CSS-6-Justification and Certification

U.S. Department of the Interior

Office of Policy Analysis



Guidelines for Accessing the Department of the Interior’s Generic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys



Revised February 2009

ATTACHMENT 1:

Instructions for Completing Supporting Statement for DOI Generic Clearance Submission, OMB Approval Number 1040-0001



1. Survey Title/Date Submitted to the Office of Policy Analysis (PPA): Insert title for the proposed survey. Insert date that the expedited approval package will be submitted to PPA. Reminder: Please submit the package through your bureau/office Information Collection Clearance Officer.

2. Bureau/Office: Insert the name of the bureau/office conducting the survey.

3. Abstract: Summarize the proposed study with an abstract not to exceed 150 words.

4. Bureau/Office Point of Contact Information: Complete the bureau/office contact information. PPA will communicate with the point of contact listed here throughout the entire approval process.

5. Principal Investigator (PI) Conducting the Survey: Complete information about the PI who will be conducting the survey, if different than Point of Contact listed in #4. Otherwise note: Same as #4.

6. Name of Program Office Conducting Survey: Provide the name of the bureau program, office, or organizational unit conducting the survey.

7. Description of Customers/Services Provided: Provide a brief description of the customers who will be surveyed, the services provided by the program conducting the survey, and how these services are provided to customers.

8. Survey Dates: List the time period in which the survey will be conducted, including specific starting and ending dates. The starting date should be at least 45 days after the submission date. The request for expedited approval, and submission of a complete and accurate approval package, must be made at least 45 calendar days prior to the first day the PI wishes to administer the survey instrument to the public.

9. Type of Information Collection Instrument: Check the type(s) of information collection instrument(s) that will be used. If other, please explain.

10. Survey Development: Explain how the survey was developed. With whom did you consult during the development of the survey on content? On statistics? Did you pretest the survey? What actions did you take to improve the survey? What suggestions did you receive for improving the survey? Which of the six topic areas will be addressed? (Note: A description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument is highly recommended.)

11. Survey Methodology: Explain how the survey will be conducted. Provide a description of the survey methodology including: (a) How will the customers be sampled? (if fewer than all customers will be surveyed); (b) What percentage of customers asked to take the survey will respond, and (c) What actions are planned to increase the response rate? If statistics are generated, this description must be specific and include each of the following:

- The respondent universe,

- The sampling plan and all sampling procedures, including how individual respondents will be selected;

- How the instrument will be administered;

- Expected response rate and confidence levels; and

- Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias.

Note: Web-based surveys are not an acceptable method of sampling a broad population. Web-based surveys must be limited to services provided by the web.

12. Total Number of Initial Contacts/Expected Number of Respondents: Provide an estimated total number of initial contacts and the total number of expected respondents.

13. Estimated Time to Complete Initial Contact/Instrument: Estimate the time to complete the initial contact and the survey instrument (in minutes).

14. Total Burden Hours: Provide the total number of burden hours. The total burden hours should account for the amount of time required to instruct the respondents in completing the survey, and the amount of time required for the respondent to complete the survey.

15. Reporting Plan: Provide a brief description of the reporting plan for the data being collected. A copy of all survey reports must be archived with PPA. Please note this in the reporting plan.

16. Justification, Purpose and Use: Provide a brief justification for the survey, its purpose, goals, and utility to managers. Specifically, describe how data will be tabulated and what statistical techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population. Describe how data from the survey will be used. Describe how you will acknowledge any limitations related to the data, particularly in cases where we obtain a lower than anticipated response rate. Note whether or not the survey is intended to measure a Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measure.

ATTACHMENT 2:

Approval Form for DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys (OMB Control Number 1040-0001)

U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Policy Analysis (PPA)

PPA Tracking Number: (for PPA use only) CSS-6

Date Submitted to PPA:

10/4/11

1.

Survey Title:

Golden Gate National Recreational Area Dog Management Plan Survey

2.

Bureau:

National Park Service

3.

