SUPPORTING STATEMENT - PART A
Exceptional Family Member Program Survey – 0704-EFMS
1. Need for the Information Collection
The purpose of the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Survey is to assess the opinions and experiences of active duty members and to provide key metrics to the Office of Special Needs (OSN). Results of this survey will provide direct feedback on members’ use of and satisfaction with EFMP.
Data from this survey will be presented to OSN. Analysis will include OPA’s standard products: a tabulation volume (a set of relative frequency distributions of each question, and cross-tabulations of survey questions by key stratifying variables), briefing slides and reports highlighting key findings, and a statistical methodology report. Ad hoc analyses requested by the policy office and other approved organizations may be conducted as needed and based on available staff. These projects take approximately one year to complete, including assessment design and development, fielding and administration, and data analysis and reporting.
In addition, as mandated by the FY2021 NDAA, OSN needs to conduct a survey to gather information on performance metrics. Results will be used by OSN to evaluate and update EMFP.
2. Use of the Information
The population of interest consists of approximately 100,000 active duty members who are in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, and whose paygrade is up to and including pay grade O-6. This survey provides members with a chance to be heard on issues that directly affect them, including their satisfaction with the EFMP enrollment process, use of support services, and experiences with PCS moves. This may result in improved policies, programs, services, and benefits for active duty members and their families.
The web survey will be hosted on the operations contractor’s secure website. Respondents enter the survey through a .mil site (https://www.dodsurveys.mil). This site will state the source of the survey’s certification and invite sample members to enter a personal ticket number (one secure ticket number is assigned to each sample member and remain linked to that member for the duration of the project. That ticket number will be printed [along with the survey URL] in each letter, and email sent to that individual) and click “Continue.” The sample members will be redirected to the operations contractor’s secure website (https://www.surveysdrc.com). Sample members next will see a welcome page, which provides a brief survey description and give them access to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The next two pages will request the respondent create a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and provided the Privacy Advisory. If the sample members agreed to do the survey, they will click “Continue” to begin the survey. Respondents complete the survey via the secure website and there are no paper survey instruments used for this data collection. Respondents complete the survey by hitting “submit” on the survey web site. Respondents are sent communications to participate in the survey, which includes an email announcement and email reminders for members who have not submitted a survey. Typically, we send up to 10 communications. Those documents are attached to this package. Once surveys are submitted, our survey contractor, DRC, handles and processes the surveys. Specifically, once a respondent completes an online survey, data are stored in an indexed file on the web (data) server. Prior to providing each dataset to OPA, the operations contractor copied the indexed file to their internal network using File Transfer Protocol (FTP), converted the data to a sequential format, and processed the validate program to read and load the data to the dataset. The data were then converted to SAS and processed according to OPA-approved administration plans and coding schemes.
Data from this survey will be presented to the OSD(P&R), Military Departments, Congress, and DoD policy and program offices. Analysis will include OPA’s standard products: a tabulation volume (a set of relative frequency distributions of each question, and cross-tabulations of survey questions by key stratifying variables), briefing slides and reports highlighting key findings, and a statistical methodology report. Ad hoc analyses requested by the policy office sponsors and other approved organizations may be conducted as needed and based on available staff.
3. Use of Information Technology
OPA will administer the survey via the web. All responses (100%) are collected electronically. We use proprietary software developed by OPA’s operations contractor, Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to administer the survey on the web. Digitally signed e-mails, electronic files, and web-based technology will be used for respondent communications and data collection. To reduce respondent burden, web-based surveys use “smart skip” technology to ensure respondents only answer questions that are applicable to them.
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
In order to meet Congressional requirements to gather information on EFMP, the survey must be administered.
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
A 60-Day Federal Register Notice (FRN) for the collection published on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The 60-Day FRN citation is 87 FR 3784 FRN 3784.
7 comments were received during the 60-Day Comment Period. They are included below in the order they were received, as well as our Agency’s response to the comment.
How will the survey be distributed, and what will the mechanism be for service members that do not have access to an official military email address, such as those below the rank of NCO in the US Army?
RESPONSE: We will be using the latest contact information provided to us by DoD and the Service EFMP offices.
Is it realistic to expect service members to complete the survey within 15 minutes? Will 15 minutes be sufficient to collect enough data to represent the entirety of the force properly?
RESPONSE: Yes, we think it will take an average of 15 minutes to complete the survey. Members can take more or less time to complete it. We have balanced length and comprehensiveness and worked closely with the Service EFMP representatives to ensure that we collect data across all relevant topics.
Will the survey results be publicly available, and if they are, where will they be accessed?
RESPONSE: The results will be shared with relevant DoD and Service policy makers and leaders at which time they will decide on public release as is done with other DoD surveys.
What will the results from the survey be used to accomplish?
