Narrative of Changes

Item Type and Location Changes	Current Version	Proposed Revision	Justification
FEMA Form 519-0-36 and 37
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information questions Current lead-in statement for Questions 1-5	Lead-in for 1-5: The first questions are about information provided to you during the FEMA application process. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, please rate the information on…	Lead-in for 1-6: These questions are about information given to you when you applied for FEMA assistance. Using a rating scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), please rate the information on…	Decrease wording and wording changes for clarity.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information questions Current Question 3	3. Providing helpful referrals to other agencies or organizations	3. Providing helpful referrals to other agencies or organizations  like the Small Business Administration or American Red Cross	Increase wording with examples for clarity.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information questions New Question Addition		5. Providing information in your preferred language	New question for performance measures
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Question 9	9. For the next item, please think back to your experience calling FEMA's toll free number. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being Not at all Satisfied and 5 being Very Satisfied: How satisfied were you with the amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	10. Using a rating scale of 1 (Not at all Satisfied) to 5 (Very Satisfied), how satisfied were you with: The amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	Reduce introduction wording.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Question 9a	9a. Which of the following would you consider an acceptable amount of time to wait for a FEMA representative to answer your call? Less than 2 minutes 2 - 3 minutes 4 - 5 minutes 6 - 7 minutes More than 7 minutes	11. Would an acceptable amount of time, to wait for a FEMA representative to answer your call, be…? Less than 2 minutes 2 – 3 minutes 3 - 5 minutes 5 – 7 minutes More than 7 minutes	Rearrange wording for clarity and changed rating scale to continuous time options.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service questions Lead in statement Current Questions 6-8	Lead-in for 6-8: The next set of questions are about the level of customer service provided by the FEMA representative who assisted with your application. Using the same rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, please rate the representative on the following:	Lead-in for 7-9: Please use the same scale and rate the representative, who assisted with your application, on…	Decrease wording to reduce redundancy
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service questions Lead in statement and Current Question 9.	For the next item, please think back to your experience calling FEMA's toll free number. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Satisfied and 5 being Very Satisfied… 9. How satisfied were you with the amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	Using a rating scale of 1 (Not at all Satisfied) to 5 (Very Satisfied), how satisfied were you with… 10. The amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	Decrease wording for clarity
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) FEMA Application at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Lead in Statement for Questions 10-13	The next set of questions are about applying for FEMA assistance online at the DisasterAssistance.gov website. Please use a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Easy and 5 being Very Easy. If you had no experience with any of the services just say No Experience. How would you rate the simplicity of…	Think back to when you applied for FEMA assistance online at the DisasterAssistance.gov website. Please use a scale of 1 (Not at all Easy) to 5 (Very Easy) or if you had no experience with that service say No Experience. How simple was..	Reduced wording for clarity and redundancy
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) FEMA Application at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Lead in Statement for Question 14	14. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all easy and 5 being Very Easy…How would you rate the simplicity of completing your application for FEMA assistance?	16. Using a rating scale of 1 (Not at all Easy) to 5 (Very Easy)…How simple was applying for FEMA assistance?	Reduce wording for less jargon and more clarity. Reduce wording for clarity.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) FEMA Application at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Question 14a	14a. Which of the following best describes why the FEMA application was not easy to complete: Took too long Questions were not easy to understand Terminology was confusing Information requested was not easily available None of the above	17. Which one of the following best describes why the FEMA application was not easy to complete… Took too long to complete application Questions were not easy to understand Terminology was confusing Information requested was not easily available DisasterAssistance.gov website was slow or inaccessible Information on what to do next was not easy to understand Waiting for an available agent took too long	Wording change to question for clarity. Increased response options based on previous collection survey research and feedback.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Disaster Recovery Center Current Question 15	15. Did you recently visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center?	18. Have you recently visited a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center?	Wording change
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Disaster Recovery Center Current Question 16	16. Which of the following was your main source of information about FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations and services? Community group (club, church, school etc.) Disaster workers Flyers, signs, billboards, posters, etc. Newspaper, radio, television Word of mouth (like friends, family, neighbors, employer, landlord, etc.) FEMA website Social media None of the above	19. Which one of the following was your main source of information about FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations and services? Community group like club, church, school Disaster workers Flyers, signs, billboards, posters Newspaper, radio, television Word of mouth like friends, family, neighbors, employer, landlord FEMA website State or Local Government websites or notices Social media	Word clarification. Added response option based on feedback and removed None of the above option.
