Supporting Statement for Fast Track Submission - Generic Clearance Request PIDP Survey

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance of Customer Satisfaction Survey (OMB Control Number: 2133-0546)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Program Applicant Survey

PURPOSE: The purpose of this data collection is to obtain systematic feedback from applicants to assess the clarity, accessibility, and effectiveness of the PIDP application process, including applicant experiences with informational webinars, technical assistance resources, and overall satisfaction with the program’s communication and procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Port owners and operators who have responded to the 2019 through 2023 PIDP Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs).

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ x] Other: Applicant Experience Survey

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name:_ Joy Bartlett___________________________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [ x] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [ x] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (mins)	Burden
State, local or tribal governments	240	2	8 hours
Totals	240	2 minutes	8 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is ____$__395.00______

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [ x] Yes [] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

We are using a population/census for the survey rather than a sample to capture variation in experiences among applicants to the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). 

MARAD maintains a list of all applications to the PIDP from 2019-2024 (the full history of the program). To avoid bias due to 2024 grants being currently frozen, 2024 applicants were removed from that list, resulting in a list of 511 applications from 2019-2023. As over half of these applicants applied to PIDP more than once, duplicate applicants were removed, resulting in a list of 248 unique (unduplicated) applicants. Using a list provided by MARAD, applicants who had PIDP grants rescinded or withdrawn were removed from the list to avoid potential biases in responses. This resulted in a list of 240 applicants from 2019-2023 who will be surveyed.  

 

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ x ] Other, Explain – Microsoft Form Survey which will enable those monitoring the survey to capture responses.

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes [ x] No

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