Form CFI 180 CFI 180 HHS OCS Assets for Independence questionnaire

Dept of HHS ACF Final Version

Assets for Independence

Grantee Satisfaction Survey

AFI Grantees

Introduction

Assets for Independence (AFI) is a Federal program administered by the Office for Community Services. AFI provides grants to enable community-based nonprofits and State, Local, and Tribal government agencies to implement Individual Development Account (IDA) projects that demonstrate an asset-based approach for offering low-income families help out of poverty.

The AFI Program staff within the Office for Community Services (OCS) would like to hear from its partners -- the grantees who administer AFI projects throughout the nation (whether you receive a grant directly from OCS or indirectly through another organization that administers a network project)–to understand how AFI staff can better work with you to most effectively operate the program. We ask for your participation in this survey to help improve the AFI staff’s effectiveness as your partner and service provider.

This anonymous survey will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete. Your response is confidential. CFI Group, a third party research and consulting firm, is administering the survey. This survey is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1505-0191 and your participation is voluntary.

Outreach and Application Process

Please think about the application process when you applied (either directly or indirectly) for your most recent grant for an Asset for Independence IDA Project.

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent; please rate the application process on the following. If a question does not apply to you, please select: “I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in the application process.”

Q1. Clarity of written guidelines and instructions on applying

Q2. Clarity of verbal communications regarding the application process

Q3. Timeliness of receiving information and instructions about the application process

Q4. Ease of preparing the application to apply for IDA program funds

Q5. How can AFI improve the application process? (Open End)

Q6. Did you participate in any program overview sessions or conference calls about the AFI Program during the application process?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q6a.If respondent says “no” ask, Why?

Q7. Did you visit the AFI website to obtain information about the application process?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q8. Did you visit the grants.gov website?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q9. How did you find out about the AFI Program?

1. Another grantee or subgrantee

2. A subscription service

3. Federal Register

4. Other

Please rate the following on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means poor and 10 means excellent. If a question does not apply, please select “I don’t know”

Q10. Usefulness of the AFI Program overview sessions, such as conference calls, web-based presentations, and in-person presentations.

Q11. Usefulness of information about the application requirements and procedures on the AFI website (acf.hhs.gov/asset building)

Q12. Usefulness of information about the application requirements and procedures on the grants.gov website

Review/Award Process

Now think about when you were notified that you received a grant or subgrant through AFI. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means poor and 10 means excellent, please rate the following. If a question does not apply to you, please select “I don’t know”

Q13. Responsiveness/communication regarding the status of your application

Q14. Timeliness of decision

Q15. Clarity of terms of the grant

Q16. Fairness and equity of the funding decision process

Accessing Grant Funds

Now think about the process for accessing or “drawing down” the federal AFI grant funds. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means poor and 10 means excellent, please rate the following. If a question does not apply, please select “N/A.” (Don’t know)

Q17. Clarity of requirements and process for accessing AFI grant funds

Q18. Timeliness of funds being available after a request is submitted

Training and Technical Assistance

Q19. In which areas have you received training or technical assistance from the AFI Resource Center (Select all that apply)?

1. How to get nonfederal cash contribution for your AFI project

2. How to recruit individuals/program participants

3. Partnership building

4. Data collection and using data for improving your AFI project

5. Using the AFI² System

6. Project design

7. How to provide effective Financial Literacy Training

8. How to provide effective services to participants who are saving for a home

9. How to provide effective services to participants who are saving for an education

10. How to provide effective services to participants who are saving for a business capitalization

11. Report requirements

Think about the training (conferences, academies, and conference calls) available for the AFI Program. Please rate the following using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means poor and 10 means excellent. If a question does not apply, please select “N/A.”

Q20. Ease of accessing training/convenience of times

Q21. Frequency of training opportunities

Q22. Usefulness of information in meeting your needs

Q23. Trainers being knowledgeable about subject area

Q24. How can AFI improve its Training and Technical Assistance? (Open End)

Customer Service - AFI Staff (TO BE ANSWERED BY NETWORK MANAGER)

Think about all of the interactions you had with the AFI staff (including AFI Resource Center staff) as it involved your AFI grant. Please rate them on the following using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent. If a question does not apply, please select “N/A.”

Q25. Ease of access to staff and assistance

Q26. Courtesy and professionalism of staff

Q27. Knowledge and ability to answer your questions

Q28. Timeliness of response

Q29. Thoroughness of follow up provided

Q30. Accuracy of response

Q31. Consistency of responses

Q32. Clarity about who to contact at OCS/AFI for specific types of assistance.

Customer Service - Network Staff (TO BE ANSWERED BY SUBGRANTEES)

Think about all of the interactions you have had with the staff of the lead agency who is the primary grant holder as it involved your AFI grant. Please rate them on the following using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent. If a question does not apply, please select “N/A.”

Q32. Ease of access to staff and assistance

Q33. Courtesy and professionalism of staff

Q34. Knowledge and ability to answer your questions

Q35. Timeliness of response

Q36. Thoroughness of follow up provided

Q37. Accuracy of response

Q38. Consistency of responses

Q39. Clarity about who to contact in Lead Agency for specific types of assistance.

Reporting Process – Annual Data Report

Think about the reporting process used for the Annual Data Report as required by AFI. Please rate them on the following using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent. If a question does not apply, please select “N/A.”

Q39. Guidance available from AFI on reporting

Q40. Clarity of report forms

Q41. Instructions being easy to understand

Q42. Usefulness of the reports for you in managing

Q43. Ease of using electronic data report

Q44. Value of feedback on report

Reporting Process – Narrative and Fiscal Reports

Think about the reporting process used for the Narrative and Fiscal Reports as required by AFI. Please rate them on the following using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent.

Q45. Guidance available from AFI on these reports

Q46. Clarity of report forms

Q47. Instructions being easy to understand

Q48. Usefulness of the reports for you in managing

Q49. Value of feedback on report

Satisfaction

Think about all of your experiences with the AFI Program over the past year.

Q50. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means very dissatisfied and 10 means very satisfied, please rate your overall satisfaction with the Assets for Independence program.

Q51. Now, think about your expectations for the AFI Program and how well it met your expectations. Please rate how well the AFI Program met your expectations using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means falls short of your expectations and 10 means exceeds your expectations.

Q52. Now, forget about the AFI Program for a minute and think about the ideal grant providing organization. How well does the Office of Community Services AFI Program compare to that ideal?

Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means very far from the ideal and 10 means very close to the ideal.

Q52a. NOTE IF ANY OF ABOVE SCORES ARE LESS THAN 5, “What was the reason for your rating?”

Outcome Behaviors

Q53. How likely are you to apply for a grant from the AFI Program in the future? Please indicate how likely you are on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means not very likely and 10 means very likely?

If less than 5, ask “why not?”

Q54. How confident are you that the AFI Program is fulfilling its mission of demonstrating the value of IDAs (Individual Development Accounts) in helping individuals out of poverty? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means not very confident and 10 means very confident.

Q55. How willing would you be to recommend other organizations apply for funds from AFI to implement an IDA project if you were asked to? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means not very willing and 10 means very willing.

Q56. Please discuss any barriers, such as issues or procedures involving AFI headquarters, that you see affecting your application/implementation of the AFI Program. (e.g., procedures from the Office of Community Services, the Office of Grants Management, the Division of Payment Management, reporting requirements). (Open End)

Q57. Please share any final feedback you have regarding the AFI Program. (Open End)

P age 4 of 4 August 26, 2008