Supporting Statement for
Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
OMB Control Number: 1660-0143
Title: Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Form Number(s):
FEMA Form 519-0-36 Initial Survey - Phone
FEMA Form 519-0-37 Initial Survey - Electronic
FEMA Form 519-0-38 Contact Survey - Phone
FEMA Form 519-0-39 Contact Survey - Electronic
FEMA Form 519-0-40 Assessment Survey - Phone
FEMA Form 519-0-41 Assessment Survey - Electronic
A Supporting Statement, including the text of the notice to the public required by 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(i)(iv) and its actual or estimated date of publication in the Federal Register, must accompany each request for approval of a collection of information. The Supporting Statement must be prepared in the format described below, and must contain the information specified in Section A below. If an item is not applicable, provide a brief explanation. When Item 17 or the OMB Form 83-I is checked “Yes”, Section B of the Supporting Statement must be completed. OMB reserves the right to require the submission of additional information with respect to any request for approval.
Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information. Provide a detailed description of the nature and source of the information to be collected.
This is a revision of information collection #1660-0143. This collection contains 3 surveys and 2 qualitative methods.
The surveys align with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure disaster resilience and with FEMA’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. The specific objective is 3.1; Streamline the Disaster Survivor Experience. Also, the surveys align with the FEMA Recovery Directorate’s Strategic Plan Performance Measure 3.1: Raise applicant satisfaction with simplicity of the Individuals and Household Program. The measure includes customer satisfaction with:
• Easy to understand disaster assistance information;
• Simplicity of completing your application for FEMA assistance;
• Overall inspection experience;
• FEMA financial assistance in helping meet your disaster related needs;
• Financial assistance arriving in a reasonable amount of time.
The information collected is from individuals who registered for federal assistance for a major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121 et seq). These individuals have contacted FEMA through different channels and are at various stages in the FEMA process. This may include individuals who had contact with a FEMA representative, online via DisasterAssistance.gov website, with a FEMA inspector, or after an eligibility determination is made on their application.
The following legal authorities mandate the collection of the information in this request:
The September 11, 1993 Executive Order 12862, “Setting Customer Service Standards,” and its March 23, 1995 Memorandum addendum, “Improving Customer Service,” requires that all federal agencies ask their customers what is most important to them, and survey their customers to determine the kind and quality of services the customers want and their level of satisfaction with existing services. The 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requires agencies to set missions and goals, and measure performance against them.
Executive Order 13411 mandated an interagency task force develop the Disaster Assistance Improvement Plan (DAIP) to create a single application for citizens to apply for disaster assistance across all programs that receive Federal Government funding, which must include an inventory of federal disaster assistance programs and assess the effectiveness of their respective delivery mechanisms.
The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 requires quarterly performance assessments of Government programs for purposes of assessing agency performance and improvement, and to establish agency performance improvement officers and the Performance Improvement Council. Executive Order 13571 “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service” and its June 13, 2011 Memorandum “Implementing Executive Order 13571 on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service” sets out guidelines for establishing customer service plans and activities.
From the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act (SRIA) of 2013 and the response provided by FEMA staff from all divisions during Hurricane Sandy, the Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Program was formed to provide additional in-person customer service during the initial phase of the recovery process.
The survey results will provide FEMA an overall gauge of performance at different points in the Individual Assistance process. Drops in overall satisfaction or customer service ratings will signal Individual Assistance to examine specific survey questions more closely to pinpoint underlying causes for dissatisfaction, and identify possible strategies for improvement.
2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection. Provide a detailed description of: how the information will be shared, if applicable, and for what programmatic purpose.
This collection includes the FEMA Individual Assistances’ Customer Satisfaction Surveys. This collection is managed by the Recovery Directorate, through the Reporting & Analytics Division’s Customer Survey & Analysis (CSA) Section, who administers surveys.
The respondents to the collection are individuals and households who are disaster survivors, who registered for Federal assistance for a major disaster declared by the President pursuant to the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.), , either by phone, in person, or on-line. After contact with FEMA, the individuals are contacted at various times during the disaster either by phone or electronically, based on their contact preference at time of application, to rate their satisfaction with the customer service and assistance they received. In most cases, we contact the survivors only once for the three surveys in this information collection. While a respondent may be asked to participate in a different survey in this collection if permission was given, however, respondents are not asked to participate again in the same survey for the same disaster. There are exceptions, which we outline later in the document.
