SUPPORTING STATEMENT - PART A
2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses – OMB Control Number
1. Need for the Information Collection
The DoD Survey of Active Duty Spouse Survey (ADSS) is the primary source for reliable and generalizable data on the effects of military life on military spouses and their families and the effectiveness of current programs and policies related to military families. The survey is designed to enhance understanding of how spouse and family resilience impact force readiness and retention and is also an indicator informing the effectiveness of programs and policies under the purview of DoD’s Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Department. The ADSS provides unique, ongoing, reliable data to equip policy-makers with the information they need to make strategic, data-driven decisions on a vital component of the total force – military spouses and families.
The legislation authorizing the USD(P&R) to conduct these surveys is provided under 10 United States Code (USC), Sections 136, 1782 and 2358, and 37 USC, Section 1008(b).
Specifically: “The Secretary of Defense, in order to determine the effectiveness of Federal programs relating to military families and the need for new programs, may conduct surveys of: (1) members of the armed forces who are on active duty, in an active status, or retired; (2) family members of such members.” (10 USC 1782).
2. Use of the Information
This survey provides an opportunity for military spouses to directly expand policy maker’s knowledge by sharing opinions on issues that directly affect them. Success of current efforts and shortfalls in programs and policies are identified through this biennial survey. These survey results ensure decisions based on current and statistically reliable data. The population of interest for the 2021 ADSS will consist of spouses of active duty members from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force who are below flag rank. Eligible spouses must be currently married to an active duty member. The population is approximately 605,716 active duty spouses.
OPA will administer the 2021 ADSS as a web-based survey with a paper survey option available to maximize response rates. Respondents may access the survey via the web on a device they select. The web survey will be administered on proprietary software developed by OPA’s operations contractor, Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). Digitally signed e-mails, electronic files, and web-based technology will be used for respondent communications and for data collection. To reduce respondent burden, web-based surveys use “smart skip” technology to ensure respondents only answer questions that are applicable to them. Selected sample members with a valid email address will receive a total of three e-mail communications – one announcement e-mail and two e-mail reminders plus one (1) postal notification letter approximately two (2) days before the website is to be activated for survey data collection; four (4) postal reminders will be sent during the survey administration period to selected sample members who have not yet responded to the survey or who have not actively refused to participate. The control system generating these letters will be updated to determine non-respondents. Everyone who indicates by phone, fax, postal mail, or e-mail they did not want to participate in the survey will be coded as actively refusing to participate. Information on the survey website will inform sample members (Privacy Advisory and Informed Consent Statement and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), “Once you start answering the survey, if you desire to withdraw your answers, please send an e-mail requesting this to [email protected] or leave a message any time, toll-free, at 1-800-881-5307.” Upon such notification, OPA’s operations contractor will delete the person’s survey responses and code the person as an actively refusing to participate.
3. Use of Information Technology
For the 2019 ADSS, the electronic submission rate was 69 percent; 31 percent responded to a paper survey. The mobility of the population, challenges obtaining e-mail addresses for respondents, and the length of the survey may impact submission rates. The survey length may lead to higher adoption of the paper version and the lack of a click and go option (due to security) may be a barrier to respondents starting the survey after a web-based touch point.
In 2021, the number of survey questions will be lower, totaling 155 rather than 164 (2019).
4. Non-duplication
The information obtained through this collection is unique and is not already available for use or adaptation from another cleared source.
5. Burden on Small Businesses
This information collection does not impose a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses or entities.
6. Less Frequent Collection
Without this biennial survey, the Department would not have current data to guide limited resources to the appropriate programs, policies, and services related to military spouses, their families and ultimately. Less frequent collection of the data would not provide information on military families and their spouses, would decrease the responsiveness of policy makers based on the results, and may not capture significant trends early enough to impact outcomes, for example changes in child care needs that may shift with changing family status of a significant proportion of active duty spouses. A lack of probability based survey data on the military spouse population could lead policy offices and the Services to conduct their own research, elevating the potential for duplication/greater survey burden, less methodological rigor, lower response rates and higher costs for DoD research.
7. Paperwork Reduction Act Guidelines
This collection of information does not require collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines delineated in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).
8. Consultation and Public Comments
Part A: PUBLIC NOTICE
An emergency 15-Day Federal Register Notice for the collection published on Thursday, April 1, 2021. The 15-Day FRN citation is 86 FR 17143 FRN 17143-17144.
Part B: CONSULTATION
No additional consultation apart from soliciting public comments through the Federal Register was conducted for this submission.
