Request for Approval

DI-4011 (Rev. 07/2018)
U.S. Department of the Interior

OMB Control. No. 1090-0011
Expiration Date 10/31/2021

REQUEST FOR APPROVAL UNDER THE
“DOI GENERIC CLEARANCE FOR THE COLLECTION OF
QUANTITATIVE FEEDBACK ON AGENCY SERVICE DELIVERY”

See Page 4 for Instructions on Completing This Form
Title of Information Collection

FWS.gov Remote Usability Study
Purpose

US Fish and Wildlife (FWS) is currently undergoing a website redesign and is seeking user feedback in order to improve the
usability, findability, and comprehension of information on the site. The overall goal of acquiring this feedback is to translate
users’ actual and potential use of the site into explicit knowledge and design requirements for the redesign.
In order to obtain this feedback, we first conducted a contextual inquiry with actual users of the site and produced a report of
findings and recommendations. These findings led to a proposed set of two alternative navigational models for an updated
organization of the site. We next assessed the navigational models using Treejack software. Treejack presented a series of
tasks to participants, and participants each clicked through the two proposed models of the site organization to show where
they would expect to find particular information.
In this round of user research, we will conduct a usability study to measure the effectiveness of the proposed design and
navigational improvements. Our goal is to learn more about the attitudes and preferences of FWS customers and key
stakeholders so that we can improve how US Fish and Wildlife communicates with and delivery services to the public. The
research focuses on testing a set of key workflows and navigational pathways. The tasks asked of participants in this round of
research are very similar to the tasks represented in the first two rounds of research. The research plan for this study involves
54 participants that represent each of the primary audiences identified by FWS: Enthusiasts, Influencers, Managers, Job
Seekers, Wildlife Importers/Exporters, and Youth Program Coordinators.
Description of Respondents
1) Wildlife Enthusiasts: Outdoor Sportsmen/women – Refuge visitors, Hunters, Fishers/Anglers, Birders/Bird Waters and individuals interested in spending time on wildlife refuges
2) Influencers: Advocate - Environmentalists, Conservationists, FWS Partners, NGOs, Non-profits, “Friends Of”
3) Influencers: Researcher - Faculty, educators or student researchers at high schools or universities studying subjects or conducting research related to conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources
4) Influencer: Communicator - Corporate Marketing and Communications, Journalists/Reporters, News media, Bloggers, Social media writers/managers, Legislative Assistant
5) Managers: Government – Representatives from federal, state, local and tribal agencies with land/resource management responsibilities that are working with FWS to manage public land and natural resources
6) Managers: Commercial – Commercial land developers involved with FWS in wildlife conservation – Developers that want to complete a project and are required to comply with regulations related to ESA and other statutes
7) FWS Job Seekers – Individuals in the US workforce currently looking for work at FWS and/or recently placed in a position with FWS
8) Wildlife Import/Export Permit Applicants – Businesses (companies, animal dealers/brokers, laboratory suppliers, trade show participants, collectors/hobbyists, etc.)
9) Organizations Supporting Urban Youth – Targeting urban youth via organizations, schools and nonprofits that are focused on providing youth programs targeting this demographic

Type of Collection (Check One)
Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Focus Group

Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software

Small Discussion Group

Other:

Certification
I certify the following to be true:
1. The collection is voluntary.
2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.
3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.
4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.
5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.
6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have
experience with the program in the future.
Typed Name of Requester
Signature
Date

DAVID YEARGIN

David Yeargin

Bureau ICCO
Recommend
Not Recommended
DOI PRA Program Lead
Approved
Not Approved

Digitally signed by DAVID YEARGIN
Date: 2019.06.25 12:12:00 -04'00'

FOR USE BY ICC PROGRAM STAFF ONLY
Signature

MADONNA BAUCUM
DOI Tracking Number
2019-FWS-FT78

Signature

Digitally signed by MADONNA BAUCUM
Date: 2019.06.25 12:23:19 -04'00'

06/25/2019

Date

06/25/2019
Date

signed by JEFFREY PARRILLO
06/28/2019
JEFFREY PARRILLO Digitally
Date: 2019.06.28 08:21:02 -04'00'

