User Input on Financial Information Repository (FIR)

FIR Research Portal

Screener

Draft February 18, 2014

Study Objectives

1. To ensure FIR public functionality is tailored to address public user transparency needs and expectations

2. To ensure FIR design properly meets public user web interface needs

3. To ensure FIR public outreach plans are effective for increasing awareness of the FIR public portal

Note: Participants to sign a confidentiality statement for groups

Method

• Conduct combination of in-person focus groups and an online bulletin board, based on the results of the audience definition research.

• In person groups will take place in two to three markets.

• Online session will draw from professional users across the country.

Market Quotas: RECRUIT 7 for 4 or 5 to show

	Location-St. Louis or Kansas City Date – TBD	Location-San Francisco Date – TBD	Location – Washington, DC Date – TBD
Moderate interest group Must have some level of interest in federal government payments, receipts, debt collection and accounting data	5:30 – 7:15pm	7:30 – 9:15pm	5:30 – 7:15pm
Higher interest group Must have higher level (likely advocacy or professional) interest in federal government payments, receipts, debt collection and accounting data	7:30 – 9:30pm	5:30 – 7:15pm	7:30 – 9:15pm

Start times for the groups may be adjusted to 6pm and 8pm based on location.

All respondents:

1. Between 21 years of age or older

2. Possess some level of interest in financial information from the federal government

SCREENER

We are inviting people to participate in a discussion on the use of financial information from the federal government. We are interested in your opinions.

Q1 Industry sensitive: Are you, any member of your household, relatives, or any close friends employed by...?

1. An insurance company

2. A medical product manufacturer

3. A financial services company (including banking and credit cards)

4. A government agency

5. A market research company

6. A newspaper, TV, or radio station

7. A telecommunications company

8. A PR or advertising agency

9. None

[TERMINATE IF YES TO ANY “RED” INDUSTRIES ABOVE]

Q2 Gender: What is your gender? (OR RECORD BY OBSERVATION)

1. Female

2. Male

[MONITOR RECRUIT]

Q3 Age: In which of the following age groups do you belong? Are you….

1. 20 or under [THANK AND TERMINATE]

2. 21-30

3. 31-34

4. 35-54

5. 55-64

6. 65 or older

[MONITOR RECRUIT]

[TERMINATE IF UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE]

Q4 Internet usage: On average, how often do you use the Internet?

1. More than once a day

2. Once a day on average

3. Less than once a day (MAXIMUM OF 1 PER GROUP)

Q5 Use of U.S. Government data: The U.S. government generates many different kinds of publicly accessible information including information about the population, the economy and so on. How often do you use or look at the following types of information from the federal government?

 

	Frequently	Occasionally	Never
a. Census data
b. Employment figures
c. Government payments, receipts, debt collection and accounting data			TERMINATE

Q6 Potential use of U.S. Government data: And which of these same sources would you use more frequently if it was easier to access it? Select all that apply.

1. Census data

2. Employment figures

3. Government payments, receipts, debt collection and accounting data

[TERMINATE IF DO NOT AND WOULD NOT USE GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL DATA]

The U.S. Government processes millions of financial transactions each year. I’m going to be asking you about federal financial data from the government that includes transactions like government payments for example payments to individuals like social security benefits, veterans’ benefits, or federal income tax refund payments. There are also payments to businesses for goods and services. The government also collects revenue such as individual and corporate income tax or debt collection from loans like federal student government loans, or small business loans. In addition, the government maintains accounting data for financial reports monitoring the government’s assets and liabilities.

Q7 Interest in Financial Data: How interested would you say you are in federal government financial data like government payments, receipts, debt collection and accounting data?

 

1. Very interested

2. Somewhat interested

3. Not very interested [TERMINATE]

4. Not at all interested [TERMINATE]

[TERMINATE IF NOT VERY OR NOT AT ALL INTERESTED]

Q8 Currently get info: Which of the following are ways that you typically get information about government payments, receipts, debt collection, accounting data, and other financial transactions? Please tell me yes or no to each one.

1. Government reports

2. Federal budget reports

3. Congressional reports

4. Media

5. Government websites

6. Other websites

7. Freedom of Information Act requests

8. Some other method (specify: ____________________________)

9. None of the above

10. Don’t know

Q9 Use of federal financial info: Which of the following are reasons why you use this type of information. Select all that apply.

1. Academic analysis

2. Business purposes

3. Advocacy of an issue

4. Journalism

5. Show other people something important

6. Personal interest

7. Something else (specify: ___________________________)

8. None of the above [TERMINATE]

9. Don’t know [TERMINATE]

Q10 Frequency of use: How frequently would you say you use federal financial information on government payments, receipts, debt collection, accounting data, and other financial transactions Would you say you use this type of data…

1. Very frequently [RECRUIT FOR HIGHER INTEREST GROUP IF IN STUDY AREA OR FOR ONLINE BULLETIN BOARD IF OUT OF AREA]

2. A moderate amount [RECRUIT FOR HIGHER INTEREST GROUP]

3. Occasionally [RECRUIT FOR MODERATE INTEREST GROUP]

4. Rarely [TERMINATE]

5. Never [TERMINATE]

Q11 Describe use: Please describe your current or potential use of this type of data.

CAPTURE OPEN-END

[ONLY ACCEPT RESPONDENTS WHO CAN CLEARLY ARTICULATE]

D1 Employment: Which of the following best describes your current employment status?

1. Employed full-time

2. Employed part-time

3. Self employed

4. Full-time homemaker

5. Retired [MAXIMUM OF 2 PER GROUP]

6. Looking for employment [MAXIMUM OF 1 PER GROUP]

[MONITOR RECRUIT – MAXIMUM RETIRED OR LOOKING FOR WORK OF 2 PER GROUP]

D2 Occupation: What is your [IF NOT CURRENTLY EMPLOYED: your former] occupation? Please describe it.

CAPTURE OPEN-END

D3 Education: What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

1. Less than high school

2. High school graduate

3. Some college or trade school

4. College graduate

5. Post graduate [CAPTURE DEGREE___________________________]

[MONITOR RECRUIT]

D4 Hispanic: Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin (ethnically)?

1. Yes

2. No

[MONITOR RECRUIT; RECRUIT MIX]

D5 Race: What is your race? Please select one or more. Are you… (ACCEPT ALL MULTIPLE ANSWERS)

1. White

2. Black or African-American

3. Asian

4. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

5. American Indian or Alaskan Native

[MONTIOR RECRUIT; RECRUIT MIX]

ARTICULATION ASSESSMENT

A1 Participation attitude: I’m going to read a few statements to you. Please tell me how well each one describes you. You will be using a scale from 1 to 10 where 10 means the statement describes you extremely well and 1 means the statement does NOT describe you at all. You can use any number in between.

	Does NOT Describe Me At All (1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	Describes Me Extremely Well (10)
If asked to describe something I can usually do so in detail
I’m comfortable expressing my opinions when I’m with other people

[TERMINATE IF ANSWER 1 - 6 ON EITHER STATEMENT]

Invitation

We would like to invite you to participate in a discussion group about potential use of government financial data on [SPECIFY DATE, TIME AND LOCATION.] This will take about two hours. We believe you’ll find it enjoyable, we are not selling anything, and for your participation you will receive $XXX. Will you be able to participate in our interview? We are inviting only a select few people to participate, so please make sure you will be able to attend.

[CONFIRM ADDRESS/CONTACT INFORMATION; TELL RESPONDENTS THEY WILL BE RECEIVING MAP/INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISCUSSION GROUP.]