Who is conducting the interview?
The Evidence Building Support (EBS) Team is conducting this interview on behalf of Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The interviewer will be an EBS team member, but not the liaison you have been working with.
Why is the EBS Team conducting this interview?
RSA contracted with Westat to provide evidence building technical assistance support to the 27 selected 84.421F Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) grantees. As a part of this effort, the EBS Team is conducting interviews to inform the Annual Evidence Report. This report will assess and synthesize each grantee’s progress, documenting both formative (implementation progress) and summative (outcomes achieved) evidence across the program. It will also identify common strategies, barriers, and facilitators, and will summarize each grantee’s evaluation activities and progress.
How was my program selected for the interview?
The EBS Team will be inviting all 27 of the 84.421F DIF grantees to participate in the interview.
Do I have to participate in the interview?
Your participation in the interview is voluntary. Participation in the evidence-building activities is part of your grant’s agreement with RSA. If you are not able to participate in the interview, you may designate another person at your organization who has in-depth knowledge of and involvement with the program to participate in the interview.
What does the interview ask about?
The virtual interview conducted on Microsoft Teams will cover the following topic areas as applicable to your program:
Program Design and Implementation
Recruitment and Enrollment
Evaluation Activities
Barriers and Facilitators
Outcomes
We will record the interview with your permission.
How long will the interview last?
The interview will last approximately 90 minutes.
Is this a one-time interview?
No, we will contact you once annually during your grant period to participate in a scheduled interview.
How can I participate in the interview?
We are scheduling the interviews on Microsoft Teams, however, we can conduct the interview over telephone, if needed.
How will the EBS Team use the information I provide in the interview?
The EBS Team will use the information you provide in the interview as one of the data sources to produce the Annual Evidence Report for RSA. The information from the interview will also support the synthesis of emerging themes across grantees and capture context-sensitive factors not reported in standardized reports. As an important data source, the interviews will enhance understanding of grantee performance alongside evaluation plans, application project narratives, performance measures, logic models, technical assistance notes, and other documentation.
Will I receive any money for participating in the interview?
No, you will not receive any reimbursement for participating in the interview. Interview participation is part of the evidence building activities for your 84.421F DIF grant.
What are the risks of participating in the interview?
No personal risks are anticipated for participating in the interview. The EBS Team is conducting the interview to gain a more in-depth understanding of your project as part of the 84.421F DIF program. You may stop the interview at any time or not answer any questions you do not want to. The opinions you express in the interview will not have any effect on the grant funding. You will not be identified by name in reports or other products we deliver to RSA. Any quotes we use in the report will be used without your name or affiliation.
How will you keep my information safe?
The interview recordings and notes will be stored on secure storage networks at Westat. Only authorized EBS project staff will have access to the interview recordings or notes.
Whom should I contact if I have any questions?
For any questions regarding the interview, please contact your EBS Liaison or send an email to EBS@Westat.com.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 18xx-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.5 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Diandrea Bailey, PhD, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4B238, Washington, DC 20202-2800 directly.
Attachment B Project Director Interview Information Sheet |
B- |
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Westat |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2026-01-15 |