Abstract: (not to exceed 150 words) The National Park Service (NPS) will conduct a survey to measure customer satisfaction related to dog walking at Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). To justify the continued use of areas in GGNRA, managers need to understand uses and needs of dog-walkers and other visitors using designated areas in the park. The results of this information collection will help inform NPS managers about the possible effects of visitor displacement due to management decisions that would change the existing status of what areas of the park should be open to dog walking, either on leash or under voice control. The survey will evaluate the following: perception of and satisfaction with the current on and off leash dog walking policies, and potential for redistribution of use based on access changes The results will be used to provide feedback to GGNRA managers concerning the potential for future success of a re-evaluation to balance multiple uses of park areas. The results will be used to evaluate the potential for recreational dispersal to other local parks, as well as provide information on current visitor satisfaction with existing and potential dog walking policies and regulations at GGNRA.

4.

Bureau/Office Point of Contact Information

First Name:

Michael

Last Name:

Edwards

Title:

Project Manager / Environmental Protection Specialist

Bureau/Office:

National Park Service, Environmental Quality Division, WASO-NRSS

Street Address:

7333 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 355 (This is a physical address, not mailing address)

City:

Denver

State:

CO

Zip code:

80225

Phone:

303.969.2694

Fax:

303.987.6782

Email:

[email protected]

5.

Principal Investigator (PI) Information (same as above)

6.

Name of Program or Office Conducting Survey:

NPS, Environmental Quality Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, WASO

7.

Description of Customers/ Services Provided:

The customers for this collection will include recreational dog walkers and other visitors in Golden Gate National Recreational Area who signed up to be a part of the GGNRA mailing list. The majority include individuals from the sites in the counties listed below: Marin county: Stinson Beach, Homestead Valley, Alta Trail/Orchard Fire Road/Pacheco Fire Road, Oakwood Valley, Muir Beach, Rodeo and South Rodeo Beach, Marin Headlands Trails, Fort Baker. San Francisco county: Upper and Lower Ft. Mason, Crissy Field, Fort Point Promenade/Fort Point NHS Trails, Baker Beach and bluffs to Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Miley, Lands End, Sutro Heights Park, Ocean Beach, Fort Funston. San Mateo county: Mori Point, Milagra Ridge, Sweeney Ridge and Cattle Hill, Pedro Point Headlands, Rancho Coral de Tierra. The services provided will include a customer satisfaction survey that will be administered to individuals residing in the areas listed above. A small percentage of survey participants may live outside these areas; however they will be included in the total population for this sample. The purpose of the survey is to understand how visitor experiences would be affected if there were changes to dog walking access within the GGNRA sites. The results of the survey will establish the level of satisfaction of the people using the area for dog walking and other recreational uses and also to evaluate the potential displacement on dog walkers and non-dog walkers.

8.

Survey Dates

(11/01/11)

to

(11/30/11)

9.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

__Intercept

__Telephone

X Mail

X Web-based

Focus Groups

__Comment Cards

__Other

Explain:

10. Survey Development:

This survey was developed in consultation with the NPS Social Science Branch, as well as a social scientist at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The survey is a result of public comments made by individuals representing both of the target audiences using the Park (non-dog walkers and dog walkers). The survey questions were tested to determine if the responses would provide the information needed to understand the motivations and satisfaction of the users of GGNRA. The survey was revised based on several iterations of internal pretesting. Questions were removed or rephrased that were deemed leading or biased. We simplified questions to provide clarity and avoid response interference. In response to feedback we reworded four questions in the survey (Questions 1, 3, 8 and 11).

The range of questions for this collection will focus on customer satisfaction related to access for dog walkers and other visitors in GGNRA. The respondents will be asked to provide feedback regarding how well they are satisfied with the management practices and processes, what improvements they might make to inform the future management for both dog walkers and non-dog walkers.

Some general and very basic demographic information will be gathered to supplement the satisfaction questions. We will ask the county and park location most visited and the miles driven to reach the location. Personal demographic information is not needed for the purposes of this collection.

