2 Supporting Statement Part B FINAL

Supporting Statement for the Survey of American Artists Participating in
International Exchanges, Part B

Table of Contents

B.1 Respondent universe and sampling methods ........................................................................... 3
B.2 Procedures for the collection of information............................................................................ 4
B.3 Methods to maximize the response rates and to deal with nonresponse .................................. 4
B.4 Test of procedures or methods to be undertaken...................................................................... 7
B.5 Individuals consulted on statistical aspects & individuals collecting and/or analyzing data ... 8

Table of Attachments
Attachment A: Literature Scan and Focus Group Reports
Attachment B: Communication Materials
Attachment C: Web Survey Instrument
Attachment D: Cognitive Testing Report

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B.1 Respondent universe and sampling methods
Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any
sampling or other respondent selection method 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.
The potential respondent universe for the pilot test is the 2019 USArtists International
(USAI) program grantees who received a grant in the years 2014 to 2018 and did not participate
in the focus groups or survey cognitive testing, and are not part of the respondent universe for the
planned 2021 web survey data collection. In addition, the potential respondent universe for the
fully implemented survey will be grantees who will receive a grant in future years of the program
(approximately 75 a year), starting with grantees that received awards in 2019. Grantees of the
USAI program include individual artists and ensembles that receive funding to travel and
perform abroad. The survey is an annual census; thus, the “sample” is the same as the respondent
universe. The expected response rate for the collection as a whole is 40 percent. A prior survey
of this population that was conducted by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation received a response rate
of 20 percent; however, the Arts Endowment expects the response rate for this collection will be
higher due to the shorter length of the survey and the proposed methods to maximize survey
response.
Table 1. Web Survey Respondents
Data Source

Respondents

Web Survey
Pilot Test

2014–2018 USAI grantees

2021 Web
Survey

USAI grantees traveling between
October 1, 2019 and September 30,
2020
USAI grantees traveling between

2022 Web

Response
Universe
189

Estimated
Response Rate
40%

75

40%

75

40%
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Survey
2023 Web
Survey
TOTAL

October 1, 2020 and September 30,
2021
USAI grantees traveling between
October 1, 2021 and September 30,
2022

75

40%

414

40%

B.2 Procedures for the collection of information
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 information collection for Survey of American Artists Participating in International

Exchanges will consist of a pilot test and an annual web survey census of all past USAI grantees.
No special sampling, stratification, or estimation procedures are anticipated.
B.3 Methods to maximize the response rates and to deal with nonresponse
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.
The Arts Endowment will administer the pilot test to all USAI grantees who received
funding from 2014 to 2018 and did not participate in the focus groups or the survey cognitive
testing, and are not part of the respondent universe for the planned 2021 data collection (N =
189). To implement the pilot test, the Arts Endowment will first send a survey invitation by
email introducing the study and the contractor, 2M Research, to the contact provided on the
grantee application information which was provided by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. The
contractor will then send an additional email that contains a unique link to the survey. One week
after the initial Arts Endowment email, the contractor will send a reminder email to any
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respondents with an incomplete survey. Figure 1 provides an overview of the pilot test
implementation process and expected response rates.
Figure 1. Pilot Test Flowchart
Arts Endowment Sends Survey
Invitation to Grantees
(n=189)

Contractor Sends
Survey Link
(n=189)

No Response

Added to
Response Sample

n=56
(30%)

