Green Goods and Services Sector - State, Local, or Tribal Governments

Introduction

Intro1. Hello, may I speak with (INSERT CONTACT NAME)?

My name is ______________. I am calling on behalf of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in reference to the Bureau’s Green Goods and Services survey.

Intro2. (REINTRODUCE SELF IF NECESSARY) Our records indicate that you completed the Green Goods and Services survey over the telephone. First, we want to thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. We are calling you now to find out what you thought of the survey, and if you have any suggestions for improving it. Your opinions are very important to us, so if you can spare a few minutes, we’d like to hear your reactions.

[IF THEY SAY THEY DON’T RECALL THE SURVEY REMIND THEM THIS SURVEY ASKED IF THEIR WORKSITE PRODUCED GOODS OR SERVICES THAT FELL INTO CATEGORIES LIKE ENERGRY EFFICENCY OR RENEWABLE ENERGY]

[IF THEY SAY THEY DID NOT COMPLETE THE SURVEY OVER THE PHONE, END THE SURVEY]

Section 1. Questions about the Survey Form

Before we begin, let me assure you that this call is strictly for statistical and informational purposes to help us best conduct the Green Goods and Services survey. Your participation is completely voluntary and you can decline to answer any question at any time. This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes. Depending on the number of comments, the questions usually take less than 10 minutes to complete, depending on how much you have to say.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees, agents, and partner statistical agencies, will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 and other applicable federal laws. Your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent.

S1Q1: First, let's start with the paper survey that was sent to you in the mail. Do you recall receiving the paper form of the survey?

• YES

• NO (IF NO GO TO S2 Q1)

S1Q2: What was your initial reaction to receiving the form?

S1Q3: Now thinking about that paper survey, did you read the survey carefully, skim through the survey quickly, only look at the survey to see what it was about, or not look at the content of the survey at all? [DO NOT READ CHOICES]

• READ THE SURVEY FORM CAREFULLY

• SKIMMED THROUGH THE SURVEY FORM QUICKLY

• ONLY LOOKED AT THE SURVEY FORM TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ABOUT

• DID NOT LOOK AT THE CONTENTS OF THE SURVEY FORM (GO TO S1Q5)

• DO NOT RECALL/NOT SURE (GO TO S1Q5)

• DID NOT RECIEVE (GO TO S1Q5)

S1Q4: What concerns did you have about the survey after reading through it? [DO NOT READ CHOICES]

• A. TIME/BURDEN – WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH TIME TO COMPLETE

• B. TOPIC NOT RELEVENT/DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR COMPANY

• C. GENERALLY DO NOT LIKE TO FILL OUT SURVEYS

• D. UNSURE HOW TO DETERMINE THIS INFORMATION

• E. DID NOT UNDERSTAND SOME/ALL OF THE GREEN GOODS & SERVICES CATEGORIES OR EXAMPLES

• F. INPUT REQUIRED FROM OTHERS IN ESTABLISHMENT / COORDINATION ISSUES

• G. NONE

• H. OTHER – Please explain (IF NECESSARY) Can you tell me more about that?

S1Q5. Can you tell me why you did not fill out and return the paper survey form? [DO NOT READ CHOICES]

• A. TIME/BURDEN – WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH TIME TO COMPLETE

• B. PROCRASTINATED/KEPT PLANNING TO COMPLETE IT

• C. FORM DID NOT GET TO RIGHT PERSON

• D. TOPIC NOT RELEVANT TO THIS BUSINESS/ WE DO NOT PRODUCE GREEN GOODS OR SERVICES

• E. COMPANY POLICY NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN SURVEYS

• F. INPUT REQUIRED FROM OTHERS IN ESTABLISHMENT / COORDINATION ISSUES

• G. PURPOSE/VALUE OF SURVEY WAS NOT CLEAR

• H. SURVEY FORWARDED TO CORPORATE OFFICE

• I. OTHER – Please explain (IF NECESSARY) Can you tell me more about that?

S1Q6. Is there anything that they could have done that would have made it easier to fill out and return the paper survey form?

Section 2. Questions About the Phone Interview

S2Q1: You were contacted by telephone to complete a phone version of the Green Goods and Services survey. Do you remember completing the survey over the phone?

• NO (IF NO GO TO END)

• YES

S2Q2: What were your thoughts about the telephone survey? [PROBE: Anything in particular?]

