The Exploring Measurement of Performance Outcomes and Work Requirements in Programs Promoting Economic Independence (EMPOWERED) Study
ASPE Generic Information Collection Request
OMB No. 0990-0421
Supporting Statement – Section B
Submitted: June 18, 2018
Contracting Officer’s Representative
Erica Meade
Social Science Analyst & Project Officer
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201
(202) 205-8165
Section B – Data Collection Procedures
Respondent universe and sampling methods
The respondent universe for this information collection will consist of staff who are involved in developing, implementing, and overseeing work requirement policies in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and public housing programs in three states. ASPE selected three states for this study based on characteristics of the work requirement policies across the chosen human services programs. In each state, respondents will include state administrators, local-level staff, and, where applicable, employment and training (E&T) providers. State administrators will include TANF, SNAP, and Public Housing agency directors, policy staff, staff monitoring work requirements, and data managers. Local area staff will include the office and/or regional director, supervisors, eligibility workers, and case managers. E&T providers will include the director and staff delivering services to participants.
Within each state, two local sites will be selected, one urban and one rural. For each state selected, we will work with federal agency staff to identify a state contact person in each program for TANF, SNAP, and public housing. The state contact person will help to identify the appropriate state administrators to interview based on their roles and knowledge of work requirement policies. Selection of the local sites will be based on conversations with federal and state agency staff. We will work with these state program contacts to identify the local program offices and providers, office administrators, and frontline staff most involved in the administration of work requirements. We will determine together with ASPE and each state how to group staff for interviews, depending on the program and location. The following outlines the potential universe of interviews and staff:
State administrators: Group interviews will be conducted within each program, where appropriate. Respondents will include the following:
4 staff (agency director, policy lead, staff overseeing work requirements, and data manager)
For 3 programs (TANF, SNAP, and public housing)
In 3 states
n =36
Local office administrators
1 staff (director or supervisor)
In 2 local sites
For 3 programs
In 3 states
n = 18
Local office frontline staff: Group interviews will be conducted by staff type. This is the maximum number of frontline staff we would contact, but it is likely that the same staff provide eligibility determination for both SNAP and TANF, and that SNAP does not have case managers for E&T in several states. We will work to minimize the number of staff interviewed, when feasible.
2 staff types: eligibility workers (3 per office), case manager (3 per office)
In 2 local sites
For 3 programs
In 3 states
n = 108
E&T providers (if applicable): Group interviews will be conducted with service provider staff. In addition, we will select a provider in the area that serves clients from all or most of the human services programs of interest.
2 staff types (director, service provider)
In 2 local sites
In 3 states
n = 24
Procedures for the collection of information
The data will be collected via in-person interviews over a three-day site visit to selected sites. ASPE will send the program directors from TANF, SNAP, and public housing agencies in these states an email inviting them to participate in a site visit (see Attachment B: Request to Participate from ASPE). This email will introduce the project, inform the agency heads their state has been selected to participate, and inform them they will be contacted by the research team to discuss their participation. This email will be followed by an email from the research team to schedule a call to discuss the study and site visit in more detail (see Attachment C: Request to Participate from Mathematica). During this telephone call, the research team will describe the purpose of the site visits, confirm the agency’s willingness to participate, provide an overview of site visit activities, and begin working to schedule the visit. The team will work with the agency head or someone designated by the agency head to work with the research team to identify staff most involved with administering work requirement policies and to coordinate the visit.
During the site visit, interviews will be conducted through 60-minute individual interviews or 90-minute small-group interviews. The interviewer will ask permission to conduct the interview, making clear that responses will be private, the research team will not share interview notes outside the data collection and analysis team, and project findings will not be identifiable by individual respondent. In interviews with relevant staff, the research team will ask for any aggregate data reports that are relevant for the administration of work requirements. We will ask for existing data files or reports that do not contain personally identifiable information; staff will not be asked to create any new files.
Data will be collected from a master discussion guide in Microsoft Word designed to capture information across multiple human service programs (see Attachment A: Master Discussion Guide). Data will be stored on a secure network drive maintained by Mathematica Policy Research. Following the analysis, the research team will share key findings with ASPE in a summary memo.
Methods to maximize response rates deal with nonresponse
As needed, we will conduct an interview after the in-person visit in the event that a key individual cannot participate due to a scheduling conflict and no substitute could be identified while on site.
Test of procedures or methods to be undertaken
The qualitative interviews will be conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and will be limited to 60 minutes for individuals and 90 minutes for small groups. The semi-structured interview guide will allow the interview questions to be tailored to the respondent based on their organization and role. Not all questions will be asked of all respondents, and interviewers will ensure they use the program names, acronyms, and terminology that is appropriate for each respondent to understand the questions that are asked. Interviewers will learn from site visit how to best word the questions during the interviews for future interviews if there are program specific titles or names.
Individuals consulted on statistical aspects and individuals collecting and/or analyzing data
Mathematica is conducting this project under contract number HHSP233201500035I / HHSP23337027T and developed the plans for analyzing data for this study. The team is led by the following individuals:
Erica Meade
Project Officer
Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation
202-205-8165
Pamela Holcomb
Project Director
Mathematica Policy Research
202-250-3573
Gretchen Rowe
Senior Researcher
Mathematica Policy Research
202-484-4221
Julie Hartnack
Research Analyst
Mathematica Policy Research
617-715-6938
Katie Eddins
Research Analyst
Mathematica Policy Research
202-838-3614
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS – Section B
Attachment B: Request to Participate from ASPE
Attachment C: Request to Participate from Mathematica
Attachment D: Study Description
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | ASPE SUPPORTING STATEMENT B EMPOWERED WR |
| Subject | OMB |
| Author | VARIOUS |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-20 |