Tropical survey supp and part b questions rev

Supplemental Questions for DOC/NOAA Customer Survey Clearance (OMB
Control Number 0648-0342)
1. Explain who will be conducting this survey. What program office will be
conducting the survey? What services does this program provide? Who are the
customers? How are these services provided to the customer?
The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Tropical
team works on projects/tasks to help improve the products we provide to our customers.
These projects also benefit the satellite analyst at the Satellite Analysis Branch by making
the analysis less difficult. Michael Turk, the Tropical Team Lead and Jamie Kibler, the
User Service Lead for the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB), a division of NESDIS, will
be conducting and monitoring the Tropical survey with the assistance of the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO), the official United Nations' authoritative voice on
weather. The WMO will be disseminating the survey by mail to the Southern and Eastern
hemisphere customers for the SAB Tropical Team. The survey pertains to the program’s
products including tropical bulletins, classifications and others, such as e-TRaP* and
Automated Dvorak Technique (ADT)**. The SAB Tropical program provides satellite
data and analysis: 1) for the detection of tropical systems; 2) for the classification of
tropical systems from development to typhoon/cyclone strength; 3) for the creation of
tropical bulletins and other satellite products to assist our customers with their daily
operations.
2. Explain how this survey was developed. With whom did you consult during the
development of this survey on content? statistics? What suggestions did you get
about improving the survey?
This survey was assembled based on our program area’s needs, interests and issues in
relation to which we have the capability of improving and/or changing the amount of
information. The entire Tropical Team was involved in the creation of the survey. No
information regarding statistical parameters was necessary. In addition to the Tropical
Team’s collaboration, there was coordination with the SAB User Service Lead and the
Tropical Product Area Lead (PAL). Suggestions focused mainly on rewording certain
questions and adding/subtracting the total number of questions; all suggestions were
addressed.
*An automated product that estimates 24 hours rainfall potential (also breaks it up into 6
hour rainfall potential) for a land falling tropical system using multiple forecast from
various agencies and forecast times. E-TRAP also uses satellite imagery (microwave
imagery). Thus it is a blend of forecast times and current satellite imagery.
** This is an automated objective technique used in measuring the strength of a tropical
system. Unlike the subjective technique our forecast provide to numerous customers.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted. How will the customers be sampled (if
fewer than all customers will be surveyed). What percentage of customers asked to
take the survey will respond? What actions are planned to increase the response
rate? (Web-based surveys are not an acceptable method of sampling a broad
population. Web-based surveys must be limited to services provided by Web.)
The survey will be disseminated by the WMO point of contact. Two options will be
given to the customer for return purposes. They will be able to resubmit through
electronic mail to [email protected] or via fax. Based on prior experience in this
product area and other product areas in the SAB, we estimate a 25% response rate. There
was a previous survey and a communications test that involved customer interaction, and
we are inferring the level of customer response from customer interest observed from
those surveys and communications tests. We expect at least this response level, as it is in
the best interests of the customers to respond to the survey, and it will take an average of
only 15 minutes to complete and submit each survey.
4. Describe how the results of this survey will be analyzed and used. If the customer
population is sampled, what statistical techniques will be used to generalize the
results to the entire customer population? Is this survey intended to measure a
GPRA performance measure? (If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate
document.).
The results will be analyzed and used to determine if the Tropical Program will continue
to disseminate particular tropical products to the Southern and Eastern Hemisphere, make
changes to these products, or add products. The survey questions are not quantitative in
nature and therefore do not require any descriptive statistical measures. However, some
descriptive statistics will be used to assist in the most objective presentation of how the
customer feels about our products. A report will be generated and presented to the
Tropical Team showing the results of the survey. This survey is not intended to measure a
GPRA performance measure.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL
METHODS
1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and
any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number
of entities (e.g. establishments, State and local governmental units, households, or
persons) in the universe and the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular
form. The tabulation must also include expected response rates for the collection as
a whole. If the collection has been conducted before, provide the actual response
rate achieved.
This will be a census survey of all known customers.
Type of Organization
WMO Regional Specialized
Meteorological Centers (RSMC)

Number
8

Expected responses
2

Forecast Centers

20

5

Totals

28

7

2. Describe the procedures for the collection, including: the statistical methodology
for stratification and sample selection; the estimation procedure; the degree of
accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification; any unusual
problems requiring specialized sampling procedures; and any use of periodic (less
frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.
Two options will be given to the customer for return purposes. They will be able to
resubmit through electronic mail to [email protected] or via fax. Based on prior
experience in this product area and other product areas in the SAB, we estimate a 25 %
response rate. Regardless of response rate, however, we strongly believe that each
response is valuable. The responses will provide the SAB Tropical Team details of how
many of our Tropical products are used in daily operations, analyses and help us to make
decisions on how we will continue to disseminate these products/ change these
products/add products to Southern and Eastern Hemisphere customers.
3. Describe the methods used to maximize response rates and to deal with
nonresponse. The accuracy and reliability of the information collected must be
shown to be adequate for the intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a
special justification must be provided if they will not yield "reliable" data that can
be generalized to the universe studied.
We cannot confirm the total number of our customers in the Southern and Eastern
Hemisphere and thus there is no guarantee that the responses will be representative of all

those receiving our products. The SAB disseminates Tropical products to customers
requesting them, but many of SAB customers receive them through the internet and do
not contact us directly to request them. For past surveys and a communication test
distributed through the WMO, we have had a response rate of 25% from those customers
known to us. The Tropical survey will have no official deadline, but the SAB Tropical
Team will begin to evaluate the results of the survey after 3 months of response time.
There will be no follow-up with non-responders and no test for non-response: we do not
have the option of requesting that the WMO include such activities as part of its
dissemination procedures. The WMO receives numerous survey and questionnaires from
WMO representatives. They state that they do not have the time or manpower to redisseminate the survey/questionnaire. They would do so if able.
We have chosen to use WMO to disseminate the survey, in spite of lack of follow-up, as
they are the best venue for the survey. We truly don't know all the customers in the
Southern and Eastern hemisphere. We send out our products using WMO headers and
any group in that region that finds out about our tropical products can subscribe to these
products based on those headers. The survey will go to all parties using these and other
WMO headers. Thus, using WMO to disseminate the survey will be the most effective in
providing us with information about at least some of our customers previously unknown
to us.
4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Tests are
encouraged as effective means to refine collections, but if ten or more test
respondents are involved OMB must give prior approval.
There is no pre-testing planned for this survey.
5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on the statistical
aspects of the design, and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or
other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the
agency.
Contact information is below:
Michael Turk
5200 Auth Rd.
Camp Springs, MD 20746
301-763-84444
[email protected]
Jamie.Kibler
5200 Auth Rd.
Camp Springs, MD 20746
301-763-8444
[email protected]