[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73584-73586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30674]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--Assessment of the Contributions of an Interview to
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and Benefit
Determinations
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on a proposed information collection. This proposed collection is for
``Assessment of the Contributions of an Interview to Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and Benefit Determinations.''
The proposed collection will examine if there is a difference in
payment accuracy, program access, administrative costs, and client
satisfaction under two conditions: usual application procedures and the
no-interview test condition.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 30, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; and (c) ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Director, Office of
Research and Analysis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and
Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA
22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of
Steven Carlson at (703) 305-2576 or via email to
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for public inspection at the
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive,
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven
Carlson at (703) 305-2017.
Abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a
critical source of support for many low-income families and
individuals. In recent years, States have changed the way clients
enroll in SNAP. A central feature of the changes is a waiver that
allows States to conduct the in-person eligibility interview over the
telephone. Many States have implemented this interview waiver. Some
states have expressed interest in exploring alternative certification
approaches that do not require conducting any interviews in the SNAP
eligibility determination process. However, there is little data
available to assess the impact of eliminating a certification interview
on client access, customer service, and program integrity. This study
will focus on the contributions of interviews to the determination of
SNAP eligibility and benefits. It will examine if there is a difference
in payment accuracy, program access, administrative costs, and client
satisfaction under two conditions: usual application procedures and the
no-interview test condition.
Three states--North Carolina, Oregon, and Utah--applied and were
selected to conduct this study. North Carolina and Oregon will be
conducting the study in selected demonstration sites and Utah will
randomly select clients across the entire state. All three states will
limit the size of the no-interview test condition to 20 percent of
their caseload. Each state will identify a comparison site(s) that
represents its current application procedures. These comparison sites
will be similar to the no-interview demonstration sites in terms of
population characteristics, population density, SNAP participation
trends, SNAP advocacy and outreach, economic indicators, and other
factors. Project findings will help policymakers understand the
contributions of an interview for eligibility and benefit
determination.
The project has eight research objectives: (1) Describe the
eligibility determination procedures under the current system and the
demonstration condition in each State; (2) describe any modernization
activities in each State that complement the waiver to make its
application most effective; (3) describe the process for implementing
the waivers; (4) describe the responses of clients to the no-interview
condition; (5) describe the responses of SNAP staff to the no-interview
condition; (6) describe the responses of community partners and other
stakeholders to the no-interview condition; (7) document the impact of
the no-interview condition; and (8) document the main take-away points
from the study to inform FNS.
Data will be collected from four sources:
First, site visits will be conducted to observe
demonstration and comparison procedures and to interview professional
staff who work at SNAP offices or related not-for-profit organizations.
Second, each State will conduct Quality Control (QC)-like
reviews both before and after implementing the demonstration projects.
The States will select 225 to 300 clients to interview from the
demonstration site during each round of reviews. The State will use the
same procedures to interview clients as it uses to conduct its Federal
QC reviews. These data will be used to measure the accuracy of the
eligibility and benefit determinations under both the no-interview and
the States' regular interview procedures.
Third, clients will be surveyed by telephone about their
recent application/recertification experiences under the interview
conditions to provide their perspectives on the process. Clients will
receive an advance letter about the survey, including a $2 pre-
interview cash incentive. The telephone interview will last five to
seven minutes. Clients will also receive a $10 gift card to a local
store after completing the survey.
Finally, a total of four focus groups will be conducted in
each State--two focus groups in the no-interview sites and two focus
groups in the interview sites. These focus groups will be conducted
with ``procedural denials''--individuals who submit a SNAP application
but are denied SNAP benefits because they fail to complete the
subsequent stages of the application
[[Page 73585]]
process. Focus group members will be selected using State SNAP
administrative data for recent applicants. Focus group discussions will
last approximately 90 minutes. All focus group participants will
receive a $30 stipend for participation and a $6 stipend for
transportation or parking. These qualitative data will provide a better
understanding of reasons applicants do not complete the certification
or recertification process.
Tailored protocols will be used for the survey and focus groups.
Interview and focus group questions will be as simple and respondent-
friendly as possible. Responses to all questions will be voluntary. The
contractor will take the following steps to treat the data provided in
a confidential manner: (1) No data will be released in a form that
identifies individual respondents by name and (2) information collected
through interviews will be combined across other respondents in the
same category and reported only in aggregate form. Respondents will be
notified of these confidentiality measures during data collection.