The aggregated survey results will be shared with FEMA Managers at headquarters and regional offices, along with various internal organizations such as FEMA’s External Affairs. The results will assist them in improving the disaster survivor experience at different touch points within the recovery cycle whether the experience was in person, on the phone or on-line.
These satisfaction scores will be used for FEMA’s Strategic Plan for Individual Assistance, FEMA’s Recovery Directorate Performance. Overall satisfaction with information (Initial Survey), satisfaction with timeliness of service (Contact Survey), overall satisfaction with FEMA customer service (Assessment Survey), and satisfaction with FEMA meeting their disaster related needed (Assessment Survey) may also be considered for the Individual Assistance GPRA measures under guidance from FEMA Recovery Performance Measures Team.
The purpose for each survey, as a part of our ongoing improvement process and mandates from various Acts and Executive Orders, is as follows:
FEMA Form 519-0-36 -Phone and FEMA Form 519-0-37-Electronic, Initial Survey is a satisfaction survey administered by phone or electronically. It is intended to measure the quality of disaster assistance information and service received during the initial registration process (1) on the phone or in person with a FEMA representative, or (2) online via DisasterAssistance.gov website, and the quality of disaster assistance information and service received at the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). The insights from data collected through this instrument is part of an ongoing process to improve customer service, simplicity, accessibility, and overall customer satisfaction with the FEMA application processes and services.
FEMA Form 519-0-38-Phone and FEMA Form 519-0-39-Electronic, Contact Survey is a satisfaction survey administered by phone or electronically. It is intended to measure the quality of disaster assistance information and service received during the continued recovery process (1) on the phone with a representative, (2) with a FEMA Inspector, or (3) online via DisasterAssistance.gov website, which also measures the ease of using an automated information system or going on-line to check the status of one’s case. The insights from data collected through this instrument is part of an ongoing process to improve customer service, simplicity, accessibility, and overall customer satisfaction with post application interactions and processes.
FEMA Form 519-0-40 -Phone and FEMA Form 519-0-41-Electronic, Assessment Survey is a satisfaction survey administered by phone or electronically. It is intended to measure the ease of understanding FEMA information received; the timeliness and helpfulness of assistance; the inspection process; the level of recovery; and quality of customer service in meeting expectations. The insights from data collected through this instrument is part of an ongoing process to improve customer service, simplicity, accessibility, and overall customer satisfaction with FEMA recovery services provided through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP).
In addition to the surveys, in-person focus groups and one-on-one interviews with disaster survivors will provide feedback about what is most important to the survivor. These sessions may be conducted periodically to assess program areas or program changes that the satisfaction surveys do not capture. These sessions may also assist in many areas such as the re-design of the survey questionnaires, provide FEMA with an understanding of how to improve information and correspondence and by method of contact, how to improve programs and processes, as well as how to improve the in-person, on-the-phone and on-line experiences. One-on-one interviews may be used instead of focus groups for convenience and/or issues of sensitivity or coalescence. Focus group sessions will be held in different areas of the country based on the activation of the program and will allow for a wide range of discussions in order to hear how the participants think about the topics and the vocabulary they use. Results will provide insights into respondent perceptions, experiences and expectations for the purpose of improving service delivery for program managers.
Because of the nature of Emergency Management, sometimes there are situations where program changes or special circumstances (ex. COVID-19) can make survey questions irrelevant. In such situations, FEMA may choose to omit certain survey questions that are no longer applicable to respondents. This would not change the nature of the survey except as a potential decrease to respondent burden. For example, if we knew respondents had a special type of inspection (Ex. Interactive Voice response inspection or phone inspector) since an inspector could not come to their homes due to viral pandemic, we would not ask respondents about satisfaction with the amount of time spent on the inspectors visit.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.
All survey responses are stored in the Customer Satisfaction Analysis System (CSAS) for easy retrieval, analyses and reporting. CSA plans to have survey software that expands functionality and connectivity providing a means for reducing burden through transition to electronic distribution and submission of surveys. Each survey will use mixed-mode administration (phone and electronic), where both modes include identical topical content. The decision for adopting these means for collection has been driven by factors such as accessibility, costs, and the development of electronic means in accordance with the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.1
Collection techniques for each survey include phone interviews or electronic submission of responses based on the respondent’s communication preference. CSA plans to expand software functionality and connectivity by providing a means for reducing burden by providing electronic surveys to those who prefer electronic correspondence to be taken at applicant’s own time. This expansion and burden table calculation is contingent on the acquisition of electronic survey software for public use. Currently, as of 2019, we only have phone survey software and are in the process of acquiring electronic survey software.
