IAE Focus Groups (Req-5)

Explanation of instruments, instructions, and scripts:

OMB No: 3090-0297

Expires 06/30/2016

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement - This information collection meets the requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507, as amended by section 2 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. You do not need to answer these questions unless we display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3090-0297. We estimate that it will take 60 minute/s to read the instructions, gather the facts, and answer the questions. Send only comments relating to our time estimate, including suggestions for reducing this burden, or any other aspects of this collection of information to: General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), ATTN: Ms. Flowers/IC 3090-0297, 1800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405.

This document provides the list of questions respondents will be asked.

Respondents will be asked the following demographic questions. Names will not be associated with any focus group results. The answers to these questions will be associated with other results within a focus group.

1. What is your role in your organization?

2. How long have you been in this role?

3. How many years of experience do you have working with or for the Federal government?

4. How many years of experience do you have with Federal award processes?

5. How many hours a day do you spend using technology at work?

Respondents will also be asked the following list of question about IAE process diagrams. It should be noted that not all questions will be asked to every focus group member for every process. For focus groups where respondents attend in-person, facilitated break-out sessions with 3 to 5 participants per group will be used to maximize participation. Major insights from each break out will be validated with the entire focus group. Respondents will be encouraged to identify similarities and differences in how they execute IAE processes, compared with other answers given.

Respondents’ answers to questions about award processes will be captured using the following instruments.

• Affinity diagrams

• Venn diagrams

• Fishbone diagrams

• Swim lane (Rummler-Brache) diagrams

• SIPOC diagrams

Award process questions:

1. Is there anything missing from this process (i.e. validate process)?

2. What tasks do you do (either this task or similar to this task)?

3. How frequently do you perform these tasks?

4. How much time do you spend performing each of tasks?

5. What goals do you have while executing this process?

6. Who else participates in this process with you (roles, not specific individuals)?

7. What factors specific to your environment affect how you execute this process (e.g. dependencies, systems, work products, internal policies, etc)?

8. What are your pain points with respect to this process (e.g. things that make you incur costs, inefficiencies, etc.)?
9. Do you need additional details/instructions to complete this process?

10. Are there important search criteria specific to this process?
11. Are there methods you use to bypass interacting with the system?

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