Supplemental 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 Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) will be coordinating the survey’s development, with the support of site staff/volunteers who will be conducting this survey itself. This survey’s intent is to assess visitors’ (customer) satisfaction associated with services provided as part of the National Get into your Sanctuary (GIYS) Day effort. These services include educational programs, access to recreational activities, and informational events and exhibits, as well as the promotional materials used to alert potential customers about the events themselves. The customers are those who visit the sanctuary, sanctuary visitor centers or other sanctuary sponsored exhibits on GIYS Day. These services are provided to users of the resources on site. It is possible there may be some handouts or other educational/outreach materials provided at no cost to the user. Use of this data will help to improve the quality of future Get into your Sanctuary day activities and events. All sanctuaries are encouraged by the ONMS to participate in this event, but it is not required.

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?

This survey is being developed with the ONMS HQ lead for Get into your Sanctuary (GIYS) day. Other HQ staff and site staff will review this survey. The information will help to better understand what GIYS participants enjoy most about the day/activities/education/ outreach and to identify areas for improvement.

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 by ONMS site staff or volunteers on a subset of customers. The interviewers will select potential respondents at random who are completing a GIYS-related activity or leaving a sanctuary area the day of the event. The survey will be in paper format, or conducted electronically on a tablet if resources allow. Additionally, interviewers will provide a link to Survey Monkey and post the link on social media platforms.

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.)

The goal is to help ONMS staff to improve the experience of GIYS participants in the future and to refine future GIYS outreach efforts to reach more people. ONMS will use the information resulting from this testing to help determine who is using GIYS day services, whether the GIYS day is meeting their needs/expectations, and if there are any suggestions for improving GIYS day services. The survey will also help to determine which services and GIYS resources users find most and least satisfying.

However, no rigorous statistical methods will be used to select participants from the population, and the data do not directly contribute to a GPRA measure.

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.

This survey has not been conducted before, so it is difficult to provide the expected response rate. Last year GIYS was 2 a two-day event and 8,400 individuals participated in the activities. Given this year, the event is one day only; thus, we anticipate fewer total ONMS will not sample all participants; we hope to survey 15% of GIYS visitors or about 720 respondents.

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.

Statistical Method for Stratification and Sample Selection

ONMS is not using statistical methods for collecting these data.

Estimation Procedure and Accuracy

ONMS does not need to extrapolate the results to the population and will therefore not need to estimate population parameters from the collected data. This also means that the accuracy of the estimates is not meaningful to calculate.

Unusual Problems Requiring Specialized Sampling Procedures

None are required.

Periodic Data Collection Cycles

This request is for annual collection – the collection occurs once annually.

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.

ONMS plans to maximize the response rate by actively promoting the survey on-site and providing a link on its website and social media platforms. Additionally, postcards with a Survey Monkey link may be handed out on site if respondents indicate they do not have time to complete the survey.

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.

The survey was reviewed by ONMS leadership and staff prior to its launch. It was reviewed with several ONMS site staff who have been part of past GIYS days, to ensure the questions are clear and comprehensive.

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.

Danielle Schwarzmann

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

National Ocean Service, NOAA

[email protected]

240-533-0705

Chiara Zuccarino-Crowe

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

National Ocean Service, NOAA

[email protected]

240-533-0661