Supporting Statement GAGSb - 20120227

Supporting Statement B

Grant Application Guidance Survey

Introduction

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.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

B.1. Universe and Respondent Selection

The NEA will administer the Grant Application Guidance Survey within two weeks following each grant application deadline for the remainder of FY2012 through FY2016. The universe is all direct grant applicants to the NEA across all its grant-making programs. Grant applicants include the following types of entities: nonprofit organizations, state governments, county governments, municipal governments, and tribal governments.

The listing of direct grant applicants will be drawn from the listing of project directors for all submitted grant applications. The survey will be administered to the entire universe, since the Agency wants to provide all applicants with the opportunity to provide feedback on its application guidance. The NEA estimates a total distribution of 5,714 per year. Since the NEA has not previously conducted a survey of this type, we are not including an actual response rate. However, based on recorded response rates for online surveys of this type, we expect a response rate of 20%-30%.

B.2. Procedures for Collecting Information

Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection. Since the survey will be administered to the entire universe, no information on statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection has been included.

Estimation procedure. Not applicable.

Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification. Not applicable.

Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures. Not applicable.

Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden. A collection scheduled based on application deadlines is proposed in order to collect feedback on guidance provided within approximately one month of the submission of a grant application. Since the applicant pool for each application deadline is distinct, the number of data collection administrations required depends on the number of application deadlines in a given year.

B.3. Response Rates

Methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. In order to maximize response rates, the NEA will take the following steps:

• Provide a cover email that introduces the purpose of the survey; how the survey results will be used; provides clear directions on how to access the survey; and assures participants of anonymity;

• Provide enough time to complete the survey—a one month administration period is proposed;

• Send a series of reminders during the survey period for those that have not completed the survey.

Accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses.

For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied. Since a sampling procedure will not be used, this question is not relevant to this information collection.

B.4. Tests of Procedures or Methods

Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Given the nature of this survey instrument, no tests of methods or procedures were undertaken.

B.5. Personnel

Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

Statistical Personnel Consulted:

Elizabeth Holland

National Endowment for the Arts

Office of Research & Analysis

202-682-5548

Personnel/Agency Unit Responsible for Data Collection & Analysis:

Jillian Miller

Guidelines & Panel Operations

National Endowment for the Arts

202-682-5504

Attachments

1. Executive Order (EO) 13571

2. NEA FY2012-2016 Strategic Plan

3. Federal Register Notice, Vol. 76, No. 147, pp. 45881-45882

4. Federal Register Notice, Vol. 77, No. 33, pp. 9705-9706

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