Health Resources and Services Administration
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
MCH Connects Interactive Platform
A. Justification
1. Circumstances of Information Collection
This is a request for OMB approval of a voluntary customer satisfaction survey under HRSA’s generic clearance. HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) will be collecting feedback from MCH Connects members to evaluate MCH Connects as a virtual platform for facilitating connections between mentors and mentees and to inform any necessary modifications to the website.
MCH Connects was first released to the public in September 2017. The virtual mentoring platform was developed by the MCHB-sponsored Trainee Ambassador Group (TAG) in order to facilitate connections between current and former trainees and improve collaboration and communication among trainees within and across training programs. Through TAG discussions in 2016, they identified a gap in the ability of current and former MCH trainees to identify mentors and mentoring opportunities. In particular, trainees sought the ability to connect with mentors outside of their training program or school and to make interdisciplinary connections by connecting with mentors outside of their area of interest or discipline.
Executive Order 12862 directs agencies that "provide significant services directly to the public" to "survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services".
The objective of surveying MCH Connects users is to provide insight into the use of MCH Connects and to identify ways to strengthen MCH Connects as a platform for connecting to mentors.
2. Purpose and Use of the Information
MCH programs exist at the national, state, and local levels and the success of those programs depends on the strength of their workforce and leadership. HRSA’s leadership training programs, funded by Title V of the Social Security Act and the Autism CARES Act, support those systems by providing training and resources to strengthen the MCH workforce. MCH Connects was developed to be used by current and former MCH trainees to make connections between mentors and mentees across the country
MCH Connects can be used to:
Help current and recent graduates of MCH training programs identify and connect with potential mentors within or across their area of interest or discipline
Help former trainees “give back” to MCH training programs when they volunteer to connect with and mentor the next generation of MCH leaders
The MCH Connects User Satisfaction survey will be used to survey current MCH Connects users about their use of and satisfaction with the website. Results from the survey will be shared with the TAG which will then develop recommendations for MCHB related to future MCH Connects quality improvements.
3. Use of Improved Information Technology
The survey will be conducted electronically to reduce burden.
4. Efforts to Avoid Duplication
The survey contains questions specific to MCH Connects, which was a mentoring initiative developed by the MCHB-sponsored Trainee Ambassador Group. MCH Connects is used primarily by MCH training programs, including faculty, staff, and MCHB-funded trainees. No other MCHB surveys have evaluated MCH Connects since its release in September 2017. The survey is unique to this activity and the information is not found elsewhere.
5. Involvement of Small Entities
No small businesses will be involved in this study.
6. Consequences if Information Collected Less Frequently
MCHB is proposing to implement this data collection effort annually. If this survey is not conducted regularly, MCHB will not have the information necessary to update MCH Connects in a manner that will be most useful to MCH Connects members and MCH training programs (prospective members). Participants will be asked to participate annually and participation is voluntary. There are no legal obstacles to reduce the burden.
7. Consistency With the Guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)
These surveys will be implemented in a manner fully consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).
8. Consultation Outside the Agency
The notice required in 5 CFR 1320.8(d) was published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2014, (Vol. 79, No.242, pages 75164). No public comments were received.
9. Remuneration of Respondents
Not applicable.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality
To date, the HRSA customer satisfaction surveys have not collected personally identifiable information from respondents. This collection of information will not involve names of respondents nor their organization’s information. Participation is fully voluntary and responses are anonymous. Respondents will be assured that neither their participation/non-participation nor any responses to items will have any effect on their participation in HRSA programs.
11. Questions of a Sensitive Nature
The survey does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
12. Estimates of Annualized Hour Burden
Respondents:
Respondents will be individuals who have voluntarily registered as members of the MCH Connects mentoring initiative.
Annual burden estimates:
Type of Collection |
Number of Respondents |
Responses per Respondent |
Total Responses |
Hours per Respondent |
Total Burden Hours |
Wage Rate |
Total Hour Cost |
MCH Connects User Satisfaction Survey |
53 |
1 |
53 |
0.1 |
5.3 |
$44.18/hr |
$234 |
The annual burden hour estimate of $234 is based on the number of collections we expect to conduct over the requested period for this clearance. At a maximum, we expect a total of 53 respondents to participate in the survey. The average time of completion is estimated at 5 minutes or 0.1 hours based on testing by the contractor. The wage rate is based on averaging an estimated training program director’s salary ($73.95/hour) and estimated graduate student salary ($14.42/hour) to obtain a rate that reflects that the respondents will be a mix of students and professionals.
Planned frequency of information collection:
This information will be collected on an annual basis.
13. Estimates of Annualized Cost Burden to Respondents
The only associated cost to respondents is their time to provide the requested information.
14. Estimates of Annualized Cost to the Government
The anticipated cost to the Federal Government is approximately $1,305. These costs are comprised of:
Contractor payment (which includes recruitment of participants, survey development and hosting, analysis, and reporting): $915 (based on estimate provided by contractor to the government)
Government cost (including supervision of contractors): $390
15. Change in Burden
Not Applicable. This is a new activity under HRSA’s generic clearance and will be included in the total burden currently approved by OMB under OMB Control No. 0915-0212.
16. Plans for Analysis and Timetable of Key Activities
Data will be collected within 3 weeks of OMB approval, estimated May 2018. Analysis and reporting will occur in June-July 2018.
Survey findings will be analyzed to identify changes that should be made to MCH Connects. Findings will not be generalized to the overall population nor will they be used for publication or public release.
Following the survey, MCHB will update MCH Connects in coordination with the Trainee Ambassador Group and contractors affiliated with the MCH Connects platform. Survey results will not be disseminated outside of those affiliated with the development and implementation of MCH Connects.
17. Exemption for Display of Expiration Date
No exemption is being requested. The expiration date will be displayed.
18. Certifications
This information collection activity will comply with the requirements in 5 CFR 1320.9.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | GENERIC - Supporting Statement Template |
| Author | Jodi.Duckhorn |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-21 |