S2Q3: What concerns did you have about the telephone survey after taking it?

S2Q4: I’m now going to ask you a few questions about the questions you answered for that telephone survey. First, how easy or difficult was it to report the number of employees at the selected location in the pay period specified? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q5)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q5)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q5)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q5)

S2Q4A: What made it difficult?

S2Q5: Next, how easy or difficult was it to answer the questions about whether the selected worksite produces goods or services that fell into the categories specified by the interviewer? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q6A)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q6A)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q6A)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q6A)

S2Q5A: What made it difficult?

IF RESPONDENT WAS A FORM L RESPONDENT ASK:

S2Q6A: Next, how easy or difficult was it to provide the worksite’s percent of sales for each applicable green goods and services category? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q6B)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q6B)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q6B)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q6B)

S2Q6AOE: What made it difficult?

IF RESPONDENT WAS A GREEN RESPONDENT ASK:

S2Q6B: Next, how easy or difficult was it to provide worksite’s fiscal year for 2010? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q6C)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q6C)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q6C)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q6C)

S2Q6BOE: What made it difficult?

IF RESPONDENT WAS NOT A FORM L RESPONDENT AND WAS A GREEN REPSONDENT ASK:

S2Q6C: Next, how easy or difficult was it to determine if this worksite had any revenue from the sales of goods or services in the categories provided by the interviewer? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q6D)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q6D)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q6D)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q6D)

S2Q6COE: What made it difficult?

IF RESPONDENT WAS NOT A FORM L RESPONDENT AND REPSONDENT ANSWERED Q7 ASK:

S2Q6D: Next, how easy or difficult was it to determine the percent of this worksite’s sales revenue that came from the sale of goods or services in the categories provided by the interviewer? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q6E)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q6E)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q6E)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q6E)

S2Q6DOE: What made it difficult?

IF RESPONDENT WAS NOT A FORM L RESPONDENT AND REPSONDENT ANSWERED Q8 ASK:

S2Q6E: Next, how easy or difficult was it to determine the percent of this worksite’s employment that primarily works on the products or services in the categories provided by the interviewer? Was it very easy, easy, difficult, or very difficult?

• VERY EASY (GO TO S2Q7)

• EASY (GO TO S2Q7)

• DIFFICULT

• VERY DIFFICULT

• DON’T KNOW (GO TO S2Q7)

• REFUSED (GO TO S2Q7)

S2Q6EOE: What made it difficult?

S2Q7: Would you say the telephone survey took a reasonable amount of time or too much time to complete?

• REASONABLE (GO TOS2Q8)

• TOO MUCH

• DON’T KNOW (GO TOS2Q8)

• REFUSED (GO TOS2Q8)

S2Q7A. IF TOO MUCH, what took the most amount of time?

S2Q8: This survey was conducted to estimate how businesses providing green goods and services impact the economy. How important do you think it is to collect information on businesses providing green goods and services very important, somewhat important, a little important or not important at all?

• VERY IMPORTANT

• SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT

• A LITTLE IMPORTANT

• NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL

• DON’T KNOW

Section 3. Questions about the interviewer

This next series of questions is about the interviewer who contacted you to complete the telephone survey.

S3Q1: On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is be very competent and 1 is be not at all competent, how competent about the survey was the interviewer?

• 1 (NOT AT ALL COMPETENT)

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 7 (GO TO S3Q2)

• 8 (GO TO S3Q2)

• 9 (GO TO S3Q2)

• 10 (VERY COMPETENT) (GO TO S3Q2)

S3Q1A: Why do you say that? [PROBE: Why didn’t you give them a 9 or a 10?]

S3Q2: On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is strongly agree and 1 is strongly disagree, how much do you agree or disagree with this statement “The interviewer treated me with courtesy and respect?”

• 1 (STRONGLY DISAGREE)

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 7 (GO TO S3Q3)

• 8 (GO TO S3Q3)

• 9 (GO TO S3Q3)

• 10 ( STRONGLY AGREE) (GO TO S3Q3)

S3Q2A: Why do you say that? [PROBE: Why didn’t you give them a 9 or a 10?]

S3Q3: Did you have any questions for the interviewer who conducted your telephone survey?

• NO (GO TO END)

• YES

S3Q3A: What questions did you have?

S3Q3B: Was the interviewer able to answer your question?

• NO

• YES

That is all the questions I have. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today and help BLS improve the survey effort. Have a wonderful day!