Final SS Customer Satisfaction Survey 042309

FINAL OMB SUPPORTING STATEMENT

GENERIC CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

AND

NRC FORM 671, REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

SURVEY UNDER GENERIC CLEARANCE

(3150-0197)

Revision

Description of the Information Collection

The NRC is requesting a three-year clearance to conduct voluntary customer satisfaction surveys to provide the agency with feedback on the effectiveness of the various services provided to our customers. The agency will contact users of NRC services and products to determine their needs and how the Commission can improve its services and products to better meet those needs. The surveys are designed to ask questions concerning satisfaction with timeliness, courtesy, accuracy and other particular aspects of the agency=s operations. In the past, NRC has contacted focus groups to discuss a specific set of questions. Results from these surveys gave NRC insight into how it can make its services and products more cost effective, efficient, and responsive to its customer needs. The NRC does not intend to conduct any program evaluation surveys by use of this generic customer satisfaction survey clearance. The NRC plans to continue the use of these surveys, which are voluntary and provide an excellent approach to reaching out to its customers.

For each information collection that the NRC undertakes under this generic clearance, the Office of Information Services (OIS) will notify OMB, at least 20 working days in advance, and provide the Desk Officer with an NRC Form 671, ARequest for Review of a Customer Satisfaction Survey Under Generic Clearance,@ which includes a description of the survey, summary of objectives, specific burden estimates, and final survey instruments covered by the generic clearance for inclusion in the OMB public docket. The Desk Officer will act on the survey within 20 working days by faxing the signed NRC Form 671 back to the NRC Clearance Officer.

Before any proposal is forwarded to OMB, the OIS will conduct an adequate internal review to ensure that survey questions are properly formatted to generate valid responses and adherence to the Paperwork Reduction Act rules and limitations of this clearance.

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Need for and Practical Utility of the Collection of Information

These voluntary customer satisfaction surveys will be used to ascertain licensees= and the public=s concerns on how NRC does business, how we impact licensees and the general public, how we can improve services, how we can improve public use of new technologies, such as, the NRC Web site and the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), or improve operations and maintain/improve public safety.

2. Agency Use of the Information

Surveys will be conducted in an effort to provide additional details on Awho@ customers are, what kind and quality of services they desire, and their level of satisfaction with our current services. NRC will use telephone surveys, focus groups, world-wide web surveys, and questionnaires to collect data on customer satisfaction. Customer comment cards may be placed in publications as a convenience to the public so that it can apprise us of any issues, difficulties, or complaints.

The data will be used to assist the NRC in satisfying its customer’s= needs. The information collected from the surveys will be analyzed to determine areas important to our customers, assess our performance in these areas, and to develop strategies to better meet customer expectations. Results will be shared throughout the agency and with other agencies as requested.

3. Reduction of Burden Through Information Technology

Improved information technology will be used when possible to reduce the burden on the public. One of the goals of this effort is to obtain the information required with a minimum amount of burden on the public. The information will be gathered through personal or telephone interviews, mail questionnaires, and the Internet.

There are no legal obstacles to reducing the burden associated with this information collection. The NRC encourages respondents to use information technology when it would be beneficial to them. NRC issued a regulation on October 10, 2003 (68 FR 58791), consistent with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, which allows its licensees, vendors, applicants, and members of the public the option to make submissions electronically via CD-ROM, e-mail, special Web-based interface, or other means. It is estimated that approximately 10% of all survey requests (2 surveys with an estimated 23 hours) will be submitted electronically.

4. Effort to Identify Duplication and Use Similar Information

The information to be requested will not duplicate data affecting current programs or data currently provided by the respondents. The nature of the information to be requested is unique to the NRC=s effort to update and refine its current programs and processes. No sources of similar information are available and there is no duplication of requirements. NRC has in place an on-going program to examine all information collections with the goal of eliminating all duplication and/or unnecessary information collections.

5. Effort to Reduce Small Business Burden

One of the main purposes of this effort is to gather information needed without putting significant additional burden on small businesses. Small samples will be used to select respondents, and the number of questions on the surveys will be kept to a minimum. However, small businesses, as well as the agency, will benefit by the government=s increased responsiveness to their needs.

6. Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection is Not Conducted or is Conducted Less Frequently

Without this information collection, NRC would not be able to determine the kinds and quality of services customers want, their level of satisfaction, or ways in which to improve customer service.

7. Circumstances Which Justify Variation From OMB Guidelines

There is no planned variation from OMB guidelines.

8. Consultation Outside the NRC

The opportunity for public comment on the information collection requirements for this clearance package was published in the Federal Register on February 10, 2009 (74 FR 6661). No comments were received.

9. Payment or Gift to Respondents

There are no plans to provide any payment or gift to respondents.

10. Confidentiality of Information

Confidential and proprietary information is protected in accordance with the NRC regulations at 10 CFR 9.17(a) and 10 CFR 2.390(b). However, no information normally considered confidential or proprietary is requested.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

No sensitive information will be requested.

