Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families,
Children’s Bureau
Data Collection Plan for the Evaluation of
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Office of Management and Budget
Clearance Revision Package Supporting Statement
and Data Collection Instruments
May 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
A. Justification 1
A1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary 1
A2. Purpose and Use of the Information Collection 2
A3. Use of Improved Technology and Burden Reduction 3
A4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information 3
A5. Impact on Small Businesses and Other Entities 3
A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection 3
A7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5 3
A8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice 3
A9. Explanation of any Payment or Gift to Respondents 4
A10. Assurance of Confidentiality 4
A11. Sensitive Questions 4
A12. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours 4
A13. Annualized Cost for Respondents 5
A14. Annualized Cost to the Federal Government 6
A15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments 7
A16. Plans for Tabulation and Publication and Project Time Schedule 7
A17. Waiver of Expiration Date Requirement 8
A18. 5 CFR 1320.9: Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions 8
B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods 8
B1. Respondent Universe and Response Rates 8
B2. Procedures for the Collection of Information 11
B3. Maximizing Response Rates and the Issue of Non-response 14
B4. Pretesting of Procedures or Methods 15
B5. Contact Information 15
LIST OF TABLES
Number Page
A-12, Annual Burden Estimates 5
A-14, Annualized Cost to the Federal Government…………………………………………….. 6
A-16, Project Schedule 8
B-1, Expected Response Rates by Strata 9
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey
Appendix B: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey
Appendix C: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Group Guide
Appendix D: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals
Appendix E: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Students
Appendix F: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Personal Customers
Appendix G: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies)
Appendix H: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes)
Appendix I: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare)
Appendix J: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce)
Appendix K: Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences
Supporting Statement for the Paperwork Reduction Act of Submission
Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG) is a national information clearinghouse and service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CWIG connects professionals and concerned citizens to resources and information on programs, research, legislation, and statistics regarding child maltreatment, child abuse prevention, and child welfare services designed to achieve the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. The Evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway gathers information to inform the Children’s Bureau about the kind and quality of information services that customers want, how customers are using resources and services, as well as customers’ level of satisfaction with existing services. Data collection activities proposed for the Evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway include targeted surveys to evaluation special initiative websites and other targeted website sections, event surveys to evaluate webinars, presentations, or other events, a general customer survey, and focus groups.
The Market Research Sub-Study complements information obtained from the larger Evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Children’s Bureau seeks to learn more about how child welfare professionals and students planning to enter the child welfare workforce access and consume work-related information. The Market Research Sub-Study will focus on understanding child welfare professionals’ and students’ characteristics, use of technology, and habits and preferences for obtaining information that they use in their work. The goal of the sub-study is to provide federally-funded technical assistance providers and other stakeholder organizations with a better understanding of their target audiences so they can design more effective products, services, and dissemination strategies to reach these populations. The proposed market research sub-study will consist of a national online survey of child welfare professionals and students, which will be administered through four different instruments tailored for four different populations. Focus groups will be used to learn more about different audiences’ habits and preferences related to child welfare information access and consumption.
Detail required to support joint Information Collection Request (ICR) and PIA request: The study team from ICF will collect limited PII in order to identify appropriate respondents for surveys and focus groups, and to contact and invite them to participate with the study. PII will include the following data elements: name, professional email address, and work phone number. Contact information will be collected to facilitate focus group scheduling and survey administration. Only the study team from ICF will have access to PII elements. (See sections A2 and A10 for more details about how study data and PII will be securely stored and managed).
The data collection activities for the Evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway will be used to help inform:
General Child Welfare Information Gateway services—to ensure the easy accessibility and usefulness of the information provided;
Product development and acquisition—to acquire and create publications in which customers are most interested;
Outreach plans and strategies—to increase the awareness and use of various services;
Web site content and functioning—to ensure the usability and usefulness of this primary communication vehicle; and
Data collected for the Market Research Sub-Study will be used to inform dissemination strategies, to help the Child Welfare Information Gateway and other federally-funded technical assistance providers improve access and consumption of child welfare and other work-related information.
The Children’s Bureau’s intent is to make a public dataset available that contains data obtained from the Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey. Data files will be prepared according to federal standards for public archiving (i.e., de-identified).
