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OMB No.____________
Exp. Date____________
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According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, persons are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number and expiration date. Responding to this survey is voluntary. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 70 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions and gathering materials that may be needed to support survey responses. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to Rosemarie Downer at [email protected].
[FNS Regional Office Letterhead]
Date: [Date]
From: FNS Regional Office
Subject: Participating in the Identifying Program Components and Practices that Influence SNAP Application Processing Timeliness Rates Study (SNAP Timeliness Study)
To: [State SNAP Director]
Timely processing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications is a priority shared by FNS and our State agency partners. While many States have worked to improve the administration of SNAP, the national average for application processing timeliness (APT) has remained below 90 percent for the last several years with the majority of States struggling to meet statutory and regulatory requirements. FNS is committed to working with States to ensure timely access to SNAP benefits and continues working to provide support and technical assistance. To better understand the root causes of timeliness issues and provide improved technical assistance, FNS has contracted with WRMA, Inc. and IMPAQ International to conduct a comprehensive in-depth study of program components and practices adopted by the 50 States and the District of Columbia to process SNAP applications. An information sheet describing this study is attached. FNS has asked SNAP Regional Offices to help the WRMA/IMPAQ study team coordinate States’ participation in the study.
This memo is to request your support in this important study. During the study’s data collection phase (January through June 2017), the study team will ask all State SNAP agencies to participate in the study. The study team will request that each State Director designate one State agency administrator to serve as the study team’s point of contact, who will be asked to:
complete a survey, either online or via telephone interview, about policy options, efforts to modernize administration, and operational procedures related to SNAP application processing
provide summary administrative data, policy documents, and procedural manuals
identify a sample of local SNAP agency office managers to complete the survey, either online or via telephone interview, and provide summary administrative data on SNAP caseload and procedure manuals, if needed
A study team member will contact you shortly after receipt of this letter to schedule a call to discuss this study in more detail and to coordinate your State’s participation.
SNAP is one of our country's strongest defenses against hunger and poverty and a critical support for eligible low-income families. I hope you will join FNS in supporting WRMA and IMPAQ in this important endeavor.
SNAP Director
FNS Regional Office
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Attachment:
Study Information Sheet
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Margaret Camarena |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-23 |