OES Green Practices and Processes Forms Design and Pilot Testing Project

Draft 11/16/2010 v.10

RAS Script for green PROCESSES & PRACTICES

questions for RESPONdents

Typographical conventions: italics for programmer notes, ALL CAPS FOR ITEMS NOT READ OR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE INTERVIEWER.

Introduction

Intro1. Hello. My name is ______________. I am calling on behalf of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I'm calling in reference to the Bureau’s Green Jobs survey. May I please speak with (contact name)?

Intro2. (Reintroduce yourself if necessary) Our records indicate that you recently completed the Green Jobs survey. We want to thank you for taking the time to participate in the survey. We are calling you now to find out what you thought of the survey form, and if you have any suggestions for improving it. Your opinions of the questionnaire are very important to us, so if you can spare a few minutes, we’d love to hear your reactions.

• YES GO TO QUESTIONNAIRE SCRIPT

• YES, BUT AT A DIFFERENT TIME When would be a good time to call you back?

• NO/REFUSAL → I know you’re very busy, but before you go, we’d really appreciate hearing any general comments that you might have about the survey.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION:

APPT DAY:___________ TIME: ______________

I called (phone number). Is this the best number to call to reach you?

• YES → Thank you. I look forward to speaking with you on (Appt. Day)

at (Time.). (HANG UP)

• No → RECORD CORRECT PHONE NUMBER:

CORRECT PHONE NUMBER: ____________________

Thank you. I look forward to speaking with you on (Appt. Day) at (Time.).

(HANG UP).

Required Introduction

Before we begin, let me assure you that this call is strictly for informational purposes to help us design the Green Jobs survey forms. Your participation is completely voluntary and you can decline to answer any question at any time. Depending on the number of comments, the questions usually take about 10 minutes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees and agents, will use the information you provide for statistical purposes only and will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (Title 5 of Public Law 107-347) and other applicable federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent. This call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.

General Reactions

1. a. It would help if you have a form to refer to as I ask the next few questions. Do you

have a copy of the form that we sent you?

• Yes Please let me know when you have it in front of you

• No ASK B.

b. I can e-mail or fax the form to you, so you can look it over as we discuss it. Would you like me to do that, or would you prefer that we just continue?

• Just continue (INTERVIEWER MAKE NOTE OF WHETHER FORM IS PRESENT DURING INTERVIEW)

• Send me the form Set appointment: Date: ______ Time: _________

2. Please tell me your general reactions to the form. Did you think it was easy or hard to complete?

• Easy

• Hard Which parts or sections caused you the most difficulty?_________

• No opinion

3. a. The form asks for the number of your employees involved in green technologies or

practices. Do you agree or disagree with the way the Bureau of Labor Statistics has

defined green technologies and practices?

• Agree

• Disagree ASK B.

• Can’t recall BLS definition What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “green technologies and practices?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. How would you change the definition of green technologies and practices?

(Probe: What is confusing about our definition?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. a. We used the definition that employees should spend at least ½ of their time on green

technologies or practices during the pay period that included November 12^th to be counted as working on green activities. Do you agree or disagree with this approach?

• Agree

• Disagree ASK B.

• No opinion

b. Which approach would you prefer to see used instead?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. (if necessary) What difficulties did this definition cause you?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask question 5 only if respondent provided occupation and wage data in Question number 7 on the returned survey form. Otherwise skip and go to Q6.

5. a. We asked for specific information about your green jobs, including job titles, activities, and wages? Did you have any difficulty providing this information?

• Yes ASK B.

• No

b. Which information was most difficult for you to provide? (Probe: Why?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. a. Did you have any contactors or consultants working on green activities at your establishment?

• Yes ASK B.

• No

b. What types of activities were these contractors or consultants working on?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. a. We asked for the total number of employees in your establishment at a specific location identified on the cover of your form for the pay period that included November 12th. Did you have any difficulty reporting for that specific location only?

• Yes What caused problems for you?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• No

• Don’t recall

b. (if necessary) Did you have any difficulty deciding who should, or should not be included in your total count of employees for that location?

• Yes What caused problems for you?

• _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• No

• Don’t recall

8. Considering the information that is asked for on the form, is there anyone else in your organization who could have completed it?

• Yes

What is that person’s job title? __________________________________________

• No

• Don’t know

9. Excluding time you might have had to wait for someone else in your organization to respond to your request for information, can you tell me how long it took to gather the information requested and to complete the survey?

Hours: ________ Minutes: ___________

10. In your opinion, would you say determining the number of jobs involved in green technologies or practices is very important, somewhat important, a little important, or not at all important?

• Very important

• Somewhat important

• A little important

• Not at all important

The next few questions refer directly to the form and cover letter, so it would help if you have them in front of you but it is not necessary.

11. Did you get a chance to read the cover letter that came with the survey, or did you skim through it quickly?

• read

• skimmed

• DID NOT READ Was there something about the cover letter that caused you to

skip it?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. If you can recall the content of the cover letter, was there a particular point that appealed to you, or did it fail to mention something that should have been covered? (Mark all that apply – explain below)

• A particular point appealed to me Please explain ______________________

• Failed to mention something important Please explain ______________________

• Don’t recall specific content

13. In Question 4 we asked about green technologies and practices that your establishment had been involved in during the pay period that included November 12^th. Did you have any difficulties reporting for that pay period?

• Yes What difficulties did you encounter?_______________________________

• No

IF question 5 was left blank

14. I’m curious about your answer for Question 5. Question 5 was left blank. Does that mean you had no employees engaged in green technologies or practices for more than 50% of their time in the specified pay period?

• YES

• SOMETHING ELSE: SPECIFY: __________________________________

15. In Question 7, we provide an example of a Sustainability Officer to help demonstrate how to complete the table. Would you say this example was very helpful, somewhat helpful, a little helpful, or not at all helpful.

• Very helpful

• Somewhat helpful

• A little helpful

• Not at all helpful

• Don’t recall/No opinion

CLOSING QUESTIONS

16. How important is it for your establishment to be perceived as using green technologies and practices? Would you say it’s (READ LIST)…

• Very important

• Somewhat important

• A little important

• Not important at all

17. Have you received other green surveys in the past year?

• YES

• NO

Those are all my questions. We’d love to hear any general comments you might have about this survey form or related issues.

If there is anything you would like us to know about your experience please call us on xxx-xxx-xxxx or send e-mail to xxxxxx@xxx.xxxx. Thank you very much for your time today. (HANG UP)

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