100506 Css Supporting Statement Part A&b

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Need for Information Collection
USMEPCOM, with headquarters in North Chicago, IL, is a joint service command
staffed with civilians and military from all five branches of service. The Command, through
its network of 65 Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), determines whether
applicants for military service are qualified for enlistment based on standards set by each of
the Services. The MEPS are in the service business and applicants are USMEPCOM's most
important customers.
USMEPCOM Regulation 60 1-23, Enlistment Processing, directs the information collection
requirement for all 65 Military Entrance Processing Stations to obtain timely feedback from
military applicants on MEPS core processes. The MEPS will use this Customer Satisfaction
Survey (CSS) to obtain feedback from the applicant. Completion of the CSS is voluntary.
2. Use of Information
This information collection requirement or MEPS CSS (Atch 1) is necessary to aid
the MEPS and USMEPCOM in evaluating the effectiveness of current policies and core
processes, identifying unmet customer needs, and allocating resources more efficiently. It
also provides the applicant with immediate feedback, if desired.
3. Improved Information Technology
This web-based tool will allow MEPS to efficiently administer voluntary customer
satisfaction surveys electronically on a routine basis to their primary customer, applicants for
military service. The aggregated data is available in USMEPCOM's Business Intelligence
(BI) System and provides senior leadership at all levels with near real-time customer service
metrics on USMEPCOM's electronic BI Dashboard. Senior leaders use this electronic
application to monitor key performance indicators in USMEPCOM. All MEPS possess
dedicated computer terminals to administer the survey, and the automated collection
technique minimizes administration time of personnel. This process is completely webbased. It minimizes the burden of moving paper between agencies and ensures better
accuracy of data.
4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
Data collected by the MEPS Customer Satisfaction Survey provides a wide range of
USMEPCOM core process information needed to improve and standardize processes in the
MEPS. No similar information or verification procedure exists that can be used for this
information collection from our primary customer, the applicant.

5. Methods Used to Minimize Burden on Small Entities
Small businesses and other small entities will not be affected by this collection.
6. Consequences of Not Collecting the Information
The MEPS Customer Satisfaction Survey is a tool for ascertaining the quality of
MEPS services from a customer's perspective. It helps identify agency core processes that
need quality improvement, provide early detection of problems, and focus attention on areas
where remedial training or changes in existing operations might improve delivery of products
or services. If collection were stopped, this would severely limit the connection with the
MEPS primary customer, the applicant, and the ability to focus on areas of improvement in
the MEPS. The MEPS are in the service business and applicant treatment by MEPS
personnel and processes can influence whether some applicants decide to access into military
service.
7. Special Circumstances
This collection of information is not conducted under special circumstances. The respondent
is asked to complete one survey, one time. The information is used for none other than a data
source for the USMEPCOM and each specific MEPS. No requirements are placed on the
respondent after providing the information. If the respondent provides contact information
for feedback on comments, the personal information collected is kept confidential.
8. Agency 60-Day Federal Register Notice and Consultations Outside the Agency
The 60-day Federal Register Notice announcing this information collection (as
required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d)) was published on November 25, 2008, Volume 73, Number
228, pages 71621 - 71622. No comments were received in response to this collection. A copy
of the Federal Register Notice is attached (Atch 2).
The survey has been tested by designated MEPS for content, ease, and applicability.
A HQ USMEPCOM board led by the Chief of Staff and represented by key directorates
reviewed and approved the web-based survey. The USMEPCOM Staff Judge Advocate
conducted a review of the MEPS CSS and reported no issues, objections or comments (Atch
3).
9. Payments to Respondents
No payments, gifts or guarantees are made to respondents who provide this
information.
10. Assurance of Confidentiality