Respondents will be asked if they would like to be contacted again for each survey. Those who responded yes are put in a pool to be contacted for a different survey within the collection. To further reduce burden on the same respondents, the survey software goes through an iterative process to only contact previously surveyed respondents if we do not have enough sample to complete a viable study. When small disasters do not have not enough sample to get information on all three of the surveys in the collection from a mutually exclusive group, respondents may be contacted for one of the other two surveys who voluntarily answered yes to being contacted again.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.
Efforts to identify duplication were done in the last filing for the survey. Several questions related to an inspection services survey from another collection were addressed and determined previously to be similar. That collection (OMB #1660-0102) is now expired and therefore could not be modified or used for the purpose of this collection.
CSA goes through a rigorous process of meeting with stakeholders and leadership of ensuring the survey questions meet their program improvement needs. Due to the section’s established reputation for providing customer analytics and survey design, our surveys are the main source of customer satisfaction information throughout the agency.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities (Item 5 of OMB Form 83-I), describe any methods used to minimize.
This information collection does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal/FEMA program or policy activities if the collection of information is not conducted, or is conducted less frequently as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.
Failure to collect the information described in this submission would result in the absence of documented input from disaster survivors. The survey results serve as a vital tool for measuring customer satisfaction and are a requirement of the Executive Orders 12682 and 13571, and resulting memorandums for “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service.” The surveys also measure the effectiveness of the Administrator’s Strategic Plan based on the disaster survivor’s perspective. If conducted less frequently, it would result in an unrepresentative estimate of customer satisfaction and distort overall views of the performance of the program.
7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:
Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly.
(b) Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it.
Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two
copies of any document.
Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health,
medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years.
In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to
produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study.
(f) Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not
been reviewed and approved by OMB.
(g) That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use.
(h) Requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information’s confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
Not applicable to this information collection.
8. Federal Register Notice:
a. Provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publications in the Federal Register of the agency’s notice soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.
A 60-day Federal Register Notice inviting public comments was published February 11, 2020 at 85 FR 7778
No comments were received.
A 30-day Federal Register Notice inviting public comments was published on May 20, 2020 at 85 FR 30730
No comments were received.
b. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.
Budget constraints have limited FEMA from consulting with persons outside the agency. The last time funds were available was 2010 when FEMA’s Recovery Directorate contracted with a consultant to review the current collection of information including the sampling methodology and survey design. CSA interviewers who conduct phone surveys give feedback related to the survey design such as question clarity, timing to conduct survey, etc. Consultations with several organizations within FEMA were performed for input on data collection and reporting. These organizations include:
Response and Recovery Directorate
National Preparedness Division
Regional Offices (Regions 1-10)
Office of External Affairs
Office of Disability Integration & Coordination
c. Describe consultations with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records. Consultation should occur at least once every three years, even if the collection of information activities is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.
Budget constraints have limited FEMA from consulting with disaster survivors on a periodical basis.
Various methods to providing feedback for continuous improvement of the surveys are used. In 2010, FEMA’s Recovery Directorate contracted with a consultant to perform focus groups with participants who had received FEMA’s assistance. FEMA’s Customer Survey & Analysis Section analysts conducted focus group sessions with disaster survivors from 2014-2017 to provide in-depth insight of various topics to help with improvement to the programs.
Disaster survivors were able to provide comments or feedback in the surveys from the previous collection. Statisticians conducted comment analysis on previous survey results to extract themes from text boxes and “other” response options to identify topics important to customers that weren’t currently assessed to be used in newer collections. Additionally, phone interviewers provided survey writers with feedback regarding which survey items were consistently confusing to respondents. Feedback from the focus groups, comments, and interviewer notes have been thoughtfully reviewed and applied in revising the current survey collection.
9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No incentives will be provided for conducting customer service questionnaires (forms cited above). If funding becomes available, standard incentive of $75 per attendee may be offered2 for focus groups held in person. Focus group sessions are generally 2 hours.
In accordance with OMB 2006 guidance,3 we used information from past experiences and burden to the respondent as a factor for determining justification for incentives.
