OMB #1545-1432
SPEC Partner National Partner Survey
IN DATABASE: DO NOT ASK
NAME
ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATION CHANNEL
a. Educational Institution /Government Agency
b. Financial Institution Partnerships
c. Volunteer and Community/Large Employer
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
Scheduling Phone Appointment
N1. Hello, my name is [CALLER NAME] calling from ICF Macro on behalf of IRS’s Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) organization. We are working with the SPEC program to obtain feedback about your satisfaction as a National Partner who works with the SPEC program on joint national initiatives and coalition building. Could I speak to [INSERT NAME]?
01 Yes (Named person)
02 No (Person no longer works there or wrong name) Skip to N3
N2. Are you the person at [INSERT ORGANIZATION] who manages or interacts with the SPEC program, who could best provide us with candid feedback about the SPEC program?
01 Yes (Skip to S1)
02 No
N3. Who would be the best person for us to speak with in your organization about this?
[Record name and number. Thank and terminate call. Whether transferred or calling the new number, begin again with SCREENER INTRODUCTION using new name.]
S1. I’m calling today to schedule a time that would be convenient for you to speak with an interviewer from ICF Macro. The interview will take about 15 minutes to complete. Is there a time that you have available during the next week or so?
01 Yes (Schedule date and time—ensure correct time zone)
02 Complete interview now Skip to RM1
03 Soft refusal (Set time to call back to schedule interview)
04 Hard refusal (Thank you and terminate call)
Interviewer may provide if asked:
- The overall goal of the research is to gather information that will help SPEC provide better service and improve the relationship between SPEC and your organization.
- [USE THIS INFORMATION ONLY WITH THE PERSON ON THE ORIGINAL CALL LIST. DO NOT USE WITH ANYONE ELSE YOU MAY BE REFERRED TO WITHIN THE SAME ORGANIZATION.] About a month ago, you should have received an email signed by the Director of the SPEC program, Julie Garcia, inviting you to participate in this survey that we would be conducting via the Web. We did not receive a response to the email invitations that were sent out over the last few weeks. We understand you are busy and may have overlooked it. We are hoping that.you will be able to complete the brief survey with us over the phone. It will only take a few minutes.
- At this time, we are just scheduling the interview, not conducting the survey. We will conduct the interview at the time you propose.
Terminate Scheduling Call
Thank you for your willingness to share your feedback with SPEC. We look forward to speaking with you at [REPEAT DATE/TIME].
Introduction
Hello, my name is [CALLER NAME] calling from ORC ICF Macro on behalf of IRS’s Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) organization.
C1. Am I speaking with [INSERT NAME]?
01 Yes (Named person)
02 No (Not named person) Ask to be connected. Repeat C1.
C2. Great. As you may recall when we contacted you to set up this call, ICF Macro is working with the SPEC program to obtain feedback about your satisfaction as a National Partner who works with SPEC on joint national initiatives and coalition building. We had scheduled this time for a 15-minute interview to gather your feedback for SPEC. May I assume that this still a good time?
01 Yes
02 No (schedule new date and time—ensure correct time zone))
03 Soft refusal (Thank you and terminate call)
04 Hard refusal (Thank you and terminate call)
Interviewer may provide if asked:
- The overall goal of the research is to gather information that will help SPEC provide better service and improve the relationship between SPEC and your organization.
________________________________________________________________________
Thank you. Please, feel free to be open and frank with us. Your identity and individual responses will be held private to the extent permitted by law by ICF Macro, and your feedback will be provided to SPEC in aggregate only. Please keep in mind that this discussion will only be about your opinions of your experiences with the SPEC National Partnership program and not with any interactions you may have had with other parts of the IRS.
RM1. According to our files, your primary SPEC relationship manager is (RM NAME). Is that correct?
01 Yes (Skip to Q1)
02 No (Continue with RM2)
08 [DK] (Skip to Q1)
09 [Refused] Skip to Q1
RM2. Who is your primary SPEC relationship manager?
[Record verbatim]
I. Market Segments and Demographics
Let me start by asking some general questions.
Q1. Which of the following are your primary areas of emphasis as a national partner? Again, we want to know the roles you play at the national level, not the roles of your local affiliates. (Read list and check all that apply) [Probe: Any others?]