Respondents are advised that any information they provide will be held in the
strictest confidence. No requirements are placed on the respondent for providing
personal information. If the respondent voluntarily provides contact information for
feedback on comments, the personal information collected is used only to contact him/her
to follow up on comments made. No other use of the personal information is authorized.
Contact information will only be made available to the MEPS Commander and the Senior
Enlisted Advisor of the MEPS where the applicant processed. As data managers of this
survey, Office of Strategic Planning and Transformation (OSP&T) will not release
personal information to anyone except the MEPS Commander of the station where the
applicant processed. Personal information will not be used as part of any operational
analyses. Personal information will be stored on a secure server located at HQ,
USMEPCOM for period not to exceed seven years. Employees who misuse personal
information are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and/or applicable
administrative actions.
11. Sensitive Questions
Demographic information on education level, gender, and age are requested to
determine the distribution of trends over time.
12. Estimates of Annual Response Burden and Labor Cost for Hour Burden to the
Respondent for Collection of Information
a. Response Burden:
(1) Survey Instrument
Total annual respondents:
Frequency of response:
Total annual response:
Burden per response:
Total burden hours:

60,000
1
60,000
10 min (.167)
10,020

b. Explanation of How Burden was Estimated:
An observed average of 10 minutes is taken to complete the MEPS Customer
Satisfaction Survey estimated by the review board, and MEPS personnel observing and
working with an applicant filling out the survey.
c. Estimated Labor Cost to Respondents.
60,000 respondents x $5.85/hr* @ 10 mins (.167) Annual = $58,617.
*Hourly rate based on U.S. Department of Labor federal minimum wage.

13. Estimates of Cost Burden for the Respondent for Collection of Information
a. Total Capital and Start-up Costs. There are no capital or start-up costs
associated with this collection.
b. Operational and Maintenance Costs. There are no operational or
maintenance costs associated with this information collection.
14. Estimates of Cost to the Federal Government
a. Work Load Requirements. Due to the automation of this process using a
web-based tool and USMEPCOM's Business Intelligence System, resource impacts
are minimal and only involve manpower to conduct policy and procedures.

15. Changes in Burden
There are no changes in burden for this information collection.
16. Publication Plans/Time Schedule
Results of this information collection will not be published.

17. Approval Not to Display Expiration Date
Approval not to display the expiration date is not being sought.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement
No exceptions to the certification statement are being sought.

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
1.
The potential respondent universe consists of all applicants who enter any of the 65
Military Entrance Processing Stations nationwide. All applicants are offered the opportunity to
participate in USMEPCOM’s Customer Satisfaction Survey, regardless if they completed the
qualification process or not. The survey data is strictly voluntary. USMEPCOM does not select
respondents who represent a larger group or population as the survey is a tool to provide
immediate feedback to MEPS Commanders on the quality of service and areas of improvement.
No other use of this tool is authorized.
Survey Population
Expected Survey Response

530,000 per year
60,000 per year

2.
As a tool for providing feedback to MEPS Commanders, the collection of data is done on
a daily basis; however, applicants will not be asked to complete the survey more than once.
During the morning Commander’s in-brief to applicants, the Commander or designated
representative will inform all applicants of the Customer Satisfaction Survey and the location of
the computer terminal. They are encouraged to take the survey upon completion of their
processing day; however, they survey is available to them at any point during their process.
Comments about an applicant’s MEPS experience are immediately forwarded to the Commander
and other designated personnel for situational awareness and/or action. There will be no
sampling and no stratification. The data gathered from the survey will not be used for statistical
analyses.
3.
In order to maximize participation rate, applicants will be briefed by MEPS staff about
the survey during the morning in-brief and encouraged to participate upon completion of their
processing day. The survey results are not intended to be generalizable, and therefore, “reliable”
data is not a requirement for use of this survey, which is a tool for MEPS Commanders to gain
feedback on applicant satisfaction.
4.
The survey was not be tested by members of the population. It was, however, given an
expert review by selected MEPS Commanders and Headquarters staff for content, ease, and
applicability.
5.
The survey results are primarily qualitative data in the form of comments provided by
respondents. Customer service metrics consist of the levels of satisfaction that an applicant has
both about his or her overall MEPS experience and about specific phases of the qualification
process. Level of satisfaction is measured on a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 6 (very satisfied).
These metrics are used as an indicator to MEPS Commanders, identifying areas for
improvement, and the comments are used to identify how to improve.
6.
POC for USMEPCOM’s Customer Satisfaction survey is COL Larry Larimer, Director,
Office of Strategic Planning and Transformation. (847) 688-3680 ext 7216.