Occupational Titles Focus Group Description

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Occupational Titles Focus Group

SSA SUB-NUMBER: B-02

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: Focus Group

BACKGROUND

SSA uses the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and its companion volume, the Selected Characteristics of Occupations, as the primary sources of information about jobs and job requirements. The Department of Labor last updated the DOT in 1991 and has no plans to conduct further updates. No other occupational classification systems exist that provide the type of information SSA needs to make disability determinations under its disability programs.

SSA needs to develop an occupational information system (OIS) designed specifically for its disability programs. To accomplish this task, we need to conduct research to obtain occupational information critical to evaluating disability, including information not contained in the DOT. This effort will provide SSA with legally defensible occupational information that is optimal for disability evaluation.

SSA’s private contractor, ICF, Inc., is conducting the research needed to develop the disability programs’ OIS. This first phase of research will identify issues and approaches specific to the effective recruitment, training, and certification of job analysts. In addition to examining available written documentation, we would like our contractor to conduct focus groups to: 1) gain perspectives on the specific job analysis process; and 2) obtain an understanding of how individuals in these fields, who regularly use job analysis methods, are currently conducting them.

Description

The purpose of the occupational titles focus group is to gain a qualitative understanding (through the collection of qualitative data only) of the issues and potential solutions for conducting job analysis and to explore current trends and best practices in recruitment, training and certifying individuals to perform job analysis. We are following an iterative information gathering process where we revise our approach based on what we learned in the previous focus group. We also tailor our questions to the interview participants by using a variety of probes. Since our focus groups will involve multiple people, we will allow the discussions to drive the phrasing of questions and/or the specific probes used. We will not present our results in general statistical terms.

We would like to obtain the subject matter experts’ opinions on the industry’s current standards for how organizations recruit, train and certify individuals to perform job analysis in various fields. Ultimately, we will use this information to enhance the development of own disability programs’ OIS.

The focus groups will consist of 16 groups of 5 individuals (estimated maximum 80 individuals) who are vocational rehabilitation professionals, vocational experts, private workers’ compensation disability analysts, industrial/organizational psychologists, and other individuals qualified to perform job analysis as well as those who provide training to job analysts. The contractor will conduct focus groups via teleconference.

IF FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A PAYMENT, INDICATE AMOUNT: (Please note that OMB’s current limit for compensation is $75).

Respondents receive no payment.

USE OF SURVEY RESULTS:

The contractor will use the results from the survey to gain insight on best practices and additional information on various topics that pertain to the recruitment, training and certification of job analysts, as well as various methodologies used to analyze work. Once accumulated, reviewed, and analyzed, the contractor will provide SSA with recommendations on the most acceptable approach.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response time

(/60) = annual burden hours):

Number of Responses: 80

Estimated Response Time: 60 minutes

Annual Burden hours: 80 hours

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deborah Larwood (410-966-6135)

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