Demographic Questions

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Introduction 

    INTRO1. Hello, we are conducting research about the degree in which  AmeriCorps State and National (AmeriCorps) grantees are satisfied with the services provided by AmeriCorps State and National and the Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation).  My name is ____________________ calling from ________ on behalf of AmeriCorps State and National.  May I please speak with __________? 
1	Yes			      (Continue to INTRO2)
2	Person not available	      (Schedule a callback)
3	No such person		      (See below)
99	Refusal/Hung Up	                     (“Thank you and have a nice day!”)

 [If “no such person”] The purpose of this research is to help improve services to your organization and others like it. Would it be possible for me to speak with your organization’s director? [capture name, continue with interview from INTRO1a if possible]

(Programmer instructions: Read when the person named in INTRO1 comes to the phone)
INTRO1a.	Hello, we are conducting research about the degree in which  AmeriCorps State and National (AmeriCorps) grantees are satisfied with the services provided by AmeriCorps State and National and the Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation). My name is ____________________ calling from ________ on behalf of AmeriCorps State and National.  The purpose of this research is to help improve services to your organization and others like it.  This survey is being conducted both by phone and on the Internet.  Do you recall receiving an invitation to take the survey on-line?
    1 Yes [skip to INTRO1a1]
    2 No [skip to INTRO1a1.B]

INTRO1a1	Would you like to take the survey with me right now over the phone?  The survey is relatively short and should not take up too much of your time.
    a) Will take online [thank , inform them that they may periodically receive reminder emails or phone calls, and then terminate]
    b) IF RESPONDED NO TO INTRO1A. Would like to take on-line [capture email address for invitation and thank]
    c) Phone (skip to INTRO2)
    d) Do not plan to participate [thank and terminate]
    INTRO2. When responding, please answer on behalf of the collective experiences of your organization, beginning with your current project year to the present. If the survey asks about experiences that you are not that familiar with, please, feel free to ask a colleague for assistance. We want and need to hear from you.  In doing so, it is important that the survey is completed in its entirety.         

Responses to this data collection will be used only for purposes of this research.  The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific organization or individual.  We will not provide information that identifies individuals to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. This interview is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1505-0191. Is this a good time?

1	Yes             (Continue) 
2	No              “Can we schedule a time that is more convenient for you?”
Web Introduction 
You recently received an electronic message from AmeriCorps, inviting you to complete the 2008 AmeriCorps Customer Satisfaction Survey.  You can access the survey using the link listed below. AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service have utilized the survey since 2004 to better understand your experiences as a resource recipient of AmeriCorps, particularly about your organization’s level of satisfaction with the program’s dynamics and operations. 

Although participation is voluntary, your responses will help AmeriCorps and the Corporation improve upon its services to your organization and others like it. The survey should take you approximately 10 minutes to complete.

When responding to the survey, please answer on behalf of the collective experiences of your organization covering the last 12 months. Please consider only your organization’s experience as a AmeriCorps Grantee, and not with any other programs with which your organization may be affiliated. If the survey asks about an experience that you are not that familiar with--please feel free to ask a colleague for assistance. We are very pleased about this opportunity to collaborate with you on such an important matter. 

Survey Instructions
Should you encounter any technical difficulties while taking the survey, please send an email to [email protected]  and you will be contacted with assistance. When moving through the survey please use the navigation buttons (below the survey text and questions) rather than your browser's "navigation bar". After entering your responses on each page, please click on the "NEXT" button at the bottom of the page until you reach the end of the questionnaire.  If you have not experienced a particular area included in the survey, please enter your response in the last column under "DK/NA" for "Don't Know" or "Not Applicable."  In order for your responses to be counted, please press the "Finish" button on the final page upon completion of the survey. If you would like to speak to someone directly at the Corporation for National and Community Service about this survey, please contact….

