Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) Recipients Feedback Survey

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BURDEN: Through this data collection survey, ACF is gathering information to gain insight on how the respondents of the questionnaire will be state, territory, and tribal officials responsible for administering PEAF have spent or plan to spend their allotment of PEAF budgets, if they are having difficulty spending the funds, and how OFA can support them during the duration of the fund. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per respondent, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. This is a voluntary collection of information. agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0401 and the expiration date is 06/30/2024. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact: Lizeth Hester, Program Specialist, Training and Technical Assistance - Office of Family Assistance, [email protected] or (202) 205-8283.

Overview and Introduction

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is contacting state, territory, and tribal officials responsible for administering the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) to get feedback on how they have spent or plan to spend their allotment of PEAF budgets. The purpose of this interview is to learn what barriers your organization is facing at drawing down funds, how resources are being used, and where your organization would benefit from technical assistance to support PEAF implementation and resource drawdown.

Information obtained from interviews will be used to inform the development of training and technical assistance provisions to support PEAF grantees. Findings, such as how programs are addressing barriers to program administration; program successes; and program impacts on low-income families may be incorporated into project briefs, webinars, presentations, infographics, and final project reports with the aim of highlighting program practices; fostering information sharing among other PEAF grantees; and sharing how grantees distributed PEAF resources and measured the impact of PEAF in their localities.

Should the information you provide in this interview be considered for inclusion in public facing materials, you will be contacted for your consent and approval prior to publication.

Participation in this survey is voluntary. Personal identifying information collected (name, title, phone number, and email address) will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. This information will be used for follow-up activities, such as contacting you for training and technical assistance offerings that may be beneficial to your program.

General Information

1. Please summarize your administration and use of the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF).

2. What are the most urgent needs facing vulnerable families in your state, tribe, or territory?

3. How has PEAF made a difference for families in your state, tribe, or territory?

OFA Guidance and Technical Assistance:

1. OFA provided information and technical assistance on requesting and using PEAF funds through guidance, webinars, and the OFA website. What information was most valuable to you?

2. What additional information, beyond that which has been provided, would be useful to you?

3. Was the information distributed by the Office of Family Assistance in emails, listservs, phone calls, webinars and on the OFA website helpful during the PEAF planning and implementation periods? If so, which mode of communication was most helpful? Which mode of communication was least useful to you?

   1. Are there other types of communication or technical assistance activities that would be useful to you?

Implementation:

1. Has your state, tribe, or territory spent or begun spending its PEAF funds?

2. What factors determined the timing of when your state, tribe, or territory spent (or will spend) its PEAF funds?

3. If you have not started spending PEAF funds, please describe the current status of your implementation and if you are experiencing any barriers or challenges to developing a program, disbursing funds, or some other significant obstacle.

4. Please describe all the NRSTs you are providing or will provide with your PEAF funds, including why you chose these particular benefits and approaches.

5. How are these benefits the same or different from your TANF-funded NRSTs?

6. Please explain the highlights and challenges of administering your PEAF funds?

7. What key partners (such as the state legislature, community-based organizations, etc.) did you need to plan and implement a successful disbursement of PEAF funds, and what was their role in the process?

8. Do you have any recommendations or words of caution for other jurisdictions on approaches to administering PEAF?

9. Did you target PEAF to specific populations or locations? How did you target PEAF for specific purposes/local needs arising from the pandemic?

10. If possible, please provide the following data on your PEAF funded benefits -- either by specific benefit (if applicable and available) or in the aggregate?

    1. What was the average amount of PEAF distributed to customers?

    2. How many customers have received PEAF?

    3. Did those customers apply for funds or were funds given automatically to eligible families?

    4. Were PEAF NRSTs distributed to families who do not receive TANF cash assistance? If so, how did you determine eligibility?

11. How do you measure or assess if this fund was beneficial to families in your state, tribe, or territory?

12. Are there any individual success stories or other examples illustrating the impact PEAF had to your community?

13. How did the PEAF fit into your state’s, tribe’s, or territory’s strategy for administering the various federal COVID-19 relief funds that can support the target population(s)?

Looking Ahead:

1. What percentage of your PEAF funds do you estimate you will have spent by the end of Calendar Year 2021?

2. Is your state, tribe or territory considering changing the types of PEAF benefits that it will provide in FY 2022? If so, what is being considered?

3. Are there any lessons learned or new programs developed within PEAF that you think will carry over into your regular TANF program after PEAF ends?

   1. Would you be interested in sharing your experiences or lessons learned with other states, tribes, or territories?