Generic Clearance - Supporting Statement

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 1405-0193)

T ITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION:

Product Use Survey

PURPOSE:

The Bureau of Public Affairs (PA) supports U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advances national interests, and enhances national security by informing and influencing global public opinion about American interaction with the rest of the world, and by informing domestic audiences about U.S. foreign policy priorities. Through proactive interaction with foreign and domestic press, digital engagement, and domestic outreach, PA seeks to advance and amplify the Department’s top priorities, including: renewing American leadership while transforming and elevating diplomacy and development, including through the implementation and execution of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR); promoting mobile communications and innovation; linking coalition diplomacy and coalition messaging to expand the reach and effectiveness of our messaging on various issues. The Bureau is charged with assisting with the implementation of all of the Secretary’s priorities as they shift to meet a changing world, while utilizing tools that enable greater and faster reach. For various projects and programmatic efforts, PA is using various research methods (i.e. surveys) to further garage non-government populations' feedback to further our ability to amplify the Secretary's message and evaluate our impact.

The Office of International Media Engagement (PA/IME) creates and manages State Department mechanisms to ensure accurate coverage of U.S. foreign policy priorities by major international media. The office oversees the State Department's six Regional Media Hubs which serve as overseas platforms for engagement of foreign audiences via the media -- broadcast, print, and internet.

The Office of International Media Engagement programs official U.S. Government representatives on foreign media outlets, and ensures that the State Department's international media capabilities, including the Hubs, are integrated into the interagency press and public affairs planning and execution. The office works within the Bureau of Public Affairs and with State Department regional bureaus and other U.S. Government agencies to develop foreign media engagement strategies in furtherance of U.S. foreign policy priorities. The office also works with the Foreign Service Institute to develop and train officers to function in positions requiring intensive engagement with international media.

The audience for this survey is journalists who subscribe to the Hub newsletter. The survey will be used to measure the effectiveness of the program, look for ways to improve the program’s content and speakers, and gauge overall customer satisfaction. The survey will be disseminated yearly and administered in both online and in-person formats.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Domestic and international (non-government) populations participating in PA programs and/or recipients of PA communication products.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

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

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

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

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: Carimanda Baynard, Bureau Evaluation Coordinator

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 [ ] 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? [ ] Yes X No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
	3,000 people	10 minutes	10 minutes
Totals	3,000 people (it may be less depending on the number of participants).	10 minutes	10 minutes/500 annual hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is approximately $120,000.00.

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

No. The survey population will be domestic and international (non-government) populations participating in PA programs, activities and events; use PA services; and/or recipients of PA communication products.   Sampling plan, Yes.  The sample units will be the populations that participate in PA programs, activities and events, use PA services and/or receive PA communication products.  Populations will be defined by lists of participants or distribution lists for PA communication products. Populations will be invited to complete/submit a survey. 

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?

Administration of the Instrument

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

X Web-based or other forms of Social Media

X Telephone

X In-person

X Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes XNo

For in-person surveys, PA will administer (distribute/collect) surveys

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

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