Statement Part A 2012

Supporting Statement

Voluntary Customer Survey

1651-0135

Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statue and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to conduct a customer survey of international travelers seeking entry to the United States at the twenty highest volume airports in order to determine perceptions of the arrival process at our ports of entry. The Rice-Chertoff Initiative (RCI) of 2006 directed CBP, in partnership with the travel and tourism industries, to improve the arrival processes and use the best technology available in order to ensure the security of the U.S. while providing a welcoming environment for international travelers. This survey will collect information related to CBP’s processes and efficiency at these ports of entry. It will include questions about wait times, ease of entry processing, and the level of communication, efficiency, and professionalism of CBP officers.

This survey is in compliance with Executive Order 12862, “Setting Customer Service Standards” which requires agencies to survey their customers to improve the way they conduct business. It is also in compliance with 5 U.S.C. 305(b), which mandates “systematic agency review of operations” and states “each agency shall review systematically the operations of each of its activities, functions, or organizational units, on a continuing basis.” This survey will form a part of that review for air Port of Entry (POE) processes for CBP.

This voluntary customer survey will be conducted through short laptop computer surveys of travelers as they move through entry processing areas (or verbal surveys if the respondent prefers). The survey will take 5 minutes or less per respondent to complete. Travelers who do not speak English will be given a written version of the survey in their language and may submit their responses in writing.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

The results and analysis of the survey responses will be used to identify actionable items to improve services to the traveling public and to help ensure that CBP is meeting the goals of the Pledge to Customers as part of the Model Ports program. Each respondent will only be asked questions that are relevant to their experience moving through the processing areas.

Specifically, CBP will examine three aspects of customer interface: the processes for moving people through inspection, the extent and quality of officer communications with travelers, and ways of improving inspection results and effectiveness. We will use the results of data analysis to identify qualitative performance gaps and to develop improvements for the entry processes at air POEs.

The data will be analyzed and used to provide a baseline measurement of customer satisfaction as well as provide a focus for both CBP and for the travel and tourism industries for future improvements and technology deployment.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

These surveys will be conducted on laptop computers (or verbally if requested by the respondent).

CBP will implement the supplemental language surveys in paper versions only for the following reasons: 1) many of the likely languages do not use the Roman alphabet, creating potential formatting or spacing issues; and 2) we anticipate that a significant proportion of travelers will prefer seeing a paper instrument instead of a laptop computer.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.

This information is not duplicated in any other place or any other form.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities describe any methods used to minimize burden.

This information collection does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.

6. Describe consequences to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

If CBP does not collect this information, we will have limited knowledge of areas that may need improvement and will be unable to fully develop appropriate service improvement plans for raising satisfaction levels. Only by collecting this critical performance information will we have the opportunity to: identify performance gaps; select improvement targets; convert survey results into organizational improvements; assess improvement efforts; and track performance progress and customer satisfaction over time. Lastly, this information is necessary for compliance with the EO and 5 U.S.C. 305.

6. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

• requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

• requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

• requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

• requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

• in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• requiring the use of statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

• requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

This information is collected in a manner consistent with the guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

Public comments were solicited through two Federal Register notices published on June 19, 2012 (Volume 77, Page 36566) and on September 10 (Volume 77, Page 55487). No comments were received.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

There is no offer of a monetary or material value for this information collection.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

CBP will secure all data collected through these surveys. Our data protocols fully comply with requirements for protecting personal data. At all times, the data collected will be password-secured and encrypted. Paper documents used to record responses for non-English language versions of the survey will be: 1) kept by the interviewer until that interviewer can enter the survey into a laptop computer during a rest period or down-time; 2) reviewed by a second interviewer for accuracy and, if necessary, corrected; and 3) shredded with a portable shredder (retained on site by the interview team) after the data is transferred to a laptop computer for review. CBP will ensure security by destroying all paper responses within 24 hours.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

INFORMATION COLLECTION	TOTAL ANNUAL BURDEN HOURS	NO. OF RESPONDENTS	NO. OF RESPONSES PER RESPONDENT	TOTAL RESPONSES	TIME PER RESPONSE
Customer Survey	1,743	21,000	1	21,000	5 minutes (.083 hours)

Public Cost

The estimated cost to the respondents is $48,202. This is based on the estimated burden hours (1,162) multiplied (x) the average hourly rate ($42.10).

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information.

There are no record keeping, capital, start-up or maintenance costs associated with this information collection.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal Government. Also provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

CBP is using a consultant to conduct this survey at a cost of approximately $860,000 annually. These costs include administration, data summary and analysis, a report and printing of paper surveys.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 12 or 13.

There has been no increase or decrease in the estimated annual burden hours previously reported for this information collection. There are no changes to the information collected.

16. For collection of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation, and publication.

This information collection will not be published for statistical purposes.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date, explain the reasons that displaying the expiration date would be inappropriate.

CBP will display the expiration date for OMB approval of this information collection.

18. “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.”

CBP does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.

5