Burden activities
Many activities count as burden. These questions can help you to determine if a burden activity should be factored into your estimate. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but a starting point for you to begin thinking about the scope of burden in your collection.
Reviewing instructions
- How much time, effort, and cost will it take for respondents to understand what information the agency is asking for and how to collect it?
Compiling materials necessary for collection
- How much time, effort, and cost will it take for the respondents to locate, gather and compile necessary documentation required for the information collection?
Technology and systems
- What technology and systems do respondents need to gather, process, store, and send information?
- Is this new technology that needs to be bought?
- If it doesn’t exist at all, what’s the cost of development? Is there a cost associated with installation or with training? Are there one-time costs?
- Is there a cost to use the technology, like a subscription?
Adjusting existing methods
- If a previous collection has been updated or changed, how will the current methods need to be adjusted?
Training personnel
- Will the collection require staff, contractors, or other agents to undergo training to respond?
- How much time or money is needed to ensure they understand both program and policy context, and can respond to the collection?
- Will there be additional training for actual reporting and recordkeeping methods?
Searching data sources
- Are there public or private data sources that respondents can use to respond to the collection?
- What would be the cost of creating new data sources?
Completing and reviewing collected information
- How much time, money, and effort will it take to perform all tasks in the collection?
- Does the information also need to be certified for accuracy and reliability?
Sending and disclosing information
- What must be done to send the collected information to the federal agency requesting it?
- Does it need to be sent or disclosed to a third party, like other federal agencies or offices, state or local governments, other companies, or members of the public?