0197-ss-b 9.24.19

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Voluntary Customer Surveys

B. Statistical Methods

1. Potential Respondent Universe and Sample Selection Method

The respondent universe will be separately identified for each program whose customers are to be surveyed. Developmental activities, such as focus groups, will be designed to assure inclusion of an appropriate range of customers; quantitative activities will be carried out using sampling procedures developed to be properly representative of the universe.

Surveys will be designed to minimize burden on respondents while obtaining essential information. The expectation is that information collection instruments will require no more than 15 minutes response time, on average. Focus groups will generally last for one hour and a half (plus travel time).

In virtually all instances, there will be existing lists of "customers" readily available for sampling. (e.g., mailing lists for publications, recipients of particular materials or services within known customer groups. Appropriate probability sampling techniques will be used to select samples.

2. Information Collection Procedures

All data collection will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the following principles:

• Appropriate sample sizes will be determined for each activity to assure that burden is minimized while reliable estimates are produced.

• Participation will be fully voluntary, and non-participation will have no impact on eligibility for or receipt of future services. If necessary, steps will be taken to ensure unbiased completion of questionnaires by use of third-party distribution and receipt by a party not directly involved in provision of the service being assessed.

• Information to be collected will be limited to that needed to assess customer satisfaction. Repeated implementation of quantitative surveys will be at an interval appropriate to measure the impact of changes and to monitor ongoing levels of satisfaction.

• Efforts will be made to obtain the highest possible response rates, given the voluntary nature of the data collection efforts. To the extent feasible, efforts will be made to assess non-response bias.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates

Consistent with sound survey methodology, the design of each quantitative survey will include approaches to maximize response rates, while retaining the voluntary nature of the effort. For mail surveys, for example, this is expected to include a postcard followup, a second mailing of the questionnaire, and possibly some telephone followup, if phone numbers are available.

4. Tests of Procedures

It is anticipated that some surveys will begin with focus groups or similar efforts to identify the views and concerns of customers. More formal pretesting will be carried out at a level and in a manner consistent with the specific survey. All mail and telephone surveys are expected to include pretesting with a small number of customers, with telephone debriefing of pretest respondents as needed to clarify responses.

5. Statistical Consultation and Independent Review

Each program will obtain input from statisticians in the development, design, conduct and analysis of customer satisfaction surveys. This statistical expertise will be available from agency statisticians. Proposals for specific customer satisfaction surveys within SAMHSA will be developed by program offices and submitted to the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer for review and approval.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

A. Setting Customer Service Standards

B. List of Approved, Ongoing Customer Satisfaction Surveys

ATTACHMENT A

Setting Customer Service Standards

Putting people first means ensuring that the Federal Government provides the highest quality service possible to the American people. Public officials must embark upon a revolution within the Federal Government to change the way it does business. This will require continual reform of the executive branch's management practices and operations to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the best service available in the private sector.

NOW, THEREFORE, to establish and implement customer service standards to guide the operations of the executive branch, and by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Customer Service Standards. In order to carry out the principles of the National Performance Review, the Federal Government must be customer‑driven. The standard of quality for services provided to the public shall be: Customer service equal to the best in business. For the purposes of this order, "customer" shall mean an individual or entity who is directly served by a department or agency. "Best in business" shall mean the highest quality of service delivered to customers by private organizations providing a comparable or analogous service.

All executive departments and agencies (hereinafter referred to collectively as "agency" or "agencies") that provide significant services directly to the public shall provide those services in a manner that seeks to meet the customer service standard established herein and shall take the following actions:

(a) identify the customers who are, or should be, served by the agency;

(b) survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services;

(c) post service standards and measure results against them;

(d) benchmark customer service performance against the best in business;

(e) survey front‑line employees on barriers to, and ideas for, matching the best in business;

(f) provide customers with choices in both the sources of service and the means of delivery;

(g) make information, services, and complaint systems easily accessible; and

(h) provide means to address customer complaints.

Section 2. Report on Customer Service Surveys. As information about customer satisfaction becomes available, each agency shall use that information in judging the performance of agency management and in making resource allocations.

Section 3. Customer Service Plans. The plan shall include customer service standards and describe future plans for customer surveys. It also shall identify the private and public sector standards that the agency used to benchmark its performance against the best in business. In connection with the plan, each agency is encouraged to provide training resources for programs needed by employees who directly serve customers and by managers making use of customer survey information to promote the principles and objectives contained herein.

Section 4. Independent Agencies. Independent agencies are requested to adhere to this order.

Section 5. Judicial Review. This order is for the internal management of the executive branch and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by a party against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

ATTACHMENT B

Approved, Continuing SAMHSA Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Annual Burden Summary Table for Continuing SAMHSA OMB-Approved Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Project Title	Center/Office	Estimated Annual Respondents	Estimated Annual Burden Hours
Suicide Prevention Resource Center	CMHS	1,192	221
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Communications Customer Satisfaction	CMHS	430	73
Grant Applicant and Grant Review Surveys	OFR	236	40
Co-Occurring Disorders Integration and Innovation (CODI)	CMHS	2,985	241
SPARS TA Survey	CBHSQ	1,106	221
DTAC Customer Feedback Survey	CMHS	200	60
BRSS TACS	CMHS	500	100
	TOTAL USED	6,649	956
	TOTAL APPROVED	90,000	23,063
	Remainig Balance	83,351	22,107

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