State, Local and Tribal Governments

OMB Number: 0584-XXXX

EXPIRATION DATE : XX/XX/20XX

Attachment E.1 Letter of Introduction from FNS

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in better identifying and understanding how States define and measure customer service for SNAP applicants and participants. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to better understand current efforts to strengthen customer service practices in SNAP. This collection does not request any personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. 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-[xxxx]. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 0.05 hours 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. 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 Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22306 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Dear STATE CONTACT,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has recently begun a study to better identify and understand how States define and measure customer service for SNAP applicants and participants, particularly those that go beyond the minimum requirements set by FNS.  Please see the attached study description for more detail regarding the Understanding States’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Customer Service Strategies study. FNS has contracted with Social Policy Research Associates and its partner Mathematica to conduct this research.

[State] is being invited to participate in this very important study because it has been identified as a State with promising SNAP customer service practices. FNS has identified nine States, including [State], that we believe will help us better understand current efforts to strengthen customer service practices in SNAP. 

Participating States will be asked to take part in a two-day site visit during which the study team will interview administrators from the SNAP agency, staff from a call center and/or local SNAP office, as well as one advocate, ombudsperson, or staff member from a community-based organization that connects individuals to SNAP. In addition, the team will collect any documents States have relating to customer service (for example, policy memos or training material). However, no administrative data, documents with SNAP participant information, or contact with such individuals will be required. The study team will make every effort to minimize State burden.

[State]’s participation is important to this study and we thank you in advance for your consideration and cooperation. If you have any questions about the study, please contact your FNS regional office, the FNS project officer ([email protected]), or the study’s project director ([email protected]) .

Sincerely,

[FNS staff name]