Respondent Contact Materials

Attachment A: AIES Pilot Study

Phase II Respondent Contact Materials

Document: Welcome email

Timing: January 2023

Purpose: This email will be sent to up to 562 companies that have agreed to participate in the pilot survey. It will provide not only information on the pilot research, but also survey access information like their passwords.

Subject: Welcome to the Annual Integrated Economic Survey

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau Official Correspondence

2022 ANNUAL INTEGRATED ECONOMIC SURVEY (AIES) PILOT

Check our email address – it’s official if it ends in @census.gov

<Company Name1>

<Company Name2>

Dear {CONTACT_NAME}:

We request your participation 2023 Annual Integrated Economic Survey Pilot (AIES) Pilot. Data compiled from this survey contribute to the official statistics used to measure economic performance in the United States, and provide the nation's policymakers and business leaders like you with measures of the economy.

Authentication Code: {PASSWORD}

Due Date: March 6, 2023

1. Access the following website: {URL}

2. Add your authentication code. The email address that received this notice is your username.

3. Report by clicking on “REPORT NOW.” You can return to your account over multiple sessions to complete the survey.

YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW and will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. Information about the authority, confidentiality, and burden of this data collection can be found below in this letter.

For assistance with completing this survey, contact emd-aieshelp@census.gov and a member of our research staff will contact you.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation, and for helping the U.S. Census Bureau measure America’s people and economy.

Respectfully,

Nick Orsini

Associate Director for Economic Programs

U.S. Census Bureau

OMB Number

This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is xxx-xxx and appears in the top left corner of each reporting screen. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey.

Authority and Confidentiality

Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and 182, authorizes this collection. Sections 224 and 225 require your response. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to keep your information confidential and use your responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify your business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

Burden Estimate Statement

We estimate the AIES will take an average of 1 to 3 hours to complete. Factors such as company size, complexity and activity will affect your actual time to complete the survey. This estimate includes the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the survey.

Document: First follow-up email

Timing: February 2023

Purpose: This email will be sent to all non-responding pilot cases on this date. The purpose is to remind respondents to complete the survey. This messaging will relate to the social benefit of response.

Subject: Reminder: Annual Integrated Economic Survey

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau Official Correspondence

ANNUAL INTEGRATED ECONOMIC SURVEY PILOT

Survey Reminder

Check our email address – it’s official if it ends in @census.gov

<Company Name1>

<Company Name2>

A few weeks ago, we emailed you an invitation to participate in the Annual Integrated Economic Survey. We would like to gently remind you that the survey is due on March 6, 2023. We are counting on you to complete the survey in order to produce valuable information about the nation’s economy.

{SurveyLink = Access the Survey}

Need to learn more before you participate, have a question, or having an issue with the survey? Log in to the survey to browse FAQs and download a PDF of the survey questions. Have additional questions? Email emd-aieshelp@census.gov.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation.

Respectfully,

Nick Orsini

Associate Director for Economic Programs

U.S. Census Bureau

Office of Management and Budget Number: xxxx-xxxx

Expires: xx/xx/20xx

Document: Second follow-up email

Timing: March 2023

Purpose: This email will be sent to all non-responding pilot cases on this date. The purpose is to remind respondents to complete the survey. This message will emphasize the usefulness of the data.

Subject: Reminder: Annual Integrated Economic Survey

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau Official Correspondence

ANNUAL INTEGRATED ECONOMIC SURVEY PILOT

Survey Reminder

Check our email address – it’s official if it ends in @census.gov

<Company Name1>

<Company Name2>

A few weeks ago, we emailed you an invitation to participate in the Annual Integrated Economic Survey. We would like to gently remind you that the survey is due on March 6, 2023. Data compiled from this survey contribute to the official statistics used to measure economic performance in the United States, and provide the nation’s policymakers and business leaders like you with measures of important economic activities.

{SurveyLink = Access the Survey}

Need to learn more before you participate, have a question, or having an issue with the survey? Log in to the survey to browse FAQs and download a PDF of the survey questions. Have additional questions? Email emd-aieshelp@census.gov.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation.

Respectfully,

Nick Orsini

Associate Director for Economic Programs

U.S. Census Bureau

Office of Management and Budget Number: xxxx-xxxx

Expires: xx/xx/20xx

Document: Due date reminder email

Timing: March 2023

Purpose: This email will be sent to all non-responding pilot cases on this date. The purpose is to remind respondents about the survey completion date, and to “bump it up” on their list of things to do. This correspondence emphasizes the mandatory nature of this survey.

Subject: Reminder: Annual Integrated Economic Survey

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau Official Correspondence

ANNUAL INTEGRATED ECONOMIC SURVEY PILOT

Survey Reminder

Check our email address – it’s official if it ends in @census.gov

<Company Name1>

<Company Name2>

Our records indicate that you have not yet completed the Annual Integrated Economic Survey. This survey is mandatory and requires your immediate attention. Your required response is due on March 6, 2023.

{SurveyLink = Access the Survey}

Need to learn more before you participate, have a question, or having an issue with the survey? Log in to the survey to browse FAQs and download a PDF of the survey questions. Have additional questions? Email emd-aieshelp@census.gov.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation.

Respectfully,

Nick Orsini

Associate Director for Economic Programs

U.S. Census Bureau

Office of Management and Budget Number: xxxx-xxxx

Expires: xx/xx/20xx

Document: Privacy, Confidentiality, and Consent Notice

Timing: January, 2023

Purpose: This form will be hosted online and emailed to respondents between phone recruitment and the welcome email.

AUTHORITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

This collection is authorized under Title 13 U.S. Code, Sections 131 and 182. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to keep your information confidential and can use your responses only to produce statistics. Your privacy is protected by the Privacy Act, Title 5 U.S. Code, Section 552a. The uses of these data are limited to those identified in the Privacy Act System of Record Notice titled “COMMERCE/CENSUS-4, Economic Survey Collection.” The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you, your business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

BURDEN ESTIMATE

We estimate that completing a debriefing survey will take 10 minutes on average, a debriefing interview will take no more than 60 minutes, and an in-depth interview will take no more than 2 hours. This includes time for reviewing instructions; searching existing data sources (if necessary); gathering and maintaining the data needed (if necessary); and completing and reviewing the collection of information. You may send comments regarding this estimate or any other aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing the time it takes to complete this survey to placeholderemail@census.gov.

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE

While your participation in the online survey is mandatory, additional research activities are not. Please indicate below your consent to participate in each of the following additional research activities.

	Yes	No
I give my consent to be contacted with a short online survey about completing the survey, lasting no more than 10 minutes. I understand that I can revoke consent at any time and that this debriefing survey is not mandatory.		
I give my consent to be contacted to participate in a debriefing phone interview about the survey, lasting no more than 60 minutes. I understand that I may not be selected to participate in an interview, that I can revoke consent at any time, and that a debriefing interview is not mandatory.		
I give my consent to be contacted to participate in an in-depth interview about gathering and preparing the data to complete the survey, lasting no more than 2 hours. I understand that this interview may happen virtually or in-person depending on federal travel guidelines and availability. I understand that I may not be selected to participate in an interview, that I can revoke consent at any time, and that a data gathering and preparation interview is not mandatory.		