01 Return Preparation, such as volunteer assistance, facilities, or equipment
02 Education and Outreach, such as communications, products, news articles, or websites
03 Asset Building, such as financial education, funding, or wealth building
04 Other Tax Assistance
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
Q2. Which of the following types of customers do you, your affiliates, or members serve most frequently? (Read list and check all that apply)
01 Low Income—less than $49,000
03 Elderly
04 Military
05 People with disabilities
08 Rural
09 American Indian or Alaska Native
10 Limited English Proficient
11 Something else (Specify)
98 [DK]
99 [Refused]
Q3. For how many years has your organization partnered with SPEC?
____ years
98 [DK]
99 [Refused]
Q4. For how many years have you represented your organization in partnering with SPEC?
____ years
98 [DK]
99 [Refused]
Q5. Which of the following reasons best describe why your organization continues to partner with SPEC? (Read List and check all that apply)
01 To benefit from SPEC’s tax law knowledge
02 To benefit from related mission and goals
03 To benefit from the range of SPEC-provided products and services
04 To provide a value added service to the community
05 To make a greater economic impact on the community
06 As an opportunity to move families toward self-sufficiency
07 Something else (please specify)______________________________
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
II. Relationship Manager
Now I would like to ask you about your satisfaction with the relationship between you and the SPEC relationship manager you work with. Please think of your direct experience with your SPEC relationship manager only, not about your other experiences with SPEC or your local affiliates’ or members’ experiences dealing with their local SPEC offices.
Please use a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied. If an item is not applicable or if you have no experience with it, please let me know.
Q6. How satisfied are you with your SPEC relationship manager’s…? [read and rotate A-F]
Courtesy and professionalism
Proactiveness or anticipation of your needs
Flexibility in meeting your needs
Responsiveness to your concerns, questions, and suggestions
Understanding your mission
Ability to fulfill SPEC partnership agreements with you
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [DK]
08 [Refused]
Q7. Did your SPEC relationship manager provide you with results of your accomplishments and/or help you assess the impact of your program?
01 Yes
02 No
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
Q8. Using the same scale [repeat as often as necessary], how satisfied are you with the guidance and assistance that you receive from your SPEC relationship manager in…? [read and rotate A-D]
Identification of cities for a possible VITA site or program which would potentially benefit your affiliates.
Reaching your target customers
Identifying and establishing partnerships with community based organizationsSPEC-provided research, such as databases, MapPoint Analysis, reports, return filing statistics or tables
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
Q9. Using the same scale [repeat as often as necessary], how satisfied are you with the guidance and assistance that you receive from your SPEC relationship manager at national conferences, conventions, or meetings?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
[If Q9 = 01 to 05 only]
Q10. What in particular about your SPEC relationship manager’s presence at national conferences, conventions and meetings influenced your satisfaction level?
[Record verbatim]
Q11. Using the same scale [repeat as often as necessary], overall, how satisfied are you with your national partner SPEC relationship manager?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [DK]
09 [Refused]
III. Relationship Building
Q12. Do you have local affiliates that partner with SPEC?
01 Yes
02 No Skip to Q16
08 [DK] Skip to Q16
09 [Refused] Skip to Q16
Q13. Has SPEC worked with you to connect your affiliates or members to SPEC local relationship managers in an effort to facilitate collaboration?
01 Yes
02 No Skip to Q16
08 [DK] Skip to Q16
09 [Refused] Skip to Q16
Q14. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with…? [Read and rotate A-C]
SPEC’s communication of national partner agreements down to local SPEC relationship managers
SPEC’s success in building relationships between your local affiliates or members and local SPEC relationship managers
The communication between your local affiliates or members and local SPEC relationship managers
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
08 [DK]
09 [Refused]
Q15. How could SPEC better create national partner agreements that you can implement successfully with your local affiliates?
[Record verbatim]
IV. Overall Satisfaction
Q16. We’ve talked about the service you have received from SPEC. Considering all of your responses to this survey, we’d like you to rate your overall satisfaction with SPEC’s products and services. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, are you…?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [DK]
09 [Refused]
Q16A. Thinking about your overall satisfaction with SPEC last year, would you say this year you are more satisfied, less satisfied, or that your overall satisfaction has remained about the same? If this is your first year working with SPEC, please choose “Not Applicable”.