The survey is authorized by Office and Management and Budget Control No. ____.  Every effort will be made to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of respondents.  Please know that your responses to this data collection will be used only for purposes of this research.  The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific organization or individual.  We will not provide information that identifies individuals or their grants and locations to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. The confidentiality procedures adopted for this study during data collection, data processing, and analysis will consist of the items below:
•     All respondents will be assured that participation in the study is voluntary and the information they provide is confidential and will be used only for the purpose of conducting this research.  
•    To ensure data security, all individuals hired by the Corporation’s contractor, are held to strict standards and are required to sign an oath of confidentiality as a condition of employment.
•     Hard-copy data collection forms will be delivered to a locked area for receipt and processing.  The CFI Group maintains restricted access to all data preparation areas (receipt, coding, and data entry).  All data files on multi-user systems will be under the control of a database manager, with access limited to project staff on a “need-to-know” basis only.
•     Individuals identifying information will be maintained separately from completed data collection forms and from computerized data files used for analysis.  No respondent identifiers will be contained in public use files made available from the study, and no data will be released in a form that identifies individual corps staff, service providers, service participants, or other survey respondents.

Thank you in advance for your participation. 

DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS (Do not read)

[DEM1 NOT ASKED OF STATE COMMISSIONS]

Please consider only your organization’s experience as an AmeriCorps State and National grantee, and not with any other programs with which your organization may be affiliated.

DEM1		How long have you managed an AmeriCorps Grant?  

    • Less than 6 months
    • 6 months to 1 year
    • 1 – less than 2 years
    • 2 – less than 5 years
    • 5 – 10 years
    • More than 10 years


Application Processes (Do not read)
We would like to start by asking you about the process that organizations go through to apply for AmeriCorps State and National grants. For this series of questions, please think only of the application process itself.  We will ask technology and eGrants related questions later in the survey.  Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” please rate the application process for: 

    APP1 The ease of obtaining the application instructions and accessing the relevant forms
    APP2 The timeliness of posting information about the application/continuation process 
    APP3 The clarity of the application instructions 
    APP4 The amount of time it takes to complete the application 
	
Application Review, Approval, and Award Process (Do not read)
Now please think about the multi-step process for reviewing grant applications and making awards.  Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” please rate the following items. 

ARAP1	How well you were informed about the status of submitted applications
ARAP2	The reasonableness of grant requirements 
ARAP3	The fairness of the grant selection process
ARAP4	The timeliness of being notified of approval decisions 
ARAP5	The ease of the negotiation and revision process
ARAP6	The timeliness of receiving your grant award  

AMERICORPS Staff (Do not read)
Now please think about the AmeriCorps State and National Program Staff with whom your organization has interacted with as an AmeriCorps State and National grantee.

STF1	Does your program interact with staff from the AmeriCorps State and National Program Office (“Program Officer”)?
    • Yes
    • No (SKIP TO SITE1)

STF11. On average, how often do you interact with your Program Officer?
 
    • Daily
    • Weekly
    • Monthly
    • Annually
    • Less than once a year
    • Other

STF2.  	On average, how long does it take for the Program Officer to return your phone calls and/or acknowledge receipt of your e-mails?
    • Within 1 business day
    • Within 3 business days
    • Within 1 week
    • Within 2 weeks
    • More than 2 weeks
    • N/A 

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” how would you rate the following items below? If your organization is not familiar with a particular experience then please respond ‘N/A’. 

STF4.	The availability of the Program Officer 
STF5	The Program Officer’s knowledge of program requirements
STF6      The Program Officer’s knowledge about the National Service Trust (the Trust) Enrollment process (e.g., member status change and the exit process)
STF8	The courteousness of the Program Officer
STF9	The timeliness of the Program Officer’s response to phone calls and e-mails
STF10	The timeliness of the Program Officer’s resolution to inquiries and concern. 
STF10.1 The overall service delivered by my Program Officer to my organization
               STF11   The overall effectiveness of the Program Officer in helping your organization meet
         its needs/requirements as an AmeriCorps State and National grantee

SITE VISIT ( Do not Read)
Now we are interested in learning more about your organization’s experiences during the site visits.  AmeriCorps periodically conducts site visits, where a program officer or another CNCS staff person travels to the grantee and/or project sites affiliated with AmeriCorps grants. 

SITE1     In the past 12 months, has your organization been visited by a Program Officer or another CNCS Staff person?
    • Yes
    • No  (Skip to GM1)

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” how would you rate the following? If your organization is not familiar with a particular experience then please respond ‘N/A’. 

