitted to OMB for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by October 27, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Duncan, 571-372-7574, or whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dd-dod-information-collections@mail.mil .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated form; and OMB Number: Service Academy Gender Relations Survey; OMB Control Number 0704-SAGR.

Type of Request: Regular.

Number of Respondents: 10,000.

Responses per Respondent: 1.

Annual Responses: 10,000.

Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 5,000 hours.

Needs and Uses: The legal requirements for the Service Academy Gender Relations (SAGR) surveys can be found in the following:

• 10 United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 4361, as amended by John Warner National Defense Authorization Act NDAA for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, Section 532
• 10 United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 481
• Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6495.02

These legal requirements mandate that the SAGR solicit information relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination in the Military Service Academies (MSAs), as well as the climate at the MSAs and social perspectives. MSAs include the U.S. Military Service Academy (USMA), the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The requirements state that the assessment cycle consists of surveys and focus groups during alternate years. They also give the Department authority to conduct such surveys under the guidance of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)). The U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), the only Federal Military Academy within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is not required to participate in the assessments codified by U.S.C. 10. However, USCGA officials requested the Coast Guard be included, beginning in 2008, in order to evaluate and improve their programs addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment. Similarly, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), under the Department of Transportation (DOT), requested their inclusion beginning in 2012. USCGA and USMMA will continue to participate in the assessments. Surveys of USCGA and USMMA are not covered under this DoD licensure and will not be mentioned further.

The Office of People Analytics (OPA) administers both web-based and paper-and-pen surveys to support the personnel information needs of the USD(P&R). The SAGR survey expands a series of surveys that began in 2004 with the DoD Inspector General's first survey, subsequently transferred to OPA. OPA conducted the SAGR survey at the MSAs in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. The 2020 administration of the survey was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 survey would be the ninth iteration of the SAGR survey. The first focus group assessment was conducted in 2007, with subsequent focus groups in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. Information from the SAGR surveys will be used by DoD policy offices, the Military Departments, the MSAS, and Congress for program evaluation and, specifically, to assess and improve policies, programs, practices, and training related to gender relations at the MSAs. OPA will provide reports to DoD policy offices, each Military Department, the MSAs, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and Congress.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Jasmeet Seehra.

You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by Docket ID number and title, by the following method:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, Docket ID number, and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

DOD Clearance Officer: Ms. Angela Duncan.

Requests for copies of the information collection proposal should be sent to Ms. Duncan at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dd-dod-information-collections@mail.mil.