Certification

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0579-0377)
TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Traveler Outreach Site Intercept Survey
PURPOSE: APHIS relies on consumer support (voluntary compliance) to prevent the spread of
invasive species given it is not possible to inspect every bag, suitcase, and crate that enters the
United States. Past work with domestic and international travelers, however, indicates most
Americans hardly think about what it means to keep our plant and forest resources safe from
pests and our animal agriculture free from disease. At the heart of this issue is a two-pronged
perception of risk: perceived risk of penalty (if caught) and perceived risk of environmental harm
(if not caught). Previous APHIS efforts have sought to identify the behavioral motivations of
various audience segments to develop a communication plan to make those risks relevant and
adequately severe to facilitate improved voluntary compliance.
The present information collection is intended to allow APHIS to evaluate the effectiveness of
communication efforts. Evaluation can play two crucial roles in communication campaigns:
improving campaign design and implementation, and demonstrating campaign impact. Any
information collected as part of this program will be used by APHIS to identify differences in
key awareness, knowledge, and behavioral measures before and after campaign exposure. This
information will aid in the optimization of APHIS communication regarding the threat of
invasive species and, ultimately, to reduce the number of people who attempt to bring prohibited
food or plant items into the U.S.
APHIS is asking OMB to approve its use of these information collection activities in connection
with APHIS’ efforts to prevent the introduction or spread of pests and diseases of concern to
both regulated and non-regulated areas.
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: A segmentation analysis was completed to identify key
priority groups for targeted communication. The present information collection will be
comprised of field-intercept surveys conducted with respondents that meet the criteria of two
particularly high-risk groups:
• Hispanic travelers of Mexican heritage/descent entering California via the San Ysidro
port of entry
• Residents of the U.S. mainland returning from Hawaii via the Lihue airport
A site-intercept survey will be conducted with these two groups at two points in time. First, the
survey will be administered prior to campaign launch to gauge baseline knowledge and
behaviors. Approximately 12 months from the initial baseline measurement, the survey will be
administered again in the same locations (i.e., departing airline gates at the Lihue airport and
U.S. shops near the San Ysidro port of entry).
TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)
[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form
[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software
[ ] Focus Group

[ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey
[ ] Small Discussion Group
[X] Other: Site Intercept Survey

CERTIFICATION:
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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.
Name:__Heather Curlett______________________________________________
To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:
Personally Identifiable Information:
1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No
2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No
3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Gifts or Payments:
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to
participants? [X] Yes [ ] No
The proposed incentive amount differs based on location. Respondents surveyed at the Lihue
Hawaiian airport will not be incentivized. Based on previous experience with this location and
the wait time inherent to airport travel, we anticipate being able to recruit the desired number of
respondents without providing an incentive. Due to anticipated challenges recruiting Hispanic
travelers of Mexican heritage/descent, those surveyed at the San Ysidro border will receive a $5
cash incentive for completing the survey. The proposed incentive for respondents at the San
Ysidro border is necessary to minimize sampling bias and ensure adequate representation among
a harder-to-recruit population. 1 The use of incentives treats participants justly and with respect
by recognizing and acknowledging their commitment to science and the effort they expend to
participate. When applied in a reasonable manner, incentives are not an unjust inducement and
provide a way to acknowledge research participants for their participation. 2 Incentives equalize
the burden placed on research participants with respect to their time and cost of participation. 3
Groth, S.W. (2010). Honorarium or coercion: use of incentives for participants in clinical research. Journal of the
New York State Nurses Association.
2
Halpern, S.D., Karlawish, J.H., Casarett, D., Berlin, J.A., & Asch, D.A. (2004). Empirical assessment of whether
moderate payments are undue or unjust inducements for participation in clinical trials. Archives of Internal
Medicine, 164(7), 80l-803.
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Russell, M.L., Moralejo, D.G., & Burgess, E.D. (2000). Paying research subjects: Participants' perspectives.
Journal of Medical Ethics, 26(2), 126-130.
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BURDEN HOURS
Category of Respondent
Hispanic travelers of Mexican heritage/descent
entering California via the San Ysidro port of entry
(Time 1)
Residents of the U.S. mainland returning from
Hawaii via the Lihue airport (Time 1)
Hispanic travelers of Mexican heritage/descent
entering California via the San Ysidro port of entry
(Time 2)
Residents of the U.S. mainland returning from
Hawaii via the Lihue airport (Time 2)
Totals

No. of
Participation
Respondents Time
500
.17

Burden

500

.17

85

500

.17

85

500

.17

85

2000

.17

340

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FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $15,281.28
If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please
provide answers to the following questions:
The selection of your targeted respondents
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?
[ X] Yes
[ ] No
If the answer is 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?
In 2012, a segmentation analysis was completed to identify key priority groups for targeted
communication. The present information collection will be comprised of field-intercept surveys
conducted with respondents that meet the criteria of two particularly high-risk groups:
•
Hispanic travelers of Mexican heritage/descent entering California via the San Ysidro
port of entry
•
Residents of the U.S. mainland returning from Hawaii via the Lihue airport
Respondents will be screened for participation eligibility on the basis of age, heritage, and
primary residence. See screener (Appendix A). Consent will be obtained from participants prior
to completion of the survey (Appendix B).
Administration of the Instrument
1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)
[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[ ] Telephone
[ X ] In-person
[ ] Mail
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[ ] Other, Explain
2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ X ] Yes [ ] No
Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the
request.

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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 of the purpose of this collection and how it will be used.
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, the
collection will be returned as improperly submitted or it will be disapproved.
Personally Identifiable Information: Provide answers to the questions. Note: Agencies
should only collect PII to the extent necessary, and they should only retain PII for the period of
time that is necessary to achieve a specific objective.
Gifts or Payments: If you answer yes to the question, please describe the incentive and provide
a justification for the amount.
BURDEN HOURS:
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. Only one type of respondent can be selected per row.
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 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:
The selection of your 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 the information will be collected. 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.

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Submit all instruments, instructions, and scripts with the request.

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