OMB #1545-1432
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
OMB Information Collection (ICR) Approval Request to Conduct
Customer Satisfaction Research (OMB #1545-1432)
Customer Satisfaction Evaluation for Primary Agency Liaisons 2019
A. JUSTIFICATION
Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enlists a balanced measurement system consisting of business results, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. This initiative is part of the Service-wide effort to maintain a system of balanced organizational performance measures mandated by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act (RRA) of 1998. This is also a result of Executive Order 12862 that requires all government agencies to survey their customers.
The Governmental Liaison, Disclosure and Safeguards (GLDS) office of the Privacy, Governmental Liaison and Disclosure (PGLD) division of the IRS, in partnership with SB/SE Research (SBR), is conducting a survey to collect feedback from GLDS’ main customers. The objectives of the survey are (1) to determine levels of satisfaction with GLDS products and services and (2) to find areas for improvement.
The survey will be sent to GLDS’ primary agency liaisons. GLDS has administered similar customer satisfaction surveys five times since 2007. In addition to the objectives listed above, the FY20 survey results will also be used to find areas of significant change since the last survey in FY16.
Purpose and Use of the Information Collection
The information collected will allow GLDS to improve areas with low customer satisfaction and to maintain areas with high customer satisfaction. The end goal is for GLDS to use the survey results to ensure that its customers have a useful, efficient, and satisfying experience with GLDS products and services.
Consideration Given to Information Technology
The surveys will be distributed by e-mail, using e-mail addresses provided by GLDS. The e-mail will contain a link to the survey, which the recipient will click to take the survey. SBR will use Verint software to create and send the surveys, as well as to retrieve and compile survey responses.
Duplication of Information
This type of survey is unique; no other GLDS satisfaction survey has been or will be issued to GLDS customers.
SBR has administered similar customer satisfaction surveys since 2007. One of the objectives of the FY20 surveys is to capture changes in satisfaction levels from previous years. For this reason, several questions will be identical between the FY16 and FY20 surveys.
This survey may be used in subsequent years with OMB approval.
Reducing the Burden on Small Entities
No small businesses or other small entities will be involved in the surveys. The surveys will be sent to federal, state, and city treasury departments that use GLDS products and services.
SBR will minimize the respondents’ burden by asking for readily available information and by using short and easily completed questionnaires.
Consequences of Not Conducting Collection
If the surveys are not conducted, GLDS will not have feedback from its customers. In the absence of feedback, GLDS will not know whether customers are satisfied with its various products and services. The lack of this information would cause GLDS to be unable to achieve one of its organizational goals: to measure external customer satisfaction.
In addition, without this external feedback, GLDS may not be able to properly identify improvement opportunities or burden reduction strategies.
Special Circumstances
There are no special circumstances related to these surveys.
Consultations with Persons Outside the Agency
There will be no consultations with persons outside the agency for these surveys.
Payment or Gift
There will be no payment or gift to respondents.
Confidentiality
The respondents’ privacy to the extent allowed by the law will be safeguarded at all times. SBR and GLDS will apply fair information and record-keeping practices to ensure protection of all survey respondents and will hold the identities of respondents private to the extent permitted by the law. The following sources, which provide for the protection of taxpayer information as well as its release to authorized recipients, will be used: the Privacy Act of 1974, the Freedom of Information Act, and Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code.
The survey will not contain tax return or taxpayer information. Survey participants will not be identified in any of the documents or files used for this project. We will limit and control the amount of information we collect to those items that are necessary to accomplish the research questions.
The security of the survey data will be safeguarded at all times. Security requirements are based on the Computer Security Act of 1987 and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-130, Appendices A & B. Physical security measures include a locked, secure office and a secure server. Notes are stored in locked cabinets or shredded. Data security at the C2 level is accomplished via the Windows 10 operating system. Systems are password protected, users are only allowed access if authorized, and individual audit trails are generated and reviewed periodically.
Sensitive Nature
No question of a personal or sensitive nature will be asked on the surveys.
Burden of Information Collection
The average time of survey completion is expected to be 15 minutes.
We will mail the surveys out to a population group of 450 GLDS primary agency liaisons. Based on an estimated 45% response rate, we expect about 203 potential respondents and 247 non-participants.
For the population group, the time needed to read the e-mail invitations and subsequent reminders is about 5 minutes. The time burden for this group is 450 x [5 minutes/60 minutes] = 37.5 burden hours.
For participants, the total time to complete the survey is 15 minutes. The time burden for this group is 203 x [15 minutes/60 minutes] = 51 burden hours.
The total burden hours for the survey is (37.2 + 51) = 88.5 burden hours.
Type of Collection |
Participation |
Response Time (minutes) |
Total Burden (hours) |
Potential Respondents Contact |
450 |
5 |
37.5 |
Expected Participants |
203 |
15 |
51 |
Grand Total Burden |
|
|
88.5 |
Costs to Respondents
There is no dollar cost to respondents. The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $2,210.73. The surveys take place across the United States with all cross-sections of society. This estimate was created using the mean hourly wage for all occupations ($24.98) from the BLS May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates - United States.
Cost of Federal Government
There is no additional cost to the federal government for this project.
Reason for Change
This is a new request. No change is being requested.
Tabulation of Results, Schedule, Analysis Plans
Using the Verint software, we will compile all survey results.
Upon the surveys’ completion on 11/15/19, we will analyze the results, using descriptive and inferential (if the response rate is high enough) statistics.
Our final product will a report, to be delivered in January of 2020.
Display of OMB Approval Date
We will display the OMB approval date.
Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
These activities comply with the requirements in 5 CFR 1320.9.
Dates Collection of Information will Begin and End
10/15/19 – 11/15/19
B. STATISTICAL METHODS
Universe and Respondent Selection
The market segment consists of employees of federal, state, and city agencies who use products and services from the IRS GLDS.
These agencies have enrolled or partnered with the IRS GLDS for improving their tax or benefit administration. They are located in all 50 states, in US territories, and in Washington DC.
The employees include primary liaisons from each agency. The estimated population size of this group is 450. Surveys will be sent to the population.
Procedures for Collecting Information
Using Verint software, SBR will administer the survey by e-mail to the population of primary agency liaisons. Each e-mail will contain a link to the survey. SBR will use the Verint software to retrieve and compile survey responses.
Methods to Maximize Response
The following procedures will be used to obtain the highest response rate possible for the survey: pre-survey notification and several reminders to take the survey (spaced one week apart).
SBR designed the survey questions with an intent to maximize the response rate and minimize the respondent burden.
Testing of Procedures
Prior to administering the survey, SBR will perform validation and testing. This includes testing the survey link, reviewing survey content, and testing the skip patterns/sub-choices of survey questions.
The purpose of this validation and testing is to ensure that the participants can successfully access the link, take the survey, and submit their responses.
Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection
For questions regarding the study, questionnaire design or statistical methodology, please contact the following:
Janice Hu
Operations Research Analyst
SB/SE Research, Team 4
(949) 575-6275
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Hu Janice |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-15 |