Appendix D.4. Example RO SA Pretest Invite

Appendix D.4. Example RO SA Pretest Invite

OMB Number: 0584-0613

Expiration Date: 09/30/2019

Dear [insert STATE CN Director contact name]:

2M Research Services and Mathematica Policy Research are conducting the Child Nutrition Reducing Burden Study on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The purpose of this study is to identify the best means of efficiently consolidating burden in the school meals programs, including reporting and administrative requirements and simplifying regulations for School Food Authorities (SFAs) and State Agencies (SAs).

The study is developing new content for its two brief (~20 minutes) surveys – one that will be administered to State Child Nutrition (CN) directors and the other to SFA directors. Pretesting is a critical component of the survey development. Pretesting enables FNS to ask the best possible questions and make the most efficient use of SA and SFA staff time. Mathematica will ask pretest participants to complete the survey and debriefing interview by telephone to discuss their impressions. Because this is a congressionally mandated study with a firm timeline, pretest activities will need to occur between November 15 and November 17, 2017. Mathematica will schedule a one-hour interview with pretest participants on one of these three days.

I strongly encourage your participation in the pretest. In total, participating in this pretest should take no more than one hour. Veronica Severn from Mathematica will contact you directly about your participation in the pretest and schedule the interview.

I am also asking that you identify 4 SFA directors in your state who would be willing and able to participate in the pretest between November 15 and November 17, 2017. Identifying SFAs with different characteristics would be helpful (for example, two large and two small SFAs; two urban and two rural SFAs). Please complete the table below by listing each SFA name and contact information and send back to me by Friday, October 27, 2017. It would be helpful if you can notify the SFAs you identified below, encourage their participation in the pretest, and let them know that Mathematica be contacting them very soon.

SFA Name	SFA Director Name	SFA Director Email Address	SFA Director Phone Number

Thank you in advance for your help with this important research effort. If you have any specific questions about the study or the pretest, please contact Veronica Severn at Mathematica. She can be reached at vsevern@mathematica-mpr.com or (617) 715-6931.

Sincerely,

[Insert RO contact name] Regional Study Liaison

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 0584-0613. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 6 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302, ATTN: PRA (0584-0613). Do not return the completed form to this address.