3124-0012 Supporting Statement A (Final 2023)

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

OMB Control Number: 3124-0012
Title: Reinstatement and Revision of a Previously Approved Information
Collection for Voluntary Customer Surveys
The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is seeking to reinstate and revise a previously
approved information collection in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
Information Collection Request (ICR) will be submitted to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and clearance. This information collection is part of MSPB’s efforts
to improve customer service delivery. The information collection instruments consist of short
customer-focused surveys distributed through Qualtrics, MSPB’s survey platform. Through this
collection and approval process, MSPB is complying with normal clearance procedures and
meeting our commitments under Executive Order 12862, “Setting Customer Service Standards”
(September 11, 1993).
JUSTIFICATION
1.

Circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

MSPB is seeking a reinstatement and three-year renewal of its previously approved Generic
Clearance Request for Voluntary Customer Surveys. Executive Order 12862, “Setting Customer
Service Standards,” mandates agencies to identify their customers and survey them to determine
the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services.
In addition, OMB Circular A-11, Part 6, Section 280, “Managing Customer Experience and
Improving Service Delivery,” provides guidelines for gathering customer feedback. More
recently, the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act or the 21st Century (IDEA Act)
requires agencies to use quantitative data from their public-facing websites to improve digital
service delivery (Public Law 115-336).
Customers and stakeholders include persons who file appeals with MSPB of agency actions
taken against them (appellants), their representatives, and representatives of the agency which
took the action; and Federal officials and members of the public (academicians, researchers,
consultants, and web users) who read and use the findings of reports issued by our Office of
Policy and Evaluation (OPE) or who are interested in MSPB role in overseeing the Office of
Personnel Management.
Over the past several years, we have used customer satisfaction surveys to evaluate how well we
are serving our customers in terms of their perceptions of our timeliness, fairness, accessibility,
and sensitivity to their situation in deciding their appeals. We have also used customer surveys
to determine the usefulness of the reports issued by OPE. As a result of these surveys, we have
established baseline performance measures for both our appeals process and merit systems
review responsibilities. We have also instituted a number of changes to both of these processes
as a result of feedback obtained from our customers. We plan to use customer surveys

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
periodically or on an ongoing automated electronic basis over the next three years to measure the
success of our changes and to attempt to identify additional areas where improvements can be
made. The views of our customers are also important measures we may use to report our
performance under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) as amended by the
GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.
2.

Purpose and Use of the Information Collection

As mentioned in response to question 1, the results of these surveys will be used to improve the
timeliness, fairness, accessibility and sensitivity of the Board's adjudication processes and
outcomes. Responses will also be used to improve the usefulness of our reports on merit systems
issues. We have used information obtained from customer satisfaction surveys conducted in the
past to improve the form used by appellants to file appeals with the Board. We have also used
information obtained from surveys of users of our merit systems reports to determine what issues
we should be studying and how best to communicate our findings to our intended audience. We
also use surveys to consult with our stakeholders during strategic planning. In addition, the
perceptions stakeholders and customers have of our work processes and work products are
important ways we measure the success of our programs under the GPRA, as amended.
3.

Use of Automated Collection Procedures

The collection of information from our customers uses automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology to the
maximum extent possible. In addition, we make every effort to reach our customers using
information technology that would reduce the burden on them and ensure the validity of the
information we are trying to obtain. On occasion, we may use paper surveys where electronic
means are not available or practical.
4.

Duplication of Information

As far as we know, no duplication of efforts exists since we know of no one who intends to
survey our customers concerning their satisfaction with our work. The information obtained in the
past will be used as a baseline to compare the results of future surveys, but the surveys we have
conducted in the past do not tell us what our customers currently think about the work we are
performing.
5.

Impact on Small Businesses

The information we plan to collect does not impact small businesses or other small entities.
6.

Consequences of Not Conducting Collection

If the surveys are not conducted, we will be unable to fully comply with Executive Order 12862.
We would be limited in the extent to which we could obtain reliable and valid information

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
concerning what our customers think about the work we are performing. We would be unable to
measure whether we have met annual performance goals involving customer perceptions of our
processes and work products.
7.

Special Circumstances

On occasion, an agency representative or appellant representative may be connected to more than
one appeal. Because our level of analysis is usually an individual case, an agency or appellant
representative may receive more than one survey. It is also possible that the same individual
could be contacted about more than one merit system study. We suspect this to be a rare
occurrence. When appropriate, we may adjust our sampling to ensure no individual gets a survey
more than once every few months.
8.

Consultations with Persons Outside the Agency

A 60-day Federal Register Notice inviting public comments was published on March 28, 2023, at
88 FR 18349. No comments were received.
A 30-day Federal Register Notice inviting public comments was published on June 8, 2023, at 88
FR 37582.
No consultation was conducted with persons outside the agency.
9.

Payments or Gifts to Respondents

No payments or gifts of any kind have been provided to any individuals who are connected to
this collection.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality
Respondents are advised in invitation emails that their answers will be kept completely confidential.
Certain information may be used in depersonalized form to establish overall program statistics.
Responses to the survey are entirely voluntary. There is no requirement to complete the survey
to maintain a relationship with MSPB. The only use of the data from the survey instrument will
be to monitor and improve customer service and track and report our progress in meeting
performance goals or measures.
11. Justification for Any Questions of a Sensitive Nature
There will be no questions of a sensitive nature on the surveys.
12. Estimates of Annualized Costs for Collection of Information
We anticipate that a total of up to 3,000 customer satisfaction surveys will be distributed

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
annually during each year of the three-year period covered by this request. For purposes of
calculating the burden on respondents we are assuming that 600 people will respond to our
surveys. Our surveys generally take about 5 to 45 minutes to complete, with an average
completion time of 30 minutes. Multiplying 30 minutes by 600 respondents yields a total
maximum burden on respondents of 300 hours.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website (www.bls.gov),
the wage rate category for All Occupations is estimated to be $37.90 per hour including the 1.4
wage rate multiplier. If respondents chose to participate in our survey, it is anticipated that the
average time to complete and return our survey will be about 30 minutes therefore, the estimated
burden hour cost to respondents is $11,370.
13. Total Cost to Respondents or Record Keepers.
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. Estimates of Annualized Costs to the Federal Government
There are costs to the Federal Government associated with conducting the anticipated customer
satisfaction surveys. These include:
Annual Cost to the Federal Government
Item

Contract Costs
Staff Salaries* [One GS 14, step 5 employee spending approximately 4% of their time and one
GS 15, step 5 spending approximately 2% of their time annually: $4,712 + $8,012) = $12, 724
Facilities [cost for renting, overhead, etc., for data collection activity]
Computer Hardware and Software [cost of equipment annual lifecycle] (Qualtrics license)
Equipment Maintenance [cost of annual maintenance/service agreements for equipment]
Travel
Total
* Note: The “Salary Rate” includes a 1.4 multiplier to reflect a fully-loaded wage rate.

$

Cost ($)

$12,724
0
12,100
0
0
$24,824

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments
This renewal reflects updated burden calculations on affected population.
16. For Collection of Information Whose Results Will be Published, Outline Plans for
Tabulation and Publication
The results of the surveys conducted under this request will not be published. Aggregated results
such as arithmetic means or measures of variability might be included in agency performance
reporting. The information obtained in these surveys will be used only by MSPB to improve
service.

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U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
17. Display of OMB Approval Date
This collection does not seek approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval.
18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
This collection does not seek exception to “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act
Submissions.”