SS for 1090-0007 Part B 8.14.09

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act
Submissions, PART B.
COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL
METHODS
OMB Control Number 1090-0007
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 government units, households, or persons) in the universe
covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be
provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of
the stata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates
for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted
previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last
collection.
The potential respondent universe is expected to vary based on
participation by federal agencies as customer segments are added or
deleted. The respondent selection method will take place as follows: Each
agency will identify a customer segment. Most will be individuals who
either (a) can be identified by screening of random-digit-dial selected
representative samples of continental US households or (b) are on agency
lists as recipients of agency services or benefits. For a few agencies, the
respondents will be (c) particular types of managerial persons in state,
local, or federal agencies or US private sector companies. The current
historical response rate to the American Customer Satisfaction Index is
94% of those who pass screening and qualify as customers. However,
many potential respondents in households do not qualify as customers for
particular agency services.

2.

Describe the procedures for the collection of information including: -Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection.
This project requires separate samples for each survey. Virtually all of
these samples require individualized sample designs. However,
screening of particular types of customers in representative samples of
telephone households will be combined for agencies that will use these
representative samples, as many of the customer types represent rare
populations in low incidence in households. The households will be
selected by area codes, telephone exchanges, 100-number blocks with
the last two digits random numbers. Name list samples will be linkedrandom-samples with a random number start. This type of data collection
is increasingly rare.

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Business, state, local and federal agency manager interviews will require
multi-stage sampling, first selecting a sample of appropriate agencies or
businesses, then screening to the desired manager by title or
responsibility as names will usually not be known.
Projected estimates for fiscal years 2009-2011 are as follows:
Fiscal Year 2009 – 100 Surveys
The total sample is 100 X 250 = 25,000. This number is derived
from the number of surveys being conducted (100) multiplied by the
estimated number of respondents per customer sample (250).
Fiscal Year 2010 – 150 Surveys
The total sample is 150 X 250 = 37,500. This number is derived
from the number of surveys being conducted (150) multiplied by the
estimated number of respondents per customer sample (250).
Fiscal Year 2011 – 200 Surveys
The total sample is 200 X 250 = 50,000. This number is derived
from the number of surveys being conducted (200) multiplied by the
estimated number of respondents per customer sample (250).
3. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of
non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collection must
be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on
sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that
will not yield (reliable) data that can be generalized to the universe studied.
To maximize response rates, callers will use the CFI Group and/or the
University of Michigan and federal agency name in the introduction to
indicate it is not a sales call. Experienced, trained, and monitored
interview technicians will conduct the surveys in a highly professional
manner. After an initial failed contact, three or more call backs will be
made at different days and times. For email data collection, multiple
reminder emails encouraging customers to participate in the survey will be
sent periodically. The completion of interviews/surveys is monitored
based on the anticipated response rate. The actual number of responses
is approximately 250 per study.
Because the index approach employs multiple questions to create the
index and because the 1 – 10 rating scale used for the majority of the
questions generates a mean (as compared to a proportion) which is then
converted to a 0 – 100 scale and because we know empirically that the
standard deviation tends to be approximately 20 for this survey data, a
sample size of approximately 250 yields confidence intervals in the range

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of +/- 1.7 to +/- 3.7 at the 95% confidence level and confidence intervals of
+/- 2.5 to +/- 2.8 at the 90% confidence level on the 0 – 100 scale.
The intended purpose of these data collections is to guide leaders and
managers in making managerial decisions about ways to improve the
quality of services provided by the government. The data collected in
these surveys are not used to make policy decisions.
Using the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
Call Disposition definitions, Cooperation Rate definitions and Response
Rate calculations, the effectiveness of each survey conducted via
telephone is monitored and reported. In addition, in a case where there
was additional data available about the targeted respondent population, a
comparison of respondents versus non-respondents was conducted. In
comparing the geographic location, gender and race of the respondents to
non-respondents, no differences were found for groups that contained at
least 1% of the aggregate sample population.
4.

Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken.
Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections
of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be
approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or
more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted
for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of
information.
Background
The CFI Group, which was founded in 1988, is a quality leader in customer
satisfaction. CFI’s chairman, Dr. Claes Fornell, is also the Director of the
National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan Business
School and creator of the ACSI. Along with other economic objectives –
such as employment and growth – the quality of output (goods and
services) is a part of living standards. Like other objectives, the quality of
goods and services should be subjected to systematic and uniform
measurement. This is the rationale for the ACSI. In the most general
sense, the ultimate purpose of the ACSI is to help improve the quality of
goods and services available to American citizens.
The ACSI is the only internationally recognized cross-industry, crossagency methodology for obtaining comparable measures of customer
satisfaction. It is a unique customer satisfaction measurement tool
developed by the CFI Group and licensed to the National Quality
Research Center at the University of Michigan. CFI Group and the
University of Michigan utilize the proprietary methodology behind the ACSI
model to link the drivers and consequences of satisfaction. This patented

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econometric model enables agencies to obtain insights for valuable, highreturn, customer-focused decisions. An important advantage, in contrast
to methods that rely solely on survey questions, is that it produces results
with statistical stability and low chance variation. This helps ensure
uniform and consistent results that allow cross-agency, cross-company,
and cross-industry comparisons.
In 1999, the Office of Management and Budget approved a request from
the General Services Administration for an emergency collection clearance
for the ACSI. That clearance was extended in 2000, when the Office of
Management and Budget approved the General Services Administration’s
request for a three-year generic clearance. In 2001, the General Services
Administration agreed to transfer its generic clearance to the Federal
Consulting Group, a franchise in the US Treasury. The Federal Consulting
Group contracted with the CFI Group to offer the ACSI to Federal
agencies. A request for a three-year extension of the generic clearance
was granted in 2003 and 2006. The Federal Consulting Group transferred
to the US Department of the Interior in November 2008 and continues as
the Executive Agent for the ACSI in the Federal Government.
Since December 1999, the University of Michigan’s Steven M. Ross
School of Business has used the standard questionnaire to publish its
annual national index of customer satisfaction with Federal government
services and presented these results and their analysis at the Annual
Customer Satisfaction Forum sponsored and conducted by the Federal
Consulting Group.
Testing
The ACSI methodology is patented and the standard questionnaire has
undergone extensive, rigorous testing and study by the University of
Michigan. The standard questionnaire has already been used by the
University of Michigan for fifteen years with great success as a key quality
metric for the U.S. economy and in over 20 foreign countries. More
specifically, the questionnaire has been used in the Federal Government
in numerous studies conducted over ten years.
When the information needs of federal agencies require the design of a
new type of question in the ACSI survey, various testing techniques are
used depending on the data collection method to be used and the
characteristics of the intended respondents. Typically, a new type of
question is tested among those who are not familiar with the program or
process being assessed; refinements are made, as needed, that enhance
the comprehension of the question, the scale on which it is measured (as
appropriate) and the ease with which the respondent can answer it.

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5.

Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on
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.
Questions regarding any statistical aspects employed or data collection
procedures used should be directed to:
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
Professor Claes Fornell, Director
National Quality Research Center
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
Telephone: (734) 763-9767
Fax: (734) 763-9768
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.theacsi.org
Administrative questions regarding the use of this generic clearance by the
US Department of the Interior’s Federal Consulting Group should be
directed to:
Ron Oberbillig
Chief Operating Officer
Federal Consulting Group
1841 C St, NW
MS 314
Washington, DC 20240
Telephone: (202) 513-7677
Fax: (202) 513-7686
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.fcg.gov

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