Description EN Customer Satisfaction Survey

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

T ITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Employment Network (EN) Customer Satisfaction Survey

SSA SUB-NUMBER: D-01

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

Background

Ticket to Work (TTW) is a Social Security Administration (SSA) program that offers adults receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or disability/blindness-related Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments choices for receiving employment services. Under this program, SSA issues tickets to eligible recipients, who in turn, may choose to assign those tickets to an Employment Network (EN) or to their State vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal. The EN or SVRA coordinates and provides appropriate services to help recipients find and maintain employment.

To ensure that ENs are providing effective and quality service, SSA needs to assess SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients’ satisfaction with EN services. In this survey, SSA will conduct a customer satisfaction assessment of select recipients who are currently participating in the TTW program and have assigned their tickets with a specific EN for three months or longer. The survey will serve two purposes: 1) it will assess EN satisfaction for the participants, and 2) will provide data about how average customer satisfaction with individual ENs compares to statewide EN customer satisfaction. The survey asks recipients to rate the services provided by SSA-contracted ENs in their role as employment support providers under the TTW program.

Description of Survey

We are planning to survey approximately 17,000 SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients who assigned their tickets to ENs (excluding SRVR agencies acting as an EN) as of April 1, 2011. Only the clients of ENs with 35 or more tickets assigned for at least three months will receive the survey. We will mail the survey questionnaire to the clients of each of the selected ENs about a week after we send the advance letter announcing the survey. We will conduct this survey by mail. In order to obtain at least 25 respondents per EN (for validity), non-respondents of the mail survey assigned to the smallest ENs will also receive telephone-call reminders. The survey will additionally be available online for SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients who choose to respond electronically. An explanation of the survey follows.

This proposed survey will be a quantitative survey. Our agency-approved contractor, will mail the surveys within one month of receiving OMB approval.

The survey responses will be strictly voluntary and anonymous. We will not provide any payments/stipend to participants.

USE OF SURVEY RESULTS:

We will incorporate the customer satisfaction information into an EN Report Card that will add a new dimension to the current evaluation of ENs. SSA will use the results of the study to monitor and evaluate recipient satisfaction with their EN’s performance. Prospective clients will use the information to help them choose an EN.

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

(/60) = annual burden hours):

Based on 25 percent response rate:

Number of Responses: 17,000.

Estimated Response Time: 10 minutes.

Annual Burden hours: 2,833 hours.

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deb Larwood, 410-966-6135

Quantitative Surveys:

For quantitative surveys, you will need to complete the questions below.

A. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Provide, in tabular form, data on 1) the number of entities in the universe covered by the collection, 2) the corresponding sample for the universe as a whole, and 3) each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If you have conducted the collection previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

The sampling universe is all SSDI and SSI recipients served by ENs having thirty-five or more ticket holders under the TTW program for at least three months. A mixed sampling method is proposed; we will survey (1) all ticket holders served by all ENs meeting these criteria who have 500 or fewer ticket holders, and (2) a randomly selected 500 ticket holders from all ENs meeting these criteria who have more than 500 ticket holders assigned to them.

	N (approximate)
Number of Entities in the Universe	25,000
Sample	17,000
Strata	Not applicable

The expected response rate is 25 percent, the average for this type of survey. While the research plan includes some elements shown to increase return rate, i.e., multiple formats for completion, advance notice, follow-up (mail and phone) and postage-paid, addressed envelopes; it does not include incentives (e.g., money) for respondent participation. Our prior experience in surveying the beneficiaries/recipients’ ENs in California yielded a 20 percent response rate.

B. Describe the procedures for the collection of information:

The evaluation uses mailed surveys with postage-paid envelopes. We are also providing an on-line response option with a personal identification number (PIN) for the on-line version included in the mailing. We will estimate means for all respondents from each state, and for individual ENs based on the survey responses received.

The purpose of the EN consumer satisfaction survey is to provide beneficiaries and recipients information that would enable them to make informed choices of the EN from which they wish to receive services. A secondary purpose is to provide feedback to ENs regarding strengths and weaknesses of their programs, as perceived by consumers. The degree of accuracy needed is sufficient to identify meaningful differences among ENs’ ratings. For this purpose, we consider a difference of 10 percent sufficient to potentially affect a consumer’s decision to choose one EN over another.

There are no unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures.

The research plan proposes annual data collection. New TTW ENs enter the program each year and the clients of existing ENs’ may change as well. Therefore, a less than annual data collection period would miss some new programs and not reflect the opinions of current clients.

C. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with the issues of non-response.

We have made multiple efforts to maximize response rates. We will mail potential recipients an advance survey notice explaining the purpose of the survey and encouraging their participation. We will also mail each survey with an addressed, postage-paid envelope, as well as the URL and PIN for an on-line response option for the survey.

Within two to four weeks of the original mailing, we will mail non-respondents a reminder letter, another copy of the survey, a postage-paid envelope, URL and PIN for optional on-line completion.

We will mail surveys in the language of preference (Spanish or English) on record with SSA.

We will follow up by telephone with non-respondents of smaller ENs who have not responded to the three previous mailings to increase the number of ENs with at least 25 respondents. We will make the phone calls in the language of preference (Spanish or English) on record with SSA.

We will analyze survey data for each EN, by state, and nationally for non-response issues. We will merge survey responses by PIN number with demographic and earnings information in SSA’s database, and from the Annual Performance and Outcome Report (APOR). A missing data variable will be added, coded 1 for survey respondents and 0 for missing data. We will compare respondents to the population on demographic variables (age, gender, disability category, employment status, earnings levels and race) and on EN variables (number and type of beneficiaries/recipients served, types of services provided).

We will test demographic and EN variables for significant relationships with consumer satisfaction and outcome. If we detect a non-response bias, we will report such bias and control for it as possible through the construction of sampling weights.

D. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. When possible, OMB encourages testing of procedures as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. However, this is not always necessary.

The National Employment Network Consumer Satisfaction survey is a follow on to the statewide pilot test that SSA used to refine the questionnaire and methods of information collection. Respondents will complete a 20-item survey, comprised primarily of multiple-choice and checklist items. We estimate that the survey will take 10 minutes to complete.

We will test the on-line survey for accessibility for individuals with visual impairments and compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. An SSA-approved contractor developed the survey. The survey underwent review by several individuals with expertise with the TTW program including three SSA beneficiaries who had been involved with the program, members of the program manager/contractor team, the new contractor that will be conducting this research, and SSA. We further revised the survey based on comments stemming from public forums. We have not changed the survey questionnaire since OMB approved it for the pilot in August 2009; however, based on lessons learned from the pilot, the contractor will be conducting this research with a revised sampling strategy.

E. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals you consulted on statistical aspects of the design. If you are using a contractor who will actually collect and/or analyze the data, provide their name as well.

Consulted on statistical aspects of the design:

Debbie Winter (571) 926-1329

AnnMaria De Mars (310) 717-9089

BAE Systems Information Solutions, Inc.

Consulted on statistical aspects of the design and contracted to collect and analyze the data Steven Millman (703) 377-9280

Booz Allen Hamilton