Supplementary 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?

This survey will be conducted by National Ocean Service’s (NOS) Office of Coast Survey (OCS). OCS provides navigation products and services that ensure safe and efficient maritime commerce on America’s oceans and coastal waters and the Great Lakes. OCS serves a wide array of customers, including shipping companies, the cruise line industry, the fishing industry, marine pilots, harbormasters, federal partners including the US Coast Guard and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, professional mariners and recreational boaters. Many OCS products and services (e.g. nautical charts) are available via download from our website, nauticalcharts.noaa.gov. They may also available in more traditional paper formats from the OCS network of Print on Demand vendors

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 was developed in consultation with Coast Pilot technical experts and other OCS staff who have had experience conducting surveys. The focus of this survey is to get a baseline for how our customers are currently using the Coast Pilot and which topics are most important to them. The survey was initially distributed for comment and refinement among an internal working group assembled to re-envision the Coast Pilot. The survey questions were finalized based on the efforts of the working group.

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?

This survey will be conducted via Survey Monkey.

Since all customers targeted for this survey will have volunteered, we are confident that the response rate will be high.

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.)

This survey is being conducted as part of an initiative to investigate possibilities for re-envisioning United States Coast Pilot. It will provide a baseline for how different groups of our customers are currently using the Coast Pilot and which topics in the Coast Pilot they find most useful. This will aid the working group as decisions made on which parts of the Coast Pilot could be enhanced, eliminated or presented in a format that is more useful to our customers.

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. Through our Customer Response Branch and professional contacts, we plan to solicit volunteers from the following groups:

United States Power Squadrons, BoatUS, Maritime Academies, Cruise Lines International Association, Maritime Sealift Command, United States Coast Guard (USCG), Navy, Army, NOAA Corps, the Hydrographic Survey Review Panel (FACA), Pilots Associations, and Harbor Safety Committees. In addition, we plan to solicit volunteers by publicizing the survey in the USCG Local Notices to Mariners, via our social media accounts, and though our mailing lists.

Responders will likely fall into the categories as listing in the following table:

Respondent Category	# of Potential Respondents*	Expected # of Respondents (75%)
Professional Mariner	50	38
Government/Military	50	38
Electronic Charting Company	25	19
Recreational Boater	25	19
Academic/Maritime Institute	25	19
Other	25	19
Total # of Potential Respondents	200	152

*Note: Potential Respondents are considered those who volunteered to take part in this survey.

As all customers targeted for this survey have volunteered, we are confident that the response rate will be high. We anticipate that of those who volunteer, approximately 75% will actually follow though and complete the survey.

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.

Data collection will be completed using Survey Monkey. This survey will not be sampled and will not require statistical analysis. All responses will be considered. Based on the results of this survey, the OCS working group may propose enhancing or eliminating specific topics from the Coast Pilot or providing certain information in a different format.

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.

Respondents for this survey will have actively reached out to Coast Survey to volunteer to participate. Therefore, our expectation is that the response rate should be high.

An email will be sent out to respondents informing them of the availability of this survey and the survey will be available for one week.

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.

Respondents will be provided a URL, which will allow them to access the survey though Survey Monkey. They will be asked to answer 14 questions about their demographic information and their current use of the Coast Pilot. These questions will be in multiple choice, ranking, rating, and free-text format.

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.

This survey will not be sampled and will not require statistical analysis. This survey was designed in consultation with Coast Pilot technical experts and other OCS staff who have had experience conducting surveys. David Bidwell of Lynne Carbone & Associates, Inc, (LCA) ([email protected], 301-986-0033) will be responsible for the administration, data collection, and reporting. Coast Survey (Thomas Loeper, [email protected], (301)367-5680 will analyse the results in consultation with LCA.