Feb 22 Final OSC Annual Survey Supporting Statement B

U.S. Office of Special Counsel

2021 Annual Survey

Supporting Statement B

1. OSC is required by statute to conduct an annual survey pursuant to Section 13 of Public Law 103-424 (1994), codified at 5 U.S.C. 1212 note (copy attached). The proposed 2021 survey consists of four questionnaires asking up to 10 questions of individuals who have filed a complaint or disclosure with OSC, or who have sought an advisory opinion from the Hatch Act Unit. The 2021 survey asks respondents about timeliness and clarity of communications; to identify their type of claims; the stage of review; whether their issue was resolved; and their satisfaction with the process.

2. Accordingly, OSC’s survey universe consists of all complainants and whistleblowers who contacted OSC for assistance, or who have sought advisory opinions from the Hatch Act Unit during the past fiscal year. OSC emailed 3462 surveys for the OSC Pilot Program survey in 2020 and received 763 responses. OSC intends to distribute the 2021 survey via email and expects a similar response rate.

3. As noted above, and in Supporting Statement A, the statute directs that OSC conduct an annual survey of all persons who have contacted OSC for assistance during the preceding fiscal year.

4. As required by statute, OSC is surveying all who asked OSC for assistance, so there is no potential for sampling selection bias. As of 2019, OSC changed to an all-electronic survey. This method reduced the response-time burden.

5. As noted in Supporting Statement A, OSC estimates that each individual respondent will spend 5.3 minutes completing the survey, less than half the time spent on surveys before 2019. Thus OSC has significantly reduced the burden on survey respondents.

6. To discuss testing, analysis, publication, and all other considerations of the survey other than its email distribution and collection by OSC’s information technology unit, please contact Amy Beckett in the Office of General Counsel, by email at abeckett@osc.gov, or by telephone at 202-804-7000.

(Statute on following page.)

5 USC Sec. 1212 note,

ANNUAL SURVEY OF INDIVIDUALS SEEKING ASSISTANCE,

Section 13 of Pub. L. 103-424 (1994) provided that:

The Office of Special Counsel shall, after consulting with the Office of Policy and Evaluation of the Merit Systems Protection Board, conduct an annual survey of all individuals who contact the Office of Special Counsel for assistance. The survey shall -

"(1) determine if the individual seeking assistance was fully apprised of their rights;

"(2) determine whether the individual was successful either at the Office of Special Counsel or the Merit Systems Protection Board; and

"(3) determine if the individual, whether successful or not, was satisfied with the treatment received from the Office of Special Counsel."(b) Report. - The results of the survey conducted under subsection (a) shall be published in the annual report of the Office of Special Counsel."