BPEP-SponsorFeedback-SupportingStatement

OMB Control No. # 0693-0033 – NIST Generic Clearance for Program Evaluation Data Collections

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) Sponsor Feedback Survey

FOUR STANDARD SURVEY QUESTIONS

1. Explain who will be surveyed and why the group is appropriate to survey.

In 2011, when the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) lost its Federal funding, it became critical for the program to raise revenue to recover its ongoing costs for labor, conferences, etc., and to supplement the emergency funding that was coming from the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

One way to do this was to offer sponsorships of BPEP products and services, including sponsorships of items at the Quest for Excellence^© Conference. Sponsoring organizations pay the Baldrige Foundation for the chance to sponsor a refreshment break at the conference or put their logo on conference bags, for example. Because these are organizations spending money to support BPEP and advertise themselves, it is important for the program to survey them to best understand their needs, wants, and delighters, so that they will return as sponsors.

2. Explain how the survey was developed including consultation with interested parties, pre-testing, and responses to suggestions for improvement.

A survey has been created in consultation with the Foundation that has more experience in sponsorships. The questions in the survey are unique and specific to the sponsorship opportunities offered, so that the program can learn which opportunities are of the most value. In advance of offering sponsorships, BPEP also researched other organizations that offer sponsorships, as well as received free advice from a fundraising organization. All advised that a successful sponsorship program involved maintaining close relationships with sponsoring organizations and ensuring that they are happy and feel the return on their investment (ROI). BPEP needs to survey them to ensure that the ROI is there.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted, how customers will be sampled if fewer than all customers will be surveyed, expected response rate, and actions your agency plans to take to improve the response rate.

The survey will be conducted via e-mail, no more than one week after the conference in which the vast majority of sponsorships occur. All sponsors will be given the opportunity to supply feedback. Close to a 90% response rate is expected, as these organizations invest money and time into the sponsorship and will want to express their opinions. Personal phone calls will be made to sponsors who are not responsive, as that could indicate their displeasure at the sponsorship.

The collection has not yet begun. It will begin in the May/June time period.

4. Describe how the results of the survey will be analyzed and used to generalize the results to the entire customer population.

Results will be used to improve the types of sponsorships offered, the process for sponsorships, the recognition for sponsors, and other topics for which sponsors have opinions. As part of the ongoing relationship building, BPEP staff can let sponsors know how their ideas were used to improve sponsorships. For example, after one of the first Baldrige conferences that included sponsors, one sponsor was displeased that the exhibit hall did not have enough traffic to bring interested attendees to the sponsor. An improvement the next year was to put all refreshment breaks and even buffet lunches in the area adjacent to the sponsors, which brought much more traffic to sponsors’ booths.

2