Business- Profit & Not -for- Profit

SEBTC EVALUATION

April 2011 Site Visits

Retailer Interview

INTRODUCTION

My name is [X], from [Abt Associates/Mathematica Policy Research].

As you may know, Abt and Mathematica are working together to evaluate the Summer EBT for Children demonstrations for the Food and Nutrition Service of USDA. My colleagues and I are visiting each of the five sites and collecting information from a wide range of stakeholders involved in the demonstration in order to learn about the process of implementation, the challenges you encountered, and lessons learned. I want to start by thanking you for taking time to speak with us today. Your perspective and insights on these issues are very helpful.

For stakeholders not receiving grant funds: Your participation is voluntary, and your responses will be kept confidential to the extent provided by law. You may refuse to answer any question and may stop the interview at any time.

Our reports to FNS will describe the range of responses expressed by staff, and may list the names of agencies and partners who contributed information, but we will not quote you or anyone by name or title. However, because of the relatively small number of organizations participating in the study, there is a possibility that a response could be correctly attributed to you.

I expect our conversation will take approximately 60 minutes.

[OPTIONAL IF INTERVIEWER CHOOSES TO RECORD:] I want to be sure I am keeping track of everything you are saying. May I record our discussion so that I can listen to it later when I write up my notes? No one outside of our research team will have access to the recording. [IF YES:] Thank you. It will be helpful if you speak up, speak clearly, and speak one at a time. [IF NO:] That’s no problem. I’ll take notes as you talk, but I may sometimes need to ask you to slow down or repeat so that I can get all the information.

First, do you have any questions for me about the project in general or what we will be discussing today?

A. BACKGROUND ON RESPONDENT

[RECORD NAME OF FIRM]

A.1 What is your position at [FIRM]? How many stores do you work with? What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

A.2 How long have you worked for [FIRM]?

B. Demonstration Planning and the Application Process

The planning process and issues addressed.

B.1 Were you or anyone from your organization involved in the planning process for the [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME] grant?

[If so, probe:]

• How did you become involved?

• What was your role?

• During what period were you involved in the planning process?

• What were your main issues of focus and/or concern during the planning process?

• What challenges did you encounter during the planning process? How were they addressed?

[If not, probe:]

• How did you hear about the program?

• When did you become involved?

C. training and support for retailers

[NOTE TO VISITOR: ASK P.1. IN ALL SITES. ASK P.2 ONLY IF RETAILER TRAINING HAS ALREADY STARTED AT TIME OF VISIT. OTHERWISE, QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED DURING SUMMER SITE VISIT]

Retailer preparations.

C.1 What information have you received about [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME]?

C.2 How and when was this information provided?

C.3 From your perspective, will the [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME] be very similar to [SNAP/WIC] or will there be a distinction?

[If there will be a distinction,]

• How will it be different?

C.4 Have store managers in your firm received any information about [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME]?

[If so, probe:]

• Which stores received this information? [statewide, project area, etc.]

• Who provided this information?

• What information was provided?

• How was the information provided (e.g. information packets, emails, pamphlets)? Was it provided in multiple languages?

• What questions have managers raised?

• How were these questions answered?

C.5 What [other] preparations is your firm making for SEBTC? What is the schedule for these preparations?

Description of training.

C.6 What training have the staff in your firm’s stores received on the [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME]?

C.7 Which stores received training?

C.8 Who conducted the training? What was your firm’s role?

C.9 When did store staff receive training?

C.10 How was training conducted?

Probe:

• Phone or face-to-face?

• If face-to-face, where was it held (such as a retailer location)?

• Was it one-on-one or a group training?

• Was it offered in Spanish or other languages (besides English)?

C11. How many store personnel were trained?

Probe:

• What types of personnel were invited to attend?

C.12 What information was covered during the training?

Probe:

• Information about the [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME]?

• The look of the EBT card?

• Use of the EBT card

• [FOR WIC SITES] The new WIC package?

C.13 How long did the training last (e.g. number of sessions, and number of hours per session)?

C.14 What was your overall impression of the training?

C.15 Would you suggest any changes to the training? If so, what types of changes?

C.16 Would additional material or training have been useful? If so, what types of additional information would you have liked?

D. Successes, Challenges, and Solutions

Successes.

D.1 Based on your experiences thus far with the demonstration, what have been the greatest successes?

D.2 What factors contributed significantly to this success?

D.3 What, if anything, could be done differently to improve the planning process or the initiation of the program?

Challenges.

D.4 Thus far, what have been the biggest challenges?

D.5 Have these challenges been resolved? If so, how? If not, why?

D.6 What could [STATE] have done differently in the early phases of implementation?

CLOSING

Is there anything you think is important for the FNS to know about the [STATE]’s [SEBTC PROGRAM NAME] demonstration that we did not ask about?

Thank you for your time and helpful feedback. The information you have shared will be valuable to our team as we look across states and localities for themes and ideas that we can share with FNS.

Are there any questions you have for me before we finish?

END OF INTERVIEW

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