Other data collection will include observations of local offices
and interviews with staff at State and local SNAP offices and at not-
for-profit organizations. The study will use State administrative data
to examine trends in participation and benefit amounts and to monitor
demonstration costs and other performance issues.
Affected Public: Members of the public affected by the data
collection include State and local government, individuals and
households, and not-for-profit institutions. Respondent groups
identified include (1) SNAP staff at the State, district/county, and
local levels; (2) SNAP applicants and participants; and (3) not-for-
profit organizations that work closely with SNAP applicants and
participants.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The study will collect data from a
total of 2,991 respondents across all States. This number represents
the sum of 12 State-level SNAP staff interviews; 18 district/county
SNAP staff interviews; 60 local office SNAP staff interviews; 9
interviews with staff at not-for-profit organizations; 2,772 SNAP
clients; and 120 procedural denials.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each client survey
and focus group respondent will require one response. Each interview
respondent for State and local agency and not-for-profit organization
staff will require two responses.
Estimated Time per Response: For all interviews of State SNAP
staff, district/county SNAP staff, local office SNAP staff, and not-
for-profit partner staff, the burden estimate is 1.5 hours, which
includes the respondents' time to prepare for and complete the
interview. For client survey respondents, including the respondents'
time to read an advance letter and complete the survey, the burden
estimate is 0.1667 hours (10 minutes). For client survey refusers, the
burden estimate is 0.0833 hours (5 minutes), including time to read the
advance letter and field a call attempting the survey. For all
participating members in the focus groups, the burden estimate is 1.667
hours (100 minutes). This includes the respondents' time to be
screened, receive a reminder call, read a reminder letter, and
participate in the group. For all who decline to participate in the
focus groups, including the respondents' time to be screened, the
burden estimate is 0.0833 hours (5 minutes) (see the following table).
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents and Non-responders:
Staff from State-, district-, county-, and local-level SNAP offices, as
well as staff from not-for-profit organizations, will be interviewed
twice in the 15-month field period of this study. SNAP clients and
procedural denials will be interviewed or participate in a focus group
only once. This sums to a total of 1,072 hours, including State SNAP
staff, 36 hours; district/county SNAP staff, 54 hours; local office
SNAP staff, 180 hours; not-for-profit organization staff, 27 hours;
SNAP clients participating in the survey, 462 hours; and SNAP client
survey non-responders, 72.9 hours.
The number of survey non-responders is based on the assumption that
we will start with a sample of 3,647 clients, of which 95 percent will
be eligible for the survey, and will achieve an 80 percent response
rate. The burden for clients with procedural denials participating in
the focus groups is estimated at 200 hours, and for respondents who
elect not to participate in the focus groups (refusers), the estimated
total burden is 40 hours. The number of refusers is based on the
assumption that in order to have 120 respondents ultimately attend the
focus groups, 300 people will need to be recruited. In order to recruit
300 people, twice as many, or 600, will need to be contacted initially.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Responses
Affected public Respondent type number of annually per Total annual Estimated average number Estimated total
respondents respondent responses of hours per response hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State and Local Agencies........... State SNAP staff...... 12 2 24 1.5....................... 36
District/County SNAP 18 2 36 1.5....................... 54
staff.
Local office SNAP 60 2 120 1.5....................... 180
staff.
Not-for-Profit Organizations....... Community partner 9 2 18 1.5....................... 27
organization staff.
Individuals and Households......... Active SNAP 2,772 1 2,772 0.1667 (10 minutes)....... 462.1
participants (client
survey).\a\
Active SNAP 875 1 875 0.0833 (5 minutes)........ 72.9
participants (client
survey non-
responders).\b\
SNAP procedural 120 1 120 1.667 (100 minutes)....... 200
denials (focus group
participants).\c\
SNAP procedural 480 1 480 0.0833.................... 40
denials (focus group (5 minutes)...............
non-responders).\d\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.......................... ...................... 4,346 .............. 4,445 .......................... 1,072
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ Client survey respondents will receive an advance letter before the interview.
\b\ Client survey non-responders will receive an advance letter before fielding a call attempting the interview.
\c\ Focus group members will participate in a brief screening call or interview, participate in the focus group, and receive a reminder call and letter
before the focus group.
\d\ Focus group refusers will participate in a brief screening call or interview.
[[Page 73586]]
Dated: November 21, 2011.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-30674 Filed 11-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P