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ABARE Client Satisfaction Survey, Year Ending April 2001

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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 will involve a sample of clients who have purchased a product from ABARE between 1 May 2000 and 30 April 2001 and also those whose last purchase from ABARE was between 1 May 1999 and 30 April 2000. The survey asks questions about why clients chose to purchase products from ABARE, the level of satisfaction with ABARE’s products, the uses of products purchased and what areas they would like ABARE to focus on in the future. Clients who have not purchased from ABARE in the last 12 months will be asked to nominate a reason why.

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Reference Period & Frequency

	Reference Period:	Year Ending April 2001
	Frequency:	Annual
	First run:	1999

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Response Rates

			As planned	Actual
	Number of businesses...
	Contacted:		720	1494
	Live and in scope:		690	718
	Responding:		350	409
	Average time to complete questionnaire:		8 mins	3 mins
	Statistics...
	Response rate:		51%	57%

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Clearance Information

	Survey reviewed by
	Stat. Clearing House:	Year Ending April 2001
	Status:	Approved
	Approval period:	From year ending April 2001 to year ending April 2003
	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 2001

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 will involve a sample of clients who have purchased a product from ABARE between 1 May 2000 and 30 April 2001 and also those whose last purchase from ABARE was between 1 May 1999 and 30 April 2000. The survey asks questions about why clients chose to purchase products from ABARE, the level of satisfaction with ABARE’s products, the uses of products purchased and what areas they would like ABARE to focus on in the future. Clients who have not purchased from ABARE in the last 12 months will be asked to nominate a reason why.

Sample size has been chosen to ensure there are sufficient numbers to report at the organisation type level.

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

A summary report in the form of graphs classified by industry group.

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 split into two groups: contract research and data & publications and then further classified according to industry group.

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

The target population consists of all clients that have purchased products between 1 May 2000 and 30 April 2001 and all clients whose last purchase was between 1 May 1999 and 30 April 2000. Clients from ABARE’s client database will be split into two groups: contract clients and publications & data request clients.

How will you obtain the list of businesses (frame) from which the sample is to be selected? (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 - organisation that has used ABARE’s products or services.

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)

All interviews will be conducted by CATI. Previous surveys have been mail based. CATI was chosen for an improved response rate.

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

1 May 1999 - 30 April 2001

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

Once a year.


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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, discussion of key 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
Telephone : 6272 2110
kwalter@abare.gov.au

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

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, results will be aggregated and results will not be published in a form that will identify individuals or their businesses.

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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)

1 May 1999 - 30 April 2001

What is the timetable for the survey? (B3)

Testing mid May.
Telephone interviews will be conducted between 23 May and 8 June 2001.
Results available by 2 July 2001.

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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 number of businesses you will attempt to contact (ie total sample size initially drawn)? How has this been set? (H4)

This is the first time that the client satisfaction survey will be conducted by telephone. Expect to approach approximately 650 clients to obtain the required interviewed sample. In addition a census will be carried out on approximately 70 contract clients.

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

None

Of the number of businesses reported in H5, how many businesses are expected to respond (ie the responding sample size)? (H6)

300 plus approximately 50 contract clients.

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

Expect to approach approximately 650 clients to obtain the required interviewed sample of 300.
A pool of reserves in each stratum are selected so that the designed sample size is achieved.
If the primary does not respond, reserves are contacted until a replacement is obtained.
It is expected that approximately 50 of the 70 contract clients will be interviewed

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)

A pilot study will take place in mid May.

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 publications & data request clients and approximately 70 contract clients.

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

No known frame deficiencies.

Of the total number of businesses reported in H4, how many businesses are expected to be live and in scope? (H5)

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. The scope of the survey is to better understand the needs of potential clients. Clients who have gone out of business are not potential clients so are outside the scope of the survey.

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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, discussion of key results.

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

Stratified simple random sample of publications & data request clients. Census of contract clients.

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

The stratification variables are industry group and volume of sales.

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

Expect to approach approximately 650 clients to obtain the required interviewed sample of 300.
A pool of reserves in each stratum are selected so that the designed sample size is achieved.
If the primary does not respond, reserves are contacted until a replacement is obtained.
It is expected that approximately 50 of the 70 contract clients will be interviewed

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 per cent 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)

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

Once a year.

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

Through normal business practices and future data requests.

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

The survey has been redesigned and some of the questions are different from last year, although satisfaction levels are still collected to allow comparisons with previous years’ surveys.

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 2000 client satisfaction survey will be used to compare any changes in the quality of ABARE’s services.

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

There is no measure of performance in the current financial year.

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

Clients will be split into two groups: contract research and data & publications and then further classified according to industry group.

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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