Supp Stat Part A 03 13 07

Supporting Statement Part A

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HYDROGEN
PROGRAM KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS
ASSESSMENT
A. Justification
1. Why collection is necessary
The Knowledge and Opinions Assessment for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Hydrogen Program will measure the levels of awareness and understanding of hydrogen
and fuel cell technologies within four target populations: (1) the general public, (2)
students age 12-17, (3) personnel in state and local governments, and (4) potential end
users of hydrogen fuel and technologies in business and industry. Four information
collections will be conducted, one for each of the target populations.
In 2004, a baseline survey was conducted to determine the levels of knowledge and
opinions related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The current survey will update
the baseline and determine changes relative to 2004 knowledge levels within each
population group. Most questions are identical for all four survey populations; however,
some questions on each survey instrument will be targeted to the specific population
group. The student survey, for example, requests information on classes that the students
have taken concerning energy and technologies related to hydrogen and fuel cells. The
end-user survey requests information on usage or plans for usage of hydrogen and fuel
cell technologies. Information gathered in this assessment will guide DOE’s overall
education plan for the Hydrogen Program and will provide scientific data for adjusting
the focus of the education program if necessary.
The information collection is authorized through the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974;
Public Law 93–438; the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977; 42 U.S. Code
Sections 5813, 5815, 5817, and 7101. Appropriate sections are provided in Appendix A
(U.S. Code Title 42 Sections 5813, 5815, and 5817, from
http://uscode.house.gov/usc.htm ).
2. By whom and for what purpose
This information collection will be used by the DOE Hydrogen Program. It is a follow-on
survey to a baseline survey conducted in 2004 (described above).
The purpose of the current collection is to measure the level of awareness and
understanding of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at the time of the survey. Another
purpose is to compare the results with the results of the 2004 baseline survey, insofar as
possible. This information will be of critical importance in defining and revising the
overall hydrogen education plan.

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This is not an annual survey. The initial survey, which was conducted in 2004, was used
to determine information gaps among the surveyed populations and the appropriate media
through which to communicate new educational materials for each population. In
addition, the 2004 survey results guided the content of the educational emphasis – for
example, the 2004 survey indicated the level of technical knowledge among each of the
different populations and provided guidance on how much emphasis should be placed on
hydrogen safety. The current survey will provide updated data for comparison against the
2004 baseline survey. It is possible that the results of the current survey will indicate the
need for adjustments to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the hydrogen education
program. In addition, a third set of surveys is planned in three or four years to determine
whether further modifications to the education program are needed.
3. Use of information technology
As in 2004, a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) format will be used to
conduct the surveys. In addition to maximizing efficiency of the personnel administering
the survey, the CATI approach also minimizes the burden on survey respondents—by
streamlining the question and answer process and by efficiently handling scheduled call
backs. CATI automatically records responses in an electronic database during the survey
interview. Note, however, that CATI surveys are computer-assisted, not computer-driven;
that is, the “interviewer” is a human, not a computer.
After data collection, the data will be statistically analyzed using electronic data
processing. (See discussion below under Section B.2, “Estimation Procedure.”)
4. Avoiding duplication
Prior to the 2004 baseline survey of hydrogen knowledge and opinions, a literature
review was conducted to determine the results of surveys concerning the existing
knowledge of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. No single survey had covered all of
the populations to be considered in the proposed surveys. In addition, most surveys were
not scientifically designed and no other survey included plans to repeat the identical
survey at a future point to assess changes in knowledge and opinions. The literature
review is available at http://www.ornl.gov/~webworks/cppr/y2001/rpt/118840.pdf or on
request from Lorena F. Truett ([email protected]) at 865-946-1306.
Since the 2004 baseline survey was conducted, a few surveys related to hydrogen or fuel
cell issues have been conducted. As in the years prior to the literature review noted
above, these surveys are inadequate for the U.S. DOE Hydrogen Program’s use. They
have, for example, been limited by geographical location (e.g., conducted in Europe),
content (e.g., containing no technical questions), or statistical validity (e.g., not designed
for statistical analysis).

