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ABARE Client Satisfaction Survey, Year Ending April 2000

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• Overview *** You are here ***
• Contact Information
  
• Summary
  
• Reference Period & Frequency
  
• Response Rates
  
• Clearance Information
• Quality Framework
• A. General Information
• B. User Requirements, Survey Objectives and Budget
• C. Alternative Sources of Data
• D. Data Outputs
• E. Questionnaire Design and Data Collection
• F. Respondent Load
• G. Population / Frame
• H. Sample Design
• I. Estimation and Analysis

Overview

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Contact Information

	Portfolio:	Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
	Agency:	ABARE - Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
	Contact Person...	Name:	Kathy Walter
		Email:	kwalter@abare.gov.au
		Phone:	02 6272 2110 (International +61)

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Summary

The need to report back to government on performance indicators in the Portfolio budget statements. ABARE wants to collect and analyse information on the quality of its performance, to improve its service to clients. The survey asks questions about the quality of ABARE’s service, technical and professional skills. The survey will be sent to clients who have purchased a product from ABARE in the past year and so is a relatively small census.

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Reference Period & Frequency

	Reference Period:	Year Ending April 2000
	Frequency:	Annual
	First run:	1999

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Response Rates

			As planned	Actual
	Number of businesses...
	Contacted:		2500	2500
	Live and in scope:		2375	2375
	Responding:		900	263
	Average time to complete questionnaire:		5 mins	5 mins
	Statistics...
	Response rate:		38%	11%

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Clearance Information

	Survey reviewed by
	Stat. Clearing House:	Year Ending April 2000
	Status:	Approved
	Approval period:	From year ending April 2000 to year ending April 2002
	For additional clearance information, please contact the Statistical Clearing House by phone, fax, post or email.

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ABARE Client Satisfaction Survey, Year Ending April 2000

Quality Framework
This data quality framework has been published internationally (Brackstone G., Managing Data Quality in a Statistical Agency, (1999) Survey Methodology, Vol. 25, no. 2, Statistics Canada) and has been recommended by the ANAO as 'better practice' in specifying performance measures (ATO Performance Reporting under the Outcomes and Outputs Framework, Australian Taxation Office, Audit Report No.46 2000-01, pp63-64.) on advice from the ABS Statistical Consultancy Unit.

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Relevance

The relevance of statistical information reflects the degree to which it meets the needs of the clients. It is usually described in terms of key user needs, key concepts and classifications used, the scope of the collection and the reference period.

Why do you need to conduct a survey? (B1)

The need to report back to government on performance indicators in the Portfolio budget statements.

ABARE wants to collect and analyse information on the quality of its performance, to improve its service to clients.

How will the survey outputs meet the needs specified in B1? (B2)

The survey asks questions about the quality of ABARE’s service, technical and professional skills. The survey will be sent to clients who have purchased a product from ABARE in the past year and so is a relatively small census.

What are the principal outputs or data items to be produced? (D1)

Tables and graphs indications level of client satisfaction with different ABARE clients.

What statistical data analysis techniques will be performed? (I7)

Simple tabulation, graphs.

What consideration has been given to the use of standards? Please specify. (D2)

Clients will be classified by contract research, data & publications. No appropriate standard classification exists.

What is the target population (scope) for the survey? (G1)

Clients from ABARE’s client database that have purchased products in the past 12 months. Approx. 2500.

How is the frame for the survey to be obtained? (G2)

The frame is the client list referred to in G1.

What is the type of unit on the frame to be used for the survey? (G3)

Client

What is (are) the method(s) of collecting the data (eg self-completion, telephone interviewing, face to face interviewing, etc)? Why was it (were they) chosen? (E3)

Self completion, cheaper than telephone

To what reference period(s) does the survey refer? (A6)

Last 12 months

Is the survey to be conducted once only or repeated? If repeated, with what frequency is the survey to be repeated? (A8)

Repeated annually.


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Accessibility



The accessibility of statistical information refers to the ease with which it can be referenced by users. It includes the ease with which the existence of information can be ascertained, as well as the suitability of the form or medium through which the information can be accessed.

How will the results of the survey be explained / presented to the major users? (I8)

Graphs, analysis. Due to the low non-response rate and the survey is more qualitatively focussed. It will need to state in the report that the survey will provide exploratory, indicative results, rather than statistically reliable results.

