CFI 190 USDA Forest Service questionnaire

USDA Forest R&D FINAL Feb 09

USDA – Forest Service Research and Development

Customer Satisfaction Survey 2009

The USDA FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (FS R&D) organization is committed to providing you, our customers with products and services that meet your needs. Gathering your feedback helps to ensure that we are delivering on our commitment to you. To this end, we have commissioned the CFI Group, an independent third-party research group, to conduct a survey that asks about your satisfaction with our products and services as well as ways that we can improve our service to you.

The CFI Group will hold confidential your response to the survey. Your response will be combined with information from other respondents for research and evaluation purposes so that we may continue to meet your needs in the future. This brief survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time.

This survey is authorized by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1505-0191.

Demographics

DEMO1.1 Which of the following best describes the organization you work for?

• Federal Agency (If ‘Federal Agency’ selected ask DEMO 1.2 else go to DEMO2)

• State or Local Government Agency

• Tribal Government

• College/University Education

• K-12 Education

• Business/Commercial

• Non-Profit Agency/Organization

• Other (please specify)

DEMO1.2. Do you work for the USDA Forest Service?

• Yes (If ‘Yes’ selected ask DEMO 1.3)

• No (go to DEMO2)

DEMO1.3. Do you work for the Forest Service Research and Development Deputy Area?

• Yes (go to END1)

• No (go to DEMO1.4)

DEMO1.4. Which of the following best describes your position within the USDA Forest Service?

• National Forest System staff in Washington Office

• National Forest System Regional Office staff

• National Forest System Forest Supervisor Office staff

• National Forest System Ranger District staff

• State and Private Forestry staff in Washington Office

• State and Private Forestry field staff

• Washington Office staff

• Other (please specify)______________

DEMO2. What is your primary role at your organization?

• Researcher

• Educator

• Joint Educator/Research

• Executive

• Technical/Professional

• Administrative

• Other (please specify)

DEMO3. Are you located within the 50 United States or District of Columbia

• Yes (Go to DEMO3.1)

• No (Go to DEMO3.2)

DEMO3.1. In which state are you located? (Select one from drop-down menu)

DEMO3.2. Please specify your location below: (Open ended)

Usage of Products/Services

USE1.1 Do you typically use Forest Service Research and Development products and services more than once a year?

• Yes (go to USE2)

• No (ASK USE 1.2 then go to END1)

USE1.2 Please describe the main reason why you don’t make more use of the products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D)? (Check only one)

• Have only a passing interest in natural resource issues.

• The products/services provided by FS R&D are not relevant to the problems I face.

• The quality of the products/services provided by FS R&D leave something to be desired.

• The products/services offered by FS R&D are not provided in a form I can readily utilize.

• Other (please specify)

USE2. Please indicate which of the following Forest Service Research and Development organizational units you use the most frequently. (IF YOU USE MULTIPLE UNITS FREQUENTLY PLEASE SELECT THE ONE YOU USE MOST OFTEN OR ONE THAT YOU ARE BEST ABLE TO RATE IN THIS SURVEY)

• Forest Products Laboratory (FPL, HQs in Madison, WI)

• Northern Research Station (HQs in Newtown Square, PA)

• Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW, HQs in Portland, OR)

• Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW, HQs in Albany, CA)

• International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF, HQs in Rio Peidras, Puerto Rico)

• Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS, HQs in Fort Collins, CO)

• Southern Research Station (SRS, HQs in Asheville, NC)

• Washington Office (National HQs in Washington, DC)

• Other – please specify if you use another unit not provided above _______

USE 3. Please indicate which of the following Forest Service Research and Development Strategic Program Areas (SPA) to which you are most closely aligned. (IF YOU ARE ALIGNED WITH MORE THAN ONE PROGRAM PLEASE SELECT THE ONE YOU MOST OFTEN ADDRESS IN DEALINGS WITH FOREST SERVICE R&D OR ONE THAT YOU ARE BEST ABLE TO RATE IN THIS SURVEY)

• Wildland Fire SPA provides research-derived knowledge, science-based applications, and leadership to scientific, management, policy, and public communities. These groups can then advance the science, develop science-based policy, and practice science-based fire management to reduce losses to society from fire and to improve and maintain the resilience and sustainability of wildland ecosystems.