In 2010, FEMA completed three contracts for in-person focus groups. The contractors paid a $75 incentive per person who showed up to participate. Out of 200 who agreed to participate, 161 or 81% attended. Between 2014 and 2017, FEMA held focus groups with no incentive. Out of 532 who stated they would participate, only 182, or 34%, showed up.
There is also an added burden to the respondent for non-incentivized participation. The respondents are disaster survivors who will be asked to exert unusual effort by leaving their homes and disaster recovery efforts to attend up to a 2-hour focus group session plus roundtrip travel of 1 hour.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents. Present the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
For 1660-0143, a Privacy Threshold Analysis was approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on January 2, 2020. A Privacy Impact Analysis (PIA) for this collection is covered by the existing PIA: DHS/FEMA/PIA-35 CSAS February 27, 2014; and DHS/FEMA/PIA-006 National Emergency Management Information System Mitigation Electronic Grants Management System. NEMIS-IA June 29, 2012: DHS/FEMA/PIA-049 Individual Assistance (IA) Program, January 2018.
11. Provide additional justification for any question of a sensitive nature (such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs and other matters that are commonly considered private). This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.
Demographic questions related to gender, age range, marital status, employment status, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, and a Yes/No consent question were added and approved to the previous filing (OMB 1660-0143 Exp. 9/30/2020) of this revision. Additional sensitive questions related to disability and functional needs will be added to this collection.
Demographic questions enable the agency to find unique groups, trends in behaviors, and more efficient ways to target and serve disaster survivors. It can be used to gain understanding about the needs across the disaster, and ensure that information and programs support all survivors. Demographic information may be used to understand differences and needs to help distribute better resources to underserved communities. This could include education, information, and better customer service.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:
a. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated for each collection instrument (separately list each instrument and describe information as requested). Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desired. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.
b. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.
Part A Question 12: Estimated Annualized Burden Hours and Costs |
|
|
|
|
||||
Type of Respondent and Administration Mode |
Form Name / Form Number |
No. of Respon-dents |
No.
of Responses per |
Total No. of Responses |
Avg. Burden per Response (in hours) |
Total Annual Burden (in hours) |
Avg. Hourly Wage Rate |
Total Annual Respondent Cost |
Surveys |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Individuals and Households: Mode = Phone |
Initial Survey- Phone/FEMA Form 519-0-36 |
7,656 |
1 |
7,656 |
0.133 |
1,018 |
$37.55 |
$38,226 |
Individuals and Households: Mode = Electronic |
Initial Survey- Electronic/FEMA Form 519-0-37 |
5,544 |
1 |
5,544 |
0.133 |
737 |
$37.55 |
$27,674 |
Subtotal: Initial |
|
13,200 |
|
13,200 |
|
1,755 |
|
$65,900 |
Individuals and Households: Mode = Phone |
Contact Survey- Phone/FEMA Form 519-0-38 |
8,352 |
1 |
8,352 |
0.133 |
1,111 |
$37.55 |
$41,718 |
Individuals and Households: Mode = Electronic |
Contact Survey-Electronic/FEMA Form 519-0-39 |
6,048 |
1 |
6,048 |
0.133 |
804 |
$37.55 |
$30,190 |
Subtotal: Contact |
|
14,400 |
|
14,400 |
|
1,915 |
|
$71,908 |
Individuals and Households: Mode = Phone |
Assessment Survey-Phone/ FEMA Form 519-0-40 |
5,568 |
1 |
5,568 |
0.200 |
1,114 |
$37.55 |
$41,831 |
Individuals and Households: Mode = Electronic |
Assessment Survey-Electronic/ FEMA Form 519-0-41 |
4,032 |
1 |
4,032 |
0.200 |
806 |
$37.55 |
$30,265 |
Subtotal: Assessment |
|
9,600 |
|
9,600 |
|
1,920 |
|
$72,096 |
Survey Total |
|
37,200 |
|
37,200 |
|
5,590 |
|
$209,904 |
Qualitative Research |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Individuals and Households |
Focus Group for 2 Hrs Plus Travel 1 Hr |
864 |
1 |
864 |
3 |
2,592 |
$37.55 |
$97,330 |
Individuals and Households |
One-on-One Interviews |
800 |
1 |
800 |
1 |
800 |
$37.55 |
$30,040 |
Qualitative Total |
|
1,664 |
|
1,664 |
|
3,392 |
|
$127,370 |
Grand Total |
|
38,864 |
|
38,864 |
|
8,982 |
|
$337,274 |
c. Provide an estimate of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. NOTE: The wage-rate category for each respondent must be multiplied by 1.46 and this total should be entered in the cell for “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate”. The cost to the respondents of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead this cost should be included in Item 13.