Which agency and area is responsible for the survey? (A2)

ABARE
Publishing and Marketing Section

Who is the survey manager and principal contact person for survey clearance? (A3)

Kathy Walter,
02 6272 2110,
kwalter@abare.gov.au

What commitments have been made to preserve the confidentiality of respondents? How will these be implemented? (F3)

Respondents have the option to include their name and address. Where the address is included ABARE will abide by the privacy principles and no person's name and address will be made available for any other use. In the analysis, no clients name and address is attached to the data. A confidential statement will be available on the questionnaire

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Timeliness



The timeliness of statistical information refers to the delay between the reference point to which it pertains and the date on which the information becomes available.

To what reference peiod(s) does the survey refer? (A6)

Last 12 months

What is the timetable for the survey? (B3)

Late April printing
1 May	mailout
10 May	data collection commences
31 May	data collection ends
31 June	results available



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Accuracy



The accuracy of statistical information is the degree to which the information correctly describes the phenomena it was designed to measure. It includes measures of both sampling and non-sampling error.

What is the expected total sample size to be approached and how has it been set? (H4)

2500.

What allowances will be made for potential sources of non-sampling error in estimation? (I6)

None.

Of the total sample size reported in H5, how many units are expected to respond? (H6)

263 responded.

What allowances have been made for expected non-response and frame deficiencies in the sample design? (H8)

N/A

In what ways does the coverage provided by the frame differ from the target population? (G6)

They are identical.

What quality control procedures will there be for data entry and coding? (I3)

Clerical scrutiny of form and on-line editing as a part of data entry process to ensure the codes are legal.

What testing of the questionnaire(s) has (have) taken place? (E5)

No testing as this is a similar survey to one we did in 1999. The questionnaire was revised from the 99 one. Changes were made to questions that seemed similar or had confused clients in 99 and the style was simplified considerably.

What consultations have taken place, other than testing, with businesses or business associations regarding availability of data items and data collection methods? (E6)

None

How many units are there on the frame? (G4)

Approximately 2500

What actions have been taken to overcome known frame deficiencies? (G7)

There are no frame deficiencies.

Of the total sample size reported in H4, how many units are expected to be live and in scope? (H5)

Unknown, expect 95-97% of clients to still be operating.

What evidence is there that the expected respondents will be representative of non-respondents? (H7)

None. There is a certain degree of homogeneity between respondents and non-respondents. An element of non-response has to be expected from those who refuse to participate and who are no longer contractible due to going out of business etc. As a result, it is believed that non-response bias will not be of concern.

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Interpretability



The interpretability of statistical information reflects the availability of the supplementary information and metadata necessary to interpret and utilise it appropriately. It includes appropriate presentation of data such that it aids correction interpretation.

How will the results of the survey be explained / presented to the major users? (I8)

Graphs, analysis. Due to the low non-response rate and the survey is more qualitatively focussed. It will need to state in the report that the survey will provide exploratory, indicative results, rather than statistically reliable results.

What sample design will be used, eg, census, stratified simple random sample? (H1)

Census.

What stratification has been used in the sample design? (H2)

What allowances have been made for expected non-response and frame deficiencies in the sample design? (H8)

N/A

Will outliers be identified, and, if so, how will they be handled? (I4)

No outliers will be identified. There will be no outliers because the data sought by this survey is only attitudinal i.e. the level of satisfaction with service provided.

Will data be aggregated into statistical tables, and if so what are the estimation formulae for the principal output data items? (I5)

Simple aggregation, figures reported will be percent of respondents.

What allowances will be made for potential sources of non-sampling error in estimation? (I6)

None.

What statistical data analysis techniques will be performed? (I7)

Simple tabulation, graphs.

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Coherence



The coherence of statistical information reflects the degree to which it can be successfully brought together with other statistical information within a broad analytical framework and over time. The use of concepts, classifications and target populations promotes coherence, as does the use of common methodology across surveys.

Is the survey a new survey or a cycle of an existing repeated survey? (A7)

Repeated annually since 1999.

Is the survey to be conducted once only or repeated? If repeated, with what frequency is the survey to be repeated? (A8)

Repeated annually.

How will the frame be updated for future survey cycles? (G8)

Through normal business practices.

What consideration has been given to making data item definitions consistent between repeats of this survey or across other surveys? (D3)

Data item definitions are identical with 1999.

What alternative sources of data are available and what use is made of them? (C1)

Informal client feedback is also used to keep track of ABARE’s performance. Information from the 1999 client satisfaction survey will be used to compare any changes in performance levels.

In what respects are these alternative sources insufficient? (C2)

They don’t tell us what our performance has been in the current financial year

What consideration has been given to the use of standards? Please specify. (D2)

Clients will be classified by contract research, data & publications. No appropriate standard classification exists.

What consideration has been given to working with other agencies to make their data more suited to your needs? (C3)

Not applicable

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