12. Estimated Burden and Burden Hour Cost

The annual burden is estimated to be 226 hours (1,261 responses [252.2 responses/survey x 5 surveys] x 0.179 hrs/response). There is no capital and start-up cost or operation component or any maintenance and purchase of service components associated with the customer surveys. The estimated burden per response is 10.75 minutes at a cost of $43 per response ($238 per hour x 0.179 per response). For 1,261 annual responses, the estimated cost is $54,223 (1,261 responses x $43/response).

Proposed Annual Surveys	Estimated Number of Responses	Estimated Burden Hrs Per Response	Total Estimated Burden
FOIA User Survey	119	.05	6
Media Streaming Survey	100	.03	3
NRC Public Meeting Feedback Form	759	.25	190
ACRS/ACNW (FY2009 and FY2011)	43	.17	7
Broadcast Commission Adjudicatory Proceeding Over the Internet (Pilot Test) (New 08/08)	240	.083	20
Total	1,261	Avg. .179 hrs (10.75 min)	226 hours

13. Estimate of Other Additional Costs

There are no other additional costs.

14. Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

Each survey will take approximately 50 hours of professional effort to analyze and report findings. The estimated annual cost is $59,500 (50 hours/survey x 5 surveys x $238/hour). The clerical effort to mail out surveys, track responses, make follow-up telephone calls, and file survey responses and associated documents is estimated at $5,625 (125 hours x $45). The estimated additional costs for printing ($29) [$0.0167/page x 2 pages/survey x 878 surveys] and mailing ($635) [252 surveys x 3 surveys x $.84 postage] is based on 2 of the 5 surveys being distributed through the mail. The estimated additional cost is $664 ($29 printing + $635 mailing). The total cost is estimated at $65,789 ($59,500 + $5,625 + $664).

 Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost

The estimated burden has decreased by 167 hours from 393 hours to 226 hours because of the deletion of two surveys. The two surveys, Web-based ADAMS Survey and User Satisfaction Survey: NRC Public Website, are now covered through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Consulting Group (U.S. Dept of Treasury), which maintains a central database with a single clearance for OMB and their government clients. The deletion of the two surveys reduced the number of responses by 560 and the burden by 140 hours. Also, the number of responses for the survey, NRC Public Meeting Feedback Form was reduced from 948 to 759 based on responses received, which reduced the burden from 237 hours to 190 hours. These changes resulted in an overall reduction in responses from 1,770 to 1,021 and burden from 393 to 206 hours. In addition, a new survey was added, Commission Broadcast of Adjudicatory Proceedings over the Internet, Pilot Test in August 2008. The additional survey will increase the number of responses from 1,021 to 1,261 and burden from 206 to 226 hours. The average burden per response for all surveys is 10.75 minutes, for a total of 226 hours ([1,261 responses x 10.75 minutes] / 60).

The burden data obtained from the customer satisfaction surveys has been used to estimate the burden for the new clearance cycle, and has been a good tool for the agency in providing customer satisfaction.

16. Publication for Statistical Use

There are no plans to publish statistical data.

17. Reason for Not Displaying the Expiration Date

The expiration date will be displayed on each survey.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement

There are no exceptions.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

1. Respondent Description.

The respondents will be current and potential users of NRC products or services. Respondents are expected to include reactor and materials licensees, vendors, State and local governments, and also include universities, consultants, and individuals. The intent is to collect information that helps the NRC better serve its existing customers and to serve potential new customers based on their needs.

2. Procedures for collecting the information.

NRC staff will conduct the surveys by telephone, by mail, via the Internet, or through focus groups.

3. Methods to maximize response rates and to deal with statistical issues of non-response.

Participation is voluntary. When possible, respondents will be notified in advance by letter. Questions will be designed so that they are easy to answer, and follow-up call-backs will be repeated, when necessary, to maximize response rates.

4. Tests or procedures.

The questions to be asked will be similar to those used by other Federal agencies in their customer surveys. If respondents are unable to supply the data, questions may be reworded. Results from these surveys should make the agency more effective and efficient in responding to customers.

To ensure quality while the data are being collected, special attention will be paid to (a) the percentage of customers contacted, (b) interviewer response rate performance, (c) properly wording questions to reflect intent, (d) questionnaire completion rates, (e) response rates of individual survey items, (f) records on problems arising in the data collection, and (g) comments the agency receives regarding the survey.

GENERIC CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

OMB Clearance Number 3150-0197

PROPOSED ANNUAL SURVEYS FY2009 - FY 2012 Title of Collection	Estimated No. of Responses	Estimated Burden Hrs Per Response	Estimated Total Burden Hrs.	Proposed Survey Date
Approved Responses and Burden(6/2006)	1,770		393
FOIA User Survey	119	.05	6	Annual
Media Streaming Survey	100	.03	3	Annual
NRC Public Meeting Feedback Form	759	.25	190	Annual
ACRS/ACNW Customer Satisfaction Survey	43	.17	7	Annual
Broadcast Commission Adjudicatory Proceedings Over the Internet (Pilot Test)	240	.083	20	08/08
Total (Proposed responses and burden)	1,261	Avg. .179	226