The universe of respondents will consist of all disaster survivors that applied for Individual Assistance following a major disaster. declaration under the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121 et seq)
Estimates, based on a 5-year average (2014-2018) of annual applicant population, show 58% will be phone responses and 42% electronic responses for each survey. The total estimated respondents by survey instrument are based on 37,200 survey respondents and 1,664 qualitative research participants for a grand total of 38,864 respondents. For more information about estimated universe and projected completions, see Question 1 in Supporting Statement B.
Instruction for Wage-rate category multiplier4: Take each non-loaded “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” from the BLS website table and multiply that number by 1.46. For example, a non-loaded BLS table wage rate of $42.51 would be multiplied by 1.46, and the entry for the “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” would be $62.06.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics5, the May 2019 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates wage rate for All Occupations (Standard Occupational Classification 00-0000) is $25.72. Including the wage rate multiplier of 1.46, the fully loaded wage rate is estimated at $37.55 per hour. Therefore, the estimated annual burden hour cost is estimated to be $337,274 ($37.55 x 8,982 hours).
13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14.)
The cost estimates should be split into two components:
a. Operation and Maintenance and purchase of services component. These estimates should take into account cost associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing information. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the time period over which costs will be incurred.
b. Capital and Start-up-Cost should include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software, monitoring sampling, drilling and testing equipment, and record storage facilities.
Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record-keepers |
||||
Data Collection Activity/ Instrument |
*Annual Capital Start-Up Cost |
*Annual Operations and Maintenance Cost (such as recordkeeping, technical/professional services, etc.) |
Annual Non-Labor Cost |
Total Annual Cost to Respondents |
(investments in overhead, equipment and other one-time expenditures) |
(expenditures on training, travel and other resources) * See Note below |
|||
Focus Group/Interview Travel |
N/A |
N/A |
29,808 |
$29,808 |
Annual Non-Labor Cost for travel to Focus Groups is based on US General Services Administration (GSA) mileage rate for Privately Owned Vehicles (POV) effective January 1, 2020 at 0.575 per mile. Maximum travel to the Focus Group ≤ 30 miles one way or 60 miles round trip. Using this information, 60 miles roundtrip×864 respondents = 51,840 miles @ $0.575 per mile = $29,808 annual cost for mileage. See https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/transportation-airfare-pov-etc/privately-owned-vehicle-pov-mileage-reimbursement-rates.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing and support staff), and any other expense that would have been incurred without this collection of information. You may also aggregate cost estimates for Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.
Annualized Cost to the Federal Government-2020 |
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Performance of Surveys, Analysis and Reporting, Recommendations for Improvement, Desktop Application of Survey Tools and Maintenance of Tools. |
|||||||
Survey Administration or Functions |
Title and GS Level1 |
Salary |
Number of Staff at GS Level |
Fully Loaded Wage Rate2 |
Cost (for Salaries includes) |
Percent of Time |
Total Cost |
Management, survey administration |
Section
Manager |
$131,695 |
1 |
1.46 |
$192,275 |
35.00% |
$67,296 |
Administrative Assistant |
Administrative
Assistant |
$64,628 |
1 |
1.46 |
$94,357 |
35.00% |
$33,025 |
Program Analyst |
Program
Analyst |
$93,724 |
2 |
1.46 |
$273,674 |
35.00% |
$95,786 |
Supervisory, survey administration |
Supervisory
Customer Service Specialist |
$111,448 |
1 |
1.46 |
$162,714 |
35.00% |
$56,950 |
Project management, administer survey program, recommend improvements, oversee reports and software application implementation, testing and maintenance of survey tools |
Customer
Satisfaction Analyst |
$93,742 |
4 |
1.46 |
$547,453 |
35.00% |
