State, Local and Tribal Agencies (Directors, SFA & Schools)

APPENDIX C-9. SNAP DIRECTOR GUIDE

OMB Number: 0584-NEW

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Evaluation of the School Meal Data Collection Process

State SNAP Interview Guide

Introduction

Good morning/afternoon. Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me today. My name is [INTERVIEWER’S NAME] and I work for Westat, a private research company in Rockville, Maryland. With me today is [NOTE TAKER’S NAME] who will be taking notes.

Consent Form

PURPOSE: The federal Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is interested in understanding and improving the processes used to collect and report program data. FNS hired Westat to conduct a study to describe how schools, School Food Authorities (SFAs), and state agencies collect and report school meal program data via three forms:

• FNS-10, Report of School Program Operations,

• FNS-742, School Food Authority Verification Collection Report, and

• FNS-834, State Agency (NSLP/SNAP) Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report.

We will also identify where errors tend to occur during data collection and transmission. The final product will be a description of the data collection processes for these forms, and recommendations to improve the process and increase accuracy.

During our conversation today, we would like to ask you about the Form FNS-834, the State Agency (NSLP/SNAP) Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report.

HOW YOU WERE SELECTED: We are conducting four state-based case studies that include qualitative interviews with 4 State Child Nutrition and SNAP agencies, 10 SFAs in each State, and 3 schools per SFA in order to describe the data collection processes and gather information to better understand areas for improvement. Westat worked with FNS to select states based on factors such as state size, FNS region, use and type of management information system (MIS) and direct certification system processes.

INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED: As a State SNAP Director, we will ask about your experience with completing the FNS-834. We will also ask about your experience collaborating with other department or agencies as well as any suggestions you may have on how to improve the FNS-834 form and submission process.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-NEW. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. The time required for the State Child Nutrition Director to provide this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

RISKS AND PRIVACY: There is little risk to being part of this study. We use all data we collect only for the purposes we describe. Your name will not be linked to any of your responses. In our reports we may include quotes from our respondents, but these will be presented without the speaker’s name and in such a way that you could not be identified. Participating in the survey may not help you individually, but it may help us better understand how to improve the completion of FNS-10, FNS-742 and FNS-834.

STUDY COSTS AND COMPENSATION: There is no cost to you to join this study. The interview takes about 60 minutes.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: Your participation is entirely voluntary. Refusal to participate will not have any impact on your position or child nutrition programs. You can take a break, skip questions or stop participating at any time.

[NOTE TAKER’S NAME] is here with me to take notes, but know that the information you share in this discussion will be kept private.

QUESTIONS: If you have questions about your rights and welfare as a research participant, please call the Westat Human Subjects Protections office at 1-888-920-7631. Please leave a message with your full name, the name of the research study that you are calling about, which is the Evaluation of School Meal Data Collection, and a phone number beginning with the area code. Someone will return your call as soon as possible.

We have planned for this discussion to last 60 minutes. Is that still okay?

With your permission I would like to record this discussion to help us fill any gaps in our written notes. The recordings, transcripts, and any notes we have will be stored on Westat’s secure server and will be destroyed after the project is complete.

Do you have any questions? [ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS]

If you agree to participate in this interview, please read the following statement and sign your name below.

I have read the above information about this project and my rights as a participant. I consent to participate in this research and to have this discussion audio-taped.

Signature Date

Printed Name

If you do not agree to be audio recorded, please cross out “and to have this discussion audio-taped” in the sentence above.

May I turn on the audio recorder now?

Warm Up

1. To start, please tell me about your role at the agency and how long you have worked here.

2. What are your responsibilities with regard to the FNS-834, Direct Certification Rate Data Element Report form?

Probes:

a. Monitoring direct certification

b. Managing data tracking system

c. Compiling data

d. Cleaning data

e. Liaison with State Child Nutrition Agency

Processes for the FNS-834

Provide respondent with a copy of the form as a reference.

The SNAP State agency provides Data Element #2 on this form each year—the number of school-aged children in SNAP households during the months of July, August and September. The report is due to FNS by December 1. I would like you to walk me through each step in the process the agency goes through to complete and submit this data for the FNS-834. (ask for any materials they can share)

3. Where do you pull the information from?

4. Tell me more about the process of pulling and submitting the data

Probes:

a. Who is responsible for these tasks?

b. Does your data system tally this data automatically or do you have to do it manually?

c. What data are used to arrive at the number reported to FNS?

d. Do the same staff collect the data and fill out the form each year?

5. What quality checks are conducted to ensure the accuracy of the data?

Probe:

a. Who reviews the data before it’s submitted to FNS? Describe that review process.

6. Are you aware of the FNS guidance memos on how to complete the form?

Probes:

a. [If yes] How did you find out about the guidance memos in the first place?

b. [If yes] Have you read any of the memos?

c. [If yes] How did you access the memos?

d. [If yes] Did you find the memos useful? Why or why not?

7. Is there any guidance you would find helpful in completing the form? [please be specific]

8. How would you describe the user friendliness of the Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS) for submitting the FNS-834 to your FNS Regional Office?

Probe:

a. If you could, what improvements would you make to FPRS related to the FNS-834?

9. What would you say are the main points of confusion for you and your colleagues when compiling and calculating the data for Data Element #2?

Probe:

a. When you have questions about the data or the process, who do you turn to for help?

10. Do you have any suggestions about how the FNS-834 form could be improved?

Probes:

a. Would additional guidance or clarity in the instructions help, or does the form itself need to change?

b. Would you prefer to provide intermediate calculations used in arriving at the reported numbers so as to reduce questions from FNS about how the number was calculated?

c. There are children from SNAP households who attend non-NSLP schools. How do you separate out those children?

i. Is that difficult?

ii. Would you find it useful to include those children in the count?

d. Would it make a difference if the form were a simple upload rather than a fillable field in FPRS?

11. If a change were to be made to the FNS-834 form, how much time would the agency require to adapt how the data are compiled and calculated to match that change?

12. Are there any other challenges in collecting data for the FNS-834 that you haven’t already mentioned? In transmitting the data to the Regional Office?

13. Does the FNS Regional Office provide guidance or assistance to you with collecting or submitting the data? If so, describe.

a. Would you find it valuable to receive any kind of regular technical assistance or updates from FNS about how to complete this form? If so, what would be most useful?

Wrap Up

14. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. Do you have any final questions or thoughts?