PRA-2126-0042.SS.PartB.Renewal.OMB.Rev.073009.(schlicht).USE

Department of Transportation

Office of the Chief Information Officer

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

COMPASS Portal Customer Satisfaction Assessment

Part B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods.

1. Describe potential respondent universe and any sampling selection method to be used.

The respondent universe is limited to FMCSA Portal users, the population we have deliberately targeted. While the COMPASS user community remains small, the FMCSA Portal already leverages COGIX technology, which already includes a sampling selection function. This function is further described in Part B, Question 2, Paragraph 3.

2. Describe procedures for collecting information, including statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection, estimation procedures, degree of accuracy needed, and less than annual periodic data cycles.

Information from the Customer Satisfaction Assessment will be collected electronically. The FMCSA Portal will leverage COGIX, a well-known online survey tool that provides out-of-the-box functionality for collecting, analyzing, and determining metrics based on survey responses. COGIX allows the survey to be deployed as a portlet on the FMCSA Portal. From within the FMCSA Portal, all users will be prompted to take the survey every 90 days. These users will be able to easily fill out and submit the survey online.

Our continued prediction is that a majority of the active Portal user population will voluntarily complete the survey when prompted every 90 days. This will enable trend analysis across the data collection points over to be determined intervals. And, since the survey is opinion based and all but two survey questions use a simple 1-5 rating scale, the degree of accuracy is not applicable.

The survey portlet will only appear for a sampled portion of the COMPASS user community. COGIX technology ensures that the survey portlet is available for every “x” number user (e.g. every fifth user, every tenth user, every hundredth user, etc.) as specified by survey administrators to ensure random sampling of the COMPASS user community.

3. Describe methods to maximize response rate.

The assessment is meant to generally collect information about FMCSA Portal user perception. By prompting users to take the survey every 90 days as users access the FMCSA Portal, a maximized response rate can be expected. The survey is active for approximately two weeks at a time. It is anticipated the survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and will consist of all but two opinion-based questions where a ratings scale of 1-5 is used to respond. Due to the online submission ability, the frequency of being prompted, the limited time it takes to complete the survey, and the opinion based ratings scale type questions, respondents will be targeted more effectively, helping to ensure a higher rate of response.

4. Describe tests of procedures or methods.

The Agency considered and tested other procedures for the FMCSA Portal Customer Satisfaction Assessment, including outsourcing of the assessment to online survey providers. Using the guidelines established above, FMCSA determined that the assessment data can be received by FMCSA almost exclusively. As the assessment content is basic and requires no advanced statistic or mathematical analysis, the data will be automatically sent to FMCSA employees. Thereafter, FMCSA personnel will compile the collective, anonymous data and present it to FMCSA Portal developers for their consideration. FMCSA Portal developers will use this information as one of several tools for understanding FMCSA Portal usage. The decision to administer the assessment via the Portal itself, therefore, is considered most effective, especially given the simplicity of the survey content and the quick timeframe required of respondents.

5. Provide name and telephone number of individuals who were consulted on statistical aspects of the information collection and who will actually collect and/or analyze the information.

Individuals who were involved in formulating the statistical aspects of this information collection request include FMCSA employees Mr. Herman Dogan, Mr. Adam Schlicht, and Mr. Bill Coleman.

Adam Schlicht and Bill Coleman will be responsible for analyzing the information and presenting it to COMPASS developers at FMCSA every four months. Contact information is set forth below:

Mr. Adam Schlicht
Office of Research & Information Technology

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

Phone: 202-366-4441
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Bill Coleman

Office of Research & Information Technology

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

Phone: 202-493-0679
Email: [email protected]

3