1 Week After
Invitation,
Contractor Sends
Email Reminder
(n=133)
n=20
(15%)

N=113
60% Nonresponse Rate

N=76
40% Response Rate

The Arts Endowment anticipates that some of the contacts provided by Mid Atlantic Arts
Foundation will be administrative staff or other individuals who are not artists that traveled
abroad. To address this issue, email communications will contain explicit instructions asking the
contact to forward the survey link to one artist who traveled abroad as part of the USAIsponsored project. The Arts Endowment will allow only one response per grantee. Any
individuals who click on the link of an already-completed survey will see a message that states
the survey has been completed by another representative from their grantee organization. We
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provide the text of all planned communications in Attachment B.
To maximize response rates, the survey invitation email will contain the Arts
Endowment logo. In addition, all communications with grantees will explain the importance of
the survey to the Arts Endowment. All communications will also note that responses to the
survey will be kept confidential and analyzed in the aggregate and will in no way affect current
or future grants or cooperative agreements with the Arts Endowment. During the pilot test, the
contractor will monitor the response rate by creating a dashboard, which will updated on a daily
basis, which will list the number of incomplete surveys that have not been started, incomplete
surveys that were started but not completed, and completed surveys.
The Arts Endowment understands that the expected response rate of 40 percent may
result in survey data that is not representative of all USAI grantees. The Arts Endowment will
assess the degree to which the survey data is representative by conducting a nonresponse bias
analysis of the survey data. The nonresponse bias analysis will analyze the response rate based
on the following grantee characteristics: (1) whether the artist is a first time or repeat participant
in the USAI program, (2) artistic discipline as defined by the USAI program (dance, music,
opera/music theatre, theatre, folklife/traditional arts, and multidisciplinary), (3) festival location
(continent), (4) grantee race/ethnicity (White – Non-Hispanic, Black/African American – NonHispanic, Hispanic/Latino, no single race or ethnicity, and other – Non-Hispanic), and (5)
grantee urbanicity (urban or small city/rural). The nonresponse bias analysis can identify any
difference between the total population and survey response sample in terms of these
characteristics. If there is a statistically significant difference (at the 95 percent confidence level),
the Arts Endowment will then weight the survey data to be more representative of the total
population before reporting any information in the Annual Performance Report. For example, if

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the nonresponse analysis finds that the proportion of first time grantees in the survey sample is
half of what the proportion is in the total population, the contractor would weight the responses
of first time grantees twice as much as repeat grantees in the survey sample to compensate. The
survey weights will correct for any difference in the characteristics between the grantee
population and the survey response sample, as well as reduce bias in the survey.
B.4 Test of procedures or methods to be undertaken
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.
The contractor tested the web survey with nine USAI grantees in November 2019. All
nine grantees completed a 30-minute cognitive interview after testing the survey. The objectives
were to detect issues of usability, clarity, and readability in the survey instrument, and to
estimate the average time necessary to complete the survey. Changes were made to the survey
instrument following the completion of cognitive testing. The Cognitive Testing Report can be
found in Attachment D.
In addition, this clearance will provide approval for the contractor to pilot test the survey
with grantees from award years 2014 to 2018. To implement the pilot test, the Arts Endowment
will send an email to the grantees that introduces the survey and the contractor, 2M Research.
The contractor will then follow up with an email that includes the survey link. As with the survey
implementation, the Arts Endowment expects some of the contacts provided by Mid Atlantic
Arts Foundation will be administrative staff or other individuals who are not artists that traveled
abroad. To address this issue, the contractor’s email will contain explicit instructions asking the
contact to forward the survey link to an artist who traveled abroad as part of the USAI-sponsored
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project. We provide the text of these emails in Attachment B. The survey instrument includes an
item that asks the respondent whether or not they are an artist who traveled abroad, as well as an
item that asks the respondent whether they received the survey link directly from the contractor
or the link was forwarded from someone else. The contractor will analyze responses to these
questions to determine whether the instructions to forward the survey link to the appropriate
respondent for each grantee are being followed correctly.
B.5 Individuals consulted on statistical aspects & individuals collecting and/or analyzing
data
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.
Table 2. Individuals Consulted
Name

Title (Project Role)

Persons conducting the pilot testing
James
Project Manager
Murdoch
Mary Ann
Latter
Guiomar
Ochoa

Organizational Affiliation and
Address

Phone
Number

2M Research, 1521 North Cooper
Street, Suite 600, Arlington, TX
76011
2M Research, 901 N Stuart Street,
Suite 402, Arlington, VA 22203
National Endowment for the Arts
400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
20506

817-856-0869

Subject Matter
Expert
International
Specialist | Office of
Presenting &
Multidisciplinary
Works + Artist
Communities
Arts Endowment personnel implementing the web survey data collection
Patricia
Deputy Director |
National Endowment for the Arts
Moore Shaffer Office of Research
400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
& Analysis
20506
Melissa
Program Analyst |
National Endowment for the Arts
Menzer
Office of Research
400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
& Analysis
20506
Guiomar
International
National Endowment for the Arts
Ochoa
Specialist | Office of 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
Presenting &
20506

703-214-1200
202-682-5766

202-682-5535
202-682-5548
202-682-5766

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Multidisciplinary
Works + Artist
Communities
Persons consulted
Patricia
Administrative
Germann
Officer | Office of
Research & Analysis
Robyn Busch Program Officer,
International

National Endowment for the Arts
400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC
20506
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation 201 N.
Charles Street, Suite 401,
Baltimore, MD 2120

202-682-5793
410-539-6656
ext. 113

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