Supporting Statement B_Million Hearts_Network Survey

Million Hearts Social Network Analysis—Network Survey

Supporting Statement – Section B

Submitted: May 4, 2016

Contracting Officer Representative

Daniel Duplantier

Social Science Analyst
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20201

202.260.6544

[email protected]

Section B – Data Collection Procedures

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

This is an exploratory study in which we are trying to identify facilitators and barriers to public-private partnerships with the federal government by examining the Million Hearts (MH) Initiative. The data we collect will be used to potentially inform future partnerships and collaborations of similar size and scope.

This study proposes to use an environmental scan, key informant interviews, and a social network analysis to describe the partnership engagement process, changes in activities, and successful techniques to maintaining large public health initiatives. A social network analysis is a method used to gather and analyze data to explain the degree to which network actors connect to one another and the structural makeup of collaborative relationships.

Our sample will be derived from the universe of Million Hearts partners. This will include all organizations that have made a formal pledge on the Million Hearts website as well as any other entities that arise through the environmental scan. The key informant interviews were approved and conducted under ASPE’s generic information collection request OMB No. 0990-0421, and they were used to create a list of contacts/key people form the private sector organizations and the federal agencies that comprise the Million Hearts Initiative to “bound” the network.

Social network survey respondents will be providing information about their professional relationships with other members of the MH Initiative. The survey will ask questions regarding the frequency of communication, perceptions of value, and perceptions of trust among partners. We anticipate administering approximately 100 online surveys through the Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance Relationships (PARTNER) tool.

2. Procedures for the Collection of Information

PARTNER is a social network analysis tool designed to measure and monitor collaboration among people/organizations. The tool is designed for use by groups who collaborate to demonstrate how members are connected, how resources are leveraged and exchanged, and the levels of trust. The tool includes an online survey that is administered to collect data and an analysis program that analyzes these data. PARTNER is a tool that allows people/organizations that work together as a “network” to measure and monitor collaborative activity over time. Using social network analysis, network measures indicate progress of collaboration by assessing which partners are involved, the ways that partners exchange resources, and provide a better understanding of the amount of effort required to sustain a collaboration.

Our network survey uses a validated instrument from PARTNER that covers the following topics: an organization’s important contribution to the network, frequency of interaction with members of the network, perceptions of value and trust among partners, resource contributions of partners, level of involvement of partners, reliability of partners, and communication practices of partners. The survey will be administered electronically through the PARTNER Tool. More information about the tool can be found here: http://partnertool.net/.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates Deal with Nonresponse

We will recruit participants via email and follow-up phone calls to non-respondents. We do not anticipate problems with response rate or nonresponse given the prior level of engagement of partners with the MH Initiative. Across all of the research using the PARTNER tool the average response rate has been 67%, with ranges from 43% to 100%. As this is the fifth and final year of the MH Initiative, there are several activities and presentations that are taking stock of what has been accomplished and we expect high response rates from individuals in the network. There are also twice a month calls for the federal and private partners in the MH network which provide another opportunity to remind respondents to take the brief survey.

4. Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken

The PARTNER network survey is a validated instrument. It has been used to study 550 networks and 13,000 organizations. The questionnaire has 19 standard questions with options to add additional questions that are specific to the given research project. We will pilot the survey with a group of federal staff that work on the MH Initiative assembled for this project and a subset of respondents from the larger available sample. Feedback from the pilot group of respondents will be used to refine and modify questions before administering to the larger network of 100 respondents.

5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data

Dr. Malcolm Williams and Dr. Danielle Varda are experts in analyzing qualitative and social network data. Both investigators also have extensive knowledge of public health issues. The project team is composed of federal staff who have expertise in this area and qualitative methodology as well.