Evaluation of the Strategic Review Process

Appendix A: Customer Satisfaction Survey

Evaluation of the Strategic Review Process

Survey Questionnaire

In what Directorate do/did you work? [drop down]

In what Division? [drop down]

How long have/did you worked at NSF?

______ years _____months

Are/were you a[n]… [select only one]

Permanent Federal employee?

IPA?

Temporary Federal employee (e.g., VSEE, FedTemp)?

Some other type of employee? Specify:

THE STRATEGIC REVIEW

The following questions are about your participation in the [autofill of SR]. Below is a summary of the strategic review in which you participated.

[See Appendix C for a sample of a Strategic Review Summary]

1. Was it clear how the topic of the [Autofill SR] was related to the strategic goals of the National Science Foundation?

Yes

No

I was not aware of the National Science Foundation’s strategic goals

KEY QUESTIONS

Below are the key questions for [autofill SR].

[Show the KQs for this SR]

2. In your opinion, were the key questions:

Appropriate for the topic of the Strategic Review? Yes No

Well-defined? Yes No

Clearly understood? Yes No

Manageable in terms of scope? Yes No

3. Did your team have access to all of the data and information it needed to answer the key questions?

Yes

No

STRATEGIC REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS

Below are the final recommendations for [autofill SR].

[Show the recommendations for this SR]

4. How well did the recommendations that your team developed for the [autofill SR] address the strategic goals of the National Science Foundation?

Very well

Somewhat well

Not at all

5a. After the presentation to senior management (SMaRT), were the final recommendations of the [autofill SR] communicated to you?

Yes – [Skip to Q6?]

No – [Goto 5B]

5b. [If NO] Would you have liked to have had them communicated to you?

Yes

No

6. Were the outcomes and results communicated outside of your team and senior management (e.g., SMaRT)?

Yes

No

Don’t know

7. Were each of the following deliverables effective at communicating the findings of the Strategic Review?

The SMaRT presentation to senior management? Yes No Don’t know

The two-page summary of results? Yes No Don’t know

8a. Are you aware whether the recommendations were implemented?

Yes – [Go to 8B]

No – [Skip to Q9]

8b. [If Yes to 8a] Were you involved in implementing any of the recommendations?

Yes

No

8c. Did the recommendations result in the team’s expected changes?

Yes

No

Don’t know

10. For the [autofill SR] working group:

It was clear what the group’s goals were Yes No

Roles and responsibilities were clear Yes No

The steps of the strategic review process were clear Yes No

24. During the [autofill SR]:

Team meetings were well-run Yes No

We accomplished a lot of work in the meetings Yes No

The team deputies were effective Yes No

The goal leaders were effective Yes No

25. How helpful was the ex-officio team to the Strategic Review process?

Very helpful

Somewhat helpful

Neither helpful or unhelpful

Somewhat unhelpful

Very unhelpful

9. To what degree do you think the strategic review process contributes to decision making at the National Science Foundation?

High degree of contribution

Moderate degree of contribution

Low degree of contribution

No contribution

29. Which of the following, if any could, be improved about the Strategic Review process?

The short timeline for completing it Yes No

The availability of evidence to answer the key questions Yes No

The topic of the Strategic Review Yes No

The amount of work required Yes No

The communication of the results Yes No

Something else [Specify]: Yes No

11. In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a successful Strategic Review that lead to action and change? [open-ended question]

YOUR WORK ON THE STRATEGIC REVIEW

12. Thinking about the time you spent on the [autofill SR] outside of working group meetings, was that time?

Too much

About right

Too little

I did not spend time on the strategic review outside of meetings

13. Thinking about your work on the [autofill SR], was the amount of work reasonable?

Yes

No

14. Thinking about the recommendations and outcomes of the [autofill SR] in which you participated, did you find that the amount of work was

Worth it?

Not worth it?

OTHER GROUP OR TEAM EXPERINCE

15a. In your opinion, to what extent could the steps and structure of the strategic review process be applied to other groups and teams at NSF?

At lot [Goto 15b]

Somewhat [Goto 15b]

Not at all [Skip to 16a]

[IF “Somewhat” or “A lot”] 15b. Which of the following parts of the strategic review process would be useful for other groups or teams? [check all that apply]

The two-month timeline Yes No

The depth of the review Yes No

Defined deliverables Yes No

Availability of an ex-officio support team Yes No
The use of data-driven decision making? Yes No

Some other way [Specify]: Yes No

16a. Have you participated in any agency-wide groups or teams?

Yes – [Go to 17]

No - [Skip to ]

16b. Compared to the amount of work you did for these groups or teams, the amount of work you did for the [autofill SR] was…

significantly more?

somewhat more?

about the same?

somewhat less?

significantly less?

[If Yes to 16a] 16c. Were any of these groups or more effective than the [autofill SR]?

Yes – [Go to 16d]

No – [Skip to 17]

16d: Which group or team was more effective than the [autofill SR]? [Specify working group name]

16e. Please describe one way in which the [decision-making group name] was more effective than the [autofill SR] working group. [open-ended question]

EXPERINECES WITH THE STRATEGIC REVIEW

18. Did your participation in the [autofill SR] contribute to your understanding of

The strategic goals at NSF? Yes No

Organizational performance? Yes No

Decision making at NSF? Yes No

Leadership perspectives on priorities at NSF? Yes No

19a. In your opinion, did the strategic review process contribute to your professional development?

Yes

No

[If YES] 19b.Did the SR process contribute to your professional development in any of the following ways?

Enhanced my skills at leading a cross-agency team [leadership only] Yes No

Increased my visibility within the agency Yes No

Increased my ability to affect change at NSF Yes No

Increased my knowledge and skills in group problem solving Yes No

Increased my knowledge about how NSF works Yes No

Increased my commitment to my work at NSF Yes No

Expanded my professional networks within NSF Yes No

Allowed me to adopt things I learned to my everyday work Yes No

Some other way [Specify]: Yes No

21. How interested were you in the SR topic in which you participated/led?

Highly interested

Somewhat interested

Neither interested or un- interested

Somewhat interested

Not at all interested

22. Overall, my experiences with the SR process were

Mostly positive

Neither positive nor negative

Mostly negative

23. Thinking of your experiences with the SR process, if given the opportunity, would you participate in one again?

Yes

No

Maybe

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