• Invasive species SPA provides strategic-level guidance on research needed to address threats caused by invasive insects, pathogens, plants, wildlife, and fish to the Nation’s forests and grasslands. This research develops and delivers to customers the knowledge and tools needed to reduce, minimize or eliminate the potential for introduction, establishment, spread, and impact of invasive species across all landscapes and ownerships.

• Outdoor Recreation SPA provides recreation research services to customers, partners, and other stakeholders so they can make more-informed management decisions and improve recreation opportunities for current and future generations while sustaining healthy ecosystems.

• Water, Air and Soil SPA provides knowledge, methods, and technologies that enable efficient and effective management to ensure clean air and ample, safe water for a growing population: to protect ecosystem biodiversity, and human welfare from air and water pollution; providing adaptive management in response to climate variability and change; to improve terrestrial and aquatic habitats; and to reduce the impacts and mitigate extreme events such as floods and droughts.

• Wildlife and Fish SPA provides publications, presentations, training opportunities and scientific advice to local, state and federal land management and regulatory agencies, international programs, tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, special interest groups, the scientific community, industry, and the public so they can sustain the Nation’s terrestrial and aquatic resources.

• Inventory and Monitoring SPA delivers inventory, assessment, quantitative analysis, and technique development services to landowners, land managers, policy makers, and other interest groups so they can make informed and scientifically sound land use, management, and policy decision.

• Resource Management and Use SPA provides science, management, and technology services to forest and rangeland owners, managers, policy makers, scientists, and the public so they can manage and use forest and rangeland resources to improve the standard of living and quality of life for current and future generations. This program includes portions of research on forest products and utilization, forest harvesting and operations, silviculture, urban forestry, economics, social science, forest and range ecology and management, plant sciences, and soil science.

• Other – please specify another program area you use if not listed above.__________

USE4.1. Please indicate which of the following Forest Service Research and Development PRODUCTS you USED during the past year. You may select all that are appropriate.

• Technical articles/reports describing research methods and results

• Popular articles/reports/newsletters highlighting research results

• Reports presenting current forest resource statistics (e.g. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Reports)

• Reports analyzing long-term forest and rangeland resource trends (e.g. Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessments)

• Environmental/Conservation education materials (e.g. The Natural Inquirer)

• Comprehensive syntheses of prior research

• Decision support tools (i.e., computer models/software applications)

• Monitoring/evaluation protocols

• Not applicable

• Other (Please specify)

IF ANSWERED ‘USE’ ANY OF USE 4.1 ASK ALL BELOW

USE4.1.1 Please rate the Forest Service Research and Development PRODUCTS you have used during the past year on a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” means “poor” and 10 means “excellent” in terms of each of the following variables. If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

INFO1. Accurate and up-to-date

INFO2. Easy to understand

INFO3. Scientifically sound

INFO4. Authoritative source (provided by subject matter experts)

INFO5. Unbiased

INFO6. Comprehensive

USE4.2. Please indicate which of the following Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) SERVICES you USED during the past year. You may select all that are appropriate.

• Presentations by FS R&D personnel at professional and other meetings

• FS R&D sponsored workshops/training sessions

• FS R&D sponsored on-site demonstrations

• Consultations with FS R&D personnel (by phone, e-mail, or in person)

• None of the above

• Other (Please specify)

IF ANSWERED ‘USE’ ANY OF USE 4.2 ASK ALL BELOW

USE 4.2.1 Please rate Forest Service Research and Development SERVICES you used during the past year on a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” means “poor” and 10 means “excellent” in terms of the following variables. If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

PRES1. Ease of scheduling the event/consultation

PRES2. Clarity of the information presented/provided

PRES3. Usefulness of the information presented/provided

PRES4. Presenter’s/consultant’s knowledge of subject matter

PRES5. Ability of the presenter/consultant to answer your questions

Accessibility/Format of Products/Services

ACC1. How do you typically access the products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development? (Select one)