RESPONSE: They will be shared with EFMP policy and program offices who will use the results to guide their efforts to evaluate and improve the program.
You have stated, “the survey will assess topics such as perceptions of the EFMP enrollment process, family support, and referrals.” These topics cross between the medical side and the family service side of EFMP. Will it be made clear to respondents that each office has different functions as they complete the survey?
RESPONSE: Yes, the survey contains subject headers letting the respondent know the topic for each question.
Provide a mechanism for survey distribution to service members without access to official military email address
RESPONSE: We are working with DoD and the Service EFMP to get the most accurate contact information.
Do not require the service member to utilize a CAC to access the survey or submit their responses.
RESPONSE: The survey does not require the service member to utilize a CAC to access the survey or submit their responses.
A 30-Day Federal Register Notice for the collection published on Monday, Month 23, 2022. The 30-Day FRN citation is 87 FR 31220 FRN 31220-31221.
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
The survey website includes a Privacy Advisory/Additional Information webpage that all sample members view before taking the survey. This page will include the instruction “Click Continue if you agree to take the survey.” Informed consent is indicated by clicking the ‘Continue’ button and answering the survey questions. OPA does not expect the data collection procedures to involve any risk to participants although the survey includes some sensitive questions related to suicide prevention. Survey respondents will not experience any individual or personal direct benefit from participating in the survey. However, by participating in the survey, they will assist OSD(P&R) in evaluating programs, which may assist active duty members in the future. Participants can withdraw from the study at any time, and can also request that their data be withdrawn from the study after they’ve submitted it. Procedures for withdrawing data are provided on the survey communications.
To protect the privacy of research subjects, OPA will conduct a disclosure and confidentiality analysis with multiple combinations of demographic characteristics to ensure there are at least ten (10) respondents in any cell for any report. If there are less than ten (10) respondents in any cell, variables will be grouped until the threshold of ten (10) per cell is met.
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.
Datasets containing survey responses will never contain names, addresses, or e-mail addresses; rather, they will include only randomly generated Identification (ID) numbers. The initial file constructed by OPA during the data collection process will be the “sample file” that contains a record for each individual selected at random to be in the survey. This file will contain administrative record data that will be used to create the sampling strata and will be required for planned analyses of responses. OPA will append a randomly generated ID number to the records before sending the file to OPA’s operations contractor – this number will be the permanent link that can be used to link record data to survey response data that could be required for future analyses. The sample file will contain the OPA randomly generated ID number, names, addresses, and DoDIDs that allow OPA’s operations contractor to control the mailings and obtain additional address information as required. This file will be tightly controlled at OPA and OPA’s operations contractor behind firewalls with password-protected access on a need-to-know basis.
11. Sensitive Questions
No questions considered sensitive are being asked in this collection.
12. Respondent Burden and its Labor Costs
Part A: ESTIMATION OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
Exceptional Family Member Program Survey
Number of Respondents: Approximately 16,500
Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1
Number of Total Annual Responses: 16,500
Response Time: 0.25 hours
Respondent Burden Hours: 4,125 hours
Total Submission Burden
Total Number of Respondents: 16,500
Total Number of Annual Responses: 16,500
Total Respondent Burden Hours: 4,125 hours
Part B: LABOR COST OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument(s)
Exceptional Family Member Program Survey
Number of Total Annual Responses: 16,500
Response Time: 0.25 hours
Respondent Hourly Wage: $40
Labor Burden per Response: $10
Total Labor Burden: $165,000
Overall Labor Burden
Total Number of Annual Responses: 16,500
Total Labor Burden: $165,000
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) 2022 EFMP Survey: Contractor
Number of Total Annual Responses: 16,500
Processing Time per Response: .25 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses: $75.50
Cost to Process Each Response: $18.88
Total Cost to Process Responses: $311,520
Collection Instrument(s) 2022 EFMP Survey: Government
Number of Total Annual Responses: 16,500
Processing Time per Response: .112 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses: $69.16
Cost to Process Each Response: $7.75
Total Cost to Process Responses: $127,875
Overall Labor Burden to the Federal Government
Total Number of Annual Responses: 16,500
Total Labor Burden: $439,395
Part B: OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
Cost Categories
Total Operational and Maintenance Cost: $0
Part C: TOTAL COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Total Labor Cost to the Federal Government: $439,395
Total Operational and Maintenance Costs: $0
Total Cost to the Federal Government: $439,395
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
This is a new collection with a new associated burden.
16. Publication of Results
The 2022 Exceptional Family Member Program Survey will field in the summer for approximately 10 weeks. Data analysis and reporting will occur from the time the survey is closed through a year later. After the survey quality assurance review is completed, tabulation volumes, briefings, and reports are created.
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.
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