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Disaster Recovery Center Current Lead in Statement to Questions 17-24	Lead-In for 17-24: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, how would you rate the Disaster Recovery Center on the following:	Lead-in for 20-30: For the next question please use a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent) or if you had no experience with that service say No Experience. How would you rate the Disaster Recovery Center on the following:	Added wording for No Experience response option
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Disaster Recovery Center Current Questions 24a	24a. What recommendations do you have for improving FEMA Disaster Recovery Center services?		Open ended question removed
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Disaster Recovery Center New Questions Additions		27. Assistance in your preferred language including American Sign Language. 28. Handicap accessible 29. Being helpful in your recovery	Added questions for performance measures
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Current Lead-in for Questions 25-31 and Current Question 25	Lead-in for 25-31: The next set of questions are related to demographics data and are used only for statistical purposes. 25. Would you volunteer to take an additional 2-3 minutes to answer these questions?	31. We’re almost done. Would you volunteer to answer a few demographic questions for statistical purposes?	Removed wording for simplicity and clarity
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Gender Current Question 26	26. Is your gender…	32. What gender do you identify as?	Changed wording for political correctness of gender identity
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New questions Additions		38. Do you or anyone in your household have a disability that affects your ability to carry out activities of daily living or requires an assistive device such as, but not limited to, a wheelchair, walker, cane, hearing aid, communication device, service animal, personal care attendant, oxygen or other similar medically-related devices or services? Yes No	Added question for disability measures
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New questions Additions		39. Are the devices or services used to assist with any of the following? (You may select all that apply.)  Mobility  Cognitive, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health  Hearing and/or Speech  Vision  Self-Care  Independent Living  Other
Initial Survey (Electronic) Demographics: Race/Ethnicity response options Question 31	o American Indian or Alaska Native o Asian o Black or African American o Hispanic or Latino o Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander o White, Not Hispanic or Latino o Prefer not to answer	◘ American Indian or Alaska Native ◘ Asian ◘ Black or African American ◘ Hispanic or Latino ◘ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ◘ White ◘ Prefer not to answer	Changed wording to remove ambiguity and confusion. Electronic surveys only
Initial Survey (Phone/Electronic) Closing	Thank you for your time. My name is _____ and my ID number is _______. Have a good day/evening.	Thank you for your time. Have a good day/evening.	Removed wording for simplicity.
FEMA Form 519-0-38 and 39
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information Current Lead-in Questions 1-5	Lead-in for 1-5: The first questions are about information provided to you [if Type = phone contact say "by the FEMA Representative” or if Type = Internet Inquiry say “through your online account”] on [Contact Date]]. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, please rate the information on....	Lead-in for 1-6: These questions are about information provided to you [if Type = phone contact say "by the FEMA Representative” or if Type = Internet Inquiry say “through your online account”] on [Contact Date]. . Using a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), please rate the information on…	Rearrange wording for clarity and simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information New Question 5 Addition		5. Providing information in your preferred language	Addition of question for performance measures
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Lead In Statement for 6-8	Lead-in for 6-8: These questions are about customer service. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, please rate the “FEMA representative”/ “FEMA Inspector”] on the following areas:	Lead-in for 7-9: Please use the same scale and rate the [“FEMA representative”/“FEMA Inspector”] on…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Lead in Statement Question 9	Lead-in for 9: For the next item, please think back to your experience calling FEMA's toll free number. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Satisfied and 5 being Very Satisfied…	Lead-in for 10: Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Satisfied) to 5 (Very Satisfied), how satisfied were you with…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Question 9	9. How satisfied were you with the amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	10. The amount of time it took for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service Current Question 9a	9a. Which of the following would you consider an acceptable amount of time to wait for a FEMA representative to answer your call?	11. Would an acceptable amount of time, to wait for a FEMA representative to answer your call, be…?	Wording changes and rearrangement
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Toll Free Automated Information System Current Lead In Statement Questions 11-14	Lead-in for 11-14: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, how would you rate the Automated Information System on…	Lead in for 13-16: Using a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), how would you rate the Automated Information System on…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Toll Free Automated Information System Current Lead In Statement Questions 17	Lead-in for 15: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Likely and 5 being Very Likely…	Lead-in for 17: Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Likely) to 5 being (Very Likely)…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Self Help at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Lead In Statement Questions 16-22	Lead-in for 16-22: The next set of questions are about accessing services through your FEMA online account at DisasterAssistance.gov. Please use a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Easy and 5 being Very Easy. If you had no experience with any of the services just say No Experience. How would you rate the simplicity of…	Lead-in for 18-24: The next set of questions are about accessing services through your FEMA online account at DisasterAssistance.gov. Please use a scale of 1 (Not at all Easy) to 5 (Very Easy) or say No Experience if a question does not apply to you. How simple was..	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Self Help at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Lead In Statement Questions 23-24	Lead-in for 23-24: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Likely and 5 being Very Likely…How likely are you to…	Lead-in for 25-26: Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Likely) to 5 being (Very Likely)…how likely are you to...	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Inspection Services Question 34	34. Thinking about the length of the inspector's visit, would you estimate it was…	36. Was the inspector’s visit…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Inspection Services Question 31	31. Professionalism of the inspector		Removed question due to high correlation with other question answers/redundancy.