$191,609 |
Statistician: OMB compliance, data analysis and reporting. |
Customer
Satisfaction Analyst |
$93,742 |
2 |
1.46 |
$273,727 |
35.00% |
$95,804 |
Supervisory, Survey Administration |
Supervisory
Customer Service Specialist |
$93,742 |
1 |
1.46 |
$136,863 |
35.00% |
$47,902 |
Survey Management: Administer surveys and focus groups, prepare sample, track data, analyze survey data, write reports and recommend improvements, software application implementation, testing and maintenance of survey tools and survey |
Customer
Service Specialist |
$78,192 |
7 |
1.46 |
$799,122 |
35.00% |
$279,693 |
Supervisory, QC, Training Administration |
Supervisory
Customer Service Specialist |
$78,192 |
1 |
1.46 |
$114,160 |
35.00% |
$39,956 |
QC, Training |
Customer
Service Specialist |
$78,192 |
2 |
1.46 |
$228,321 |
35.00% |
$79,912 |
Supervisory, Survey Administration |
Supervisory
Customer Service Specialist |
$93,742 |
2 |
1.46 |
$273,727 |
35.00% |
$95,804 |
Survey Interviews and special projects |
Customer
Service Specialists |
$64,628 |
14 |
1.46 |
$1,320,996 |
35.00% |
$462,349 |
Subtotal |
|
|
38 |
|
$4,417,389 |
35.00% |
$1,546,086 |
Other Costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contract
for Focus Group Incentives and Rental Facilities |
$149,274 |
59.00% |
$88,072 |
||||
Facilities
[cost
for renting, overhead, etc. for data collection activity] |
$75,591 |
35.00% |
$26,457 |
||||
Computer
Hardware and Software [cost
of equipment annual lifecycle] |
$218,381 |
35.00% |
$76,433 |
||||
Equipment
Maintenance [cost
of annual maintenance/service agreements for equipment] |
$31,447 |
35.00% |
$11,006 |
||||
Travel
(to Focus Group when not on Disaster Funds) |
$43,5142 |
35.00% |
$15,230 |
||||
Other:
Long Distance Phone Charges |
$19,611 |
59.00% |
$11,571 |
||||
Other: C3MP Usage /
Licenses |
$28,296 |
35.00% |
$9,904 |
||||
Other:
Supplies |
$3,229 |
35.00% |
$1,130 |
||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
$569,344 |
|
$239,803 |
Total |
$4,986,733 |
|
$1,785,889 |
||||
1 Office of Personnel Management 2020 Pay and Leave Tables for the Dallas-Ft. Worth TX-OK locality. Available online at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/20Tables/html/DFW.aspx. Accessed January 24, 2020. 2 Wage rate includes a 1.46 multiplier to reflect the fully loaded wage rate. |
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15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I in a narrative form. Present the itemized changes in hour burden and cost burden according to program changes or adjustments in Table 5. Denote a program increase as a positive number, and a program decrease as a negative number.
A "Program increase" is an additional burden resulting from a federal government regulatory action or directive. (e.g., an increase in sample size or coverage, amount of information, reporting frequency, or expanded use of an existing form). This also includes previously in-use and unapproved information collections discovered during the ICB process, or during the fiscal year, which will be in use during the next fiscal year.
A "Program decrease", is a reduction in burden because of: (1) the discontinuation of an information collection; or (2) a change in an existing information collection by a Federal agency (e.g., the use of sampling (or smaller samples), a decrease in the amount of information requested (fewer questions), or a decrease in reporting frequency).
"Adjustment" denotes a change in burden hours due to factors over which the government has no control, such as population growth, or in factors which do not affect what information the government collects or changes in the methods used to estimate burden or correction of errors in burden estimates.
The overall burden changed for the IA surveys. This revised collection is based on historical methods used by the agency and future usage of new methods, new response rates obtained from the previous new collection, and changes to sampling methodology to accommodate managements use of data to make decisions.
The previous collection was composed of 3 types of qualitative designs: online interviews, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. The revised collection will eliminate online interviews and increase one-on-one interviews, and reduce focus groups based on estimated/proposed funding for incentives.
The target of annual respondents was 24,096 in the previous collection. The current collection has an annual target of 38,864 respondents.