11. Survey Methodology:

(Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page).

Respondent Universe

The respondent universe for this collection will be the 7000 people who signed the GGNRA mailing list.

Sampling Plan/Procedure

This universe is self-selected in that the individuals have provided their names, email and postal addresses to the GGNRA indicating an interest in the events and activities occurring at the site. The visitors who sign the mailing list are required to provide a valid postal or e-mail address to receive up-to-date information about the GGNRA activities. The list is updated by the GGNRA staff so the most up-to-date and usable addresses will be available for this study.

We will contact 100% (n=7000) of the participants on the mailing list. A postcard will be mailed and/or emailed to all individuals on the GGNRA plan mailing list. The respondents will be given an option to respond to the survey via the internet or to request a hard copy version for mailing back to the research unit in a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Instrument Administration

Following a modified Dillman’s Tailored Design Method (2007), we will use an existing mailing list to contact potential respondents. We will correspond with them via mail explaining how to initiate the on-line survey process. They will have the option to complete an on-line version of the survey or to request a paper survey (to be sent to them and mailed back). The survey will consist of 15 questions in an easy-to-read format. Within five days after the initial mailing, all respondents will receive a letter thanking them for their willingness to participate in the survey and a reminder to complete it if they have not already done so. At each juncture, the respondents will be given multiple ways to contact someone with questions regarding the survey.

Expected Response Rate Confidence Levels:

Based on the recent interest and public comment response rate on the draft EIS and reviews of other surveys using similar methods, we anticipate a 60% response rate for this collection. We will send post cards to 7,000 potential respondents to help with the study. Assuming a 60% response rate, we anticipate 4,200 responses.

	Number of Contacts	Expected Response Rate	Expected Number of Responses
Sample size	7,000	60%	4,200
Non-respondents	700	25%	175

Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

We will test for non-response bias by sending a shortened version of the survey to a sample of non-respondents (n=700) via mail and e-mail. Assuming a 25% response rate, we anticipate 175 responses. The non-response survey will include the following questions taken from the general survey:

• Are you a private, commercial or non-dog walker at GGNRA?

• Of the site(s) listed in the shaded box, which site(s) do you visit most frequently?

Marin county: Stinson Beach, Homestead Valley, Alta Trail/Orchard Fire Road/Pacheco Fire Road, Oakwood Valley, Muir Beach, Rodeo and South Rodeo Beach, Marin Headlands Trails, Fort Baker.

San Francisco county: Upper and Lower Ft. Mason, Crissy Field, Fort Point Promenade/Fort Point NHS Trails, Baker Beach and bluffs to Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Miley, Lands End, Sutro Heights Park, Ocean Beach, Fort Funston.

San Mateo county: Mori Point, Milagra Ridge, Sweeney Ridge and Cattle Hill, Pedro Point Headlands, Rancho Coral de Tierra.

• Would you go to another location if on or off leash dog walking were restricted?

If yes, where would you go?

We will compare responses to these questions with the responses from the respondents who completed the general survey.

Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument (recommended)

The survey was reviewed by the NPS Social Science Branch, Environmental Quality Division. We incorporated their suggestions, edits, and comments in the final survey. The reviewers also agreed with our estimated burden time of 15 minutes.

Respondents

Non-respondents

12.

Total Number of Initial Contacts/ Expected Number of Respondents

7,000/4,200

700/175

13.

Estimated Time to Complete survey instrument (mins.):

15 minutes

3 minutes

14.

Total Burden Hours:

1050 hours

9 hours

TOTAL: 1,059 hours

15. Reporting Plan:

We plan to submit a summary of the results to the Park and this information will be used in their Environmental Impact Statement for the GGNRA Dog Management Plan.