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Self Help at DisasterAssistance.gov Current Lead In Statement and Question 25	Lead-in 25: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Easy and 5 being Very Easy… 25. How would you rate FEMA on making it easy to check the status of your application?	Lead-in 27: Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Easy) to 5 (Very Easy), how would you rate FEMA on… 27. Making it easy to check the status of your application?	Removed extra jargon for simplicity and rearrange question for ease of reading
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Current Lead-in to Questions 36-41	Lead-in for 36-41: The next set of questions are related to demographics data and are used only for statistical purposes. 35. Would you volunteer to take an additional 2-3 minutes to answer these questions?	36. We’re almost done. Would you volunteer to answer a few demographic questions for statistical purposes?	Removed wording for simplicity and clarity
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Current Question 36 Gender Question	36. Is your gender…	37. What gender do you identify as?	Changed wording for political correctness of gender identity
Contact Survey (Electronic) Demographics: Race/Ethnicity response options Question 41	o American Indian or Alaska Native o Asian o Black or African American o Hispanic or Latino o Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander o White, Not Hispanic or Latino o Prefer not to answer	◘ American Indian or Alaska Native ◘ Asian ◘ Black or African American ◘ Hispanic or Latino ◘ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ◘ White ◘ Prefer not to answer	Changed wording to remove ambiguity and confusion. Electronic surveys only
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New Question 43 Addition		44. Do you or anyone in your household have a disability that affects your ability to carry out activities of daily living or requires an assistive device such as, but not limited to, a wheelchair, walker, cane, hearing aid, communication device, service animal, personal care attendant, oxygen or other similar medically-related devices or services? Yes No	Added question for disability measures
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New Question 44 Addition		44.Are the devices or services used to assist with any of the following? (You may select all that apply.) Mobility Cognitive, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health Hearing and/or Speech Vision Self-Care Independent Living Other	Added question for disability measures
Contact Survey (Phone/Electronic) Closing	Thank you for your time. My name is _____ and my ID number is _______. Have a good day/evening.	Thank you for your time. Have a good day/evening.	Removed wording for simplicity.
FEMA Form 519-0-38 and 39
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information & Communications Current Lead-in for Question 1	Lead-in for 1: The first set of questions are about FEMA disaster assistance information.		Removed for redundancy
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information & Communications Current Lead-in for Questions 2-7	Lead-in for 2-7: Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, please rate [Q1 response] information on the following:	Lead-in for 2-8: Using a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), please rate the [Q1 response] information on…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity and ease of reading
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information New Question 6 Addition		6. Providing information in your preferred language	New question for performance measures
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Information & Communications Current Lead in for Questions 8-13	Lead-in for 8-13: The next set of questions is about letters or other materials you received from FEMA by US Mail or electronic communications. Please use a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent. Say No Experience, if any of the questions do not apply to you. How would you rate FEMA correspondence on the following:	Lead-in for 9-15: Please use a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent) or say No Experience, if a question does not apply to you. How would you rate correspondence or other material you received from FEMA on…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity and ease of reading
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery Current Lead in for 14-15	Lead-in for 14-15: For the next questions please use a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent. How would you rate FEMA financial assistance in:	Lead-in for 16-18: For the next questions please use a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent). How would you rate FEMA financial assistance in…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity and ease of reading.
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Question 17		17. Being an important part of your recovery	Questions added from management.
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery Current Question 16a Response Options	Response Options 16a: o Some damages were not eligible for FEMA assistance o Amount of FEMA financial assistance was too little o Repair or replacement costs were too high o FEMA appeal is pending o None of the above	Response Options 20: ◘ Not all damages were eligible for FEMA assistance ◘ Amount of FEMA financial assistance was too little ◘ Repair or replacement costs were too high ◘ Rental assistance was not enough ◘ Not all personal property was eligible for FEMA assistance ◘ Insurance settlement is pending ◘ FEMA appeal is pending	Response options changed based on feedback and previous answers to survey questions.
