Purpose:
To initiate discussion, introduce the study, and learn about the
respondent’s background
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States
have recently implemented reforms to change the way clients
enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). A
central feature of the reforms is the waiver of the mandatory
face-to-face interview, which allows states to process SNAP
applications (and recertifications) more efficiently. For the
purposes of this study, we are interested in understanding how
certification and recertification information is collected with a
face-to-face or telephone interview compared to no interview. We
are also interested in how this affects eligibility determination
and the client experience.
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RESPONDENT
BACKGROUND: What is your official job title? What are your
primary responsibilities? How long have you been in this
position? How are you involved with SNAP? What are your
SNAP-related responsibilities? How long have you been involved
with SNAP?
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Purpose:
To understand the state’s no-interview demonstration
planning process and goals.
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Why
did the state apply for the grant? Who within the state drove the
effort to apply for the grant? Was there widespread support of
the application?
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What
are the goals for your no-interview demonstration?
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What
outcomes do you expect to be affected by your no-interview
demonstration? How did you identify these outcomes?
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Have
your expectations about your anticipated outcomes changed since
approval of your implementation plans? If so, how and why?
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During
the planning period, what was the process for planning? How was
demonstration planning structured and organized? Why did planning
occur in this manner? Who participated in planning and why? When
did planning activities occur? Are planning activities still
occurring? If so, what is occurring and why?
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Were
the processes perceived as effective for planning by your
organization and its stakeholders? Who had the most influence in
this process? The least? Why did these individuals and
organizations have the most/least influence?
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What
were the challenges with the planning process? What strategies
were used to address these challenges?
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What
was successful about the planning process?
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What
decisions do you perceive as critical in the implementation of
your demonstration? Why were these decisions critical? Which
individuals and organizations participated in making these
decisions?
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Purpose:
To understand the application process within no-interview
demonstration and comparison sites
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Please
describe your application process for SNAP benefits.
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Describe
available methods for applying: mail/fax, walk-in, online, CBO,
telephone. How does the process differ for each method?
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How
do you identify which programs the individual wants to apply for?
How does this differ for [walk-in, mail-in, call-in, or online]
applicants?
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Has
the length of the application changed (since implementing the
no-interview demonstration)? What new information do you ask for?
What types of information have been removed from the application?
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Living
arrangements? Income? Expenses? Employment status or history?
Deductions? Other information?
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What
kind of supporting documentation is required? How is supporting
documentation submitted by the applicant?
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If
someone has a question about the application process, who do they
contact? How does this differ for [walk-in, mail-in, call-in, or
online] applicants? How often did clients need assistance?
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How
long does it take an applicant to complete the application?
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How
has the application process changed after implementing the
no-interview demonstration?
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Has
the no-interview demonstration impacted [walk-in, mail-in,
call-in, or online] applicants differently? Who is the
application process more or less difficult for?
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Purpose:
To understand the certification process within no-interview
demonstration and comparison sites
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Please
describe your process for certifying SNAP applications.
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Once
a completed application comes into your office, how it is
processed? How does the process differ by how an application is
received into the office?
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How
do you verify income and employment?
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How
do you notify the person that supporting documentation is needed?
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How
do clients submit supporting documentation?
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What
is the process for completing applications when information is
missing from the submitted application?
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About
how frequently do you require follow-up contact with the client?
What kinds of issues are typical reasons for follow-up?
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How
has this changed after implementing the no-interview
demonstration
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How
do you notify an applicant that you need additional information
to complete their application (beyond the required verification
documents)?
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How
do you provide clients with information about client rights, how
to access and use an EBT card, recertification procedures, other
available assistance communicated to clients during a traditional
interview?
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What
happens when there is a procedural denial? What is the process?
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How
do you notify the person that they may be eligible for multiple
programs?
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What
do you do if a client requests an interview? How many clients
requested a face-to-face interview? Were certain groups more
likely to request a face-to-face interview?
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How
long does the no-interview certification/recertification process
take? How long does any required follow-up typically take?
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Does
no-interview certification/recertification take more or less time
than with a telephone interview? Face-to-face interview?
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Purpose:
To understand the recertification process within no-interview
demonstration and comparison sites
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Please
describe your process for recertifying SNAP participants.
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How
do you notify a client about recertification?
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How
do clients submit supporting documentation?
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What
is the process for completing recertification when information is
missing from the submitted recertification form?
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Has
the length of the recertification form changed (since
implementing the no-interview demonstration)? What new
information do you ask for? What types of information have been
removed from the form?
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Once
a completed recertification form comes into your office, how it
is processed?
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About
how frequently do you require follow-up contact with the client?
What kinds of issues are typical reasons for follow-up?
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How
has this changed after implementing the no-interview
demonstration
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What
happens when there is a denial during recertification? What is
the process?
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How
long does the no-interview recertification process take? How long
does any required follow-up typically take?
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Does
no-interview recertification take more or less time than with a
telephone interview? Face-to-face interview?
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Purpose:
To understand the staffing structure within no-interview
demonstration and comparison sites and how staffing has been
impacted by the no-interview demonstration
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Please
describe the staffing structure in local offices/your office as
it relates to processing and managing SNAP cases.
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Which
staff collect client information? Verification information?
Conduct follow-up with applicants or clients? Determine
eligibility? Conduct interview?
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How
is it determined which staff will handle which cases for
certification/recertification?
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Do
workers specialize by task or are they responsible for a
caseload?
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Is
there any formal process for notifying the client they do not
need an interview?
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How
many cases does a worker certify/recertify at any given time?
