Appendix N.2 FNS Response to NASS Comments on OMB Package

Appendix N.2
FNS Response to NASS Comments on OMB Package

WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study 2020 and 2022

OMB control number 0584-0609

Review conducted by Anna Potter Clifford at FNS.

Part A

The NASS reviewer requested changes in two sections of OMB Package Part A. In response, FNS expanded sections A.1 and A.2 to provided more detail about the circumstances that make the data collection necessary, how data is collected, and the history of the data collection and how requirements have changed over time. FNS also further explained that the specific data elements to be collected can be found in the Guidance to WIC State Agencies Providing Participant Data, included in the OMB package as appendix D. FNS also modified section A.16 to include more detail about data cleaning procedures. Specifically, we provided a high-level summary of the four phases of the data cleaning plan in section A.16 and included an exerpt from the WIC PC2018 Final Data Cleaning Plan as appendix O.

Part B

The NASS reviewer asked four questions about OMB Package Part B:

1. It is anticipated that data on 100 percent of WIC participants from each WIC SA will be received, was this the case for previous studies?

FNS response: We have revised our response to B.3 to reflect one instance where a State agency could not provide data on 100 percent of participants.

2. Has the alternative sampling strategy ever been used in previous studies?

FNS response: FNS has not had to use the alternative sampling strategy; we explained this at the beginning of OMB Package Part A in the section titled, Terms of Clearance.

3. Even if you receive a 100% response rate on this survey, is it possible have missing items for some records?

FNS response: Yes, it is possible to have missing items for some records. However, FNS has procedures in place to handle missing data (see appendix P. Excerpt from WIC PC2018 Final Data Cleaning Plan).

4. How will missing data be handled?

FNS response: When WIC SAs submit data files with missing data elements, FNS makes every every effort to obtain the missing information from the SA (see processes described in section A.12). If a WIC SA still cannot produce data for certain items, those items may be excluded from reporting. Generally, excluded data elements are described in footnotes to tables and/or figures in the final report. For more information on how missing data are handled, see appendix P.