BPEP Conference Collections - Supporting Statement

OMB Control No. # 693-0031 – NIST Generic Request for Customer Service-Related Data Collections

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) Conferences

(includes Quest for Excellence^© and Regional Conferences)

FOUR STANDARD SURVEY QUESTIONS

1. Explain who will be surveyed and why the group is appropriate to survey.

Attendees of Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) have the opportunity to attend two (2) different conferences during a one-year time period. The Baldrige Quest for Excellence Conference is held annually. The BPEP Regional Conference is held twice a year. The BPEP is seeking feedback from the attendees of the conferences to determine how to improve future conferences as well as to ensure best-practice sharing, which is part of the Baldrige Program’s mission (public law 100-107).

Attendees of the BPEP Conferences pay to attend these conferences, so we need to know what delights and annoys them. The information collected will be used when contracting services for the next year’s conference (e.g., food services, hotels), as well as planning the next conference; money can be saved and resources used most efficiently if we know how contractors’ services are perceived by the attendees.

BPEP Conference attendees would expect to be given the chance to offer feedback, especially on the registration process, presenters/speakers, food services, the location, and conference materials.

Quest conferences have between 800-1,500 participants each year. Regional conferences estimate about 500 participants, respectively.

2. Explain how the survey was developed including consultation with interested parties, pre-testing, and responses to suggestions for improvement.

The collection instrument(s) were developed after a review of other conference surveys, including other conference surveys reviewed and approved by OMB and used by NIST. We have also listened and learned from attendees who offer their feedback on various aspects of conferences. Those aspects that can be approved upon for the next conference are part of the survey.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted, how customers will be sampled if fewer than all customers will be surveyed, expected response rate, and actions your agency plans to take to improve the response rate.

About two weeks after attendees return home after a conference, they will receive collection instrument(s) via e-mail (via Survey Monkey); this allows them time to return home and digest what they learned and what should be improved. We expect a 70% response rate. To ensure that rate, we will tell attendees at the beginning of the conference about the survey and that their feedback will be carefully read and used to improve future conferences. A gentle e-mail reminder can be sent to attendees letting them know how much we value their feedback.

4. Describe how the results of the survey will be analyzed and used to generalize the results to the entire customer population.

Results of the survey will be used to improve the next conference (the Baldrige Program hosts three conferences per year: The Quest for Excellence in Baltimore/Washington D.C. and two regional conferences held in other U.S. regions). Improvements can be spotlighted at the next conference, with attendees always thanked for their feedback. Results might also be used to give feedback to a contractor (e.g., a vendor for food services or the hotel); an example would be if analysis of the collection instrument reveals that attendees were not satisfied with the food provided at the conference, that feedback might be given to the food vendor asking how it will improve offerings for the next conference or to cancel the contract with that vendor