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SNAP Program Integrity Message Testing OMB Memo.docx

Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting Research

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OMB: 0607-0725

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Cognitive Testing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Client Integrity Messaging, Submitted Under Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting

Request: The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research. We plan to conduct up to 15 cognitive interviews to test Client Integrity messages for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The purpose of this study is to evaluate Client Integrity messages from a selection of states. Client Integrity messages communicate SNAP program rules that SNAP recipients need to follow. We plan to evaluate the messages with regard to whether they are clear and easy to understand in order to improve Client Integrity message guidance provided to states by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers SNAP.

Purpose: Client Integrity refers to FNS’ efforts to ensure SNAP program integrity by preventing and correcting the misuse of program funds. One aspect of this effort involves program participant education with the goal of ensuring that SNAP participants understand program rules and are empowered to report suspected violations. Client Integrity education covers four categories:

  • Electronic Benefits Transfer card management

  • Eligible and ineligible purchases

  • Benefits trafficking

  • Fraud reporting

FNS provides Client Integrity information and guidance to state agencies that administer SNAP, and the latter decide how to present the information to program participants. FNS’ motivation for this research is to evaluate the Client Integrity messages currently used by a selection of states and identify a set of best practices as well as less effective communication strategies that should be avoided. Our goal is to test whether current messaging is clear and easy to understand, and to provide recommendations for addressing any issues we might find. The findings from this study will be used to improve FNS’ guidance to state SNAP programs for communicating Client Integrity information. This study will be carried out under contract by RTI International, a private research organization, under the direction of the Center for Behavioral Science Methods (CBSM).

This request represents the second and final round of this research. We plan to conduct up to 15 cognitive interviews in Delaware to test Client Integrity messaging that is in use in Delaware.

Population of Interest: Current or past recipients of food assistance, and individuals who would likely qualify for food assistance if they applied.

Timeline: Staff from RTI will conduct cognitive interviews Between April 2023 and June 2023.

Language: Interviews will be conducted in English.

Sample: We will focus on recruiting participants who have participated in SNAP or are eligible to receive SNAP benefits. We will also sample for diversity based on age and level of education.

Recruitment: Participants will be recruited with the help of local government assistance offices and charitable food assistance organizations in Delaware. CBSM will provide the organizations in the sites with advertisement text and flyers that can be sent electronically to recipient listservs, posted on local websites, or physically posted in public areas of service offices. These materials will include a toll-free number that potential participants can use to complete a screening interview, and a URL for an online screening questionnaire (See Attachment 3: Recruitment Materials, and Attachment 5: Additional Screening Questions). Research team members will then contact eligible participants to schedule them for an interview if they qualify. Participants will receive a $50 incentive for in-person participation and $40 for remote interviews.1

Locations of interviews: The interviews will be conducted in Christiana, Delaware. We chose this site in consultation with Delaware SNAP officials because of the density and diversity of SNAP recipients in the area. Interviews will be conducted in a Delaware state office building where people apply for SNAP and other benefits.

Protocol: The protocol is designed to test Client Integrity messaging presented in a variety of text-based formats including applications, letters, attachments, pamphlets, and web content. The documents all include descriptions of one or more of the four areas of Client Integrity education and were provided by the SNAP program officials in Delaware (see Attachment 1: Delaware Cognitive Interview Protocol, and Attachment 2: Delaware SNAP Testing Materials). Participants will be trained to think aloud and to give their immediate reactions to what they are reading. Researchers will remind participants to think aloud as they are reading the materials and ask scripted and spontaneous probes designed to gauge comprehension and interpretation of the materials being tested. As needed throughout the interview period, CBSM and RTI staff will update the interview protocol to address feedback from participants.

The materials we plan to test are included as attachments and are listed in Table 1 below. Attachment 2 is a .zip file which contains the testing material files from Delaware. The individual testing material files are listed in Table 1 according to their corresponding exhibit numbers as used in the protocols.

Table 1. Attachments

Attachment Number

Title/Description of Contents

Attachment 1.

Delaware Cognitive Interview Protocol

Attachment 2.


Delaware SNAP Testing Materials

Exhibit 1. Excerpt from Program Information and Rights and Responsibilities document

Exhibit 2. EBT Brochure

Exhibit 3. DSS Brochure

Exhibit 4. Excerpt from Food Assistance Application

Exhibit 5. Fraud Reporting Website

Exhibit 6. Fraud Reporting Flyer

Attachment 3.

Recruitment Materials

Attachment 4.

Consent Form

Attachment 5.

Additional Screening Questions



Informed Consent: We will inform participants that their participation is voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential and will be accessed only by staff involved in the research project. The consent form will also indicate that the respondent agrees that the interview can be audio-recorded to facilitate analysis of the results. Participants who do not consent to be audio-recorded will still be allowed to participate. A copy of the consent form is attached (see Attachment 4: Consent Form).

Incentive: Participants will receive $50 for their participation in this research to offset costs such as travel and parking.

Length of Interview: We estimate that each of the 15 in-person cognitive interviews will take approximately 60 minutes. This results in a burden of 15 hours.

The pre-approved generic screening questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes per person, and the additional screening questions specific to this research will take two minutes per person (see Attachment 5: Additional Screening Questions). We estimate that we will screen up to three people for each successful recruit for each of the 15 interviews. Therefore, we estimate a total of 45 people screened for a total of about 1.5 hours (45 people at 2 minutes each).

The total estimated participant burden for this request is 16.5 hours.

Category

Number of participants

Participation Time

Burden

  Screening

45

2 minutes

1.5 hours

  Cognitive Interviews

15

60 minutes

15 hours

Totals



16.5 hours



The contact person for questions regarding this request is listed below:

Alfred “Dave” Tuttle

Center for Behavioral Science Methods

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-7809

[email protected]

1 We do not currently plan on remote interviews but if conditions change, we will consider remote interviewing.

2


File Typeapplication/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
AuthorAleia Yvonne Clark Fobia (CENSUS/CSM FED)
File Modified0000-00-00
File Created2025-08-12

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