M1.1. Focus Group Recruitment Email

Appendix M1.1.

Participant Focus Group Recruitment Email

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Participant focus group recruitment email template

FROM: [STUDY EMAIL]

TO: [MOBILE PAYMENT PILOT PARTICIPANT]

EMAIL SUBJECT: SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot

Dear [MOBILE PAYMENT PILOT PARTICIPANT],

We need your help! Some stores in your area now let you use your mobile device (such as a smart phone or smart watch) to pay for food with your [EBT] card. We are inviting you to participate in a focus group because we want to know what you think about this new payment option. [FILL IF NON-ADOPTER: You do not need to have used this payment option to participate.] We will give you $50 in cash for your participation.

If you are interested in participating in our focus group, please respond to this email or call XXX-XXX-XXXX. After you have expressed your interest, a member of the study team will call you to confirm that you are eligible to participate.

Background: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is sponsoring a new study called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Mobile Payment Pilot Evaluation. The study tests a new way to pay for food using your SNAP benefits. FNS has asked a company called Mathematica to collect more information from you and other SNAP participants.

As part of the SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot, we will be conducting focus groups of 8 to 10 participants to discuss your experiences with the option to use mobile payments at some stores in [STATE] and to learn what worked well and what could be improved. [FILL IF NON-ADOPTER: You do not need to have used mobile payments to participate in the focus group.] Your feedback is very important to us and will help us better understand how to improve these programs. We know how valuable your time is, so we will give you $50 in cash for your participation in the session.

We have attached a list of frequently asked questions to this email. Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any questions. We can be reached at xx@mathematica-mpr.com or at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thank you in advance for participating in this important study.

Sincerely,

[STUDY PROJECT DIRECTOR]

Project Director

Public Burden Statement

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in evaluating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Mobile Payment Pilot (MPP). This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to evaluate the implementation, adoption, and scalability of the SNAP MPP. This collection does request personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. 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-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1 minute (0.0167 hours) 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 Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-XXXX). Do not return the completed form to this address.