05 More satisfied
04 Remained about the same
03 Less satisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
///ASK IF Q16A=05///
Q16B. Why do you say you are more satisfied overall with SPEC this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
///ASK IF Q20A=03///
Q16C. Why do you say you are less satisfied overall with SPEC this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
Q17. Given your experience, on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means very likely and 1 means very unlikely, how likely are you to continue partnering with SPEC next year?
05 Very likely
04
03
02
01 Very unlikely
06 [DK]
09 [Refused]
[If Q17 = 01 or 02]
Q18. If you do not anticipate partnering with SPEC next year, what is the main reason you are relatively unlikely to continue?
[Record verbatim]
Q19. What services provided by SPEC do you value most?
[Record verbatim]
VI. Closing Comments
Q20. Do you have any other comments or suggestions for improvement for the SPEC program?
[Record verbatim]
That concludes this survey. On behalf of the IRS, SPEC and ICF Macro, thank you very much for your participation.
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner National Partner Survey Pre-Notification Letter
From: [email protected]
To: [National Partner E-Mail address]
Subject: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear [Name]:
You are receiving this e-mail because your organization is an IRS Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) national partner. During the next couple of weeks, you will receive another email from ICF Macro, a survey research and consulting firm. That email will invite you to complete a brief web survey to provide your candid feedback about the products and services you receive from SPEC.
This year’s survey questions have been revised to include items related to SPEC initiatives and our changing business environment. Based on feedback from partners surveyed in the past, the time for this years’ survey has been significantly reduced.
Capturing your feedback is very important to the IRS. Your participation in this survey is critical so that we can improve our products and services to all of our local partners. ICF Macro will not provide any identifying information to the IRS along with your responses and will hold your identity private to the extent permitted by law. Your feedback will be provided to the IRS in aggregate only.
If you have any questions, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or your IRS relationship manager.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Julieta D. Garcia
Director, Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner National Partner Survey Initial Invitation
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
The IRS office of Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) is asking you, as one of their valued national partners, to help them determine where to focus their attention in 2010/2011. To do this, we invite you to participate in the 2010 SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. This web-based survey can be easily completed over the internet at your convenience. Your participation will help SPEC direct their efforts and resources to the programs needing them the most.
ICF Macro, an independent consulting firm, is administering this survey via the Internet. ICF Macro will not provide any identifying information to the IRS along with your responses and will hold your identity private to the extent permitted by law. Your feedback will be provided to the IRS in aggregate only.
The survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take less than 15 minutes.
You can access the survey from any computer that has Internet access by clicking on the above Internet address or by copying the Internet address into your browser. The web address above includes a password that will enable you to exit the survey and re-enter at a later time. It will also protect any data you have entered if you experience any computer disruptions. ICF Macro will not share these passwords with the IRS at any time during or after this study.
Please complete this survey no later than Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or
1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner National Partner Survey First Reminder
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: Reminder: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
Recently you should have received an e-mail message from ICF Macro asking for your participation in the 2010 SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. To ensure that the findings represent the views of all SPEC partners, we urge you to take a few minutes to complete the survey. The final cut-off date is Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have already completed the survey, thank you for your participation.
The survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take less than 15 minutes.
You can access the survey from any computer that has Internet access by clicking on the above Internet address or by copying the Internet address into your browser. The web address above includes a password that will enable you to exit the survey and re-enter at a later time. It will also protect any data you have entered if you experience any computer disruptions. ICF Macro will not share these passwords with the IRS at any time during or after this study.
If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or 1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner National Partner Survey Final Reminder
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: Final Reminder: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
You may just have overlooked our earlier e-mail message asking for your participation in the 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. Or, you may have begun the survey but did not complete it. In either case, we would like to give you a final chance to complete the web-based survey so we can include your feedback for the IRS. If you have completed the survey, thank you for your participation.
The cut-off date for you to complete the survey is Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have already started the survey, the survey will resume exactly where you left off with all of your previous responses saved.
Your survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take only 15 minutes or less.
If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or 1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you and I look forward to receiving your feedback.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner Local Partner Survey
Thank you for participating in the IRS’s Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) organization’s 2010 Partner Satisfaction Survey. This survey covers your satisfaction as a local partner who works with SPEC on outreach, education, return preparation and other tax assistance programs provided by SPEC.
