This request is for clearance of the Grant Application Guidance Survey to be administered by the National Endowment for the Arts to applicants to its grants program. This is a new survey intended to assess performance on one of the Agency's strategic outcomes for FY2012-2016. The intended period of administration is FY2012 through FY2016. In addition to assessing performance, the Survey is intended to provide customer feedback on grant application guidance provided by the Agency; this feedback will be used to improve customer service.
EO: EO 13571 Name/Subject of EO: Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service
In Executive Order (EO) 13571, issued on April 27, 2011, the President stated that, "with advances in technology and service delivery systems in other sectors, the public's expectations of the Government have continued to rise," and that the Government "must keep pace with and even exceed those expectations." In addition, the President made clear that the Government "must also address the need to improve its services." EO 13571 called for departments and agencies to "establish mechanisms to solicit customer feedback on government services and use such feedback regularly to make service improvements, such as [to] collect ongoing, timely, actionable customer feedback to identify early warning signals of customer service issues, and conduct customer satisfaction surveys and report the results publicly to provide transparency and accountability."
Through the Grant Application Guidance Survey, the NEA will solicit and collect customer feedback on the guidance it provides to organizations and government agencies that apply for grants. This feedback will be used regularly to identify customer service issues with the intent of improving Government service to its customers. Data collected from this survey will also be used to report on performance on one of the Agency's strategic outcomes from its FY2012-2016 Strategic Plan (attached), ensuring that survey results will be reported publicly. As stated on page 36 of the Strategic Plan, performance measure 4.2.2ÂApplicant Satisfaction with Application GuidanceÂwas established to track success in achieving the Plan's outcome 4.2, "NEA is an efficient and vigilant steward of public funds." The stated intent of the Grant Application Guidance Survey, as presented in the description of performance measure 4.2.2, is to assess "applicants' satisfaction with the guidance provided to them during the application process."
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.