Note to Reviewer - Masthead and Booklet Test (Wave 1) (April 2015)

MEMORANDUM FOR: Reviewer of 1220-0042

FROM: Jeff Holt

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections

Division of Occupational Employment Statistics

SUBJECT: Changes to the Masthead of the OES Structured Form

Booklet Test

Changes to the Masthead of the OES Structured Form

Due to ever increasing printing and postage costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program would like to make a small change to the cover of our survey forms. Currently in the masthead of the form, we list the form title on the far left hand side of the margin, and the State return address information is printed in the middle.  We would like to move the form title to the middle of the form, and print the State return address information on the far left margin.  This change would allow us to move to generic two-window envelopes that would save printing costs.  Attachments include the first page of the form currently used and a revised copy showing the form title moved to the center of the masthead.

Booklet Test

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program would like to test a new type of survey instrument. Currently, we mail a packet to small establishments which contains an individual letter, an individual fact sheet, a survey form, and a business reply envelope. We would like to test using a 4-page booklet instead which contains similar information, but presented differently. Additionally, this form would ask for point data wage rates, instead of the wage ranges we collect currently. We would like to conduct this test during our May 2015 panel using 5 test States. As noted in Supporting Statement Part B, Item No. 4 from the most recent OMB approval, the OES program maintains ongoing efforts to reduce respondent burden including periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of the materials mailed to each sampled unit.

This test will be a 750 unit test spread across 3 waves (250 each wave). This request is for OMB approval to conduct the first wave. The first wave would seek to refine the survey instrument, and would seek 250 responses. Separate requests will be submitted for the second and third waves to capture the additional burden of each wave and as well as minor modifications to the booklet. The second wave would again seek 250 responses to further refine the collection process. The third and final wave would again seek 250 responses. Wages 1 and 2 will be new units with no overlap, while wave 3 would be previous OES responders from the May 2014 panel.

The primary purpose of the test will be for instrument refinement. We will be looking at general information, such as:

1. Can the respondent fill out the survey?

2. Have they provided the correct information?

3. Are there sections of the form that have been left blank?

4. Do the respondents appear confused by the wording?

We are hoping this will lead to refining the survey instrument.  Later we hope to field test on a larger scale using a split sample test using the regular OES sample (so no additional burden hours will be needed).