NIST, ODI, Standard Reference Data (SRD) - Customer Satisifaction Data Collection - Supporting Statement

NIST Generic Clearance for Customer Service Related Data Collections

OMB Control #0693-0031

NIST Office of Data and Informatics

Standard Reference Data

Customer Satisfaction Report Card

Contact: Adam Morey. NIST, Office of Data and Informatics, Material Measurement Lab, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8533, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2300 Tel: 301 975 3173 E-mail: adam.morey@nist.gov

1. Explain who will be surveyed and why the group is appropriate to survey.

As part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Balanced Scorecard effort, Office of Data and Informatics, working with the NIST Laboratories, surveys purchasers of NIST Standard Reference Data (SRD) PC products, online subscribers and free online systems.

The NIST Standard Reference Data Program was created in 1968 by the Standard Reference Data Act to arrange for the collection, compilation, critical evaluation, publication, and dissemination of standard reference data. The term `standard reference data' means quantitative information, related to a measurable physical or chemical property of a substance or system of substances of known composition and structure, which is critically evaluated as to its reliability.  Today, NIST continually evaluates over 130 scientific data products in multiple forms:  CDs, DVDs, web application, network subscription as well as a smaller number of special databases.  Individual SRD data points are referenced millions of times each by many industries with many highly specialized users in chemistry, physics, engineering, academia, individual researcher and law enforcement. Additionally, SRD is used as primary source data installed directly on many widely used instruments such as mass spectrometers.

SRD Products are CD and DVDs sold by NIST to SRD customers.  These are CDROM with prepackaged software installed like any software you could purchase at Staples.  SRD products are also available via digital download. An example of one SRD product is the ACerS-NIST Phase Equilibria Diagrams Database:  http://www.nist.gov/srd/nist31.cfm

Free online SRD data is SRD data available to the public for free from a variety of NIST built websites. An example of free online SRD data is: NIST/ARPA-E Database of Novel and Emerging Adsorbent Materials http://adsorbents.nist.gov/

SRD subscriptions are purchased by SRD customers for ongoing access to data from a NIST data center.  Subscribers to NIST SRD have continuous access to new data as it’s added by the NIST data centers. An example of an SRD subscription is:  NIST Standard Reference Database 203 Web Thermo Tables (WTT) http://www.nist.gov/srd/nistwebsub3.cfm

By surveying the purchasers of NIST Standard Reference Data products, NIST can obtain feedback on how to improve the product, its delivery, and how to better meet the customer’s future data services needs.

2. Explain how the survey was developed including consultation with interested parties, pretesting and responses to suggestions for improvement.

Questions for this survey were developed based upon previous customer satisfaction surveys that had been used within the NIST Measurement Services Division, a survey design template created by the former NIST Technology Services (TS), and the customer satisfaction “report card” recommended by the NIST Customer and Stakeholders Relations Council. Survey templates on questions given to the NIST Laboratories on MSD services were also used. Use of the template has improved the quality, completeness, consistency and actionability of customer survey data collected throughout NIST, and ensures that NIST satisfaction surveys include standard questions that can be used to monitor performance at the group, division, and NIST levels. The “report card” instrument was developed by NIST on the basis of similar instruments used by a two-time Baldrige National Quality Award winner. All feedback is forwarded to Laboratory Quality Managers and Technical Contacts. Indeed, this survey is an integral part of the NIST Quality System and is used in numerous Division Quarterly Quality Reports. Questions on SRD have been harmonized so it is easier to see a cross-cutting of data and improvement needs.

3. Explain how the survey will be conducted, how customers will be sampled if fewer than all customers will be surveyed, expected response rate, and actions your agency plans to take to improve the response rate.

Online surveys are presented to customers in the form of a link called “Rate our Products and Services.” This link is placed on all SRD product pages. The report card should take about five minutes to complete, even if written comments are included.

Expected Response Rate:

We continue to expect an 80% response rate.

Online surveys are also extremely easy and quick to fill out since the user has just finished accessing the data and the link is very accessible.

4. Describe how the results of the survey will be analyzed and used to generalize the results to the entire customer population.

The ODI Data Services Group will collect and analyze the surveys returned from SRD customers. Copies of all returned surveys are sent to each Division and NIST Operating Unit (OU) and the appropriate Quality Manager and Technical Contact.

Report cards with “fair” or “poor” marks in any category will be copied immediately to the Division. This is done even if the mark refers to ODI transactions.

Summaries appropriate to completing the NIST Balanced Score Card will be prepared as needed by both ODI and OUs/Divisions.

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