Page 1 of 4

DI-4011 (Rev. 07/2018)
U.S. Department of the Interior

OMB Control. No. 1090-0011
Expiration Date 10/31/2021

TO ASSIST REVIEW, PLEASE PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
Personally Identifiable Information (Please consult with your Bureau/Office Privacy Act Officer)
1. Will you collect any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)?
No
Yes If “Yes,” please consult with your Bureau/Office Privacy Act Officer.
2. If “Yes”, is the information to be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974?
No
Yes
3. If applicable, has a System or Records Notice (SORN) been published?
No
Yes If “Yes,” please provide the title and FR citation below:
Title of SORN:
FR Citation for SORN
Gifts or Payments (Please refer to OMB guidance “Questions and Answers When Designing Surveys for Information Collections”)
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants?
No
Yes If
“Yes”, please describe the incentive and provide a justification for the amount:
Non-government employees will be offered a $100 incentive fee to compensate individuals for their time in scheduling and participating in the research project. The amount of $100 is deemed appropriate based on the seniority and skill level of potential participants and the geographical spread of the
study (e.g. nationwide). While this is a non-standard stipend, it reflects the hard-to-reach nature of the respondents, it is commensurate with the level of experience and the time respondents will spend both participating in and setting up the remote session and will help to improve data quality via
participation. Non-monetary incentives were considered, but are not feasible given the broad scope of participants. The demographic diversity of the respondent pool does not lend itself to identifying a single non-monetary incentive that would be appropriate for all respondents, and offering different
incentive amounts to different respondents could skew the results.
This study involves 10 different audience segments, and if participation is low for any one of the segments, it can negatively impact the quality of data from each. Our past experience in prior rounds of usability testing throughout the FWS website redesign process has indicated that participation is and
likely will continue to be an issue. Certain audience segments are particularly hard-to-reach and challenging to recruit for. Offering a higher incentive helps ensure identified candidates participate and saves us the expenses associated with continued recruitment efforts.

Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Business Reference Model (Check only one “Line of Business” and one “Subfunction.”
Refer to OMB guidance “FEA Consolidated Reference Model Document Version 2.3”)
Another justification
providing
the incentive involves the complexity of the study. Respondents
have been asked to participate in prior rounds of research over multiple
their continued involvement reduces the need for recruiting additional
participants.
Line forof
Business
Subfunction
Lineyears,ofandBusiness
Subfunction
Literature has shown that "Incentives can influence response rates either by facilitating contact with potential respondents, or by stimulating their cooperation."

SINGER, E., & YE, C. (2013). The Use and Effects of Incentives in Surveys. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 645, 112-141. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23479084

Authorization to provide this payment to respondents originates from (Executive Order 13571: Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service). Section 1, Paragraph 2 of the order states that “Government managers must learn from what is working in the private sector and apply these
best practices to deliver services better, faster, and at lower cost.” By providing this incentive, we are following the best practices of usability testing in the private sector for audience segments of this seniority and skill level. By following these usability best practices, we will ensure the site meets the
success criteria laid out in the FWS.gov Remote Usability Study Plan, thus reducing the need for subsequent spending on website maintenance and repair in the future.

Community and
Social Services
Defense and
National Security
Economic
Development

(Select One)

Correctional
Activities
Disaster
Management

(Select One)

(Select One)

Education

(Select One)

Energy

(Select One)

Environmental
Management

(Select One)

General Science
and Innovation

(Select One)

Health

(Select One)

Homeland Security

(Select One)

(Select One)

(Select One)

Income Security

(Select One)

Intelligence
Operations

(Select One)

(Select One)

Law Enforcement

(Select One)

International Affairs
and Commerce
Litigation and
Judicial Activities

Natural Resources

Conservation, Marine and Land ManagementTransportation

(Select One)

(Select One)

Workforce
(Select One)
Management
Burden Hour Calculation
Category of Respondent

Individuals/Households

Number of Annual
Respondents

Number of
Responses Each

Total Annual
Responses

Participation
Time

Total Burden
Hours

54

1

54

1 hour

54 hours

Federal Cost: (Consult your Bureau/Office Information Collection Clearance Officer for assistance, if necessary)
The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $ 6,840.96

, based on: (provide details below)

Category 1: Individual or Household - Enthusiasts (8), Job Seekers (4) and Managers: Individual landowners and developers (4)
Total number of respondents: 16, participant time per respondent: 60 minutes, burden in hours: 16 hours
Federal labor cost for this category is $515.84, non labor cost is $1,600 and total cost is $2,115.84
Category 2: Private Sector - Influencer: Advocates (6), Influencer: Researcher (6), Influencer: Communications (6), Wildlife Importer/exporter (4), Youth program coordinator (3), Manager: Commercial (4)
Total number of respondents: 29, participant time per respondent: 60 minutes, burden in hours: 29 hours
Federal labor cost for this category is $934.96, non labor cost is $2,900 and total cost is $3,834.96
Category 3: State/Tribal Agencies with land/resource management responsibilities - Manager: Government - state, Local or tribal (6)
Total number of respondents: 6, participant time per respondent: 60 minutes, burden in hours: 6 hours
Federal labor cost for this category is $193.44, non labor cost is $600 and total cost is $793.44
Category 4: Federal Agencies with land/resource management responsibilities - Manager: Government - Federal
Total number of respondents: 3, participant time per respondent: 60 minutes, burden in hours: 3 hours
Federal labor cost for this category is $96.72, there are no non labor costs and total cost is $96.72