9. Gifts or Payment
No payments or gifts are being offered to respondents as an incentive to participate in the collection.
10. Confidentiality
A Privacy Act Statement is not required for this collection because we are not requesting individuals to furnish personal information for a system of records.
A System of Record Notice (SORN) is not required for this collection because records are not retrievable by PII.
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is not required for this collection because PII is not being collected electronically.
11. Sensitive Questions
Military spouse surveys primarily address personnel-related issues. The 2021 ADSS, as in previous years, does contain a request for voluntary provision of race, ethnicity, age and other demographics. These demographic items allow for the results to be segmented by these key demographic groups. Because the survey is designed to inform policymakers on the experiences and needs of military spouses and families, it is necessary to survey active duty spouse on perceptions and opinions of issues such as marriage, employment, financial readiness, and health/well-being. While some of these may be considered sensitive, all questions are asked to ensure adequate programs are in place to address these issues. The Informed Consent information will inform sample members that the survey is voluntary, that they may decline or skip questions they do not wish to answer, and identify any potential risks and benefits of participation.
12. Respondent Burden and its Labor Costs
Part A: ESTIMATION OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses
Number of Respondents: 11500
Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1
Number of Total Annual Responses: 11500
Response Time (P: Amount of time needed to complete the collection instrument):
.5 hour
Respondent Burden Hours (C multiplied by D, computed into hours): 5750
Total Submission Burden (Summation or average based on collection)
Total Number of Respondents (P: add or average of all “a’s” in this section): 11500
Total Number of Annual Responses (P: add or average of all “c’s” in this section): 11550
Total Respondent Burden Hours (P: add all “e’s” in this section): 5750 hours
Part B: LABOR COST OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
[2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 11500
Response Time (P: Amount of time needed to complete the collection instrument): .5 hour
Respondent Hourly Wage: $29.96
Labor Burden per Response (P: B multiplied by C): $14.98
Total Labor Burden (P: A multiplied by B multiplied by C): $172,270
Overall Labor Burden
Total Number of Annual Responses (P: add all “a’s” in this section): 11550
Total Labor Burden (P: add all “e’s” in this section): $86,125
Source for average national wage: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/index.htm
13. Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs
There are no annualized costs to respondents other than the labor burden costs addressed in Section 12 of this document to complete this collection.
14. Cost to the Federal Government
Part A: LABOR COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Collection Instrument(s) Contractor
[2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 11500
Processing Time per Response: # .54
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses : $75.50
Cost to Process Each Response (P: B multiplied by C): $40.77
Total Cost to Process Responses (P: A multiplied by D): $468,885
Collection Instrument(s) Government
[2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 11500
Processing Time per Response: # .112 hr.
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses : $69.16
Cost to Process Each Response (P: B multiplied by C): $7.76
Total Cost to Process Responses (P: A multiplied by D): $89,240
Total Cost to Process Responses (P: A multiplied by D): $89,240
Overall Labor Burden to the Federal Government
Total Number of Annual Responses (P: add all “a’s” in this section): #11,500
Total Labor Burden (P: add all “e’s” in this section): $558,095
Part B: OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
Cost Categories
Equipment: $0
Printing: $ (See f)
Postage: $180,748
Software Purchases: $0
Licensing Costs: $ (See f)
Other: $172,250 (Printing, paper and miscellaneous costs)
Total Operational and Maintenance Cost: (P: Add a) through f) in this section) $352,998
Part C: TOTAL COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Total Labor Cost to the Federal Government: $558,095
Total Operational and Maintenance Costs: $352,998
Total Cost to the Federal Government (P: Add 1 and 2 in this section): $911,093
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
N/A, new OMB collection.
16. Publication of Results
The results of this survey are presented to senior DoD policymakers and subsequently published on a secure, internal, restricted, CAC-required DoD server which allows access to DoD personnel to view tabulated data to support and inform policymakers servicing military spouses and their families. Infographics and publically released briefings and short reports on the results are typically posted to Military OneSource once the analysis and briefing cycles are complete. Past spouse survey results can be viewed on Military OneSource https://www.militaryonesource.mil/data-research-and-statistics/survey-findings/), which is publically accessible.
17. Non-Display of OMB Expiration Date
We are not seeking approval to omit the display of the expiration date of the OMB approval on the collection instrument.
18. Exceptions to “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Submissions”
We are not requesting any exemptions to the provisions stated in 5 CFR 1320.9.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kaitlin Chiarelli |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-04-02 |