16. Justification, Purpose, and Use:
Survey Justification and Purpose	This survey will allow GGNRA to better evaluate impacts both to key user groups within the park, and to nearby and adjacent city/county/state parks from possible changes to dog access within the park.
Survey Goals	Obtain a clearer understanding of the impacts to key park user groups, what city/county/state park units are most likely to be affected, as well as the burden on park visitors from having to visit a different place(s) for their preferred activity(s).
Utility to Managers	The survey will identify key characteristics of visitors. Managers will use this information to better understand and incorporate visitor use patterns in revising its dog management plan.
How will the results of the survey be analyzed and used?	General descriptive statistics (i.e. frequency distributions) will be used to analyze the results of the survey. The results will be incorporated into the range of alternatives and impact analysis needed for the GGNRA dog management plan.
How will the data be tabulated? What Statistical Techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population? How will limitations on use of data be handled? If the survey results in a lower than anticipated response rate, how will you address this when reporting the results? (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). Because the entire population of GGNRA visitors cannot be determined with a high degree of accuracy, there will be some limitations in the results. The results will not be generalized to the entire population of GGNRA visitors, but will represent the self-selected users in the GGNRA mailing list population. Results will give an indication of the current level of uses by dog walkers and other visitors and the possible displacement of visitors due to possible changes in dog walking policies at certain sites within the GGNRA. Write-ups of results will carefully describe the interpretive limitations of the data. Because of the nature of the respondents (attentive, engaged, and active users of GGNRA) we expect that the participants will be highly motivated to complete the survey and provide information that will be useful to the planning process. We acknowledge, at this point, that these respondents will not represent all GGNRA visitors and that we will present the results only in terms of willing participants, using either counts or percentages.
Is this survey intended to measure a Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measure? If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate document. (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). No.

ATTACHMENT 3

Checklist for Submitting a Request to Use DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys

X All questions in the survey instrument are within the scope of one of the DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys topic areas.



X The approval package is being submitted to the Office of Policy Analysis at least 45 days prior to the first day the PI wishes to administer the survey to the public.



X A qualified statistician has reviewed and approved your request.



X Your bureau/office Information Collection Clearance Officer has reviewed and approved the approval package.



The approval package includes:

X A completed Information Form

X A signed Certification Form

X A copy of the survey instrument

X Other supporting materials, such as:

• Cover letters to accompany mail-back questionnaires

• Introductory scripts for initial contact of respondents

• Necessary Paperwork Reduction Act compliance language

• Follow-up letters/reminders sent to respondents



The survey methodology presented on the Information Form includes a specific description of:

X The respondent universe

X The sampling plan and all sampling procedures, including how respondents will be selected

X How the instrument will be administered

X Expected response rate and confidence levels

X Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

X A description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or the instrument is highly recommended.



X The burden hours reported on the Information Form include the number of burden hours associated with the initial contact of all individuals in the sample (i.e., including refusals), if applicable, and the number of burden hours associated with individuals expected to complete the survey instrument.

X The package is properly formatted (Word) and submitted to the Office of Policy Analysis electronically. 

ATTACHMENT 4

CERTIFICATION FORM FOR SUBMISSION UNDER OMB CONTROL NUMBER 1040-0001

This form should only be used if you are submitting a collection of information for approval under the DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

If the collection does not satisfy the requirements of the Programmatic Clearance, you should follow the regular PRA clearance procedures described in 5 CFR 1320.

Bureau/Office Subgroup or Program National Park Service, Environmental Quality Division, NRSS – WASO
Title (Please be specific) Golden Gate National Recreational Area Dog Management Plan Survey
Burden Hour			Estimate Number of Respondents				4,375
Total Burden Hours		1,059 hours	Hours/Min per Response				15 minutes or 3 minutes
Bureau/Office Contact (who can best answer questions about content of the submission):
Name	Michael B. Edwards			Phone	303.969.2694
Certification: The collection of information requested by this submission meets the requirements of OMB control number 1040-0001
Bureau/Office Qualified Statistician Dr. Lena Le						DATE 10-11-2011
Bureau/Office Information Collection Clearance Officer Phadrea D. Ponds						DATE 10-11-2011
Office of Policy Analysis Don Bieniewicz						DATE 10-21-2011
OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)						DATE

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