Detail required to support joint Information Collection Request (ICR) and PIA request:
The contractor, ICF, is a subscriber to Microsoft Office 365 (Office 365). Office 365 meets the requirements to comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) as it relates to safeguarding information. Office 365 has documented controls that protect both the confidentiality and the integrity of data using encryption of data at “rest” and encryption of data during transit to a user.
Office 365’s “One Drive” product will be used to store personally identifiable information (e.g., name, professional email address, and work phone number). PII will be stored separately from focus group and survey responses and data files containing personally identifiable contact information will be encrypted at both transit and rest. One Drive sites will have limited access controls to ensure that only ICF project team members have access to study data and PII. Any PII revealed in focus groups or survey responses will be manually redacted by study team members from transcripts and data files. Identifiers will not be used in any study reporting. Focus group participants’ contact information will be destroyed within six months of conducting focus groups.
The primary means of gathering information is through electronic format including the use of online surveys. The evaluation team also imports online survey data from a password protected server into SPSS, a statistical software package used for storing, managing, and analyzing quantitative data (i.e. survey data). Per guidance outlined in 5 CFR 1320.8, the focused use of electronic data collection methods is intended to reduce the burden on respondents.
The Evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway is the only evaluation of customer service for Child Welfare Information Gateway; therefore, there is no similar information already available. Similarly, the Market Research Sub-Study is the only one of its kind to be executed at this level, size, and scope; therefore, there is no similar information already available.
We do not plan to survey small businesses.
A6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently
The current evaluation plan includes the minimum amount of data collection necessary to obtain valid, reliable, and useful information that can help inform Child Welfare Information Gateway products and services. Reducing data collection further would jeopardize the quality and integrity of the results including the generalizability to all Information Gateway customers.
Responding to this data collection effort is completely voluntary. Individuals recruited for this effort will be given the opportunity not to respond at all, and to respond whenever it is convenient for them during the data collection period. All customers and study participants have the option of refusing a survey request without penalty.
Child Welfare Information Gateway staff are consulted regarding the frequency and usefulness of the data collection effort on a quarterly basis. Respondents regularly provide comments regarding the data collection effort through their completion of surveys. Comments from both Child Welfare Information Gateway staff and respondents have been incorporated into the revisions of the data collection instruments including the provision of an opportunity to complete the survey at a later, more convenient time.
As required by CFR 1320.8, a Federal Register notice appeared on March 5, 2018 (83 FR 9323) Page 9323-9324. This notice received no public comment, but we will address any future comments as appropriate.
Not applicable, the data collection plan does not call for payment to respondents for participation.
We will ensure that the anonymity of respondent identity in all reporting and assure respondents of the voluntary nature of their participation. Contact information (including customer’s name, email, and phone number) will be requested on a voluntary basis from survey respondents and used only for identifying focus group participants. Survey and focus group participants will be informed that their participation is completely voluntary and all of their responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.
Additional detail required to support joint Information Collection Request (ICR) and PIA request: The Microsoft Office 365 One Drive product will be used to safely store personally identifiable information. As previously mentioned, Office 365 meets the requirements to comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) as it relates to safeguarding information. Personally identifiable contact information will be stored separately from focus group and survey responses in One Drive files. Any PII revealed in focus groups or survey responses will be manually redacted by study team members from transcripts and data files. Identifiers will not be used in any study reporting. Focus group participants’ contact information will be destroyed within six months of conducting focus groups. A systems of records notice (SORN) was not deemed necessary since study data are not being associated with a personal identifier and will not be able to be retrieved using a personal identifier.
Sensitive issues will not be raised on surveys or during focus groups.