Total Program Increase to Burden Hours = 8,982 (current) – 8,095 (previous) = 887
Total Program Increase to Cost = $337,274 (current) – $274,585 (previous) = $62,689
Part A Question 15: Itemized Changes in Annual Burden Hours |
||||
Data Collection Instrument |
Survey Administration Mode |
Program Change (hours currently on OMB Inventory) |
Program Change (New Hours) |
Difference
in Hours |
Qualitative Research |
One-on-One Interviews |
768 |
800 |
32 |
Qualitative Research |
Online Interviews |
768 |
0 |
-768 |
Qualitative Research |
Focus Groups |
2,880 |
2,592 |
-288 |
Initial
Survey |
Phone |
434 |
1,018 |
584 |
Initial
Survey |
Online |
204 |
737 |
533 |
Contact
Survey |
Phone |
651 |
1,111 |
460 |
Contact
Survey |
Online |
306 |
804 |
498 |
Assessment Survey FEMA Form 519-0-40 |
Phone |
1,417 |
1,114 |
-303 |
Assessment Survey FEMA Form 519-0-41 |
Online |
667 |
806 |
139 |
Total |
|
8,095 |
8,982 |
887 |
Part A Question 15: Itemized Changes in Annual Costs |
||||
Data Collection Instrument |
Survey Administration Mode |
Program Change ($ Cost currently on OMB Inventory) |
Program Change (New Cost) |
Difference
in Cost |
Qualitative Research |
One-on-One Interviews |
$26,051 |
$30,040 |
$3,989 |
Qualitative Research |
Online Interviews |
$26,051 |
$0 |
-$26,051 |
Qualitative Research |
Focus Groups |
$97,690 |
$97,330 |
$360 |
Initial
Survey |
Phone |
$14,721 |
$38,226 |
$23,505 |
Initial
Survey |
Online |
$6,920 |
$27,674 |
$20,754 |
Contact
Survey |
Phone |
$22,082 |
$41,718 |
$19,636 |
Contact
Survey |
Online |
$10,380 |
$30,190 |
$19,810 |
Assessment Survey FEMA Form 519-0-40 |
Phone |
$48,065 |
$41,831 |
-$6,234 |
Assessment Survey FEMA Form 519-0-41 |
Online |
$22,625 |
$30,265 |
$7,640 |
Total |
|
$274,585 |
$337,274 |
$62,689 |
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.
We will be providing reports to internal stakeholders within FEMA such as the Individual Assistance management offices and various Recovery Directorate offices on a quarterly basis. These reports will have a breakdown of each question (basic descriptive statistics; averages and percentages) as well as an overall analysis of patterns seen in the data each quarter and trends overtime. Data can also be aggregated by region, disaster, state, etc. depending on the needs of Individual Assistance. Therefore, it is possible that stakeholders may request reports on a monthly and/or yearly basis.
Statisticians may be asked to do more in-depth analysis if there is a significant drop in customer satisfaction scores, and stakeholders want to understand why there was a decrease in satisfaction. This may involve correlation, T-tests, crosstabulations with Pearson’s Chi-Square, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Demographic data will typically be used to describe the sample of respondents, but statisticians may also look for differences in satisfaction across demographic groups if a more in-depth analysis is requested.
Analysis of satisfaction scores using Likert-type scales will explore nonparametric analysis, but mostly parametric analysis. This survey response scale will be used as interval data and will be analyzed based on those properties. Several arguments for and against treatment of Likert-type data as interval scales have been discussed and documented. In support of the usage of parametric analysis, we researched articles from the Advances in Health Sciences and Education Journals6 and Medication Education7.
17. If seeking approval not to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain reasons that display would be inappropriate.
This collection does not seek approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,” of OMB Form 83-I.
FEMA does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.
Prepared by:
Jessica Guillory, Statistician
Customer Survey & Analysis
Federal Emergency Management Agency
940 891 8528
Maggie Billing, Program Analyst
Customer Survey & Analysis
Federal Emergency Management Agency
940 891-8709
3 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/pmc_survey_guidance_2006.pdf, Pg. 69
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Table 1. “Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation and costs as a percent of total compensation: Civilian workers, by major occupational and industry group, March 2019.” Available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_06182019.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2020. The wage multiplier is calculated by dividing total compensation for all workers of $36.77 by wages and salaries for all workers of $25.22 per hour yielding a benefits multiplier of approximately 1.46
5 Information on the mean wage rate from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics is available online at: https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm or https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
6 Norman, G (2010), Likert scales, levels of measurement and the ‘‘laws’’ of statistics. Adv in Health Sci Educ (2010) 15, 625–632.
7 Carifio, L., & Perla, R. (2008). Resolving the 50-year debate around using and misusing Likert scales. Medical Education, 42, 1150–1152.
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| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-14 |