Supporting Statement

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES

Agency Information Collection Activities

Submission for OMB Review

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection methods to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

All Ex-Im Bank clients (lenders/exporters/bankers) that have complete electronic contact information on file with the Bank and used Ex-Im financing at least three times in calendar year 2012 will be invited to participate in the survey.

Ex-Im Bank expects that initial response rates and partial interview rates will be roughly the same as experienced in past cycles of the survey. Ex-Im Bank is increasing their non-response follow-up efforts to achieve higher-quality responses with similar response rates.

No systematic analysis of the nonresponding population is planned.

The universe includes all lenders, exporters, and brokers that did business with Ex-Im Bank in calendar year 2012. This total universe is 750 as of the end of November 2012. All Ex-Im Bank clients (lenders/exporters/bankers) that have complete electronic contact information on file with the Bank and used Ex-Im financing at least three times in calendar year 2012 will be invited to participate in the survey.¹ These participants are more likely to be experienced and aware of foreign ECA competition and Ex-Im Bank programs. Through this approach, Ex-Im avoids burdening inexperienced users of Ex-Im programs with a survey they are unlikely to be able to answer. As this will result in a purposive sample, no statistical inferences regarding the entire population will be made. Rather the analysis of the collected data will be restricted to only statements regarding the opinions and experiences of respondents.

Below is a table that outlines the makeup of the 2012 and previous Competitiveness Report Survey population groups including response rates.

EXPECTED RESPONSE RATES

2012 Competitiveness Report Survey

	Lenders*	Exporters*	Brokers**	Total
Population	245	416	70	731
Selected	92	155	53	300
Expected responses	54	70	26	150
Expected response rate	59%	45%	50%	50%

*Exporters and lenders expanded to include Short Term participants; previous years only surveyed MLT program users

**Brokers not previously included in Competitiveness Report Survey

PAST RESPONSE RATES

2011 Competitiveness Report Survey

	Lenders	Exporters	Total
Surveyed	38	58	96
Responded	24	24	48
Response rate	63%	41%	50%

2010 Competitiveness Report Survey

	Lenders	Exporters	Total
Surveyed	39	49	88
Responded	26	20	46
Response rate	67%	41%	52%

2009 Competitiveness Report Survey

	Lenders	Exporters	Total
Surveyed	38	62	100
Responded	19	13	32
Response rate	50%	21%	32%

1. Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:

• Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,

• Estimation procedure,

• Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification,

• Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

• Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.
  
  

The survey will be sent to the lenders, exporters, and brokers that directly used Ex-Im Bank’s short-, medium-, and long-term programs with at least three authorizations during calendar year 2012. The results will not be generalized to any population. Only statements regarding the collected responses will be made. No estimation procedures or statistical accuracy will be required for the analysis.

The Competitiveness Report is mandated by Congress to be an annual report, thus these data are required to be collected on an annual basis.

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

Each year the EXIM Chairman sends an email to potential survey recipients. It informs the recipient of the upcoming survey and asks them to confirm the correct person to receive the survey. Ex-Im plans to distribute the survey invitations at the beginning of February and keep the survey open for three weeks. [In future years, EXIM will send the survey out in January and keep it open for four weeks.] During this four week period, phone nonresponse follow up will occur. With this timeline, the survey data collection will wrap up around the end of February, allowing ample time to compile the necessary results ahead of the publication deadline.

Email reminders will be sent to all non-respondents at weekly intervals for the length of the data collection period. Additionally, after the data collection period has ended, staff will follow up with remaining non-respondents by phone for an additional four weeks to ensure maximum response rates.

3. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.

Extensive internal testing with EX-Im Bank staff will occur over a period of four weeks to ensure that all bugs are worked out and the questionnaire flows smoothly.

Given time constraints, the pilot testing has been replaced with internal testing.

Respondents from previous cycles of the survey are eligible for inclusion in the current cycle. Frequent users of the Bank have the most detailed and helpful information to provide on the Bank’s competitiveness, so overlap between cycles is required. If current cycle respondents indicate that the survey burden is problematic, Ex-Im Bank will respond to this feedback and reduce the questionnaire length in the following, as per the OMB procedure for amending surveys.

4. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on 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.

Nicole Hutsell

Policy Analyst – International Relations Division

Export-Import Bank of the U.S.

202-565-3765

Nicole.Hutsell@exim.gov

1 The management information system to which the survey group has access does not contain complete contact information for all Ex-Im Bank clients. It would be time and cost prohibitive for the government to obtain the contact information for all Ex-Im Bank clients; as such, Ex-Im staff will focus their efforts on obtaining contact information for exporters, lenders, and brokers that have used Ex-Im financing in three or more transactions during the calendar year.)