ICF Macro, an independent research firm, is conducting this survey on behalf of SPEC. ICF Macro will hold your identity private to the extent permitted by law and will not provide any identifying information to the IRS along with your individual responses. Results will be provided only in aggregate.
Instructions
Click on the NEXT button to save your responses and continue to the next page.
Click on the PREVIOUS button to view your responses on a previous page. You may change your answers to previously entered responses.
You may suspend the survey at any time by clicking STOP. You may re-enter the survey where you left off by clicking on the survey website. If you close your browser without clicking STOP, the survey will automatically halt and you will need to wait 10 minutes to re-access the survey.
S1. Are you the person at [INSERT ORGANIZATION PartnerName field] who manages or interacts with SPEC who could provide us with candid feedback about SPEC?
01 Yes [Skip to S3]
02 No [Continue]
///ASK IF S1=02///
S2. SPEC greatly values feedback on its performance from [INSERT ORGANIZATION (PartnerName field)]. If you know of someone else at [INSERT ORGANIZATION (PartnerName field)] who would be more appropriate to give us this feedback, would you please record their name, telephone number and email address below so that we could contact him/her for feedback?
NAME FIELD (First and Last)
TELEPHONE FIELD (10-digit)
EMAIL ADDRESS FIELD (please make sure to enter an @ and a "." to make a valid email
Thank you very much for your help.
///ASK IF S1=02///
CLOSE1. Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests along with the address where you can send comments regarding the study. The OMB number for this study is 1545-1432. If you have any comments regarding this study, please write to: IRS, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20224
[Terminate Survey – GO TO SECTION XV]]
///ASK IF S1=01///
S3. Are you an IRS SPEC employee?
01 Yes [Continue]
02 No [Skip to Introduction]
///ASK IF S3=01///
S4. While your name was on the contact list for [INSERT ORGANIZATION (PartnerName field)], we are not interviewing IRS SPEC employees, but representatives from its partner organizations. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you know of someone else at [INSERT ORGANIZATION (PartnerName field)] who would be more appropriate to give us this feedback, would you please record their name, telephone number and email address below so that we could contact him/her for feedback?
NAME FIELD (First and Last)
TELEPHONE FIELD (10-digit)
EMAIL ADDRESS FIELD (please make sure to enter an @ and a . to make a valid email.)
Thank you very much for your help.
///ASK IF S3=01///
CLOSE2. Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests along with the address where you can send comments regarding the study. The OMB number for this study is 1545-1432. If you have any comments regarding this study, please write to: IRS, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20224
[Terminate Survey– GO TO SECTION XV]]
________________________________________________________________________
///ASK IF S3=02///
I. Introduction
Thank you. Please, feel free to be open and frank with us. Please keep in mind that this discussion will only be about your experiences with SPEC and not with any interactions you may have had with other parts of the IRS. Your responses are important in helping SPEC understand what makes a partnership successful.
Throughout the rest of this survey, “you” refers to your organization–that is, either to you as a partner or to your coalition. The first set of questions pertains to the nature of your relationship with SPEC and the customers you serve.
///ASK IF S3=02///
II. Market Segments and Demographics
Q1. What is your primary area of emphasis as an organization? Again, we’re interested in the scope of emphasis of the organization you represent, which may be broader than your personal area of emphasis. (Check ONLY ONE)
01 Military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
02 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA
03 Education and Outreach, such as communications, products, news articles, or websites
04 Tax Counseling for the Elderly, Non-AARP
05 Tax Counseling for the Elderly, AARP
06 Asset Building, such as financial education, funding, or wealth building
07 Something else (Specify)
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q2. Which of the following types of customers do you serve most frequently? (Check all that apply)
01 Low Income—less than $49,000
02 Elderly
03 Military
04 People with disabilities
07 Rural
08 American Indian or Alaska Native
09 Limited English Proficient
10 Something else (Specify)
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q3. For how many years has your organization provided return preparation, outreach, education, or other tax assistance as an SPEC partner?
____ years
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q4. Approximately how many customers do you serve through your return preparation, outreach, or other tax-assistance programs per year?
01 Fewer than 100
02 101 to 1000
03 1001 to 2500
04 More than 2500
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q5. Approximately how many volunteers or staff, including employees, do you coordinate to provide return preparation, outreach, or other tax assistance per year?
01 1 to 10
02 11-50
03 51-100
04 101-500
05 More than 500
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q6. Are you an affiliate of a national organization that has a national-level partnership agreement with SPEC?