• Requesting hard copies of publications and other information

• Downloading publications and other information from the web

• Attending conferences/workshops/demonstrations

• Direct contact with scientists/technicians/technology transfer specialists

• Other (please specify)

ACC2. Please rate the ease of (ANSWER TO ACC1) on a scale of 1 to 10, where “1” means “poor” and 10 means “excellent.” If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

• ACC3. The ease of finding information

• ACC4. The organization of material

• ACC5. The design and presentation of material

Communication

Please rate Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) on a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” means “poor” and 10 means “excellent” on the following. If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

COM1. Informing you about the availability of new product and service offerings

COM2. Informing you about recently released articles/reports/newsletters

COM3. Providing schedules for conferences and workshops

COM4. Products and services being clearly identified as coming from FS R&D

Relevance and Quality of Products/Services

Please rate how useful the products and services from Forest Service Research and Development are to you for the following purposes. Use a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” means “Not very useful” and 10 means “Very Useful.” If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

RELEV1. Addresses problems, issues or needs that you currently face

RELEV2. Provides detailed and actionable solutions

RELEV3. Provides solutions that are workable with your resources

RELEV4. Helps anticipate emerging problems, issues or needs you might face

Experience With Forest Service R&D Staff

STAFF1. Have you ever directly contacted a Forest Service Research and Development employee (in person, by phone, or by email) for information or some other type of assistance?

• Yes (go to STAFF2)

• No (go to next section)

STAFF2. Please rate the Forest Service Research and Development staff on the following. Use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means “Poor” and 10 means “Excellent.” If a question does not apply to you, please select “Does not apply.”

• Courteousness

• Timeliness in responding

• Knowledge

Overall Satisfaction with Forest Service R&D Products/Services

SAT1. Please think of your experiences with Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) products and services. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means "Very dissatisfied" and 10 means "Very satisfied", how satisfied are you with the services and products provided by FS R&D?

SAT2. 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 products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development fallen short of, or exceeded, your expectations?

SAT3. Imagine an ideal forestry research organization.  How well do you think the products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development compares to the ideal you just imagined?  Use a 10-point scale on which “1”means "Not very close to the ideal," and “10” means "Very close to the ideal."

Outcomes

OUTCOME1. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means "Not very willing" and 10 means "Very willing", how willing would you be to recommend Forest Service Research and Development products and services to your colleagues?

OUTCOME2. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means "Not very likely" and 10 means "Very likely", how likely are you to use Forest Service Research and Development products and services in the future?

OUTCOME3. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means "Not very confident" and 10 means "Very confident", how confident are you in using the products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development?

OUTCOME4. How much of a difference do the products and services provided by Forest Service Research and Development make to you in your ability to successfully carry out your work? Please use a 10-point scale on which 1 means "No difference at all" and 10 means "A great difference".

Website

WEB1. Have you visited the Forest Service Research and Development website (www.fs.fed.us/research)?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t Know

(IF WEB1=YES ASK WEB2 ELSE SKIP TO SAT1.)

WEB2. What comments do you have about the website?

Improving Future Service

IMPROVE1. Forest Service Research and Development is looking for ways to improve its service. Please indicate the one area you think is most important for FS R&D to focus on in order to improve customer service?

• Make more information/data available via the Internet

• Create a one-stop shopping website

• Make users aware when new information/data is available/do more to advertise new products/services, new projects, and successes

• Increase the capacity to do research

• Make websites more “user friendly”

• Focus R&D on questions raised by natural resource managers

• Increase collaboration with researchers from outside FS R&D

• Make more publications, especially older legacy publications – available on Internet

OPENEND1. Do you have any other suggestions concerning how Forest Service Research and Development could better serve you? (Open Ended)

END1. Thank you for your time. USDA Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) is specifically looking for information from customers who do not work in the FS R&D deputy area and who typically use services more than once a year. Please hit the next button to go to the end of the survey.

END Thank you for your time. The USDA Forest Service Research and Development will use the feedback to better serve its customers.

P age 7 of 7