Estimates of annualized response burden and respondent cost are outlined in the following table. The annual burden estimates were developed using FY 2017 response rates for similar types of data collection approved under OMB Control Number 0970-0303. Costs to respondents were estimated applying average hourly wages listed on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (e.g., the hourly rate for “social workers” is listed as $24.82/hour) multiplied by two to account for any indirect costs. The total estimated annual cost to respondents is $150,214.61
Table A-12: Annual Respondent Burden and Cost Estimates
Instrument |
Number of Respondents |
Number of Responses per Respondent |
Average Burden Hours per Response |
Total Burden Hours |
Total Cost to Respondents |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey |
2,660 |
1 |
0.084 |
223.44 |
$11,091.56 |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey |
900 |
1 |
0.05 |
45 |
$2,233.80 |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Group Guide |
50 |
1 |
1 |
50 |
$2,482.00 |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals |
960 |
1 |
0.084 |
80.64 |
$4,002.97 |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Students |
480 |
1 |
0.05 |
24 |
$1,191.36 |
|
|
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Personal Customers |
960 |
1 |
0.05 |
48 |
$2,382.72 |
|
|
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies) |
1,800 |
1 |
0.5 |
900 |
$44,676.00 |
|
|
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes) |
800 |
1 |
0.5 |
400 |
$19,856.00 |
|
|
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare) |
1,400 |
1 |
0.5 |
700 |
$34,748.00 |
|
|
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce) |
810 |
1 |
0.5 |
405 |
$20,104.20 |
|
|
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences |
100 |
1 |
1.5 |
150 |
$7,446.00 |
|
|
|
TOTAL Annual Estimates |
3,026.08 hours |
$150,214.61 |
|
|
$150,214.61 |
|||
There will be no additional cost burden for survey respondents or focus group participants.
We estimate the annualized costs to the Federal government to be $253,238.60. As outlined below, the estimated annual Federal costs associated with this effort include costs to manage and implement the data collection, analysis, and reporting activities outlined in this application.
The associated costs for developing, administering, and analyzing the instruments are outlined in Table A-14 below. Rates associated with researcher staff time (Social Scientists and Related Workers Hourly Rate) of $39.96/hour were obtained from https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000, 21-0000, and multiplied by 1.5 to account for fringe/overhead.
Table A-14: Annualized Cost to the Federal Government
Instrument & Other Costs |
Administration Activities |
Staff Time (Hours) |
Total Cost |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey |
Instrument Development, Administration & Analysis |
1,000 |
$59,940.00 |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey |
1,000 |
$59,940.00 |
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Group Guide |
230 |
$13,786.20 |
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals |
600 |
$35,964.00 |
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Students |
50 |
$2,997.00 |
|
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Personal Customers |
50 |
$2,997.00 |
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies) |
200 |
$11,988.00 |
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes) |
160 |
$9,590.40 |
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare) |
100 |
$5,994.00 |
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce) |
100 |
$5,994.00 |
|
Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences |
450 |
$26,973.00 |
|
Other Direct Costs |
SurveyGizmo license, transcriptions, Tableau license |
$17,075 |
|
Total |
$253,238.60 |
||
This is a new data collection plan; therefore, no changes or adjustments need to be made.
Table A-16 presents the data collection and reporting schedule:
Table A-16: Project Schedule |
Submit OMB package: April 2018 |
Ongoing data collection: September 1, 2018 – August 31, 2021 (Market Research Sub-Study will conclude in September 2019) |
Reporting: quarterly reporting to inform continuous quality improvement efforts; annual reports to Children’s Bureau; interim and final reports of findings from the Market Research Sub-Study |
Frequency distributions will be calculated to generate data summaries and to examine variability in online surveys. Cross-tabulations and significance tests will be conducted as appropriate. SPSS will be used for the quantitative analysis. Content analysis will be conducted on open-ended survey items and focus group transcripts and will entail thematic analysis. Qualitative online secure software (e.g., Atlas.ti) will be used for the qualitative analysis.
This section does not apply. We are not seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval.
A18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions
No exceptions are requested.
B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
The evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway is designed to reach the various types of customers using its services such as professionals, students, and customers with a personal situation or concern. Data will be collected by delivering surveys to customers receiving information services via the Web, e-mail, Live Chat, print, and telephone. Web surveys are scheduled to appear during randomly selected one-hour time slots throughout the year. Telephone, e-mail, and live chat customers are offered the survey on 52 randomly selected business days throughout the year. All versions of the Market Research Sub-Study Information Habits and Preferences Survey will be emailed directly to potential respondents, through listservs of partner agencies, organizations and associations. The universe of respondents for the evaluation of Child Welfare Information Gateway and the Market Research Sub-Study is up to 10,920.
Descriptions of the respondents to each instrument and calculation of the estimated response rates is shown in Exhibit B-1. Other details are provided by instrument following Exhibit B-1.
