1525-0012 Convention Intercepts FY19 - Justification

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 1525-0012)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Convention Intercepts Research

PURPOSE:

This collection request is for the United States Mint to conduct onsite interviews at conventions with attendees who are interacting with the Mint’s products and other numismatic items throughout the venues. The research will provide opportunities to collect insight on product satisfaction, how to grow the Mint’s numismatic program and other key aspects on how to improve the products and services the Mint offers.

The information gathered from these intercept interviews will also provide guidance and direction for improving customer satisfaction with products and services in FY19 and beyond. The research will help us better understand and serve the needs of customers, and non-customers who express an interest in our products, and help to ensure we carry out our mandate effectively and efficiently.

Part of the United States Mint’s mission is to produce and make collectible coin products available directly to the American public. Executive Order No. 12862 (September 1993), titled “Setting Customer Service Standards,” establishes a mandate for the government to improve and adhere to best practices when providing customer service directly to the American people, such as by conducting research to determine satisfaction with existing services and to ensure the kind and quality of services offered are aligned with those the public wants (Section 1b). To effectively accomplish these goals, the United States Mint utilizes a combination of accepted research methods that shed light on the awareness, satisfaction and preferences among the public as they relate to collectible coin products and services. The United States Mint Convention Intercept Interviews will be used as one of these research methods.

The consequence of not performing this collection is the United States Mint’s diminished ability to attract new customers and maintain current service levels that satisfy current customers.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group

[ X] Other: Convention Intercept Interviews

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Leslie Schwager

202-354-7291

Leslie.schwager@usmint.treas.gov

Manoj Pillai

202-354-7255

Manoj.pillai@usmint.treas.gov

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ X ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [X ] Yes [ ] No

Participants will be given a reusable shopping bag with a free shipping coupon valued at 4.95 for participation in the in the intercept study.

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Convention attendees who engage in numismatics as a hobby or are interested in learning more about numismatic products.	500 (across 4 conventions)	10 minutes	83.33 Hrs
Totals	500	10 min. each	83.33 hrs

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $260,000

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [] Yes [X ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

We will intercept convention attendees who are either current customers, engage in numismatics as a hobby or others who will be at the shows/venues.

The Convention Intercepts are designed to be fielded 4 times in FY19 at 4 different locations throughout the US. Results of the survey will be reported via an oral and PowerPoint presentation to an internal audience at the United States Mint.

The surveys will be administered in-person over a three to four-day period depending on the convention. Interviewers will “intercept” customers and numismatic enthusiasts and ask them if they would agree to participate in the survey. Respondents will answer questions using tablets (self-administered) which provides a high level of efficiency and data control quality. We will have up to 2 interviewers with 2 tablets at each convention.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ X ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X ] Yes [ _­ ] No

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Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

Instructions for completing Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback”

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Provide the name of the collection that is the subject of the request. (e.g. Comment card for soliciting feedback on xxxx)

PURPOSE: Provide a brief description of the purpose of this collection and how it will be used. If this is part of a larger study or effort, please include this in your explanation.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Provide a brief description of the targeted group or groups for this collection of information. These groups must have experience with the program.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: Check one box. If you are requesting approval of other instruments under the generic, you must complete a form for each instrument.

CERTIFICATION: Please read the certification carefully. If you incorrectly certify, the collection will be returned as improperly submitted or it will be disapproved.

Personally Identifiable Information: Provide answers to the questions. Note: Agencies should only collect PII to the extent necessary, and they should only retain PII for the period of time that is necessary to achieve a specific objective.

Gifts or Payments: If you answer yes to the question, please describe the incentive and provide a justification for the amount.

BURDEN HOURS:

Category of Respondents: Identify who you expect the respondents to be in terms of the following categories: (1) Individuals or Households;(2) Private Sector; (3) State, local, or tribal governments; or (4) Federal Government. Only one type of respondent can be selected per row.

No. of Respondents: Provide an estimate of the Number of respondents.

Participation Time: Provide an estimate of the amount of time required for a respondent to participate (e.g. fill out a survey or participate in a focus group)

Burden: Provide the Annual burden hours: Multiply the Number of responses and the participation time and divide by 60.

FEDERAL COST: Provide an estimate of the annual cost to the Federal government.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents. Please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them. If the answer is yes, to the first question, you may provide the sampling plan in an attachment.

Administration of the Instrument: Identify how the information will be collected. More than one box may be checked. Indicate whether there will be interviewers (e.g. for surveys) or facilitators (e.g., for focus groups) used.

Submit all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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