Spanish Retirement Estimator Focus Group Description

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE OF
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Spanish Retirement Estimator Focus Groups and Usability

SSA SUB-NUMBER: B-02

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: (give purpose of activity, provide specific information; i.e., date(s) of survey, number of focus groups, locations, etc.):

BACKGROUND

The Social Security Administration (SSA) launched the Retirement Estimator online application in July 2008. Since the release of the Retirement Estimator, over 4 million users successfully received retirement estimates. Additionally, the Retirement Estimator has consistently maintained a satisfaction score of 90% since its launch, as reported by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. SSA is seeking to provide this same level of service to our Spanish-speaking customers.

As part of SSA’s strategic goal to “Improve Our Retiree and Other Core Services,” we plan to conduct usability and triad focus groups for a Spanish-language version of the Retirement Estimator online application, thus ultimately facilitating the agency’s efforts to increase the public’s use of our online retirement services.

SURVEY

Description of Survey

SSA would like to obtain the Spanish-speaking public’s opinion about a Spanish-language version of the Retirement Estimator. We hope to determine whether a Spanish-language Retirement Estimator would assist Spanish-speaking individuals in obtaining their online retirement benefit estimates that we maintain based on their earnings record. In particular, we wish to obtain input from the Spanish-speaking public about:

• The need and desire for implementing an online Spanish-language Retirement Estimator;

• Their knowledge of the services SSA currently offers online;

• The type of Spanish-speaking audience who would likely use this service (i.e. younger, near-retirement age, etc.); and,

• Their frequency of visits to Spanish-language websites.

We will be conducting the Spanish Retirement Estimator Focus Groups and Usability Testing to obtain the Spanish-speaking public’s reaction to the prototype screens of the Retirement Estimator online application in Spanish.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY:

We will conduct individual usability testing interviews and focus groups at facilities in New York, New York; San Antonio, Texas; and Miami, Florida. A market research facility in each location will recruit participants from the general public using SSA’s screening criteria. Participants will be members of the Spanish-speaking public, ages 30-64, who speak Spanish and use the Internet to conduct personal business. The research will consist of:

• Eighteen 1-hour, one-on-one usability testing interviews (six in each city); and,

• Six 1-hour focus groups, with three participants in each group (two in each city).

USE OF SURVEY RESULTS:

SSA will use the results of these focus groups to evaluate and modify the Spanish-translated version of the Retirement Estimator online application. Ultimately, these results will assist SSA in obtaining feedback from the Spanish-speaking public on the Spanish-translated Retirement Estimator and provide SSA insight in building the foundation for future Spanish-language applications.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION:

Number of Responses: 18

Estimated Response Time: 120 minutes

Annual Burden Hours: 36

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Debbie Larwood

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 410-966-6135

Spanish Retirement Estimator Description (0960-0526 GC)

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