B-1. Calculation of Estimated Response Rates
Instrument |
Respondent |
# Respondents/ # Sampled |
Expected Response Rate (%) |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey |
CW professionals (e.g., frontline staff, supervisors/directors) |
2,660/ 88,667 |
3% |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey |
CW professionals (e.g., frontline staff, supervisors/directors) |
900/ 3,000 |
30% |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Group Guide |
CW professionals (e.g., frontline staff, supervisors/directors) |
50/ 50 |
100% |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals |
CW professionals (e.g., frontline staff, supervisors/directors) |
960/ 32,000 |
3% |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Students |
undergraduate and graduate students |
480/ 16,000 |
3% |
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Personal Customers |
adopted person, foster/adoptive parent, prospective adoptive parent, birth parent, legal parent/guardian, general public |
960/ 32,000 |
3% |
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies) |
CW professionals in state, county, and private agencies |
1,800/ 6,000 |
30% |
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes) |
CW professionals working with tribes |
800/ 3,200 |
25% |
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare) |
CW legal professionals |
1,400/ 7,000 |
20% |
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce) |
CW undergraduate and graduate students |
810/ 1,800 |
45% |
Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences |
CW professionals in state, county, and private agencies |
100/ 100 |
100% |
TOTAL Sample of Respondents |
10,920 |
||
Targeted Surveys will be delivered online for ten unique website sections (e.g., National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Adoption Month, National Foster Care Month, and seven other website sections) that receive a high volume of website traffic (over 20,000 visits per quarter). A sample size of 266 for each survey will be desired to reach a 5% margin of error and 90% confidence level, which adds up to a total of 2,600 surveys for all ten website sections. Drawing upon our experiences using similar survey delivery methods (e.g., pop-up surveys) as ones that were used for other OMB approved data collection activities in FY 2017, we anticipate a response rate of 3%. To reach the desired number of respondents (2,660), we will send approximately 88,667 targeted survey invitations.
Event surveys will be delivered after three webinars and seven special CWIG presentations each year to gather feedback on the quality of information presented. We anticipate to have approximately 300 participants for each event, which adds up to a total of 3,000 participants for 10 events. Given an approximately 30% response rate, which is an estimate based on the similar data collection activities conducted in FY2017, we expect to receive about 900 completed Event Surveys each year.
Child Welfare Information Gateway will conduct five Focus Groups each year with a purposive sample of ten respondents per group for a total annual sample size of 50 respondents each year. Focus groups will be conducted with both known users and known non-users of Child Welfare Information Gateway as identified by responses to questions on the Market Research Sub-Study Information Habits and Preferences Survey (the survey will also request survey takers interested in participating in focus groups to provide their name and contact information).
Sample size estimates for Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals (delivered via Web, phone, email, live chat, and print) are based on similar methods of data collection used in FY 2017. Sample sizes were developed to ensure that estimated percentages have required levels of precision. Specifically, estimated percentages for the professional subgroup should have a margin of error of 3% or less; i.e., 95% confidence intervals are within +/- 3%. We expect that that approximately 32,000 invitations to participate in Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals will be made annually, with a 3% response rate, resulting in 960 completed surveys.
Sample size estimates for Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Students (delivered via Web, phone, email, live chat, and print) are based on similar methods of data collection used in FY 2017. Sample sizes were developed to ensure that estimated percentages have required levels of precision. Specifically, estimated percentages for the student subgroup should have a margin of error of 3% or less; i.e., 95% confidence intervals are within +/- 3%. We expect that that approximately 16,000 invitations to participate in Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals will be made annually, with a 3% response rate, resulting in 480 completed surveys.
Sample size estimates for Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Personal Customers Students (delivered via Web, phone, email, live chat, and print) are based on similar methods of data collection used in FY 2017. Sample sizes were developed to ensure that estimated percentages have required levels of precision. Specifically, estimated percentages for the personal customer subgroup should have a margin of error of 3% or less; i.e., 95% confidence intervals are within +/- 3%. We expect that that approximately 32,000 invitations to participate in Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals will be made annually, with a 3% response rate, resulting in 960 completed surveys.
Sample size estimates for the Market Research Sub-Study survey for CW professionals are based on background research about this respondent audience. We expect that that approximately 6,000 invitations to participate in the Market Research Sub-Study survey for CW professionals will be sent, with a 30% response rate, resulting in 1,800 completed surveys. Our estimated response rate is based on similar research that we have conducted in the past, as well as feedback collected from other researchers.
