Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) The
jurisdictional entities shall comply with the following requirements in implementing
the survey:
1) Each jurisdictional entity shall
identify the most effective sampling frame from which to draw the sample. Whichever
sampling frame option is chosen, a jurisdictional entity should continue with the
chosen option for all subsequent tracking studies unless the independent reviewer
finds cause to recommend an alternative sampling frame. Sampling frame options
include:
A) A jurisdictional entity's customer
database. If the jurisdictional entity does not have the contact information for a
randomly selected customer, it shall attempt to locate the contact information in
other available utility databases or purchase the contact information from an
outside data provider;
B) Random digit
dial for telephone surveys; and
C)
Purchased lists;
2) An
independent reviewer, such as a market research firm, shall review the sampling
methodology and response rates each year to confirm that survey results adequately
represent the entire population and are expected to be standard among jurisdictional
entities. If a jurisdictional entity's survey results do not adequately represent
the entire population and/or are not expected to be standard among jurisdictional
entities, the independent reviewer shall recommend specific remedies or an
alternative sampling frame for the following year;
3) Each jurisdictional entity shall provide the
name of a contact person, if available from its database, to respond to the survey
for any randomly selected industrial customer known to be an industrial customer at
the time of selection;
4) A
jurisdictional entity shall not volunteer the name of any specific electricity
provider during the course of the survey interview;
5) A jurisdictional entity shall not offer
incentives to encourage survey respondents to participate;
6) Jurisdictional entities shall not add questions
to the survey;
7) In a single year, for
telephone surveys, the same trained team of interviewers shall be used to ensure
consistency in conducting the interviews;
8) For telephone surveys, interviewers shall be
trained to conduct the interviews effectively and efficiently to minimize any
potential for interviewer bias;
9) All
jurisdictional entities that conduct the survey by telephone shall use, or cause to
be used, a computer-assisted telephone interview software package that allows
answers to be directly entered; and
10)
All jurisdictional entities that conduct the survey via internet shall allow answers
to be directly entered by the respondent.
b) Jurisdictional entities are encouraged to join
together to hire a single research firm to execute the survey. If the jurisdictional
entities elect to use a market research firm, the number of attempts promised by the
firm, as well as the firm's past success at achieving a high response rate, shall be
included in the selection criteria for the firm. Requests for proposals shall
specify that the market research firm complies with the specifications of Sections
411.310
and 411.315 of this Part.
c)
Jurisdictional entities shall pre-test the survey instrument with a total of 30
randomly selected residential respondents and 30 randomly selected non-residential
respondents for all the jurisdictional entities combined. If any portion of the
survey instrument is confusing to respondents, then the jurisdictional entities
shall propose wording changes that preserve the meaning but provide clarity. These
proposed wording changes shall be subject to approval by the Commission.