01 Yes
02 No
///ASK IF S3=02///
III. Relationship Manager
Now we would like to ask you about your satisfaction with the relationship between you and the SPEC relationship manager with whom you have interacted. When considering your experience, please use a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied. If an item is not applicable or if you have no experience with it, or you are unaware the product/service is available, please choose Not applicable/Have not used/No experience.
Q7. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with your SPEC relationship manager’s [rotate A-D]
Courtesy and professionalism
Proactiveness or anticipation of your needs
Flexibility in meeting your needs
Responsiveness to your concerns, questions, and suggestions
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q8. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with the guidance and assistance you received from your SPEC relationship manager regarding…? [rotate A-I ]
Your selection of tax return preparation site locations—for example, what cities are in need of VITA sites
Reaching your target customers
Reviewing or assisting with your training plans
Reviewing your educational products for technical accuracy
Identifying and establishing partnerships with community-based organizations
Providing you with results of your accomplishments and/or helping you assess the impact of your program
Reviewing Quality Site Requirements
SPEC-provided research, such as databases, MapPoint Analysis, reports, return filing statistics or tables
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q9. Overall, how satisfied are you with your SPEC relationship manager?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q9A. Thinking about your overall satisfaction with your relationship manager last year, would you say this year you are more satisfied, less satisfied, or that your overall satisfaction with your relationship manager has remained about the same? If this is your first year working with SPEC, please choose “Not Applicable”.
05 More satisfied
04 Remained about the same
03 Less satisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
///ASK IF Q9A=05///
Q9B. Why do you say you are more satisfied overall with your SPEC relationship manager this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
///ASK IF Q9A=03///
Q9C. Why do you say you are less satisfied overall with your SPEC relationship manager this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
[ASK IF Q6 = 01]
[If Q6 = 02, AND Q1=01,02,04,05,07 Skip to Section V]
[If Q6 = 02, AND Q1=03,06 Skip to Section VI
IV. Relationship Building
We would now like to ask you to rate your satisfaction with the relationship between you, the local SPEC office and your national organization. Again, please indicate if an item is not applicable for you or your organization, or if you have no experience with it, or you are unaware of the items mentioned.
Q10. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with…? [Rotate A-B]
SPEC’s success in building relationships between you and local SPEC relationship managers
The communication between you and local SPEC relationship managers
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
[If Q1 = 03, 06 only Skip to Section VI]
V. Tax Law Training Service and Training Materials
Now we would like to ask you about your satisfaction with the tax law training your volunteers received. As before, please indicate if an item is not applicable for you or your organization, if you have no experience with it, or you are unaware the product/service is available.
Q11. How do the majority of the volunteers at your partnership or coalition receive tax law training?
Self Study
Training taught by volunteers (train the trainer)
Training taught by other partners
Training taught by SPEC staff
05 No training Skip to Section VI
///ASK IF Q11=01,02,03,04, ELSE SKIP TO SECTION VI ///
Q12. Thinking about the SPEC -provided materials that you used for tax law training, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with… [Rotate A-E]
“Link
and Learn Taxes”
Publication 4012 - Volunteer Resource Guide—also known as the VITA/TCE Spiral Bound Reference Guide
Publication 4491 – Process Based Training
Form 6744 – The Volunteer Assistor’s Test/Retest
Publication 4555 – The tax law training Facilitator’s Guide
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF Q11=01,02,03,04, ELSE SKIP TO SECTION VI ///
Q13. Overall, how satisfied are you with the tax law training materials provided by SPEC?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[ASK If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 ]
[If Q1 = 03,06 Skip to Section VII]
VI. E-file and Related Materials
We’d now like to ask you to rate your satisfaction with the products and materials used to e-file tax returns. Again, please indicate if an item is not applicable for you or your organization, or if you have no experience with it, or you are unaware the product/service is available.
Q14. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with these e-file products and materials? If you have not used these or are not aware of them, please let me know. [Rotate C and D only]
TaxWise electronic filing software desktop product
TaxWise electronic filing software online product
CCH Customer Support Line for TaxWise Software support
Publication 3189 - E-file Administrator Guide
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK ALL///
VII. Community Network Pages
Next, we would like to ask about the online resources available for partners at www.irs.gov.
