State, Local and Tribal Agencies (Respondents)

OMB Control No: 0584-0606 Expiration Date: 03/31/2019 Expiration Date: 03/31/2019

Appendix H2. Sponsor Key Informant Interview Pretest Protocol

Current Sponsor Qualitative Interview

Feasibility Interview Protocol

INTRODUCTION

Hello, my name is ______________ and I work for Insight Policy Research, a research company in Arlington, Virginia. Thank you [again] for taking the time to participate in this research study.

May I just check, am I speaking with <NAME FROM QUANTITATIVE SURVEY RECRUITMENT>. Great! [Just to remind you that] Insight is working with the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, on a study about the Summer Meals Programs and how these programs can be improved so more children can take part. Part of this study includes talking directly with sponsors of Summer Meals programs to better understand if there are parts of the programs that could be improved. We have developed an interview guide to use while talking with program sponsors. Before we conduct these interviews on a broader scale, we are interested in identifying areas for improving the questions. The goal is to ensure that the questions are easy to understand and answer.

Today I will conduct the interview with you that we are planning to use for the broader study. When we are finished, I’ll ask you about your experience answering the questions. There are no right or wrong answers. Our purpose is not to compile information on you or your program. Instead, your interview along with those of other sponsors, will help us improve the questions and estimate how long the interview takes.

INFORMED CONSENT

Before we get started, there are a few things I should mention.

• This is a research study, and your participation is voluntary. If you prefer not to answer any questions just say so and we’ll go on to the next one. It’s also okay if you change your mind after starting and would rather not participate. If you choose not to participate or answer a question, it will not have any impact on <PROGRAM / SITE>.

• All your answers, everything you say, will be kept confidential. We will not use your name or other identifying information in any reports.

• The thoughts and opinions that you share during our discussion will be used for research purposes only. We will combine your responses with those from other sponsors. They will not be used as an evaluation of your work, your staff’s work or <SPONSORING ORGANIZATION>.

• There are no direct benefits to you or <SPONSORING ORGANIZATION> for participating in this study.

• This discussion will take about an hour.

• We plan to audio record our conversation. This helps me so I can listen to what you are saying and won’t have to take a lot of detailed notes while you are talking. It will also help when we write up a summary of this interview.

• Only project staff will have access to the recording and other project materials. These materials will be destroyed once we have completed the project

• (Finally, some of the project staff from Insight and/or Westat might listen to our discussion to learn if there are things that might need to be changed to improve the interview guide.)

We have planned for this discussion to last no more than an hour.

Do you have any questions? [ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS]

Do I have your consent to participate?

IF YES: Okay. I will turn the recorder on now.

[ONCE RECORDER IS ON, “Now that the recorder is on, today is DATE at TIME. Do I still have your permission to audio record this interview?” MAKE SURE YOU GET AN AUDIBLE “Yes” FROM RESPONDENT.]

Procedures

First I’ll ask you general questions about <SPONSORING ORGANIZATION>, and then I’ll ask about meals, menu planning, and meal service. After that part of the interview is over, we’ll stop and I’ll ask you some questions abut your answers including your reactions to the series of questions we had just completed. However, if there is anything that you don’t understand or is confusing to you as we go through the questions it would be helpful if you could mention it at the time.

Do you have any questions before we start?

ADMINISTER CURRENT SPONSOR QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW..

BEGIN AT SECTION A, PAGE 3.

NOTE BEGIN TIME: __________________

ATTEND TO THE FOLLOWING DELIVERY, COMPREHENSION AND RESPONSE ISSUES. MAKE NOTES ON INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR REFERENCE DURING DEBRIEFING.

Delivery Issues	R asks for Q repeat
	R asks for Q clarification
Comprehension Issues	R seems to misunderstand
Response Issues	R had difficulty providing a response
	R's answer doesn't seem to fit the question
	R declines to answer
How responded	R based answer on own knowledge
	R doesn't know answer / would have to ask somebody else

NOTE ANY VERBAL REACTION R SHARES FOR FOLLOW-UP DURING THE DEBRIEF.

FOR ANY NON-VERBAL REACTIONS (E.G., LONG PAUSES), ASK ONLY, Tell me what you’re thinking here. DO NOT PROBE BEYOND THAT UNTIL THE DEBRIEF.

Debriefing Questions

NOTE END TIME: _________________________

Thank you. Now I’m going to ask you some questions about the interview we just completed. First, just tell me your overall impressions of the questions I just asked you about the <SPONSORING ORGANIZATION>.

USE RELEVANT PROBES BELOW TO DISCUSS OBSERVED ISSUES.

REFER TO NOTES TAKEN ON INTERVIEW GUIDE.

ASK ABOUT THE ISSUES IN THE ORDER THEY OCCURRED.

REPEAT QUESTION TEXT TO REORIENT R.

Clarification Requests

You asked [FILL] for question Xx. Can you say more about what you were thinking there?

Hesitation

Can you say more about your hesitation at question XX?

Confusion

What was it about question XX that seemed confusing to you?

IF NEEDED, In your own words, what information would you say [CONFUSING TEXT] is asking for?

Answer Changes

What made you decide to change your answer at question XX?

If R said question did not apply

For question XX you said it did not apply. Can you say more about that?

If R could not answer

For question XX, you said you couldn’t answer. Can you say more about that?

Wrap-up

Which questions did you think were hardest to answer? What makes you say that?

Which questions did you think were easiest to answer? What makes you say that?

Closing and Incentive

IF OBSERVERS ARE PRESENT, CHECK TO SEE IF THEY HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.

Those are all the questions I have for you. Is there anything you’d like to add?

DISCUSS ANY RESPONDENT COMMENTS.

Thank you for your time.

STOP RECORDING.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes 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. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 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 Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-0606). Do not return the completed form to this address.