Getting Fast Track PRA clearance
Information about Fast Track
The Fast Track (A-11) PRA clearance process is designed for smaller-scale UX/CX research.
The standard PRA clearance process that you may have heard about typically takes 6-9 months...however, there is good news! Researchers can request PRA clearance under generic "umbrella" clearances that are already in place, which allows for a much faster turnaround time. GSA has several types of PRA clearances that are designed specifically for UX/CX research:
Generic Clearance
Designed for UX/CX surveys that will involve statistical analysis.
This clearance covers:
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Website usability surveys
Fast Track (A-11)
Designed for smaller-scale UX/CX research activities.
This clearance covers:
- Discovery research
- User testing of services and digital products
- Customer feedback
Most UX/CX research activities at TTS can use the Fast Track (A-11) PRA clearance. If you are conducting larger-scale UX/CX surveys that will involve statistical analysis or any other kind of research that may be a better fit for a different type of clearance, please contact tts-research@gsa.gov for guidance on how to proceed.
Step-by-step process to get Fast Track PRA clearance
Timeline
The entire process typically takes 7-14 business days. However, depending on the availability and capacity of the involved parties, the timeline may be slightly shorter or longer. Please plan ahead to the best of your ability!
Communication
All communication and submission happens via email.
Contacts
| Role | Contact information | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| UX/CX Researcher | N/A | This is you! You are responsible for documenting your research plans and working with PRA Desk Officers to get clearance. |
| OMB CX Team | View contact information for the OMB CX Team here. (Login with PIV card required.) | The primary contact for the A-11 Section 280 process. They oversee all information collection requests under the A-11 Generic Information Collection (A-11 Gen IC) Umbrellas. They also work with the assigned OIRA Desk Officer to approve UX/CX research. |
| GSA PRA Desk Officer(s) | GSARegSec@gsa.gov | **Please note that the role of the PRA Desk Officer may differ from agency to agency and this information is specific to GSA.** They are responsible for entering information about PRA clearances into ROCIS, and can offer additional support throughout the process. |
| OIRA PRA Desk Officer | You will not need to contact them directly | They have final approval authority over all PRA clearance requests. |
Instructions
Download the Generic A-11 Information Collection Review (ICR) template and complete it for your research project.
- Download the form below OR launch the ICR Form Builder to create and ICR form (you do not need to do both).
Attach all completed instruments (forms, surveys, etc.), instructions and scripts to this document to create the Gen IC package.
- Google forms is an allowed platform for public participant recruiting screeners and UX/CX research in GSA.
- It is recommended to send Word documents or screenshots for ease of use in providing feedback to submitted materials, as the OMB CX team cannot access Google links.
- Apply the GSA OMB control number found here (PIV card login required) to all instruments.
- Use the "GSA Touchpoints" control number if using a Touchpoints form; otherwise use the generic GSA control number. Contact GSARegSec@gsa.gov for support if necessary.
To avoid common mistakes, please consult the OMB CX Team's tips on how to finalize the template (PIV card login required).
If you would like the OMB CX Team to pre-review your Generic Information Collection (Gen IC) package (including template and all instruments, instructions, and scripts), email it to the OMB CX Team for pre-review.
- They will suggest edits within the document and make sure the Gen IC package is complete.
- View OMB CX Team contact information here (PIV card login required).
- You should also cc the GSA PRA Desk (GSARegSec@gsa.gov).
Make any necessary edits to finalize submission.
- Double check with the OMB CX Team if necessary.
Email your finalized Gen IC package to the GSA PRA Desk (cc'ing OMB CX Team).
GSA PRA Desk will upload your Gen IC package into ROCIS.
- They will suggest edits within the document and make sure the Gen IC package is complete.
Make any necessary edits to finalize submission.
- ROCIS is the electronic management system where information collection data gets uploaded and filed. You will not have to interface with this system.
OMB CX Team receives Gen IC package in ROCIS and reviews it.
- OMB CX Team will enter the decision into ROCIS.
- GSA PRA Desk is automatically notified of approval through ROCIS.
OMB CX PRA Team will notify you of the decision by email.
- If denied, you must repeat the process.
- If approved, you may proceed with research!
Making changes after receiving PRA clearance
You do not need to repeat the approval process if you are making de minimus changes (more information).
These are changes that affect only the look and feel (design improvements or minor plain language edits that do not change the nature or type of information collected and do not increase burden on the public). Examples include:
- Color
- Visual layout
- Reordering instructions
- Correcting grammar or framing questions in plain language
- Fixing an address or phone number
- Making a field or option more prominent
- Updating an icon
"Non-substantive" changes should be submitted for approval
(more information).
Non-substantive changes are those that do not introduce new concepts or have new intended uses for the data being collected that go beyond what was described in the original approval. However, once you submit them, they generally get them approved within days.
If you need to amend the instrument or number of burden hours, you must repeat the above process to get approval for the changes.
If you need to make substantive changes, work with the OMB CX Team and GSA PRA Desk to do so.
PRA clearance for multilingual UX/CX research.
If your UX/CX research requires PRA clearance, so will the same research in a different language.
However, you can submit these forms as a package together with the English version to be reviewed simultaneously, so the process should not take additional time.
If you have previously gotten PRA clearance for UX/CX research in English and now need to get clearance for a the same research in a different language, simply let the OMB CX PRA Desk Officer know, and follow the steps to submit a new ICR template with the translated instruments attached.
Working with a partner agency.
If your partner agency has an umbrella Fast Track (A-11) clearance in place:
Check to see if your partner agency already has a "Generic Clearance for Improving Customer Experience (OMB Circular A-11, Section 280 Implementation)" in place that will allow them to use the Fast Track process.
- All High Impact Service Providers (HISPs) should already have the proper clearance in place because they use it for mandatory reporting.
- For non-HISPs, you can check by going to RegInfo.gov, choosing your partner agency from the drop down and searching "A-11 Section 280" in the text search field (see screenshot below).
If your partner agency does not have an umbrella Fast Track (A-11) clearance in place:
If your partner agency does not have the "Generic Clearance for Improving Customer Experience (OMB Circular A-11, Section 280 Implementation)" in place, you have the following options:
You can advocate for them to go through a longer 6-9 month process to get the proper umbrella Fast Track clearance in place.
- This is a good option if being able to go through the Fast Track process would make sense for the agency in the long term and they are willing to do so.
- Please reach out to tts-research@gsa.gov, the OMB CX Team, and the partner agency's PRA Desk for help initiating the process.
If getting an umbrella Fast Track clearance in process is not an option, you can use GSA's umbrella Fast Track clearance for the duration of your engagement.
- This will cover any research that you (as a GSA researcher) conduct.
- However, please make sure that your partner understands they will not be able to conduct the research themselves via the Fast Track process.