Various Economic Area Pretesting Activities

Draft 4-3-14

2012 Economic Census

Factoryless Goods Producers

Respondent Debriefings

Draft Protocol

Bobby Nusz

Thanos Theodoropoulos

Heidi St.Onge

(This protocol is a guide – the questions presented here won’t necessarily be asked exactly as worded in the protocol or in this order. It is important to note that not all questions will be asked in every interview.)

Before the interview, document the following in the spreadsheet:

• Respondent response to the items of interest

  • Purchase of contract manufacturing

  • Costs of contract manufacturing

  • Value of sales, shipments, receipts, or revenue generated from purchased contract manufacturing

Expected Length of Interview: 15-20 minutes

This protocol is divided into the following sections:

• Section A: Questions for respondents who reported on any of the purchase of contract manufacturing items

• Section B: Questions for respondents who did not report on any of the purchase of contract manufacturing items

• Section C: Conclusion (all respondents)

Research Questions to Address:

1. What types of activities do respondents consider contract manufacturing?

2. How are respondents interpreting the contract manufacturing items?

3. Why are respondents answering these items the way they are? (i.e., what are they including/excluding)?

4. What can we do to improve these items?

General Probes:

• In your own words, what was that question asking?

• You answered, “…” could you tell me a little more about why you answered this way…?

• I want to make sure I understand, can you explain that again?

• Can you tell me how you arrived at that answer?

  • What did you include? What did you exclude?

• Reflect back on R’s answer and ask R to correct (“I want to make sure I have this right. I think you said, “…?”)

Instructions:

Prior to initiating a call, please review details on the responses and expected response of the target respondent. Respondents will be asked questions from one of the first two sections of the protocol (Sections A or B) based on their response to the contract manufacturing items on the 2012 Economic Census. All respondents will also be asked questions from Section C.

Recruiting/ Introduction:

Last year you participated in the 2012 Economic Census [STATE NAME OF FORM]. And I have that you submitted on [DATE].

• Are you the person who completed or coordinated the completion of that questionnaire?

• If R answers “no” ask, Who was the person who completed this report? May I speak with that person? Proceed with the correct respondent.

• If R answers “yes”, continue with this respondent.

In order to improve the survey, we would like to get your feedback on a few items on this survey. Would you mind taking about 15 minutes to share your experience with us?

Section A: Questions for Respondents who reported data for the contract manufacturing items

First, I have a few questions about the PURCHASE OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING item on the forms you filled out for your [manufacturing/wholesale] locations. For today, I am going to be asking you to think about this specific location: [NAME SELECTED LOCATION, TITLE, and ADDRESS].

Before I begin, would you be able to find a copy of the form that you submitted for this location? Either paper or .pdf copy will work. Please let me know when you have found it and are ready to begin. Note: If the respondent cannot find a copy of the form for this location, verbally provide them with a link to the form with instructions how to find the items.

1. Before I begin asking questions about this location [remind if necessary], I wanted to ask, what does contract manufacturing mean to you?

2. What types of activities do you consider contract manufacturing?

3. For the location we talked about, I see you reported “Yes” for item 26 A1. How did you arrive at this response? What were you including?

   1. What does “purchase contract manufacturing services from other companies or foreign plants of your company” mean to you?

Now I want to ask a few questions about the include statements:

4. What does “Products for which manufacturing (i.e., transforming or otherwise processing materials or components based on specifications provided by your company) was outsourced to other companies” mean to you?

5. What does “Products for which the manufacturing was performed by your company’s foreign plants” mean to you?

6. Is there anything else you were including that is not listed here?

Now I’d like to talk about the exclude statements:

7. What does “Services for packaging and assembling” mean to you?

8. What does “Purchases of merchandise for resale (sale of products bought and sold without further processing or transformation)” mean to you?

9. Is there anything else you would be excluding?

10. For your establishment in this location I see you reported [$ Billion/Million/Thousand] on item 26 A 2. How did you arrive at this response? What did you include in this value?

11. Was any of this performed by foreign locations of your own company?

12. (If yes) If you had to estimate, how much do you think was performed by other companies, and how much was performed by your company’s foreign plants?

13. For your establishment at this location I see you reported [$ Billion/Million/Thousand] on item 26 A 3. How did you arrive at this response? What did you include in this value?

14. Based on how the question is written, is it clear that you would answer no given the type of work this establishment does? What could we do to make this item clearer?

Now I wanted to ask a few questions about how your organization handles the contracts associated with the PURCHASE OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING

15. How does your organization manage contract manufacturing service contracts?

16. How does your company keep track of the quality of the contract manufacturing services provided to you?

17. Where is product design of these contract manufacturing services managed? Is it managed in the US? Is it managed at this specific location or at headquarters?

18. Where is product R&D of these contract manufacturing services managed? Is it managed in the US? Is it managed at this specific location or at headquarters?

19. Who holds the rights and/or patents to these contract manufacturing services? Are they held by your organization or by the organization providing these contract manufacturing services to you?

Section complete, go to Section C

Section B: Questions for Respondents who did not report data for the contract manufacturing items

First, I have a few questions about the PURCHASE OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING item on the forms you filled out for your [manufacturing/wholesale] locations. For today, I am going to be asking you to think about this specific location: [NAME SELECTED LOCATION, TITLE, and ADDRESS].

Before I begin, would you be able to find a copy of the form that you submitted for this location? Either paper or .pdf copy will work. Please let me know when you have found it and are ready to begin. Note: If the respondent cannot find a copy of the form for this location, verbally provide them with a link to the form with instructions on how to find the items.

1. Before I begin asking questions about this location, I wanted to ask, what does contract manufacturing mean to you?

2. What types of activities do you consider contract manufacturing?

3. For the location we talked about earlier (remind if necessary), you reported “NO” for 26 A1. How did you arrive at this response? What were you considering?

4. Looking at the wording of 26 A item 1 what does “purchase contract manufacturing services from other companies or foreign plants of your company” mean to you?

Now I wanted to talk a bit about the include statements:

5. What does “Products for which the manufacturing (i.e., transforming or otherwise processing materials or components based on specifications provided by your company) was outsourced to other companies” mean to you?

6. What does “Products for which the manufacturing was performed by your company’s foreign plants” mean to you?

7. Is there anything else you would include here?

Now I want to ask a few questions about the Exclude statements.

8. What does “Services for packaging and assembling” mean to you?

9. What does “Purchases of merchandise for resale (sale of products bought and sold without further processing or transformation)” mean to you?

10. Is there anything else you would exclude?

11. Based on how the question is written, is it clear that you would answer no given the type of work this establishment does? What could we do to make this item clearer?

Section complete, go to Section C

Section C: Conclusion

1. Overall, how easy or difficult was it to answer these contract manufacturing questions on the Economic Census form?

2. Did you have any difficulty breaking down these items for this specific location?

3. Were any of the items we discussed today particularly difficult? If yes, which one(s)?

4. How could we improve these items in the future?

5. Are there any parts of contract manufacturing that we are failing to capture?

6. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

That is all the questions I have for today. Thank you for your time and assistance!

FGP Draft Protocol

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