Fast Track Submission Form - nFORM Help Desk Feedback

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0970-0401)

T ITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: nFORM Help Desk Customer Service Feedback Surveys

PURPOSE: We request approval to collect customer service feedback on a Help Desk for questions related to the nFORM (Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management) Management Information System (MIS).

BACKGROUND: HMRF, nFORM, and the Help Desk: ACF oversees the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) grant programs. There are over 80 grantees, serving tens of thousands of clients every year.

ACF has developed an MIS for the HMRF grantees, called nFORM.¹ HMRF grantee staff have nFORM accounts, and staff input information about all grant-funded services into nFORM. These staff are called nFORM users. (In addition to HMRF grantee staff, about a dozen ACF program and research office staff , also have nFORM accounts, in order to review data output and monitor grantees. Federal staff are not included in burden calculations.)

nFORM has an electronic Help Desk for nFORM users to submit questions, or “tickets,” related to nFORM, and receive timely answers via email or phone.

ACF’s contractor, Mathematica Policy Research, manages nFORM and the nFORM Help Desk.

PROPOSED DATA COLLECTION: We propose to invite nFORM users who submit tickets to the Help Desk to respond to a short customer service feedback survey. Feedback will help ACF improve nFORM Help Desk assistance.

• Frequency. We propose to send customer service feedback surveys once per quarter (every three month period) to any nFORM user who submits an nFORM Help Desk ticket during that quarter.

• Invitations to complete survey. nFORM users who submit nFORM Help Desk tickets will be emailed an invitation to complete the survey: the email will contain a link to the survey. We will send one reminder email (and then assess the need of a second reminder email to increase response rates).

• Mode. The surveys (and email invitations) will be web-based.

• Number of invitations to complete surveys: We calculate the number of surveys as follows:

  • Number of tickets per quarter: 172 tickets based on recent trends.

  • Number of quarters in a year: 4 quarters.

  • Total: 688 invitations to complete surveys per year (that is, 172*4).

• Unknown response rate: Although we expect to send 688 invitations per year, we are unsure about response rates to invitations to complete surveys, and will monitor response rates closely. Our burden estimates assume that everyone invited to complete the survey will also receive a reminder to complete.

With approval from OMB, Mathematica Policy Research will email nFORM users to invite them to complete the surveys, and will administer the surveys.

ANALYSIS: Once per quarter, we intend to analyze surveys:

• Our primary analysis will be the percentage of respondents selecting each response for each key question; and

• We will review responses to the open-ended question, and aggregate themes from them when appropriate.

In our analysis, we will also look for trends in types of users who respond (using the three questions asking respondents to identify their grant type, role at their grantee, and type of nFORM user), as well as key nFORM issues mentioned. We will also take into account response rates.

After conducting our analysis, each quarter ACF will consider ways to improve our technical assistance. Such improvement may focus on improving how the Help Desk responds to tickets, addressing specific nFORM issues proactively, reaching out proactively to certain types of users, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

nFORM users who submit nFORM Help Desk tickets will be invited to respond to surveys.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [X] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

CERTIFICATION:

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:_Seth Chamberlain_______________________________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

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? [ ] Yes [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Private sector (nFORM users who submit tickets to the nFORM Help Desk): Reading email invitations and reminders, and completing customer service feedback surveys	688	5 min	57.34hours
Totals	688	5 min average	57 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $2,873.61_______

For cost calculations, we estimate 20 hours of time for a GS-12, 20 hours for a GS-13, and 20 hours for a GS-14. These hours account for multiple ACF staff to create and distribute the surveys, and then collect and review customer feedback.

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

1. 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? [ ] Yes [X] 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?

We will identify the universe of respondents per their requests to the nFORM Help Desk. The entire universe of respondents will be surveyed; we will not select a sample.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ X ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain: Word Template

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes [X] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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.

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

1 ACF has received approval from OMB for collection of data in nFORM – OMB approval #0970-0460.

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