Sample size estimates for the Market Research Sub-Study survey for child welfare professionals working with Tribes are based on background research about this respondent audience. We expect that that approximately 3,200 invitations to participate in the Market Research Sub-Study survey for child welfare professionals working with Tribes will be sent, with a 25% response rate, resulting in 800 completed surveys. Our estimated response rate is based on similar research that we have conducted in the past, as well as feedback collected from other researchers.
Sample size estimates for the Market Research Sub-Study survey for CW legal professionals are based on background research about this respondent audience. We expect that that approximately 7,000 invitations to participate in the Market Research Sub-Study survey for CW legal professionals will be sent, with a 20% response rate, resulting in 1,400 completed surveys. Our estimated response rate is based on similar research that we have conducted in the past, as well as feedback collected from other researchers.
Sample size estimates for the Market Research Sub-Study survey for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce are based on background research about this respondent audience. We expect that that approximately 1,800 invitations to participate in the Market Research Sub-Study survey for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce will be sent, with a 45% response rate, resulting in 810 completed surveys. Our estimated response rate is based on similar research that we have conducted in the past, as well as feedback collected from other researchers.
The Market Research Sub-Study intends to conduct 10 Focus Groups with a purposive sample of 10 respondents per group for a total annual sample size of 100 respondents each year. Focus groups will be conducted to provide more context to the online survey data and better understand survey respondents’ information habits and preferences.
The specific procedures utilized for each data collection instrument are described below.
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey. The goal of the targeted survey is to gather specific and actionable feedback on the quality of information and usability for specific Child Welfare Information Gateway website sections. The target population for targeted surveys includes child welfare professionals. Targeted surveys are voluntary and will be offered using a website “pop-up” methodology. The “pop-up” survey will be offered after a specified number of clicks (determined by the average page views for a particular website section). Once a user receives a “pop-up” survey invitation they will have the option to click “yes”, “no” or “ask me later”. (Appendix A).
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey. The goal of Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event survey is to assess customer’s level of satisfaction and intended use of information obtained from webinars and other presentations hosted by Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Event Surveys will be offered online at the conclusion of webinars or via hard copy at the conclusion of Information Gateway conference presentations. The target population for the Event Survey includes child welfare professionals. (Appendix B).
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Groups. Child Welfare Information Gateway will conduct five Focus Groups each year with a purposive sample of ten respondents per group for a total annual sample size of 50 respondents each year. Focus groups will be conducted with both known users and known non-users of Child Welfare Information Gateway as identified by responses to questions on the Market Research Sub-Study Information Habits and Preferences Survey (the survey will also request survey takers interested in participating in focus groups to provide their name and contact information). Audio recordings from focus groups will be transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software. All audio recordings will be destroyed once all transcriptions have been thematically coded and analyzed. (Appendix C).
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals, Students, and Personal Customers. The goal of Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey (e.g., including tailored questions for professionals, students, and personal customers) is to assess customer characteristics; the kind and quality of services customers are looking for; customer’s level of satisfaction with those services; and customers’ access to, use of, and need for Child Welfare Information Gateway services. The target population includes all customers (e.g., CW professionals, related professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, adopted persons, foster/adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parent, birth parent, legal parent/guardian, and the general public). The General Customer Survey will be offered using five different methods of delivery detailed below. (Appendix D).
Pop-Up website survey delivery: Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, website visitors will receive an invitation to complete an electronic survey after clicking on the website five times. The visitor will have the option to decline the survey, have the survey offered at a later time, or answer the survey.
E-mail survey delivery: On all workdays throughout the year, customers who e-mail Child Welfare Information Gateway will be offered the opportunity to complete a customer survey. These customers will receive an invitation to complete the survey using a hyper-link in the response e-mail to their information request.
Telephone survey delivery: On 52 randomly selected workdays throughout the year, customers who call Child Welfare Information Gateway will be offered the opportunity to complete a customer survey over the telephone. If they agree to complete the survey, they will be transferred to a separate phone surveyor who will read them the survey and record their answers.
