Evaluation of the Veteran Business Outreach Centers

(OMB Control Number: 3245-XXXX)

Appendix B-3 Director Survey Invite E-mail

Dear VBOC Directors,

Greetings from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD), and thank you for all the work that you have completed for the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program. SBA is conducting a performance evaluation of OVBD as we develop plans for improving the program.

To offer a fair and independent study, OVBD has contracted Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal), to complete the evaluation. As part of this assessment, Optimal is distributing a survey to all VBOC directors. The primary purpose of this survey is to provide context to the VBOC programs so that performance metrics and guidelines on data collection can be developed for future impact evaluations. Optimal has designed this survey to learn from you by exploring your processes, successes, and challenges while implementing the grant. Topics include information about your role as a director, staff capacity, client characteristics, services, client tracking, and referral network.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, SBA (OVBD) may not conduct this survey unless it has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). SBA has obtained that approval under OMB control number 3245-xxxx, Expiration date xx/ xx/ xxxx. The survey takes approximately 102 minutes to complete, including time to review this invitation. Directors are in no way required to participate in the survey but are encouraged to do so because OVBD values their input. Also, you may choose “Prefer not to answer” if you do not want to respond to a specific question, but we would greatly appreciate your completing as many questions as possible. This survey will be anonymous: Optimal will provide SBA with de-identified data such that your individual answers cannot be attributed to you. The survey results will be presented in aggregate form (all respondents’ answers combined) in the final report, further protecting your confidentiality.

Below is the survey link housed within a private and secure website. You can stop the survey and start a new session by clicking the link again. Your previous answers will be saved, allowing you to resume the survey where you stopped. Please complete the survey by December 4, 2015. Optimal will send you periodic reminders and can be reached by phone for technical support at 301-306-1170.

<survey link>

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact us as soon as possible. Thank you again for your participation and work!

Respectfully,

Barbara Carson

On behalf of the SBA Office of Veterans Business Development