Q15. How satisfied are you with the current information on the Community Network web pages on IRS.gov? If an item is not applicable to your organization; or if you have no experience with it; or you were not aware of this product, please choose: Not applicable/Have not used/No experience.
Volunteer Training Materials
Partner and Volunteer resource Center
Link & Learn Taxes
VITA Grant Program
Volunteer in Your Community
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
Q16a. What other information would you like to see included on the Community Network Pages?
[Record verbatim]
[ASK If Q1 = 03,06,07]
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05 Skip to Section X]
VIII. Marketing Products and Materials
Q17 Next, let’s talk about marketing products and materials. Once again, please indicate if an item is not applicable for you or your organization, if you have no experience with it, or weren’t aware of this product. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very frequently and 1 being not at all, how often do you utilize SPEC developed marketing products and materials?
05 Very frequently
04
03
02
01 Not at all
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[ASK If Q1 = 03,06,07]
Q18 How likely are you to use other marketing products and materials that you or your organization has developed rather than SPEC developed marketing products and materials?
05 Very likely
04
03
02
01 Not at all likely
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[ASK If Q18 = 04,05]
Q18A. If you are likely to use other marketing products or materials that you or your organization has developed, what would those products be?
[Record verbatim]
[ASK If Q17 = 02,03,04,05]
[If Q17 = 01,07 Skip to Q20]
Q19 Now let’s talk about specific marketing products and materials. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with the following SPEC marketing products and materials? Once again, please indicate if an item is not applicable for you or your organization, if you have no experience with it, or weren’t aware of this product. [DO NOT ROTATE]
Pub 4705 - Tax Relief for Struggling Homeowners Brochures
Pub 4156 – Life Cycle Series: Birth - Childhood
Pub 4156 Sp- Life Cycle Series: Birth - Childhood
Pub 3965 – Got Kids? You May be Able to Take Child Tax Credit
Pub 3961 Eng/Sp – Child Tax Credit (Stuffer)
Pub 3966 – Living with Disabilities
Pub 4787 - Catch a Break - ARRA Overview
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[ASK If Q1 = 03,06,07]
Q20. Does SPEC need to develop other types of marketing materials to assist with your outreach efforts?
01 Yes
02 No
[ASK If Q20 = 01, ELSE SKIP TO Q31]
Q20a. What other types of marketing materials would be helpful for you?
[Record verbatim]
///ASK IF Q1=03,06,07 AND Q17=01,02,03,04,05///
Q21. Overall, how satisfied are you with the marketing products and materials provided by SPEC?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
[If Q1 = 03,06 only Skip to Section XI]
IX. Privacy, Anonymity and Security
Next, we would like to ask for your feedback on SPEC’s efforts to improve the privacy, Anonymity, and security procedures at return preparation sites, as referenced in Publication 4299 – Privacy and Anonymity - A Public Trust.
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
Q22. Did SPEC provide guidance material to assist with the privacy, Anonymly and security of taxpayer data?
01 Yes
02 No
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
Q23. Overall, how satisfied are you with SPEC’s efforts to improve the privacy, Anonymity, and security procedures at return preparation sites.
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
X. Quality Improvement Process
Now we would like to ask you about SPEC’s VITA/TCE – Volunteer Return Preparation Program - Quality Site Requirements.
Q24. Using the same satisfaction scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means very satisfied and 1 means very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with the following products developed to support the Quality Site Requirements?
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,07 rotate A-D]
[If Q1 = 05 rotate A,B,& D only]
Form 13614C - Intake & Interview Sheet
Publication 4012 - Volunteer Resource Guide
Publication 1084 - Volunteer Site Coordinator’s Handbook
VITA Hotline (1-800-829-VITA)
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF Q24D = 04 or 05///
Q24.1. What did you like about the VITA Hotline?
///ASK IF Q24D = 01 or 02///
Q24.2. Why were you dissatisfied with the VITA Hotline?
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05,07 Continue]
Q25. Using the same scale overall how satisfied are you with the guidance, tools, and support provided by SPEC to improve the Quality Site Requirements?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF S3=02///
XI. Overall Satisfaction
Q26. We’ve asked about the service you may have received from SPEC staff, including the relationship between you and SPEC staff, products, training, outreach, education, and research. Considering all of your responses to this survey, we’d like you to rate your overall satisfaction with SPEC’s products and services. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, are you…?
