EIB 00-02 Annual Comp Rpt Survey SUPPORTING STATEMENT PART B

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

PART B

FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION 3048-0004

EXIM COMPETITIVENESS REPORT SURVEY EIB 00-02

Agency Information Collection Activities

Submission for OMB Review

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection methods to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (“EXIM” or “Bank”) primary survey population will consist of all Bank clients (lenders/exporters/project sponsors/buyers) that have complete electronic contact information on file and that have used EXIM financing in the calendar year of interest.

EXIM expects that initial response rates and partial interview rates will be higher than experienced in recent cycles of the survey. This is because EXIM was not fully opened under all programs for a complete calendar year from 2015-2019. EXIM’s Board quorum was restored in May 2019, and 2020 will be the first calendar year since 2014 that EXIM has been open under all programs.

The primary respondents are lenders, and exporters that did business with the Bank in the calendar year of interest. The total universe of participants is 200 for the first 10 months of 2020. All EXIM clients (lenders/exporters/project sponsors/buyers ) that have complete electronic contact information on file with the Bank and used EXIM financing in the calendar year of interest will be invited to participate in the survey.¹ This list will be supplemented by those clients that have transactions that have used EXIM financing in the last five years and may still have shipments going forward under prior authorizations. These participants are more likely to be experienced and aware of foreign ECA competition and EXIM programs. Through this approach, the Bank avoids burdening inexperienced users of EXIM programs with a survey they are unlikely to be able to answer. As this will result in a purposive sample, no statistical inferences regarding the entire population will be made. Rather the analysis of the collected data will be restricted to only statements regarding the opinions and experiences of respondents.

Below are tables that outlines the makeup of the 2020 and previous year’s Competitiveness Report Survey population groups including response rates.

EXPECTED RESPONSE RATES

Composition of the 2020 Competitiveness Report Survey (Expected)

		Lenders		Exporters	Project Sponsors	Other*	Total
Population		45		135	10	10	200
Selected		40		100	6	4	150
Expected responses		24		50	3	2	79
Expected response rate		60%		50%	50%	50%	53%
Notes:
			*Other includes buyers that submitted requests to EXIM and a freight arranger on longer-term transactions subject to U.S.-flag shipping.

PAST RESPONSE RATES

2019 Competitiveness Report Survey

	Lenders	Exporters	Total
Surveyed	37	67	104
Responded	20	24	44
Response rate	54%	36%	42%

1. Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:

• Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,

• Estimation procedure,

• Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification,

• Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

• Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.
  
  

The survey will be sent to the lenders, exporters, project sponsors, and possibly other buyers with direct experience regarding EXIM’s medium-, and long-term programs in the calendar year of interest. Only statements regarding the collected responses will be made. No estimation procedures or statistical accuracy will be required for the analysis.

The Competitiveness Report is mandated by Congress to be an annual report; thus this data is required to be collected on an annual basis.

2. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

Each year the EXIM Chairman sends an email to potential survey recipients. It informs the recipient of the upcoming survey and asks them to confirm the correct person to receive the survey. EXIM plans to distribute the survey invitations in mid-January, and to keep the survey open for four weeks. During this four-week period, phone nonresponse follow-up will occur. With this timeline, the survey data collection will wrap up around the end of February, allowing ample time to compile the necessary results ahead of the publication deadline.

Email reminders will be sent to all non-respondents at weekly intervals for the length of the data collection period. Additionally, after the data collection period has ended, staff will follow up with remaining non-respondents by phone for an additional four weeks to ensure maximum response rates.

3. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.
   
   

No further testing of the procedures or methods necessary at this time. The exporters and lenders that use EXIM’s medium- and long- term programs are generally repeat customers. They are familiar with the survey process and terminology used in the survey. If current cycle respondents indicate that the survey burden is problematic, the Bank will respond to this feedback and amend any problematic or unnecessary questions.

4. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

Tarela Osuobeni,

Policy Analyst, International Relations

Export-Import Bank of the United States

202.731.8646|

[email protected]

1 The information management system to which the survey group has access does not contain complete contact information for all Bank clients. It would be time and cost prohibitive for the government to obtain the contact information for all Bank clients; as such, EXIM staff will focus their efforts on obtaining contact information for exporters, lenders, and project sponsors that have used EXIM financing in the calendar year of interest, and supplemented by those that have transactions awaiting authorization or that have used Bank financing in the last five years.