Request for Approval

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0920-0956)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Testing GovDelivery as an Option for Rapid and Low Cost Consumer Feedback on the Clarity of CDC Content

PURPOSE:

The CDC Office of the Associate Director for Communication (OADC) and the Health Literacy Council provide guidance and oversight in the implementation of clear communication and plain language practices when developing and disseminating health messages across CDC’s many communication channels. OADC developed the Clear Communication Index (Index) to provide science-based criteria to create and assess public communication products.

CDC Centers, Institute, and Offices (CIOs) have expressed that the cost and time needed to effectively evaluate the clarity of materials is a challenge. To best support CIOs, this pilot will develop and test a low cost and straightforward model for evaluating the clarity of health messaging and content.

Scope of Project

• OADC has chosen a total of 7 fact sheets representing a variety of health topics and CIOs for A/B testing. OADC web developers have created A and B versions of the 7 fact sheets as PDFs (14 PDFs total).

• A web survey with six closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions has been developed and coded in an online survey tool.

• The survey links will be disseminated via GovDelivery accounts that belong to CIOs and are related to the fact sheet topics. Each GovDelivery subscriber list will be split, with half of the list receiving the link for version A and the other half receiving the link for version B. The surveys will be taken down after 50 responses are received for each or after 7 days, whichever comes first. Seven unique GovDelivery accounts with a minimum of 2,500 subscribers each are needed. Responses will be pulled from the tool and analyzed for themes and patterns.

• The Northrop Grumman project team will provide OADC a document with analysis, results, and the proof of concept methodology. The proof of concept will be developed throughout the life cycle of the project and will include the process, instructions, contacts, resources, time, and general costs.

List of Attachments include:

We have included more detailed information in the research protocol, web survey questions, and recruitment materials at the end of this request (Attachments A, D and E). The protocol explains our methods—how we will recruit for, and conduct the survey. It includes an overview of survey objectives, the target audiences, and the information we will collect from participants. Attachments B1- B14 contain each of the materials to be shown to participants as shown in Table 1. We also have included screenshots of each question and prompt for each material in the web survey (Attachments C1-C14).

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Respondents are people who signed up for one of five GovDelivery lists related to the topic of the fact sheet. People who sign up for these lists usually are: Individuals interested in health issues or with a specific health concern; physicians; nurses, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners; health department staff.

Table 1 below lists the materials that will be shown to each audience as a revised or original version.

Table 1:

GovDelivery Subscriber List	Material
CDC’s Reproductive Health Website Update	1. Mental Health among Women of Reproductive Age vA (Attachment B1) 2. Mental Health among Women of Reproductive Age vB (Attachment B2)
Environmental Health Services	3. Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response-EHTER (Attachment B3) 4. Environmental Health Training (Attachment B4)
	5. What Is Integrated Pest Management (Attachment B5) 6. Integrated Pest Management (Attachment B6)
What’s New on CDC’s Emergency Preparedness & Response Website	7. Gather Emergency Supplies (Attachment B7) 8. Emergency Supply Kit (Attachment B8)
CDC Parent Portal	9. Five Things You Need to Know About Congenital Heart Defects (Attachment B9) 10. Congenital Heart Defects (Attachment B10)
News and Highlights (Influenza)	11. Pregnant Women Need a Flu Shot (Attachment B11) 12. Flu Shots and Pregnant Women (Attachments B12)
	13. No More Excuses: You Need a Flu Vaccine (Attachment B13) 14. Get the Facts to Fight the Flu (Attachment B14)

Survey questions will not vary by participant or by material.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [X ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: John Parmer ([email protected])

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [x] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ x] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ x] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [ x] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (in hours)	Burden Hours
GovDelivery subscribers	700	10/60	117

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is __$14,331______

Staff or Contractor	Hours	Average Hourly Rate	Cost
Northrop Grumman Project Team	138.5	$85.06	$11,781
John Parmer (FTE)	30	$60	$1,800
Cynthia Baur (FTE)	10	$75	$750
Totals	178.5		$14,331

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X] Yes [ ]No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan). If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

Survey links will be disseminated via 7 GovDelivery accounts that belong to CDC Centers, Institute or Offices and are related to the fact sheet topics. Each GovDelivery subscriber list will be split, with half of the list receiving the link for version A and the other half receiving the link for version B. The surveys will be taken down after 50 responses are received for each of the 14 fact sheet versions or after 7 days have passed, whichever comes first.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ x] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes [ x] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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