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q26A. Thinking about your overall satisfaction with SPEC last year, would you say this year you are more satisfied, less satisfied, or that your overall satisfaction has remained about the same? If this is your first year working with SPEC, please choose “Not Applicable”.
05 More satisfied
04 Remained about the same
03 Less satisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
///ASK IF Q26A=05///
Q26B. Why do you say you are more satisfied overall with SPEC this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
///ASK IF Q26A=03///
Q26C. Why do you say you are less satisfied overall with SPEC this year compared to last year?
[Record verbatim]
///ASK IF S3=02///
Q27. Given your experience, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being very likely and 1 being very unlikely, how likely are you to continue partnering with SPEC next year?
05 Very likely
04
03
02
01 Very unlikely
[ASK If Q27 = 01,02 ELSE Skip to Section xII]
Q28. If you do not anticipate partnering with SPEC next year, what is the main reason you are relatively unlikely to continue?
[Record verbatim]
[If Q1 = 03,06,07 Continue]
[If Q1 = 01,02,04,05 Skip to Section XIV]
XII. EITC Marketing Materials
You have just completed the SPEC portion of this survey. Now we would like you to answer a few questions about products created by the IRS National Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Office to promote awareness of the EITC.
Q29. Are you familiar with EITC's marketing campaign slogan "Life’s Easier with EITC"?
01 Yes
02 No
Q30. Are you aware of how to order and obtain free EITC publications and marketing materials from IRS?
01 Yes
02 No
///ASK If Q1 = 03,06,07///
Q31. Have you used any of the following EITC marketing materials to assist you in your efforts to provide education and outreach, tax preparation and/or asset building efforts? [rotate A-I]
Publication 4559 – EITC Sell Sheet – lists all EITC products and descriptions
Publication 962 series – Stuffers in English, Spanish and evergreen with EITC basic eligibility requirements.
Publication 3211 – Bilingual Q&A EITC brochure used to answer most common questions relating to EITC.
Publication 4298 – Bus card displayed on public transportation vehicles to market three IRS programs to taxpayers: EITC, Child Tax Credit, and e-File.
Publication 4194 – Bilingual reference poster listing EITC requirements and most common EITC errors.
Publication 3524 series – EITC eligibility checklist in both English and Spanish
Publication 1235 – Brochure for taxpayers who could be eligible for Advance Earned Income Tax Credit (AEITC). English on one side, Spanish on the other.
Other IRS provided EITC publications.
EITC publications not provided by the IRS.
01 Yes
02 No
Follow up on 31H or Q31I – If either is yes then
Q32a Are you aware you can use the free Marketing Express web service on www.EITC.irs.gov to develop your own EITC marketing materials that you can print?
01 Yes
02 No
Follow up on Q32a -If yes then
Q32b Have you used the free Marketing Express web service on www.EITC.irs.gov to develop your own EITC marketing materials that you can print??
01 Yes
02 No
///ASK If Q1 = 03,06,07///
Q33. How frequently do you visit the following EITC related online resources?
A. EITC pages on www.irs.gov
B. EITC Assistant on irs.gov in either English or Spanish
C. Online tools and resources found on EITC Central or eitc.irs.gov
05 Once Daily
04 Once Weekly
03 Once Monthly
02 Occasionally
01 Never
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
[Programmer: Q33A, 33B, and 33C are to be treated as independent questions. All three questions are to be asked. Skip patterns for each of these three questions determine ONLY whether the corresponding item within Q59 will be asked or not.]
[If Q33A = 02,03,04,05 Ask Q34A]
[If Q33A = 01,07 Do not ask Q34A]
[If Q33B = 02,03,04,05 Ask Q34B]
[If Q33B = 01,07 Do not ask Q34B]
[If Q33C = 02,03,04,05 Ask Q34C]
[If Q33C = 01,07 Do not ask Q34C]
Q34. How satisfied are you with the following online resources related to the EITC meeting your organizations needs? On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very satisfied and 1 being very dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with…
A. EITC pages on www.irs.gov
C. EITC Assistant on irs.gov in either English or Spanish
D. Online tools and resources found on EITC Central including customizable communication products
05 Very satisfied
04
03
02
01 Very dissatisfied
06 [Not applicable/Have not used/No experience]
07 [Unaware product/service was available]
///ASK IF S3=02///
XIV. Close
That concludes this survey. On behalf of the IRS, SPEC and ICF Macro, thank you very much for your participation.