SITE1	The clarity of purpose for the site visit
SITE2	The timeliness of feedback provided as a result of the site visit
SITE3	The helpfulness of feedback provided as a result of the site visit


GRANTS MANAGEMENT (Do not read)
Now please consider your organization’s interactions with a Grants Officer as an AmeriCorps grantee.  (Interviewer: the grants officer could be from the office of grants management or the field financial management center, located in Philadelphia, PA formerly known as the Service Center).

GM1. Do you or someone in your organization interact with the Corporation’s Grants Officers from the Office of Grants Management (Washington, DC) or with those in the Field Financial Management Center (Philadelphia, PA, formerly called Service Centers)? 
 
    • Office of Grants Management, Headquarters
    • Field Financial Management Center
    • Both
    • Neither (skip to PMR1)
 
GM2. On average, how often do you interact with your Grants Officer?
 
    • Daily
    • Weekly
    • Monthly
    • Annually
    • Less than once a year
    • Can’t remember the last time
 
GM3. On average, how long does it take your Grants Officer to acknowledge receipt of your email or telephone call (by providing an answer or informing you about a timeline for which you will receive a response to your question)?
 
    • Within 1 business day
    • Within 3 business days
    • Within 1 week
    • Within 2 weeks
    • More than 2 weeks
    • N/A 
 
GM4. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” how would you rate the following? 

    • Your Grants Officer’s knowledge of AmeriCorps fiscal and administrative requirements
    • Your Grants Officer’s overall expertise regarding the Corporation’s grant management policies and government-wide federal grant requirements  
    • The courteousness of your Grants Officer
    • The availability of your Grants Officer
    • The timeliness of your Grants Officer’s resolution to your questions and concerns
    • The overall explanation received from your Grants Officer when requesting financial information from you or bringing a financial problem to your attention
    • The overall effectiveness of your Grants Officer in helping you meet your fiscal requirements as an AmeriCorps grantee

GM5. Using a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “Does Not Meet My Needs” and 10 is “Fully Meets My Needs,” how would you rate the following. If your organization is not familiar with a particular experience then please respond ‘N/A’. 

    • The provisions and/or terms and conditions provided with a grant award
    • The Corporation’s policy documents and policy FAQs
    • The Corporation’s regulations
    • Overall service delivered by my Grants Officers to my organization
    • The availability of your Grants Officer (including availability during conferences and training events, and for on-site monitoring)

GM6. The following question should be completed by the person responsible for submitting your Financial Status Report (FSR).  If this person is not available to complete these questions please consult with him or her. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Does Not Meet My Needs” and 10 is “Fully Meets My Needs,” how would you rate the following? If your organization is not familiar with a particular experience then please respond ‘N/A’. 
 
    • How well you were informed about your FSR due date(s)
    • Your Grants Officer’s responses to questions regarding the FSR

Did your organization receive any feedback regarding your Financial Status Report? 
    • Yes
    • No (Skip to PMR1)

GM7 Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Does Not Meet My Needs” and 10 is “Fully Meets My Needs,” how would you rate the helpfulness of feedback regarding your Financial Status Report. 
    •  If your organization did not receive feedback regarding your Financial Status report then respond ‘N/A’. 

REVIEW PROCESSES (Do not read)
Now, please think about the Corporation’s process for monitoring and providing feedback to grantees.  For this series of questions please think only of the Grantee Progress Report itself. We will ask technology and eGrants related questions later in the survey.  If your organization is not familiar with a particular experience then please respond ‘N/A’.

PMR1	Has your organization completed and submitted the Annual Grantee Progress Report?
    • Yes
    • No (Skip to PMR9)

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” how would you rate the following?  For this series of questions please think only of the Grantee Progress Report itself. We will ask technology and eGrants related questions later in the survey.  

PMR2	The ease of knowing who to contact with questions or concerns about the Grantee Progress Report 
PMR3	The clarity of instructions regarding the Grantee Progress Report 
PMR4	The ease of preparing the Grantee Progress Report
PMR5	The amount of time it takes to complete the Grantee Progress Report
	
Did your organization receive any feedback regarding your submitted Grantee Progress Report? 
    • Yes
    • No (Skip to PMR9)

PMR6.1 Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Does Not Meet My Needs” and 10 is “Fully Meets My Needs,” how would you rate the following?  