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How
has the staffing structure changed, if at all, since implementing
the no-interview demonstration? What do you think accounts for
these changes/lack of change?
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Has
there been any change in staff turnover rates or patterns?
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Have
program staff roles and responsibilities for re/certification and
case management changed with the no-interview demonstration? If
so, how?
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Has
the no-interview demonstration affected the way in which SNAP
staff carry out case management functions? If so, how?
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Purpose:
To understand training or notifications provided to SNAP staff,
partners, and clients to implement the no-interview demonstration
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How
was notice provided to SNAP staff, community partners, SNAP
participants, and the low-income community about interview
changes?
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How
effective were these methods in communicating information about
interview changes? What would you do differently?
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What
training or instruction was provided to SNAP staff and community
partners?
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Who
conducted the training (e.g. in-house by staff, external training
vendor brought in, etc.)?
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Who
received it?
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Was
this training voluntary or mandatory?
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If
voluntary, was it well attended?
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What
topics did the training cover?
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What
methods are used to administer training?
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Was
the training helpful or useful?
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Was
the training sufficient?
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Are
there additional types of training you think are needed?
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Purpose:
to identify any infrastructure changes required to implement the
no-interview demonstration
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Were
any technological, software, or hardware changes made to
implement the no-interview demonstration?
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Were
any policies or procedures created or changed to implement the
no-interview demonstration
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Besides
the application and recertification form changes you described
earlier, were any other forms or materials changed to implement
the no-interview demonstration? Brochures? Program packets?
Outreach materials?
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Purpose:
to identify any unique local factors or modernization activities
that affect performance or that might account for outcomes
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Have
any administrative modernization changes been made in the
demonstration or comparison sites in the year prior to the start
of the demonstration? If so, what and when? Have there been any
changes during the demonstration period?
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Have
any technological modernization changes been made in the
demonstration or comparison regions in the year prior to the
start of the demonstration? If so, what and when? Have there been
any changes during the demonstration period?
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Are
any administrative modernization activities needed to make the
no-interview demonstration most effective but are not present? If
so, what?
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Are
any technological modernization activities needed to make the
no-interview demonstration most effective but are not present? If
so, what?
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Are
there any unique state or local factors in STATE that contribute
to the success or challenges with the no-interview demonstration?
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Were
there concurrent policy or political changes that might have
affected SNAP program performance?
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Were
there unique economic factors in STATE that might have affected
SNAP performance?
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Purpose:
To understand perceived client responses to the no-interview
demonstration
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Did
the no-interview demonstration affect program access? If yes,
how? If no, why not?
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Did
the no-interview demonstration affect program access for specific
groups? If yes, how? If no, why not?
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Was
there anything about how changes were implemented that caused an
increase/decrease in customer satisfaction? If so, how? If no,
why?
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Was
there anything about how changes were implemented that caused an
increase/decrease in customer satisfaction for specific groups?
If so, how? If no, why?
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Which
aspects of the no-interview demonstration are most responsible
for changes in customer satisfaction?
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Were
any specific groups negatively/positively impacted by the
no-interview demonstration?
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What
could have been done differently to improve satisfaction among
applicants and clients?
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Has
the loss of interview affected intake/eligibility determination
for other programs? If so, how?
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Purpose:
To understand the role of community partners and other
stakeholders in the no-interview demonstration
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Who
does your organization collaborate with on SNAP activities? Why
and how does your organization collaborate with these partners?
When did your organization develop relationships with these
partners? How did the relationships form? How do partners
contribute to SNAP activities?
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How
has collaboration changed over time as a result of the
no-interview demonstration? What new collaborations developed?
When and why did these new collaborations develop? Have any
partners stopped collaborating? If so, which collaborations, and
when and why did they end?
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How
does your organization collaborate with AGENCY on SNAP
activities? When did your organization develop a relationship
with AGENCY? How did the relationships form? How do you
contribute to SNAP activities?
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How
has collaboration changed as a result of the no-interview
demonstration?
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Purpose:
To understand the response of SNAP staff and CBOs to the
no-interview demonstration
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What
aspects of the no-interview demonstration have had a positive
impact on your job and your level of job satisfaction?
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Has
the no-interview demonstration increased or decreased
administrative burdens on staff?
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Which
aspects of the no-interview demonstration are most responsible
for changes in staff administrative burden?
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On
balance, what is your assessment of the changes that were
implemented? Do you think they have had an overall positive or
negative effect on efficiency? Access?
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Which
changes do you think had a positive effect?
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Which
changes do you think had a negative effect?
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What
are the biggest challenges in implementing the no-interview
demonstration?
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How
were these challenges resolved? How could they have been avoided?
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What
are the greatest successes of no-interview demonstration changes?
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Is
there anything you would add, remove, or change in the
no-interview demonstration process?
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Do
you agree with the goals of the no-interview demonstration?
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What
advice would you give to another organization/state that was
preparing to implement the no-interview demonstration? What
pieces do they need to have in place?
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Having
implemented the no-interview demonstration, would you want to
continue it over the long term?
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If
the demonstration was going to continue, what would you be doing
differently to make it sustainable over the long term?
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Purpose:
To understand the perceived impact of the no-interview
demonstration on costs
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How
does the SNAP administrative cost per case for
certification/recertification under each alternative compare with
the cost per case not under the no-interview demonstration?
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To
what extent has the no-interview demonstration reduced
administrative costs?
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Which
aspects of the no-interview demonstration are most responsible
for reductions in administrative costs?
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Are
there any other factors or reasons that account for
reductions/increases in administrative costs? Please discuss.
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What
could or should have been done differently that might have led to
greater cost reductions?
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