OMB Urges Agencies to Reduce Paperwork Burdens on Citizens
In recent guidance, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed federal agencies to take steps to reduce the administrative burdens citizens face when applying for federal services. Issued by the agency's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), the memo outlines how agencies should review public requests for data as part of the workload analyses already conducted under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13).
Sabeel Rahman, Senior Counselor at OIRA, explained the guidance's objective is to identify the time, financial, and psychological costs associated with getting benefits. Federal agencies should then devise reforms to mitigate those costs.
“Long forms, long lines, and lots of documents–these are the hurdles that can make it difficult and frustrating for individuals and communities to access government programs and services,” Rahman stated.
According to Rahman, the memo supports the Biden Administration's goal of increasing access to public benefits programs and improving the delivery of public services. The guidance falls under President Joe Biden’s executive orders last year to transform customer experience in government (E.O. 13571), and advance racial equity and support for underserved communities (E.O. 13985).
“As part of this effort, last year OMB submitted a report to the President that made clear how administrative burdens make it harder for communities in need to access critical services and programs–and agencies can do more to fix the problem,” Rahman continued.
The guidance emphasizes the importance of reaching out to a wide range of groups, community members and individuals across a variety of demographics and geographies. State, local, and tribal governments that collect information on behalf of federal agencies, such as unemployment insurance, are directed to ensure that the burdens of collecting and documenting the information are clearly explained.
OMB will measure improvement by tracking agency efforts to streamline information requests, increase outreach to those seeking assistance, and alleviate the burden on underserved communities, improve forms.