    • The timeliness of feedback provided as a result of information shared in the Grantee Progress Report	
    • The helpfulness of feedback provided as a result of information shared in the Grantee Progress Report
	
Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” how would you rate the following?  For this series of questions please think only of the Financial Status Report itself.  We will ask technology and eGrants related questions later in the survey. 

PMR9	The ease of knowing who to contact with questions or concerns about the Financial Status Report
PMR10	The clarity of instructions regarding the Financial Status Report
PMR11	The ease of preparing the Financial Status Report
PMR12	The amount of time it takes to complete the Financial Status Report
PMR13	Ease of knowing who to contact with questions/concerns about the Corporation’s process for monitoring and providing feedback to grantees.

USABILITY OF THE NATIONAL SERVICE WEBSITES  
Now please think about your organization’s experiences with the official national service websites run by the Corporation for National and Community Service. If you are not familiar with a specific website than simply reply, “Never Accessed” 

WEB1. Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent”, please rate the 

Usability (User-friendliness) 
    • AmeriCorps Website: http://www.americorps.gov/ 	 _____
Or 
Never accessed the AmeriCorps Website

    • Corporation Website: www.nationalservice.gov    		_____
Or 
Never accessed the Corporation Website 	

Usefulness of information, 
    • AmeriCorps Website: http://www.americorps.gov/ 	 _____
Or 
Never accessed the AmeriCorps Website

    • Corporation Website: www.nationalservice.gov    		_____
Or 
Never accessed the Corporation Website 	

COMMUNICATION OF SYSTEM OUTAGES
These next series of questions asks you to rate the extent to which the Corporation has informed your organization about updates regarding the technology systems, including shutdowns/upgrades, and unplanned outages.  During this section of the survey, we are asking that you only consider the timeliness and helpfulness of the Corporation’s announcements that eGrants, My AmeriCorps Portal, and/or My AmeriCorps Recruitment Systems were unavailable. We will ask additional technology and eGrants questions about the usability of the systems later in the survey.  

SO1	Have you received announcements that the Corporation’s management and reporting systems were temporarily unavailable (i.e. postings on the Operating Status page, http://www.nationalservice.gov/status , and/or messages sent through the CNCS list serves)? 
    • Yes
    • No (Skip to TECH1)
    • Not Applicable (Skip to TECH1)

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent”, how would you rate the following?  

SO2	The Corporation’s timeliness in posting messages on the Operating Status Page, http://www.nationalservice.gov/status, about problems and issues that may arise as a result from computer maintenance.  

- Never Accessed the Operating Status Page

TECHNOLOGY (eGrants) (Do not read)
Please now think about your use of eGrants and WBRS, the online systems AmeriCorps State and National uses for grant applications, management and reporting.  Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent,” please rate the following. Please consider only your organization’s experience as an AmeriCorps State and National grantee, and not with any other programs with which your organization may be affiliated.

TECH1	Clarity of instructions for using eGrants 
TECH2	Effectiveness of the error messages system and computer-automated guidance during data entry

Using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent”, how would you rate the following?  

TECH3	The ease of submitting online applications through eGrants (such as the Progress Report and Financial Status Report)
TECH4	   The speed of loading online applications through eGrants (such as the Progress Report and Financial Status Report)

TECH5	Overall effectiveness of eGrants in capturing information required for the application
TECH6	[if  PMR8=’Yes’] Ease of submitting the Financial Status Report through eGrants 
TECH7	[if PMR8=’Yes’] Overall effectiveness of eGrants in capturing information required for the Financial Status Report
TECH8	The ease of reaching the eGrants Help Desk or submitting an eGrants Help Desk request
TECH9	The timeliness of response from the eGrants Help Desk
TECH10	The quality of service received from the eGrants Help Desk

TECH11 	[If PMR1=’Yes’] Clarity of instructions for using WBRS
TECH12  	[If PMR1=’Yes’] Ease of submitting Annual Grantee Progress Report through WBRS
TECH13	[If PMR1=’Yes’] Overall effectiveness of WBRS in capturing information required for the Grantee Progress Report 

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES (Do not read)
As an AmeriCorps State and National grantee please consider your experience with the Corporation’s online site for tools, training and information for volunteer and service programs -- the Resource Center (http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/). 

