2120-0699 Supporting Statement A V.2 04 14 2021

Supporting Statement A
AVIATOR Customer Satisfaction Survey
2120-0699
A. Justification
There is a burden increase due to an increase in the number of individuals responding
voluntarily to the AVIATOR Customer Survey.
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify
any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
AVIATOR is the FAA’s job application system. It supports Human Resources in creating
vacancy announcements and collecting applications. Each time an applicant applies, the
system provides the applicant a link to compete voluntarily a survey regarding his/her
experience in using AVIATOR in applying to FAA job announcements. The survey results
are reviewed each week during a meeting with the AVIATOR technical team, Human
Resource Management functional team, the AVIATOR data steward and, the AVIATOR
system owner. The results are used to make enhancements to the system to improve/enhance
the AVIATOR application process. This survey will also be used to distinguish between
application dissatisfaction with the OPM USAJOBS portion of the application and
dissatisfaction with the FAA’s AVIATOR tool as applying for a job is a two-part process
involving two separate-but-integrated systems. The results are not made available to the
public over the internet. The form is not available for public printing off the internet. The
URL is only available to applicants who are submitting an application to an FAA vacancy
announcement.
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) Section 2(b)(3) requires
agencies to “improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting
a new focus on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction”. In addition, as stated in
the White House “Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies”
regarding Executive Order No. 12862, “the actions the order prescribes, such as surveying
customers, surveying employees, and benchmarking, shall be continuing agency activities”.
The purpose of these actions will remain as indicated in Executive Order No. 12862 –
continuing to survey customers to obtain benchmarking and feedback to, in turn, ensure
quality service and products.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s, Office of Human Resource Management has as one
of its strategic goals to “Make decisions based on reliable data to improve our overall
performance and customer satisfaction”. The only way we are going to know if we are
making improvements is to survey our customers and get their feedback. This collection
supports the DOT strategic goal of Organizational Excellence.
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.

AVIATOR is the FAA’s job application system. It supports the Office of Human Resource
Management in creating vacancy announcements and collecting applications. Each time an
applicant applies, the system provides the applicant a link to complete voluntarily a survey
regarding her/his experience in using AVIATOR in applying to FAA job announcements.
The survey results are reviewed each week during a meeting with the AVIATOR
Development Staff, Human Resources Functional team, and system owners. The results are
used to make enhancements to the system to improve/enhance the AVIATOR application
process. Results are not shared with the general public.
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.
In compliance with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), all data collection
is 100% electronic using an online form provided to the applicant each time she/he applies to
an FAA vacancy announcement through the Automated Vacancy Information Access Tool
for Online Referral (AVIATOR) via a URL link. The survey is designed to identify potential
problems with FAA's automated staffing solution (AVIATOR), as well as to evaluate
customer satisfaction with the on-line application process. The survey will also be used to
distinguish between application dissatisfaction with the OPM USAJOBS portion of the
application and dissatisfaction with the FAA’s AVIATOR tool as applying for a job is a twopart process involving two separate-but-integrated systems. The results are not made
available to the public over the internet. The form is not available for public printing off the
internet. The URL is only available to applicants that have submitted an application to an
FAA vacancy announcement.
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.
This survey is designed to identify potential problems with FAA's automated staffing
solution (AVIATOR), as well as to evaluate customer satisfaction with the on-line
application process. This survey will also be used to distinguish between application
dissatisfaction with the OPM USAJOBS portion of the application and dissatisfaction with
the FAA’s AVIATOR tool as applying for a job is a two-part process involving two separatebut-integrated systems. AHR polled the human resource offices that use the tool and verified
they are not surveying applicants regarding AVIATOR at any time in the application process.
In addition, AHR verified with USAJOBS that they do not provide a survey to applicants
regarding the integration with FAA’s on-line application system. The information is not
gathered by any other collection.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities (Item
of OMB Form 83-I), describe any methods used to minimize burden.

There is no impact burden on small business or other small entities.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles
to reducing burden.
Applicants will be given the opportunity to complete a survey each time they apply for a
vacancy announcement. If the FAA’s Office of Human Resource Management (AHR) is not
able to initiate the survey, it is not be able to determine customer satisfaction with its
AVIATOR system. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to improve our overall performance
and customer satisfaction. In addition, AHR will not be able to determine which portion of
the application process is causing dissatisfaction – USAJOBS or AVIATOR or both. The
survey should be presented to the applicant each time he/she applies since each time an
applicant applies could expose the applicant to a different application process based on
custom programming for various series and proficiency types. Therefore, it should be
presented to the applicant each time she/he applies.
7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be
conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines.
There are no special circumstances.
8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in
the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting
comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.
Published in the Federal Register on 2 February 2021, 86 FR 7919 (7919-7920 pgs.)
No comments were received. No stakeholder engagement occurred.
9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payment or gifts will be provided to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
The information to be collected by the FAA will not be of a sensitive nature and will not
contain any business propriety and/or trade information. Therefore, it will not require
assurances of confidentiality.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as
sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly
considered private.

No questions of a sensitive or private nature are asked.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information including the
number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden and how the
burden was estimated.
Summary (Annual
numbers)

Reporting

Number of
Respondents

13,019 1

Number of
Responses per
Respondent

1

Time per Response

3 minutes

Total number of
responses

13,019

Total burden
(hours)

651

Recordkeeping

Disclosure

138,953 applicants (from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019) had the
opportunity to complete a survey. We estimate that it takes 3 minutes to complete
one survey. Our data indicates that 9% of applicants (13,019 total) completed
surveys during this timeframe, resulting in an estimate of 651 hours annually
(13,019 respondents X 0.05 (3/60) = 651 * $25.72 = $16,743.72) (source; BLS
Mean Hourly Wage for All Occupations,
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000).
1

Applicant Survey Metrics report: 1 January to 31 December 2019

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record
keepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any
hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).
There are no material costs for the respondents.
14. Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government. Also, provide a
description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification.
The survey is in place and requires no start-up costs. No additional capital investment is
needed to continue with the survey collection.

Annualized cost includes data analysis to determine customer satisfaction and requirements
development, if issues are identified. Estimated cost is based upon 1 Government FTE (at
the FV-H, or equivalent rate of approximately $33.14 per hour 2), times 108 hours per year.
Estimate - $3,579 per year ($33.14 X 108 = $3,579.00).
2 Average

of minimum and maximum from the Core Compensation Plan Pay
Bands, effective January 6, 2019 (document), reference
https://employees.faa.gov/org/staffoffices/ahr/program_policies/policy_guidance/
hr_policies/hrpm/comp/comp_ref/2019payadjustment/
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13
or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.
The burden increased due to an increase in the number of individuals responding voluntarily
to the customer survey.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for
tabulation and publication.
There will be no publication of data.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
No request to not display expiration date.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19,
"Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions," of OMB Form 83-I.
There are no exceptions.