Mailed survey delivery: On 52 randomly selected workdays throughout the year, customers who call or e-mail Child Welfare Information Gateway to order publications or who order publications online will be offered the opportunity to complete a customer survey by mail. They will be sent a print version of the customer survey along with their requested publication and a pre-paid business reply envelope.
Live Chat survey delivery: On all workdays (not including Federal government holidays) throughout the year, customers that solicit assistance via live chat will be offered the opportunity to complete a customer survey. They will be sent a hyperlink to complete the survey online at the conclusion of the live chat conversation.
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies). The goal of the Market Research Sub-Study survey is to learn more about how child welfare professionals and students planning to enter the child welfare workforce access and consume work-related information. The target population for this version of the survey instrument is public and private child welfare professionals that work in six different states, as well as professionals that work for a large private company. The Market Research Sub-Study instrument will be emailed to potential respondents through distribution lists provided by the states and private company that are recruited for the study. The states and private company have not yet been determined, because they will depend on successful recruitment once OMB approval is finalized. (Appendix E).
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes). The target population for this version of the survey instrument is child welfare professionals that work with tribal populations. The Market Research Sub-Study instrument will be emailed to potential respondents through distribution lists provided by the tribes that are recruited for the study. These tribes have not yet been determined, because they will depend on successful recruitment once OMB approval is finalized. (Appendix F).
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare). The target population for this version of the survey instrument is judges and attorneys that spend at least 10% of their professional work time on cases related to child welfare, as well as Court Improvement Program coordinators. The Market Research Sub-Study instrument will be emailed to potential respondents through distribution lists provided by organizations and professional associations that partner with the Gateway on this study. (Appendix G).
Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce). The target population for this version of the survey instrument is current Bachelors and Masters of Social Work students that receive Title IV child welfare stipends. The Market Research Sub-Study instrument will be emailed to potential respondents through distribution lists provided by universities and other organizations that partner with the Gateway on this study. (Appendix H).
Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences. Child Welfare Information Gateway will conduct ten Focus Groups each year with a purposive sample of ten respondents per group for a total annual sample size of 100 respondents each year. Focus groups will be conducted with respondents to the Market Research Sub-Study survey, in order to provide more context to the online survey data and better understand survey respondents’ information habits and preferences. Audio recordings from focus groups will be transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software. All audio recordings will be destroyed once all transcriptions have been thematically coded and analyzed. (Appendix I).
B3. Maximizing Response Rates and the Issue of Non-Response
Child Welfare Information Gateway has taken steps to maximize response rates. Specifically, we have made the instruments short and clear, as we understand that customers are unlikely to be willing to spend more than a few minutes on the survey. Customers receiving requests online to take Targeted Surveys and General Customer Surveys will be given an “Ask me later” option that he or she may use in order to complete the survey at a more convenient time. Finally, the random selection of survey time blocks for the General Customer Survey was weighted to increase the representation of business hours in order to increase the number of professional survey respondents.
For the Market Research Sub-Study instruments, other strategies will be used to maximize response rates including (a) sending periodic reminders to potential respondents; and (b) working with other professional organizations and associations that can encourage participation and help explain the value of the survey.
B4. Pretesting of Procedures or Methods
All instruments for this data collection effort were tested for usability by Child Welfare Information Gateway staff.
B5. Contact Information
Should you have any questions about the contents of this OMB submission package, please contact one of the following individuals:
Brian Deakins, Children’s Bureau, 330 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20201, telephone: 202.205.8769, email: Brian.Deakins@acf.hhs.gov
Christine Leicht, ICF, 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031, telephone: 703.934.3000, email: Christine.Leicht@icf.com
List of Appendices
Appendix A: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Targeted Survey
Appendix B: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Event Survey
Appendix C: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Focus Group Guide
Appendix D: Child Welfare Information Gateway’s General Customer Survey: Questions for Professionals; Students; and Personal Customers
Appendix E: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals in state, county, and private agencies)
Appendix F: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for child welfare professionals working with tribes)
Appendix G: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for legal professionals working in child welfare)
Appendix H: Market Research Sub-Study: Information Habits and Preferences Survey (for students planning to enter the child welfare workforce)
Appendix I: Market Research Sub-Study: Focus Groups on Information Habits and Preferences
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Supporting Statement for the |
| Author | Shamegan |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-20 |