TTA1. Below is a list of the features on the new Resource Center (the Resource Center was recently re-designed and launched in 2008). 

Please indicate your awareness of each of these services, your frequency of usage, and the level of usefulness, on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is "Poor" and 10 is "Excellent".


Awareness:
Have accessed this resource
Not aware help was available
Aware but I did not access


Frequency:
Weekly
2-3 times a month
Once per month
Once every 6 months
Never

 
Usefulness 
Very Useful
Useful
Somewhat Useful
Moderately Useful
Not Useful At All

1. Monthly Feature 
2. What’s New          
3. Consult A Pro        
4. Grab and Go       
5. Resources for Specific  Groups  and Audiences         
6. The Effective Practices Collection               
7.Online Courses             

8.The Lending Library

9. E-Newsletters             

10. Sample Forms and Downloadable documents (survey directions-only ask about ‘awareness’ and ‘usefulness’)

11. Email Discussion Lists

12. Calendar of Events

13. Directory of Training and Technical Assistance Providers (survey directions-only ask about ‘awareness’ and ‘usefulness’)


In the following areas, please also rate the Resource Center, using a scale from 1 to 10, (where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent”:

TTA2	The relevance of the topics covered
TTA3	The ease of navigation 
TTA4 	The usability (user friendliness) of the Resource Center
TTA5 	The overall site design 
TTA6	The usefulness of information (such as printed publications, grant listings, online courses and event calendars). 
TTA7	The relevance and accuracy of search results based on your queries 

TTA8. Now we are going to assess your awareness and satisfaction with TTA resources in specific content areas.  Below is a list of topic areas where the Corporation provides some support to grantees in the form of tools, training, or information.  Resources are primarily made available through remote access such as through the Resource Center.  However, some topics are covered during workshops at state and/or national conferences.

Please indicate the importance of the topic area as a need for grantees, your awareness of the Corporation’s providing resources in this topic area, and your rating of what’s available in the topic area for grantees given the need (was it sufficient to meet the need) using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is "Poor" and 10 is "Excellent".

Importance/Awareness:
Have accessed this resource
Not aware help was available
Aware but I did not access
This topic is important for grantees


Frequency:
Weekly
2-3 times a month
Once per month
Once every 6 months

1. Participant Recruitment and Development
2. Performance Measurement and Evaluation
3. Financial and Grants Management
4. Resource and Fund Development
5. Disability Inclusion
6.  Community Engagement and Strengthening
7.  Using eGrants
8. Educational Success and Mentoring
9. Faith and Community-based Initiatives
10.  Engaging Baby Boomers
11.  Volunteer Recruitment and Management
12.  Disaster Preparedness and Response
ACSI Benchmark Questions (Do not read)
BMK1	Again, thinking of your experiences as an AmeriCorps State and National grantee, and using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “Very Dissatisfied” and “10” means “Very Satisfied,” how satisfied are you with the programs and services provided by AmeriCorps State and National and the Corporation?
BMK2	Using a 10-point scale on which “1” now means “Falls Short of your Expectations” and “10” means “Exceeds your Expectations," to what extent have the programs and services provided by AmeriCorps State and National and the Corporation fallen short of or exceeded your expectations?
BMK3	Forget for a moment your experience with AmeriCorps State and National and Corporation.  Now, imagine what an ideal institution allocating grants would be like.  How well do you think AmeriCorps State and National and the Corporation compares with that ideal institution you just imagined?  Please use a 10-point scale on which “1 ”means“ Not at all Close to the Ideal and 10” means “Very Close to the Ideal.”
Closing (do not read)
CLOSE1 We just have one last question for you today.  Do you have any specific suggestions for AmeriCorps and the Corporation about how the program can strengthen their customer service to you and your organization?” [capture verbatim]

Thank you very much again for your time. Have a nice day.