Conference_Surveys_Justification_5_12_11

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSIONS

 

A. Justification

A1.  Need for Information Collection

Through a partnership with the Points of Light Institute (POLI), the Corporation hosts the annual National Conference on Volunteering and Service. The conference encourages the volunteering community to share information and practices, learn new skills and establish relationships. Attendees include leaders from nonprofits and other civic organizations; academic institutions; businesses, and government agencies.

A2.  Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used.

In partnership with POLI, the Corporation assesses the satisfaction of participants with the conference’s activities by gathering feedback about their experiences to help inform the planning of future conferences. Data are collected and used as described below.

• Registration Survey Form - data collected via the Conference registration system provides demographic information on registered attendees, expectations and previous experiences.

• Workshop Survey Form - onsite and online surveys administered in all Conference sessions to learn about the workshop/session experience from the perspective of attendees.

• Post-Conference Online Surveys – online surveys administered to registered attendees, (excluding Conference exhibitors) to gather information about participation, and quality and satisfaction with the Conference.

 

 A3.  Minimize Burden: Use of Improved Technology to Reduce Burden

The Corporation will administer an online survey via an external platform. Paper surveys will also be administered onsite during the conference.

A4.  Non-Duplication

There are no other sources of information by which the Corporation can meet the purposes described in A2 (above).

 

A5.  Minimizing for economic burden for small businesses or other small entities.

There is no economic burden to any small entities beyond the cost of staff time to respond to the voluntary surveys. Respondent burden is minimized by only asking for the information necessary to measure progress toward the Corporation’s strategic goals.

A6.  Consequences of the collection if not conducted, conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

 

The Corporation would be unable to collect substantial feedback from attendees of the annual conference without approval of this collection.

A7.  Special circumstances that would cause information collection to be collected in a manner requiring respondents to report more often than quarterly; report in fewer than 30 days after receipt of the request; submit more than an original and two copies; retain records for more than three years; and other ways specified in the Instructions focused on statistical methods, confidentially, and proprietary trade secrets.

There are no special circumstances that would require the collection of information in any other ways specified.

A8.  Provide copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency’s notice. Summarize comments received and actions taken in response to comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

The 60-day Notice soliciting comments was published in the Federal Register, on Thursday, December 16, 2010 on pages 78681-78682 (2 pages). No comments were submitted.

A 30-day Notice soliciting comments was published in the Federal Register, on Thursday, April 14, 2011 on pages 20961-20962 (2 pages).

 

 A9.  Payment to Respondents

There are no payments or gifts to respondents.

  

A10.  Assurance of Confidentiality and its basis in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Information provided by this collection will be held solely by CNCS and POLI staff. All of the reported data will be aggregated, and will not be linked to identifiable information about the respondent.

A11.  Sensitive Questions

 

The information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

 

A12. Hour burden of the collection

We expect approximately 5,000 respondents may complete six separate surveys, on average, each of which may take up to 15 minutes to complete. The frequency of response will not be greater than annual, and should not exceed 35 minutes of effort per respondent. The burden estimate of 5,833 hours is greater than the current burden estimate because of more accurate information about the response burden for workshop evaluation forms. On average, each attendee fills out about four of these forms, but each form only takes about ten minutes apiece. There is no estimated annual hour burden outside of the customary and usual business practices.

 

A13. Cost burden to the respondent

There is no economic burden to any respondents beyond the cost of staff time to respond to the voluntary surveys.

 

A14. Cost to Government

There are no additional costs to the Government.

A15. Reasons for program changes or adjustments in burden or cost.

Not applicable.

 

 A16.  Publication of results

Not applicable because the responses to this information collection will not be published. 

 

A17.  Explain the reason for seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

Not applicable.

 

 A18.  Exceptions to the certification statement

There are no exceptions to the certification statement in the submitted ROCIS form.

Part B

STATISTICAL METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

B1 Potential Respondent Universe

The potential respondent universe for this collection that is covered by this submission is divided into three categories: registration, workshop, and post-conference. People registering for the conference will complete the registration survey. People attending training sessions will complete a workshop survey. People that attended the conference will receive the online post- conference survey. People that attended the conference will receive the online follow-up conference survey.

B2 Sampling Method and Respondent Universe

All registered attendees will be asked to complete the registration, workshop, post-conference, and follow-up conference surveys.

B2.2 Procedures to Deal With Non-Response

A number of appropriate actions will be taken to ensure a high rate of response to the surveys covered in this submission.

 

Multiple reminders will be sent out for all on-line surveys. All surveys will be announced at conferences in hopes that participants will complete them. Additionally, conference volunteers and/or the Conference evaluation contractors will attend all sessions to deliver and collect surveys and include them anonymously in a sealed envelope.

Despite best efforts to reduce non-response, like most surveys there will likely be some non-response issues that need to be evaluated. This necessitates a careful look at patterns of non-response at each stage of data collection—not only reviewing the characteristics of those not participating but also reviewing instances where only partial information has been provided.

B3 Pre-Testing of Procedures

Most survey questions have been used on previous versions of the conference surveys.

B4 Persons Responsible for Statistical Aspects of the Design

The persons most directly responsible for statistical aspects of the design are:

Nathan Dietz

Office of Strategy and Special Initiatives

Corporation for National and Community Service

Brandee Menoher

Director of Planning, Evaluation and Performance Measurement

Points of Light Institute

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