SUPPORTING STATEMENT - PART B for
OMB Control Number 0584-NEW
Assessment of the Collection, Analysis, Validation, and Reporting of SNAP Employment and Training Data project
Loretta Robertson, Senior Program Analyst
Office of Employment and Training
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
1320 Braddock Place
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
PH: 703-605-3214
Table of Contents
B.1 Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods 3
B.2 Procedures for the Collection of Information 5
B.3 Methods to Maximize the Response Rates and to Deal with Nonresponse 5
B.4 Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken 7
B.5 Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects & Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data 7
Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.
Site Visits
FNS will select the States purposely for site visits and include a backup State. FNS will select seven States that vary on a range of characteristics including the (1) size and administration of the E&T program (State versus County); (2) types of data tracking systems (an all-inclusive management information system; a management information system that includes some E&T metrics, but not all; and a management information that does not include tracking of E&T data; (3) type of E&T program (primarily mandatory versus primarily voluntary); (4) approach for providing services (States that administer the program themselves, States that primarily partner with DOL, and States with a number of non-DOL partners), and (5) States that received grants for improving data. Each of these factors could directly affect the complexity of the data needed by the State and the capacity to provide current and future data reporting to FNS. After the seven States are selected, the project team will conduct site visits to each to assess current data systems and business processes that are used to collect, validate, and analyze program data for Federal and State reporting; monitor program providers; and track SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) participants.
The visits will take place over three days and will include a three-person team: a site lead, a data systems lead, and an analyst. The site lead will primarily direct the discussions and process mapping exercise; the system lead will participate in the discussions and process mapping and lead discussions with data and IT staff during the data system observations. The experienced analyst will facilitate discussions and take detailed notes.
This is a new data collection.
Respondents
The total number of unique estimated respondents is 284; however FNS anticipates 251 will agree to participate. Members of the public affected by the data collection include State, Local and Tribal agencies and the private sector (Business-for-profit and not-for-profit). Most respondents will be asked to participate in both an interview and group mapping discussion (186 unique respondents), some respondents will be asked to participate in the interview only (28 unique respondents), and others will be asked to participate in the group mapping discussion only (70 unique respondents). Respondent groups identified include the following:
State, Local, or Tribal agency (147 unique respondents):
Directors and managers from State, Local, and Tribal agencies supporting the SNAP E&T programs (35 unique respondents; 32 respondents and 3 non-respondents)
Policy staff from State, Local, and Tribal agencies supporting the SNAP E&T programs (28 unique respondents; 26 respondents and 2 non-respondents).
Direct services staff from State, Local, and Tribal agencies providing direct services to SNAP E&T participants (56 unique respondents; 50 respondents and 6 non-respondents).
Data and IT staff from State, Local, and Tribal agencies supporting the E&T programs (28 unique respondents; 26 respondents and 2 non-respondents).
Private sector (137 unique respondents):
Directors and managers from private sector for-profit businesses providing SNAP E&T services (21 unique respondents; 18 respondents and 3 non-respondents).
Direct services staff from private sector for-profit businesses providing SNAP E&T services (21 unique respondents; 18 respondents and 3 non-respondents).
Data and IT staff from private sector for-profit businesses providing SNAP E&T services (11 unique respondents; 9 respondents and 2 non-respondents).
Directors and managers from private sector not-for-profit agencies providing SNAP E&T services (35 unique respondents; 30 respondents and 5 non-respondents).
Direct services staff from private sector not-for-profit businesses providing SNAP E&T services (35 unique respondents; 30 respondents and 5 non-respondents).
Data and IT staff from private sector not-for-profit businesses providing SNAP E&T services (14 unique respondents; 12 respondents and 2 non-respondents).
Discussion guides. Within each State, the project team will collect data through (1) semi-structured interviews and (2) a process mapping exercise. The project team will use a master interview discussion guide with State, Local, and private sector staff (E&T providers) (Attachment B), and a separate guide for the process mapping exercise (Attachment B1).
Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:
Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,
Estimation procedure,
Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification,
Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and
Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.
Discussions will be conducted in-person in the form of semi-structured individual and groups discussions. The project team anticipates that interviews with each person or group of people will last between 60 to 180 minutes. They will be conducted from late winter 2020-2021 through the spring of 2021.
Members of the project team will make contact with the director of each state agency via email followed by an introductory call. During the introductory call, project team members will request permission to conduct the site visit and describe the process for conducting the site visit. Scheduling of interviews will be done collaboratively with the organization to ensure minimal disruption to program operations. The project team will recommend that the program director identify a site liaison within the program to work with the project team to plan the visit sessions and recruit program participants for the small group discussions.
Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.
In order to maximize response rates and deal with issues of non-response, FNS will select a purposive sample of States for participation and the project team will implement steps to reduce the burden on respondents. FNS will select States that will be willing to participate and have interest in inclusion in this project. In addition, FNS will have a back up State that could be included if one of the selected States chooses not to participate.
Once States are selected, the project team will work with program staff and the site liaison well in advance of each visit to ensure that the timing of the visit is convenient. Because the visits will involve several interviews and activities each day, there will be flexibility in the scheduling of specific interviews and activities to accommodate the particular needs of respondents and site operations.
Data reliability. The project team will employ two main strategies to ensure that the data are reliable and as complete as possible: (1) being flexible in terms of scheduling the site visits to maximize participation, and (2) assuring respondents that the information they provide will remain within the project team. Furthermore, the neutral tone of the questions in the data collection protocols and the absence of sensitive questions, along with the training of the site visitors, will facilitate a high degree of accuracy in the data. Shortly after each site visit, the site visit team members will synthesize the data from each interview, mapping process discussion, and observation, to complete a structured site visit summary. Because most questions will be asked of more than one respondent during a visit, the analysis will allow for the triangulation of the data so that discrepancies among different respondents can be interpreted.
Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.
Site visits
To ensure that the site visit master interview guide and process mapping guide provide effective responses and will yield comprehensive and comparable data, the site lead will primarily lead the interviews and process mapping discussion; the system lead will participate in the discussions and process mapping and lead discussions with data and IT staff. The experienced analyst will help to facilitate discussions and take detailed notes. After the first visit, the team will assess how well the guides direct the conversations and we will make non-substantive adjustments, as needed.
Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.
The following individuals will be involved in the design, data collection, and analysis for this project:
Gretchen Rowe, Senior Researcher, Mathematica, 202-484-4221
Jonathan Ladinsky, Senior Researcher, Mathematica, 609-275-2250
Elizabeth Brown, Researcher, Mathematica, 202-484-4680
Julie Hartnack, Researcher, Mathematica, 617-715-6938
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Supporting Statement for OMB No |
| Author | USDA |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-22 |