ATTACHMENT A - Research Questions and Data Sources Table

ATTACHMENT A: RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND DATA COLLECTION SOURCES TABLE

Research Questions and Data Collection Sources Table
Research Questions and Data Collection Topics	Data Sources
	Background information: FNS, NAFDPIR, study reports, etc.	Case File Reviews	Individual Surveys	Site Visits		Discussion Groups of Participants/Non-Participants	FNS Administrative Data	Census Data
		Current Participants	Current Participants	Program Staff	Observations/ Program Materials
Objective 1: Provide a demographic profile of households and individuals that currently participate in the FDPIR, including their participation in other assistance programs.
1.1 What are the demographic characteristics and composition of participant households nationwide and across different size local programs? What are the characteristics and composition of major subgroups?	X	X	X
1.2 What are the characteristics of FDPIR participants? (Ages, gender, Tribal affiliation, marital status, student status, educational attainment, disability status, and employment status)		X	X
1.3 What are participant households’ sources of earned and unearned income? Is there a worker in the household? How many hours a week is the worker employed?		X	X
1.4 What kind of medical insurance do participants have? Do FDPIR participants receive health services on the reservation? If yes, from what source?			X	X
1.5 Has this household or any member been disqualified from participation in FDPIR?			X	X		X
1.6 Did/does this household use a designated representative to apply for FDPIR or pick up the food packages?		X	X
1.7 What means of transportation do participants use to apply for FDPIR or SNAP benefits and travel to food retail stores? What are the travel distances from home to the FDPIR certification site, food distribution point, nearest SNAP office, nearest food retail store that sells fresh produce, nearest full-service authorized SNAP retailer (supermarket), and nearest authorized SNAP retailer that is not a supermarket? To what extent are FDPIR foods delivered directly to the homes of participating households?	X		X	X		X
1.8 How many and what kinds of food retail stores exist within or near the reservation, how far are they from residences of reservation members, and to what extent are they used by FDPIR and SNAP participants?	X		X	X		X
1.9 Where do FDPIR households live and what are their shelter expenses? Do households own homes or rent? What are households' utility costs and what do these costs include (e.g. heating, cooling, electricity, gas, telephone)?		X	X
1.10 What are households’ food storage and preparation facilities? What proportion lack food storage or preparation resources?			X			X
1.11 What types of health issues are FDPIR participants currently experiencing?			X			X
Objective 2: Assess FDPIR’s contribution to participants’ food supply.
2.1 Is FDPIR the only or primary source of food for the participant household?			X			X
2.2 Are there other nutrition assistance programs available to American Indians living on or near the reservations? Are any of these programs provided by a Tribal agency on the reservation? How big of a role do they play in ensuring adequate food supplies for low-income residents?			X	X		X
2.3 If FDPIR is not the primary source of food, approximately what proportion of participants’ needs are fulfilled by FDPIR?			X			X
Objective 3: Quantify the extent to which FDPIR participants switch between FDPIR and SNAP in the prior year and determine the main reasons for movement between the two programs.
3.1 What proportion of FDPIR participants also received SNAP benefits in the last year?		X		X			X
3.2 How many months a year do these households participate in FDPIR and in SNAP? Are there gaps in participation as a result of transitions from one program to the other and back?		X		X
3.3 What household circumstances and reasons are there for movement between the two programs?			X	X		X
Objective 4: Explore the reasons why fewer individuals are participating in FDPIR.
4.1 Are there any factors that might affect the number of individuals that are eligible for FDPIR?	X			X			X	X
4.2 Have preferences for food packages declined in favor of SNAP benefits or other nutrition assistance? If so, what are the reasons for the change in preferences?			X	X		X
4.3 Is FDPIR used more by a particular subgroup that may be declining nationwide such as persons of a particular age?		X						X
4.4 Are there significant barriers that affect participation? How do they affect access or continued participation? Do they pertain to any specific FDPIR policy or local operation? Do they pertain to a specific subgroup of eligible households? Do known barriers differ across local programs and if so, how?			X	X		X
4.5 Have barriers to SNAP or other nutrition assistance diminished over time, making these alternatives to FDPIR more appealing to customers?		X	X	X			X
4.6 What are the characteristics of households who discontinued participation in FDPIR in the last year? What are their reasons for discontinuing FDPIR participation?		X	X
4.7 What other economic factors may have a significant influence on FDPIR participation?	X			X		X
Objective 5: Provide descriptive information on key aspects of FDPIR operations.
5.1 What kinds of outreach activities are conducted?			X	X		X
5.2 How is the need for expedited service determined and then provided?				X	X
5.3 What proportion of certifications is conducted in the office, over the phone, or at remote locations such as vehicle delivery points (sometimes called tailgating)? If certifications are conducted in remote locations, describe the accommodations for clients.				X	X
5.4 How and to what extent are computers used to screen households for eligibility, initiate an application, collect client information, validate information, and check against dual participation in SNAP?				X	X
5.5 Are any other types of programs or services conducted in the same locations as FDPIR?			X	X	X	X
Objective 6: Describe the resources devoted to nutrition education and the format of the information provided directly to FDPIR participants.
6.1 How much funds are spent on nutrition education by the local FDPIR? What are the levels of staff support?				X	X		X
6.2 What approaches are used to provide nutrition education? What kinds of information about the use of FDPIR foods are provided?				X	X	X
6.3 Approximately what proportion of FDPIR participants receives nutrition education?			X	X
Objective 7: Identify the factors that affect program managers’ decisions on which FDPIR foods are ordered from FNS.
7.1 Are there limitations in storage or distribution that affect the selection of foods? If so, what is needed to address these limitations?				X	X
7.2 Are there seasonal preferences or other factors related to acceptability or household preferences that affect the order?				X
Objective 8: Describe the approaches used to distribute food packages to participants and why they are selected.
8.1 What commodity distribution modes (pickups, store settings, tailgates, deliveries) are used by the local program? What proportion of participants is served by these approaches?				X
8.2 How many deliveries are made to FDPIR participants each month, by distribution mode?				X	X
8.3 How are distributions scheduled? How are distributions made to customers who are unable to travel to the pickup site?				X
8.4 If distributions are directly from warehouses, are there other satellite warehouses? Do they have the same storage capacity? Do satellite warehouses operate on the same schedule as the main warehouse? If not, how do they differ?				X
8.5 If vehicle distributions to remote sites are necessary, what are the reasons clients cannot access central warehouses?				X
8.6 If vehicle distributions to remote sites are used, do the vehicles have refrigeration and freezers?				X	X
8.7 Does the distribution method affect the composition of the package? If so, how?				X
8.8 What, if any, other services are provided at the time of distribution to participants?			X	X	X	X
Objective 9: Ascertain participant satisfaction with administrative practices and the food package.
9.1 How satisfied are FDPIR participants with each of the following program elements: Application process, Location and attributes of the distribution facility, Frequency of distribution, Quality and types of food, Interaction with program staff, and Other program factors?			X			X

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