Households that apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are typically required to participate in an interview with a SNAP eligibility worker to determine their eligibility and benefit level. How these interviews are conducted has generally been left to State SNAP agencies, though FNS provides a toolkit that State agencies can use to guide their interview process.
The SNAP Quality Control (QC) System is a management tool to help track and measure errors in eligibility and benefit determination. Annually, States must also select a sample of active cases for SNAP QC reviews which include an interview with the SNAP household; USDA provides State agencies with guides for these interviews.
For this study, the team will develop—
- Specific guidance using human-centered design principles and cultural competence for conducting SNAP certification interviews and for conducting interviews with households selected for QC reviews. This will include—
- Developing a theoretical framework for revising certification and QC interview protocols
- Designing questions and processes to gather the information necessary for certification and QC review
- Cognitively testing the approach with SNAP participants.
- Two webinars for both Federal and State staff for using the new interview guides.