Sample Response to Federal Cost Question:
“If we receive 20 submissions and it takes 30 minutes to process and implement each one, then the total burden is $322.40
assuming a GS-7 step 5 is processing the submissions. Please note, however, that this custom form is a tool meant to accept
submissions in a standard format rather than through the freeform submissions that would otherwise come in by personal email.
Thus the existence of this form actually saves the government money by standardizing submissions and decreasing the workload of
processing each one.”
Page 2 of 4

DI-4011 (Rev. 07/2018)
U.S. Department of the Interior

OMB Control. No. 1090-0011
Expiration Date 10/31/2021

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the
following questions:
Selection of Targeted Respondents
1. Do you have a customer list (or something similar) that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a
sampling plan for selecting from this universe?
No
Yes If “Yes,” please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan). If the answer is no, please
provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them.

We will be using three methods for identifying participants: 1) We will be working with a recruiting
firm to identify potential study participants. 2) We will also be asking participants who participated in
the two earlier usability studies for this project to participate again. And, 3) We will be asking FWS
employees for referrals to potential interview candidates (ex: Asking Refuge staff if they have any
Refuge visitors who would be interested in participating in a usability test
Sample Response to Question 1 Above:
“Participants will self-select by choosing to follow the link to submit a resource. This is really no different than any website’s “Contact
Us” type of link; this submission form is only used by those who want to contribute to the toolkit. The “Submit a resource” link will be
located on the bottom of the toolkit homepage.”
Administration of the Instrument:
2.

How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)
Web-based or other forms of Social Media

Telephone

Mail

Other:

In-person

Use of Interviewers or Facilitators:
3. Will you use interviewers or facilitators?
No

Yes
PLEASE SUBMIT SURVEY INSTRUMENT, INSTRUCTIONS, AND SCRIPTS WITH YOUR REQUEST.

Page 3 of 4

DI-4011 (Rev. 07/2018)
U.S. Department of the Interior

OMB Control. No. 1090-0011
Expiration Date 10/31/2021

Instructions for completing Request for Approval under the
“Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback”

Title of Information Collection: Provide the name of the collection that is the subject of the request. (e.g., Comment card for soliciting
feedback on xxxx)
Purpose: Provide a brief description and how you will use this information collection. If this is part of a larger study or effort, please
include this in your explanation.
Description of Respondents: Provide a brief description of the targeted group or groups for this collection of information. These
groups must have experience with the program.
Type of Collection: Check one box. If you are requesting approval of other instruments under the generic, you must complete a form
for each instrument.
Certification: Please read the certification carefully. If you incorrectly certify, OMB will return the collection as improperly submitted or
they will disapprove your request.
Personally Identifiable Information: Provide answers to the questions.
Gifts or Payments: If you answer yes to the question, please describe the incentive and provide a justification for the amount.
Burden Hour Calculation:
•
Category of Respondents: Identify who you expect the respondents to be in terms of the following categories: (1) Individuals
or Households; (2) Private Sector; (3) State, local, or tribal governments; or (4) Federal Government. You may select only
one category.
•
No. of Respondents: Provide an estimate of the Number of respondents.
•
Participation Time: Provide an estimate of the amount of time required for a respondent to participate (e.g., fill out a survey
or participate in a focus group)
•
Burden: Provide the Annual burden hours: Multiply the Number of responses and the participation time in minutes and
divide by 60.
Federal Cost: Provide an estimate of the annual cost to the Federal government.
If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following
questions:
Selection of Targeted Respondents: Please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents
and how you will select them. If the answer is yes, to the first question, you may provide the sampling plan in an attachment.
Administration of the Instrument: Identify how you will collect the information. More than one box may be checked. Indicate
whether there will be interviewers (e.g., for surveys) or facilitators (e.g., for focus groups) used.
Submission of the Survey Instrument, Instructions and Scripts: You must submit a copy of the survey instrument, including all
associated instructions and scripts. The survey instrument document must show the OMB Control Number 1090-0011 and Expiration
Date 08/31/2018, along with the following Statements:
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
(44 U.S.C. 3501) to [insert brief justification for collection of information]. Your response is voluntary and we will not
share the results publicly. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. OMB has reviewed and approved this survey
and assigned OMB Control Number 1090-0011, which expires ##/##/####.
Estimated Burden Statement: We estimate the survey will take you ## minutes to complete, including time to read
instructions, gather information, and complete and submit the survey. You may submit comments on any aspect of
this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, [Insert Bureau], [Insert mailing address].”

Page 4 of 4