SPEC Partner Local Partner
Pre-Notification Letter
From: [email protected]
To: [Local Partner E-Mail address]
Subject: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear [Name]:
You are receiving this e-mail because your organization is an IRS Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) local partner. During the next couple of weeks, you will receive another email from ICF Macro, a survey research and consulting firm. That email will invite you to complete a brief survey to provide your candid feedback about the products and services you receive from SPEC.
This year’s survey questions have been revised to include items related to SPEC initiatives and our changing business environment. Based on feedback from partners surveyed in the past, the time for this years’ survey has been significantly reduced.
Capturing your feedback is very important to the IRS. Your participation in this survey is critical so that we can improve our products and services to all of our local partners. ICF Macro will not provide any identifying information to the IRS along with your responses and will hold your identity private to the extent permitted by law. Your feedback will be provided to the IRS in aggregate only.
If you have any questions, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or your IRS relationship manager.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Julieta D. Garcia
Director, Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner Local Partner Initial Notification
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
The IRS office of Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC) is asking you, as one of their valued local partners, to help them determine where to focus their attention in 2010/2011. To do this, we invite you to participate in the 2010 SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. This web-based survey can be easily completed over the internet at your convenience. Your participation will help SPEC direct their efforts and resources to the programs needing them the most.
ICF Macro, an independent consulting firm, is administering this survey via the Internet. ICF Macro will not provide any identifying information to the IRS along with your responses and will hold your identity private to the extent permitted by law. Your feedback will be provided to the IRS in aggregate only.
The survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take less than 15 minutes.
You can access the survey from any computer that has Internet access by clicking on the above Internet address or by copying the Internet address into your browser. The web address above includes a password that will enable you to exit the survey and re-enter at a later time. It will also protect any data you have entered if you experience any computer disruptions. ICF Macro will not share these passwords with the IRS at any time during or after this study.
Please complete this survey no later than Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or
1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner Local Partner First Reminder
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: Reminder: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
Recently you should have received an e-mail message from ICF Macro asking for your participation in the 2010 SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. To ensure that the findings represent the views of all SPEC partners, we urge you to take a few minutes to complete the survey. The final cut-off date is Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have already completed the survey, thank you for your participation.
The survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take less than 15 minutes.
You can access the survey from any computer that has Internet access by clicking on the above Internet address or by copying the Internet address into your browser. The web address above includes a password that will enable you to exit the survey and re-enter at a later time. It will also protect any data you have entered if you experience any computer disruptions. ICF Macro will not share these passwords with the IRS at any time during or after this study.
If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or 1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
SPEC Partner Local Partner Final Reminder
From: [email protected]
To: [e-mail address]
Subject: Final Reminder: 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey
Dear IRS SPEC Partner:
You may just have overlooked our earlier e-mail message asking for your participation in the 2010 IRS SPEC Partner Satisfaction Survey. Or, you may have begun the survey but did not complete it. In either case, we would like to give you a final chance to complete the web-based survey so we can include your feedback for the IRS. If you have completed the survey, thank you for your participation.
The cut-off date for you to complete the survey is Friday, March 26, 2010. If you have already started the survey, the survey will resume exactly where you left off with all of your previous responses saved.
Your survey is located on the Internet at [Hyperlink]
The survey should take only 15 minutes or less.
If you have any questions about the survey administration or are having problems accessing the survey, please contact Sherri Settle at ICF Macro at [email protected] or 1-888-285-7976.
If you have any general questions about the nature of the study, please contact Ron Smith, Chief, Strategic Planning & Development, at (404) 338-8512 or Ron.Smith@irs.gov.
Thank you and I look forward to receiving your feedback.
John Hurley
Project Director
ICF Macro
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that the IRS display an OMB control number on all public information requests. The OMB Control Number for this study is 1545-1432. Also, if you have any comments regarding the time estimates associated with this study or suggestions on making this process simpler, please write to the, Internal Revenue Service, Tax Products Coordinating Committee, SE:W:CAR:MP:T:T:SP, 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20224.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SPEC Partner National Partner Survey |
| Author | XHFNB |
| Last Modified By | qhrfb |
| File Modified | 2010-02-24 |
| File Created | 2010-01-29 |