SOI-237 - Supporting Statement

OMB CLEARANCE PACKAGE FOR

FIELD ASSISTANCE TAC KIOSK/IVR PROJECT

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY CY2010

SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 – DECEMBER 31, 2010

TIRNO-05-Z-00014

OMB # 1545-1432

I. Introduction:

Background:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has replaced its traditional measures of accomplishment with a balanced measurement system consisting of business results, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. The IRS has been measuring customer satisfaction in its Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) offices since 1998. For the Wage & Investment (W&I) Division, an important service delivery channel is the 401 Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC) offices serving walk-in customers. Information collected from the customer satisfaction survey is used to provide meaningful feedback to managers and staff in those TAC offices.

The IRS has been measuring customer satisfaction in its TAC offices since 1998. The survey is currently administered by having Individual Taxpayer Advisory Specialists (ITAS) give out a survey comment card to each customer who is provided a service to be completed and left at the TAC office. The goal of the comment card survey is to provide specific qualitative feedback and comments for the TAC offices.

Objectives of Data Collection:

The comment cards retain rating questions, which are tabulated and reported monthly and in depth for three reporting periods annually. However, the comment card mode is cumbersome, labor intensive, expensive to administer, and lacks statistical validity. The purpose of this follow up study is to test two additional delivery modes for this survey. The two additional modes are computer supported kiosks and telephone Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

II. Methodology:

Sample Design:

The proposed pilot test program will introduce on a limited scale and limited timeframe two additional modes to administer the survey. The modes will be computer input via a kiosk component and interactive voice recording (IVR) telephone mode introduced via a toll-free telephone number. The survey instrument questions will not change. This project is a logical follow up to the original FSS order placed in accordance with the applicable FSS ordering procedures.

Survey Methodology and Administration

WIRA requires the contractor to select 10 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) in coordination with and guidance from the functional Field Assistance Representative. The project will run two tests in separate locations during approximately 4 weeks after OMB clearance is received. The contractor shall provide the following:

• Test 1: 5 kiosks with for computer mode survey at separate locations; provide kiosk and hardware; program survey; provide on site installation, guidance and training to TAC staff.

• Test 2: 5 sites selected to distribute cards with toll free number (IVR) at separate locations; provide cards with instructions and toll free number to TACs; provide guidance and training to TAC staff; coordinate through functional contact and site manager; program the IVR.

Data Collection Dates:

Once approval to proceed is secured, it is expected to be a 4 week effort. At present time, we expect the timeframe to commence in mid-late September and end in mid-late October 2010.

Survey Questions:

• Will remain same as current comment card survey (attached).

How data will be used:

WIRA requires the contractor to select 10 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) in coordination with and guidance from the functional Field Assistance Representative. This is a pilot project to test the additional modes of computer kiosk and IVR telephone to compare the response rate to the existing comment card mode. In addition, WIRA expects data to compare the efficiencies and cost among the different modes in a contractor prepared report.

How data will be analyzed:

The contractor shall account for and keep track of the incoming survey data, enter the data into an electronic database, and perform quality checks on all data. The contractor shall create and submit to WIRA the formatted data in a mutually agreed upon electronic format, including a record layout and variable definitions.

When delivering the data, Contractor shall ensure WIRA has the data necessary to complete the OMB follow-up report. This includes, but is not limited to, the number of survey respondents who completed the survey, average time to complete the survey and response rates. Statistical analysis shall be used to determine ratings within and comparisons among the various modes, including weighting as appropriate.

Who is conducting the research:

Pacific Consulting Group (PCG) in conjunction with its subcontractor PinPoint Technologies.

Location – region/city and facilities (TACs)

Area 1 South Portland, ME Buffalo, NY

Area 2 Grand Rapids, MI Indianapolis, IN

Area 3 Baton Rouge, LA New Orleans, LA

Area 4 Wichita, KS Phoenix, AZ

Area 5 Spokane, WA Los Angeles, CA

Cost of Study: $60,000.00.

Stipend:

Respondents will not be paid to participate in the survey.

Recruitment efforts:

Taxpayers who walk into the selected Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) will be offered the survey.

Methods to maximize response rate:

The purpose of the pilot program for the two test modes of the survey (computer kiosk and telephone IVR) are to determine and compare which mode(s) provide the best response rate.

Expected Response Rate:

Previous experience with surveys indicates the response rate will be approximately 6 percent of the total walk-in volume. With regard to the expected low response rate, the response rate has traditionally been low for the comment cards. This pilot project is intended to explore two other modes in order to increase the response rate. Note that this is a unique survey in that it is not offered to a random sample via mail, phone or internet.

Efforts to not duplicate research:

We have not found any previous research that duplicates our efforts.

Participant Criteria:

Respondents are walk-in taxpayers who seek assistance at the local TAC.

III. Privacy, Security, Disclosure

The contractor and IRS will ensure that the utmost scrutiny is given to privacy, security, and disclosure when profiling the Taxpayers that respond to this survey. Every precaution will be taken to assure the proper protection of the Taxpayer’s survey responses. The survey responses will be associated with the amount of Taxpayer data that is necessary to accomplish the objectives. We will limit and control the amount of information that we collect to those items that are necessary to accomplish the research objectives.

We will carefully safeguard the security of data utilized, as well as, the privacy of the Taxpayers. Physical security measures include a locked, secure office. In addition, we will store printouts of sensitive data in locked cabinets, and shred the data when we no longer need it. We will accomplish data security at the C-2 level through the Windows NT operating system. Systems are password protected, users are profiled for authorized use, and individual audit trails will be generated and reviewed. We will apply fair information and record-keeping practices to ensure protection of all Taxpayer information.

We will protect the privacy of the Taxpayers that participate in the surveys by not using names in our report. We will also control official access to the information and will not allow public access to the information. The surveys and Taxpayer data will be destroyed when we have completed the project and there is no further need for the data.

We will apply fair information and record-keeping practices to ensure protection of all Taxpayers. The criterion for disclosure laid out in the Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, and section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code provides for the protection of Taxpayer information as well as its release to authorized recipients.

IV. Burden Hours

The average number of surveys completed per TAC is 400 for a 4 week period (100 per week).

 

400 X 10 (Number of TACs for the project) = 4000.

The time that a respondent takes to complete the survey is expected to be 2 minutes. The questions are generally one sentence in structure and on an elementary concept level.

The total burden in hours is estimated to be 133.33 hours (4000 surveys x 2 minutes / 60 minutes).

There are no burden hours for non-respondents.

V. Special Tallies and Other Information

The following information will be provided within 60 business days after the close of the survey data collection operations:

1. Findings: a brief summary of significant (important) findings that were evidenced in the results.

2. Actions taken or lessons learned: a brief summary of actions taken or lessons learned as a result of the findings

3. Number of requests for Taxpayer participation

4. Number of completed questionnaires

Attachments: Survey