Appendix D1. Email with Link to State Director Survey

OMB Approval No. 0584-####

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Appendix D1: Email with Link to State Director Survey

Subject: Please Complete the IRA Study State Director Survey

Dear State Child Nutrition Director,

We are writing to request your completion of the State Director Survey for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Study, Evaluation of the Independent Review Process (“IRA Study”).

As explained in the notification letter you received from FNS (copy attached), this study will provide FNS with information about the effectiveness of the independent review of applications (IRA) requirement for school meal programs, also called the second review of applications. The study will examine how State agencies and local education agencies (LEAs) conduct the IRA and report results to FNS, and assess whether IRA is effective in identifying and reducing administrative error in the certification of household applications. FNS has contracted with Westat to conduct this study.

The first phase of data collection is an online survey of all State Child Nutrition Directors. To complete the survey, visit the secure website below and enter your PIN:

Survey Website: [LINK]

PIN: [####]

Please complete and submit the survey as soon as possible, but no later than [DATE].

You may share the link and PIN with your colleagues so that they may assist in responding to questions about the IRA process. However, as the State Child Nutrition Director, you must approve and submit the completed survey. You and your colleagues may login to the survey as many times as you wish before submitting, and may save your work as you go.

As you may recall, the law governing the school meal programs requires organizations participating in the programs to cooperate in studies such as the IRA Study. While your participation in this study is completely voluntary, your feedback will improve our understanding of the IRA process and its effectiveness. Please know that your responses will be kept private as required by law, and will not be shared with anyone not involved with conducting the study. Neither your name nor any other information about your identity will be used in any reports.

If you have any questions about the study or how to complete the survey, please email us at [study email] or call us toll-free at [study phone number].

The final report will be published online after the study ends in February 2019, and FNS will email you a link to where you can download the report.

Your partnership matters to us! We appreciate your support of this important FNS study.

Sincerely,

The Westat Study Team

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 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.