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery Current Lead-in for Question 17	Lead-in for 17: The next questions relate to your progress in recovering from the impacts of the disaster. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Recovered and 5 being Completely Recovered…	Lead-in for 21. Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Recovery) to 5 (Completely Recovered)…	Removed extra jargon for simplicity and ease of reading
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery Current Question 18 New Lead-in for 21-30	18. Which of the following are primary causes for delays in your recovery: o Money for home repairs o Money for personal property o Money to move to a new residence o Delayed or denied insurance settlement o Delayed FEMA appeal o Lack of affordable and accessible housing o Lack of time to make repairs o Lack of contractors and or materials o Medical or disability conditions o Unemployed as a result of the disaster	Lead-in to 22-31: Please think about the causes for delays in your recovery. As I read a list of possible causes for delays say Yes if that is cause, No if it is not, or No Experience if a question does not apply to you.	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 21		22. Money for home repairs Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 22		23. Money for personal property Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 23		24. Money to move to a new residence Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 24		25. Delayed or denied insurance settlement Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 25		26. Delayed FEMA appeal Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 26		27. Lack of affordable and accessible housing Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 27		28. Lack of time to make repairs Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 28		29. Lack of contractors and or materials Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 29		30. Medical or disability condition Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Assistance & Recovery New Response Options 30		31. Unemployed as a result of the disaster Yes No No Experience	Rearranged format and response option for ease of reading and responding by phone. Created multiple questions from one question
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Recovery & Assistance New Lead-in and Question 31 Addition		Lead-in for 32: Using a scale of 1 (Not at all Important) to 5 (Very Important)… 31. How important was the assistance provided by FEMA to your current level of recovery?	Addition of question for performance measures
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Inspection Current Lead-in for Questions 19-22	Lead-in for 19-22: The next questions relate to the FEMA inspection conducted on [Date]. Please use a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Not at all Satisfied and 5 being Very Satisfied. How satisfied were you with the…	Lead-in for 32-35: FEMA conducted your inspection on [Inspection Date]. Please use a rating scale of 1(Not at all Satisfied) to 5 (Very Satisfied). How satisfied were you with the…	Removed extra jargon for ease of reading
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Customer Service & Expectations Current Lead in for Questions 23-27	Lead-in for 23-27: The next questions relate to all of your experiences with FEMA. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent, how would you rate FEMA on providing…	Lead-in for 35-39: Based on your overall experience with FEMA and using a scale of 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), how would you rate FEMA on providing…	Removed extra jargon for ease of reading
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Current Lead-in for Questions 29-35	Lead-in to 29-35: The next set of questions are related to demographics data and are used only for statistical purposes. Would you volunteer to take an additional 2-3 minutes to answer these questions?	Lead-in to 44-52: We’re almost done. Would you volunteer to answer a few demographic questions for statistical purposes?	Removed wording for simplicity and clarity
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics Gender Current Question 30	30. Is your gender…	45. What gender do you identify as?	Changed wording for political correctness of gender identity
Assessment Survey (Electronic) Demographics: Race/Ethnicity response options Question 35	o American Indian or Alaska Native o Asian o Black or African American o Hispanic or Latino o Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander o White, Not Hispanic or Latino o Prefer not to answer	◘ American Indian or Alaska Native ◘ Asian ◘ Black or African American ◘ Hispanic or Latino ◘ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ◘ White ◘ Prefer not to answer	Changed wording to remove ambiguity and confusion. Electronic surveys only
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New Question 48 Addition		51 . Do you or anyone in your household have a disability that affects your ability to carry out activities of daily living or requires an assistive device such as, but not limited to, a wheelchair, walker, cane, hearing aid, communication device, service animal, personal care attendant, oxygen or other similar medically-related devices or services? Yes No	Added question for disability measures
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Demographics New Question 49 Addition		52. Are the devices or services used to assist with any of the following? (You may select all that apply.) Mobility Cognitive, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health Hearing and/or Speech Vision Self-Care Independent Living Other	Added question for disability measures
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Q36	35. What suggestions do you have for improving FEMA assistance?		Removed opened ended questions for simplicity
Assessment Survey (Phone/Electronic) Closing	Thank you for your time. My name is _____ and my ID number is _______. Have a good day/evening.	Thank you for your time. Have a good day/evening.	Removed wording for simplicity.