Improving USAGov Communications for Email Subscribers (Req-22)

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 3090-0297)
Req-22
Survey Instrument and Email Communications (English)
This document provides the accompanying materials for the ​Improving USAGov
Communications for Email Subscribers ​information collection. The USAGov Outreach Team
and the Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) are working together on this project.
The project includes two components: (1) a customer feedback survey for USAGov email
subscribers and (2) a randomized control trial to test the effectiveness of messages, informed by
research in the social and behavioral sciences, designed to increase survey completion rates.
The materials include the survey instrument and email communications for the six message arms
(five “treatment” arms and one business as usual message) that will be sent to USAGov email
subscribers who receive emails in Spanish. The survey instrument will be the same across all
message conditions. Email subscribers who receive emails in Spanish will be randomly
assigned to receive one of three message arms (two “treatment” arms and one business as usual
message). These materials translated into Spanish also are included in this Request for
Approval.
The survey can be viewed online here:
https://feedback.gsa.gov/jfe/preview/SV_afWxsdlAez6ilXn?Q_SurveyVersionID=current&Q_C
HL=preview​.
Appendix A: Survey instrument in English
Appendix B: Six message arms email communications (seven emails in total) that will be sent to
a random sample of USAGov email subscribers in English

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Appendix A: Survey instrument in English

The link in English shows the PRA statement below.

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Only respondents who selected “Business Owner” or “Business Management (Financing,
Government Contracting, etc.)” will answer the following two business questions.

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Response options for “Where do you live?” include:
● Each of the 50 U S states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
● U S territories:American Somoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Northern
Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, U S Virgin Islands
● Outside the United States

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Respondents also will be able to complete the survey on mobile devices. The welcome
screen and first two questions on a mobile device are shown as examples below.

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Appendix B - Six message arms email communications
A. Business as Usual / Control
Subject:​ ​ Tell USAGov what you think!

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B. Treatment #1: Personal Appeal
Subject:​ Tell the USAGov Outreach Team what you think!

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C. Treatment #2: Selected Advisor
Subject:​ You’ve been selected to advise USAGov

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D. Treatment #3: Personal Appeal + Selected Advisor
Subject:​ You’ve been selected to advise the USAGov Outreach Team

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E. Treatment #4: ​ Personal Appeal + Selected Advisor + Thank You Prime
Email #1 (one week prior to email survey):
Subject:​ Thank you for learning more about your government

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Email #2 (one week after thank-you email):
Subject:​ You’ve been selected to advise the USAGov Outreach Team

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F. Treatment #5: Process Transparency
Subject:​ Don’t miss your chance - we’re improving our content next month

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