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. This survey’s intent is to assess partners’ satisfaction associated with services and products provided by ONMS to and in conjunction with our partners. These services include educational programs, informational events and exhibits, staff support and staff time. In the context of this survey our partners are the customers. ONMS collaborates with other organizations to further our educational goals and objectives. Partners include non-profit organizations, zoos and aquaria, universities and schools. Use of this data will help to improve the quality of partnerships and the outputs of those partnerships (such as educational products/services, interactions with the public and improvement to sanctuary resources). This survey will be administered by staff at each ONMS site or by HQ staff. All sanctuaries are encouraged to participate in the customer satisfaction survey of partnerships, but will not be required to.

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 and the ONMS Partnership Working Group. The information will help to better understand the products/service partners value most and how to improve the quality of these partnerships.

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 providing a link to our partners via Survey Monkey. Upon request, paper copies may also be provided for them to complete and mail back.

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 products/services provided by ONMS to partners and the interactions/support provided to our partners. ONMS will use the information resulting from this testing to help determine how partnerships may be improved.

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.

Based on an assessment that was conducted to determine the number of education partnerships, we estimate that around 150 partners will fill out this survey. This survey has not been conducted before, so it is difficult to provide the expected response rate. Given that we are surveying our partners who actively engage with us, we do expect a high response rate of around 85%.

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 with partners and sending reminder e-mails to them.

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 are part of the Partnership working group and by the education and outreach team, 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

Seaberry Nachbar

[email protected]

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

National Ocean Service, NOAA

831-647-4204