Performance Data Collection Instruments and Processes

Background

EDA collects and reports on performance measures in compliance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 that, as amended by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, establishes requirements for all agencies to collect, analyze and report on their performance.

EDA collects performance data on construction awards using the ED-915. Performance data on non-infrastructure awards is collected using the ED-916: Semiannual Program Outputs Questionnaire, ED-917: Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire (for Grantees Serving Clients), and the ED-918: Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire (for Grantees without Clients).

Non-Infrastructure Data Collection Instruments

The ED-916, ED-917, and ED-918 instruments are grounded in years of cooperative research between EDA and leading research institutions including SRI International and UNC-Chapel Hill. One of the results of this research was the refinement of the economic development metrics to fit a wide range of non-infrastructure economic development projects, their associated outputs and the intermediate, or capacity outcomes that were confirmed as key to sustainable long-term economic outcomes based on the Logic Model.

The components of the logic model (PDF), as delineated in this research, draw from a vast body of work on economic development theory and practice. The logic model depicted captures the logical progression of a grant program, from inputs to activities to immediate outcomes and long-term outcomes. Within each component of the logic model, different categories of inputs, outputs, and outcomes might occur depending on the program’s focus.

EDA will be collecting Program Outputs and Capacity Outcomes data directly from grantees with the ED-916, ED-917, and ED-918 instruments which are distributed electronically through Qualtrics.

ED-916: Semiannual Program Outputs Questionnaire (PDF)

The ED-916 collects data on program activities directly from the grantees in order to monitor and assess grantees’ progress, as well as to compile the data for future explorations of the linkages between program activities and capacity building outcomes.

ED-917: Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire (for Grantees Serving Clients) (PDF)

The ED-917 collects data on the short term, direct impacts that result from the activities and services provided as a result of the EDA grant. It is intended for grantee organizations that serve clients or beneficiaries directly.

The instrument is split into two main sections: the first section asks about more traditional outcomes such as job creation and retention, private investment leveraged, and operating revenue changes. The second section covers a broader set of capacity outcomes to allow our grantees to report on important milestones and intended outcomes that can be more specific to their grants. Unlike before, we will be capturing information on such key outcomes as new product introductions, expansion of business networks, and new financing and human capital improvements.

ED-918: Annual Capacity Outcomes Questionnaire (for Grantees without Clients) (PDF)

The ED-918 collects data on the short term, direct impacts that result from the activities and services provided as a result of the EDA grant. This instrument mirrors the ED-917 but is intended for EDA grantees who do not serve clients directly but organize or develop strategies, studies, and plans that achieve outcomes to help grow regional economies.

We do not expect that every single category of outputs will apply to your project, so in responding to these instruments, you will be able to select only the pertinent categories and questions while bypassing the inapplicable ones.

In fact, the logic embedded in the instruments will make many of the questions invisible to you.

NON-INFRASTRUCTURE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

The data collection process for non-infrastructure awards is entirely web-based, currently through Qualtrics. Links to the questionnaires are distributed electronically to grant recipients by the Performance, Research and National Technical Assistance Division according to the following schedule:

ED-916 Semi-Annual Program Outputs Questionnaire

• Non-Infrastructure grant recipients with award start dates on or after 6/1/2020 receive the Semi-Annual Program Outputs Questionnaire every six (6) months during the period of performance.
• This questionnaire is distributed according to the start of the period of performance and ONLY during the period of performance.
• The reporting date for each report is included in the distribution email and in Qualtrics.
• *For RLF grantees, this questionnaire is distributed according to the recipient’s fiscal year and ONLY during the disbursement phase.

ED-917 and ED-918 Annual Program Outcomes Questionnaire for Grantees with (ED-917) and without (ED-918) Clients

• Non-Infrastructure grant recipients with award start dates on or after 6/1/2020 receive the Annual Program Outcomes Questionnaire (either the ED-917 or the ED-918) annually for five (5) years.
• This questionnaire is distributed according to the start of the period of performance, annually for five (5) years.
• *For RLF grantees, this questionnaire is distributed according to the recipient’s fiscal year, annually for five (5) years.

RLF GPRA reporting is based on the RLF recipient’s fiscal year. RLF recipients will be due to report near their fiscal year-end (FYE) and near mid-fiscal year. The first semiannual questionnaire will be distributed either near FYE or near mid-year, whichever comes first, and every six months thereafter. The first annual questionnaire will be due along with the second semiannual questionnaire and every 12 months thereafter.

Note: EDA non-construction awards with periods of performance beginning prior to June 1, 2020 are not subject to EDA’s updated GPRA reporting requirements. For this reason, recipients of non-construction awards with periods of performance beginning prior to June 1, 2020, no longer need to submit GPRA reports for such awards. Note, however, that EDA construction awards and some legacy revolving loan fund (RLF) awards are not subject to EDA’s updated GPRA reporting requirements and must continue to submit GPRA data collection Form ED-915.

Information You Should Have Available

In addition to reviewing the PDF versions of the ED-916 and either the ED-917 or the ED-918 as provided above, you should also make every effort to gather the following information prior to completing the web-based questionnaires, regardless of which EDA grant program you have an award under:

• Industry specific NAICS codes: There are several questions for which having these codes ready will greatly speed up the time it takes to complete the questionnaires.
• Census tracts: It is becoming increasingly important for EDA to capture and report on location-specific information which requires us to know to the greatest precision possible the location of each of EDA’s awards. Having census tract location data available for your project (or county names if you are serving an entire county) will be very helpful for us as we gather and analyze the data from these questionnaires.