Supplemental and Part B questions

1. Supplemental Questions for DOC/NOAA Customer Survey Clearance
   (OMB Control Number 0648-0342)

1. Explain who will be conducting this survey. What program office will be
   conducting the survey? What services does this program provide? Who are the customers? How are these services provided to the customer?

The National Weather Service and contractors supporting the NWS will be conducting the survey. The customers are federal, state, and local government officials. The services provided to the customer are subseasonal to seasonal weather predictions, which are provided via web dissemination, direct electronic data transfer, or in meetings with the customers.

2. Explain how this survey was developed. With whom did you consult during the development of this survey on content? statistics? What suggestions did you get about improving the survey?

The survey was constructed by a committee of NOAA officials who intend to use the survey to answer questions posed in Public Law 115-25. The information collected via the survey will be used to provide a report to Congress mandated by Public Law 115-25. We did not consult with anyone during the development of this survey since we are answering explicit questions posed in Public Law 115-25.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted. How will the customers be sampled (if fewer than all customers will be surveyed)? What percentage of customers asked to take the survey will respond? What actions are planned to increase the response rate?

The survey will be sent to known federal, state, and local stakeholders to determine how they use our suite of products and services. We estimate that 60 to 80% of customers asked to take the survey will respond. Since this is a controlled group we will remind customers via e-mail that we desire to have their inputs in order to increase their response rate.

4. Describe how the results of this survey will be analyzed and used. If the customer population is sampled, what statistical techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population? Is this survey intended to measure a GPRA performance measure? (If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate document.)

The results of the survey will be included in the report to Congress as provided including identifying which organizations were surveyed. There is no intent to measure a GPRA performance measure as part of the survey.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g. establishments, State and local governmental units, households, or persons) in the universe and the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form. The tabulation must also include expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection has been conducted before, provide the actual response rate achieved.

We intend to survey approximately 80 federal, state, and local government officials via direct e-mail correspondence. We will be surveying known stakeholders whose inputs will be represented explicitly so we will not be sampling.

2. Describe the procedures for the collection, including: the statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection; the estimation procedure; the degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification; any unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures; and any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

We will collect the data using direct e-mail correspondence to known stakeholders. All responses will be synthesized into the report to Congress. The organizations that provide replies will be noted in the report to Congress. This is a one-time survey.

3. Describe the methods used to maximize response rates and to deal with nonresponse. The accuracy and reliability of the information collected must be shown to be adequate for the intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided if they will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

We will be surveying known stakeholders and will report on all information obtained. Since we will report on all information obtained we will not have a sampling strategy.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Tests are encouraged as effective means to refine collections, but if ten or more test respondents are involved OMB must give prior approval.

We do not plan on using any tests of the procedure or methods.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on the statistical aspects of the design, and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

We are not planning on using statistical analysis of the data collected via the survey since that is not requested by the report to Congress. Rather we will report on all results obtained from the customers surveyed.

The following people will be involved in collecting the data and analysing the results.

Murielle Gamache Morris (NOAA Contractor) will collect the data.

David DeWitt (Director, Climate Prediction Center) will analyse the data.