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5. Impact on small businesses
The information collection is not expected to impact small businesses or other small
entities.
6. Consequences of no collection
If the hydrogen assessment data collection is not conducted, it is possible that the
hydrogen education program will be inadequately focused and will fail to accomplish all
of the program’s goals. One purpose of the data collection is to assess the current (i.e., at
the time of the survey) knowledge and opinions about hydrogen and fuel cell
technologies. Another purpose is to assess changes in knowledge and opinions relative to
the baseline established with the 2004 survey. Without this follow-on survey, which uses
the same survey instrument and follows the same data collection and analysis procedures,
this assessment of changes is not possible. An education program should be based on
some standard; in this case, the standard (i.e., the current knowledge level at a point in
time) is to be determined through the survey.
7. Special circumstances
None of the special circumstances itemized in the instructions are pertinent to this
information collection.
8. Federal Register notice
A 60-day notice published in the Federal Register on November 17, 2006. No comments
were received on this announcement.
9. Payments or gifts
No gifts or other remuneration will be provided to respondents of surveys of the general
public, students, state and local government agencies, or end users.
10. Confidentiality assurance
Confidentiality of individual responses will be maintained through the procedures of the
market research firm conducting the surveys. Where confidential information is involved
in the information collection, the provision for dealing with the confidential information
is set forth in related Departmental regulations and is normal to the handling of
management and program information by the Department.
11. Sensitive questions
No questions of a sensitive nature are included on any of the surveys.

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12. Hour burden
The time burden for the current survey is estimated based on the actual survey times for
the 2004 survey. For the surveys of the general public, government agencies, and end
users, the burden is about 12.5 minutes or less per respondent. For the surveys of
students, the burden is slightly more than 14 minutes per respondent. The total hour
burden for the four respondent populations is shown below, for a total time burden of 702
hours.
Hour burden for respondent populations
Population group
Number of respondents
General public
1,000
Students, ages 12-17
1,000
State and local governments
246
End users
1,000
Total
3,246

Time burden
208 hours
235 hours
51 hours
208 hours
702

No time is needed to search data sources, gather information, or review information. The
time burden is limited to the time necessary to answer the questions.
13. Cost burden to respondents or record-keepers
No recordkeeping is required for the respondents. There are no capital or start-up costs.
There are no operation and maintenance costs. There is no requirement to purchase
services or equipment.
The cost burden to respondents or record-keepers for all surveys – the general public,
students, state and local government agencies, and end users – is $0.
14. Cost to Federal government
The proposed budget for the contract to conduct this work is $463,262, as shown in the
table below. This budget includes a total of 4,150 hours for planning and preparing for
the survey, which includes preparation of OMB materials, compiling a compendium of
related surveys conducted since the 2003 literature review, establishing a contract with a
professional polling organization, and preparation of a data analysis plan. The second
budget item is the cost for a professional polling organization using a CATI system to
conduct the survey. This budget item is projected from the actual billing costs of the 2004
survey, annualized to the survey year. The third line in the table below includes database
development, statistical analysis, comparison of the surveys with the baseline results, and
preparation of all reports, presentations, and other documentation. There is no additional
cost to the government for operational expenses. The labor cost of DOE staff for
oversight of contract administration is part of the normal job duties.
Cost burden to the Federal Government
Tasks

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Hours

Cost

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Prepare OMB materials, complete compendium of related surveys,
conduct bids and prepare contract with polling organization, write
data analysis plan
Conduct surveys (professional polling organization - contracted)
Manage/monitor surveys, analyze data, compare results with baseline,
write final report, and prepare other documentation as appropriate
Total
*Costs are projected based on actual billing costs of 2004 surveys.

290
3,335

$46,458
$333,500*

520
4,145

$83,304
$463,262

15. Program changes
This data collection is related to the four surveys approved by OMB and conducted in
2004. In the surveys conducted in 2004, 99 potential end users were surveyed. For the
current round of surveys, 1,000 end users will be surveyed. This program change is
required because DOE now considers this population group a critical component of the
education initiative. Technology development has progressed since 2004 and hydrogen
and fuel cell technologies are becoming commercially available in certain applications.
This change in technology readiness has increased the priority of the end user target
audience.
16. Plans for publication
Tabulated survey results will be published on the Hydrogen Program website. (The web
site URL will be part of the information provided to survey interviewers for respondents
who inquire about the survey results, ask questions, or otherwise show interest in the
survey material.) Tabulated and analytical results may be published elsewhere as well.
Analytical techniques are discussed under Statistical Methods below. A report
documenting the survey process, the data, and the results of the statistical analysis will be
published.
The following timeline is expected for collection, analysis, and publication.
• Obtain OMB approval and establish contract with polling organization, fall 2007.
• Conduct surveys, September 2008-March 2009.
• Analyze survey results and write report, March 2009-September 2009.
17. Expiration date
For the CATI (telephone) surveys, the expiration date of the OMB approval will be made
available to survey respondents who request it.
18. Exceptions
No exceptions are being requested.

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