OMB Memo

Generic Information Collection Request for 2018 ASM/COS debriefings

Request: The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). We plan to conduct debriefing interviews for the 2018 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) and Report of Organization (COS) survey conducted by the Census Bureau.

The ASM is an annual survey, except for years ending in 2 and 7, that provides information about manufacturing that are crucial to accurate estimates of domestic production and productivity, and to making sound decisions on economic trade policies. Further information regarding the ASM can be found at this website: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/asm.html.

The COS is used to update the Census Bureau's list of businesses and provides key source data for County Business Patterns and other statistical series. Further information regarding the Report of Organization can be found at this website: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cos.html .

Both the ASM and COS are used to update the Census Bureau’s Business Register, the sampling frame that is also used for the Economic Census. Additionally, these surveys are collected electronically via an online instrument. This 2018 version of the ASM/COS instrument is the basis for the design and functionality of the online instrument to be used to collect the 2020 ASM/COS and the upcoming 2022 Economic Census. Therefore, debriefings will be used to help inform any necessary design improvements for these future economic survey instruments.

Purpose

These debriefing interviews will be conducted to gain a better understanding of respondents’ interaction and experience with the functionality of the online instrument. During these interviews, we will seek the following information:

• Respondents’ experience using the online instrument to complete the survey

• Respondents’ ability to resolve errors associated with the completion of the survey

• Identifying areas of improvement for the design/functionality of the ASM/COS to help guide decisions for future iterations of the survey and the upcoming Economic Census

Staff from the Data Collection Methodology & Research Branch within the Economic Statistical Methods Division (ESMD) of the Census Bureau will be conducting debriefing interviews for this testing.

Language

Testing will be conducted in English only.

Method

The method of research will be respondent debriefing interviews, which are interviews aimed at understanding how a respondent recently reported to a survey. All interviews will be conducted over the telephone. The interviews will follow a semi-structured interview protocol (Attachment A). For illustrative purposes and to aid in recall, respondents (with consent) will be emailed screenshots of the 2018 ASM/COS instrument to help guide the discussion. Changes made in the 2019 version of the instrument may also be discussed. All data provided in the illustrations will be fictitious with no identifying information. (See Attachment B)

Subject area specialists from the Census Bureau will participate in some of the debriefing interviews in order to listen to the interviews.

Sample: We plan to conduct up to 30 interviews. This number of interviews was selected because it is a manageable number of interviews for the time period allotted, and should be large enough to provide reactions to the instrument that are representative of the survey population. We plan to conduct interviews with a variety of sizes and types (i.e., industries) of businesses. The frame of respondents will be recent respondents to the 2018 ASM/COS.

Table 1 displays the targeted distribution for interviews.

Table 1. 2018 ASM/COS: Potential Respondent Distribution

	Service	Wholesale	Retail	Manufacturing	Mining	Construction	TOTALS
Small/Single Unit	2	1	2	2	1	2	10
Medium	2	2	2	2	1	1	10
Large	1	2	2	2	1	2	10
TOTALS	5	5	6	6	3	5	30

This distribution was develop in collaboration with subject area specialists. This number of interviews was selected because it is a manageable number of interviews for the time period allotted, it should adequately cover target company sizes and classifications, and should be large enough to provide reactions to the instrument in order to identify meaningful findings.

Recruitment: Participants will be recruited using a list of respondents from the 2018 ASM/COS. Before beginning the interviews, we will inform participants that their response is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential under Title 13.

Protocol: A copy of a draft interview protocol and screenshots for testing purposes are enclosed. Respondent debriefings will be conducted via telephone. Respondents will be sent visuals of the online instrument via email.

Timeline:

Recruiting for these debriefing interviews will begin as early as February 2020 and continue through March 2020.

Length of interview: For respondent debriefings, we expect that each interview will last no more than 30 minutes (30 cases x 45 minutes per case =22.5 hours). Additionally, to recruit respondents we expect to make up to 5 phone contacts per completed case. The recruiting calls are expected to last on average 3 minutes per call (5 attempts per phone call per completed case x 30 cases x 3 minutes per case =7.5 hours). Thus, the estimated burden is 30 hours (22.5 hours for interviews + 7.5 hours for recruiting).

Enclosures: Below is a list of materials to be used in the current study:

1. Debriefing protocol (Attachment A)

2. 2018/19 ASM/COS screenshots illustrating the online instrument to be evaluated (Attachment B and Attachment C)

Contact: The contact person for questions regarding data collection and statistical aspects of the design of this research is listed below:

Temika Holland

Data Collection Methodology & Research Branch

Economic Statistics and Methodology Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-5241

Temika.Holland@census.gov

Enclosures

Cc:

Nick Orsini (ADEP) with enclosure

Carol Caldwell (ESMD) with enclosure

Diane Willimack (ESMD) with enclosure

Amy Anderson Riemer (ESMD) with enclosure

Kristin Stettler (ESMD) with enclosure

Catherine Buffington (ADEP) with enclosure

Jennifer Hunter Childs (ADRM) with enclosure

Jasmine Luck (ADRM) with enclosure

Michelle Vile Karlson (EMD)with enclosure

James Jamski (EMD)with enclosure

Richard Williamson (EMD) with enclosure

Joyce Kiessling (EMD) with enclosure

Danielle Norman (PCO) with enclosure

Mary Lenaiyasa (PCO) with enclosure