Supp and Part B questions

1. Supplemental Questions for DOC/NOAA Customer Survey Clearance
   (OMB Control Number 0648-0342)

1. Explain who will be conducting this survey. What program office will be
   conducting the survey? What services does this program provide? Who are the customers? How are these services provided to the customer?

The National Weather Service Western Region (NWS WR) Weather Forecast Office in Medford, OR will be conducting this survey. The web page provides fire weather information to land management agencies and to the public across the Western United States. The services are provided through a suite of fire weather-oriented web pages.

2. Explain how this survey was developed. With whom did you consult during the development of this survey on content? statistics? What suggestions did you get about improving the survey?

NWS WR developed the survey based on Google Analytics data that shows that land management agencies view this page regularly, and knowing more about what decisions the agencies are making based on these pages will be important to continual improvement of this page/product. We consulted with our local fire weather program manager, a Fire Behavior analyst with 30+ years of land management experience, the sponsor’s local supervisor, and our regional fire weather program managers. Suggestions we received to improve the survey were: the matrix format focused on user decision support, adding more objective questions, and keeping the survey short to maximize response rate.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted. How will the customers be sampled (if fewer than all customers will be surveyed)? What percentage of customers asked to take the survey will respond? What actions are planned to increase the response rate? (Web-based surveys are not an acceptable method of sampling a broad population. Web-based surveys must be limited to services provided by Web.)

The survey will be conducted online via a link to a Google form on all fire weather web pages that are being evaluated via this survey. Also, an email with a link to the survey will be sent to land management partner agencies that use the web page. A goal for response rate is 10 percent. Actions to increase response rate are the addition of Google Analytics event tracking to determine the ratio of survey openings vs. survey completions. Once NWS WR has a baseline for this, NWS WR can try new methods to increase response rate and measure how effective these are.

4. Describe how the results of this survey will be analyzed and used. If the customer population is sampled, what statistical techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population? Is this survey intended to measure a GPRA performance measure? (If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate document.)

We will focus on partner agency responses, so the first question of “position” type will help narrow the focus of analysis. Additionally, NWS WR will use word charts to try to group similar qualitative responses. The goal for this survey is to determine importance of these web pages in terms of decisions made by partner agencies and to try to improve the page based on customer feedback. NWS WR wants a user- and data-driven product with NWS influence and oversight.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g. establishments, State and local governmental units, households, or persons) in the universe and the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form. The tabulation must also include expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection has been conducted before, provide the actual response rate achieved.

We estimate about 20,000 unique users of the fire weather page, with about 50% of those being partner agencies, based on Google Analytics segmentation data. However, as fire season wanes, expected number of unique users is significantly less than 20,000.

Expected response rate is 10%.

Expected number of entities:

Entity	Estimated number of entities	Users per entity type
State Fire Agencies	9	8100
USFS Regions	4	3200
Local Governments	100	2,000
Public	NA	6700

2. Describe the procedures for the collection, including: the statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection; the estimation procedure; the degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification; any unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures; and any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

The survey will be conducted online via a link to a Google form on all fire weather web pages that are being evaluated via this survey. Also, an email with a link to the survey will be sent to land management partner agencies that use the web page. A goal for response rate is 10 percent. Actions to increase response rate are the addition of Google Analytics event tracking to determine the ratio of survey openings vs. survey completions. Once NWS WR has a baseline for this, NWS WR can try new methods to increase response rate and measure how effective these are.

NWS WR will focus on partner agency responses, so the first question of “position” type will help narrow the focus of analysis. Additionally, NWS WR will use word charts to try to group similar qualitative responses. The goal for this survey is to determine importance of these web pages in terms of decisions made by partner agencies and to try to improve the page based on customer feedback. NWS WR wants a user- and data-driven product with NWS influence and oversight.

3. Describe the methods used to maximize response rates and to deal with nonresponse. The accuracy and reliability of the information collected must be shown to be adequate for the intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided if they will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

One method to increase response rate is the addition of Google Analytics event tracking to determine the ratio of survey openings vs. survey completions. Once NWS WR has a baseline for this, NWS WR can try new methods to increase response rate and measure how effective these are. This is also a short survey, and there are many stakeholders.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Tests are encouraged as effective means to refine collections, but if ten or more test respondents are involved OMB must give prior approval.

NWS WR developed the survey based on Google Analytics data that shows that land management agencies view this page regularly, and knowing more about what decisions the agencies are making based on these pages will be important to continual improvement of this page/product. We consulted with our local fire weather program manager, a Fire Behavior analyst with 30+ years of land management experience, the sponsor’s local supervisor, and our regional fire weather program managers. Suggestions we received to improve the survey were: the matrix format focused on user decision support, adding more objective questions, and keeping the survey short to maximize response rate.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on the statistical aspects of the design, and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

No consultation was made on the statistical aspects of the design.

NOAA NWS WR Medford, OR. Noel Keene.