ATTACHMENT_I.pdf

SECTION C: PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

IDENTIFYING PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND PRACTICES THAT INFLUENCE

SNAP APPLICATION PROCESSING TIMELINESS RATES

C.1 BACKGROUND

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the foundation of America’s nutrition safety net, the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, and a powerful tool to improve nutrition among those with little income and few assets.1 SNAP provides eligible low-income households a monthly benefit amount (SNAP allotment) based on household size and net income to purchase food from authorized retailers nationwide. At the Federal level, SNAP is overseen by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), but day-to-day administration is carried out by States or counties. States are responsible for the certification of households and the issuance of benefits.

To qualify for SNAP benefits, households must meet certain tests, including resource and income tests when applicable. Information on SNAP eligibility and benefits is available at:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/Eligibility.htm. An important aspect of administering the Program is ensuring that eligible households have timely access to their SNAP benefits after their application is received. However, two-thirds of the 53 State SNAP Agencies2 do not process applications and distribute benefits in accordance with the timeframes in statutory and regulatory requirements.

Definition of Initial Application as Timely The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, emphasizes the significance of the timely provision of SNAP benefits in Section 11(e)(3) and 11(e)(9). The statutory requirement defines an initial application as timely if the application is processed and benefits are provided by the 30th day from the date of application in the case of standard applications or the 7th day from the date of application in the case of expedited applications3. Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) section 274.2 expands upon the statutory requirement and defines a case as timely if the client has the “opportunity to participate” 4 within the 30- or 7-day timeframe.

While Title 7 of the CFR provides procedures for SNAP initial application processing outside the statutory requirements, applications processed outside the 30- or 7-day statutory requirement are considered untimely with one exception. The exception is if a case was properly pended by the State agency in accordance with 7 CFR 273.2(h)(1)(i)(C) for an applicant’s failure to provide verification, and the case is then excluded from the measure.

1 An overview of the program is provided in the report Building a Healthy America: A Profile of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. April 2012 http://www.fns.usda.gov/ops/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-research 2 Includes the 50 States, District of Columbia and the territories.

3 In general households are determined to be eligible for expedite service when the household has little or no income. For detailed information on expedite, see Section 11(e)(9) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended (the Act).

4 According to regulations at 7 CFR 274.2, “Opportunity to participate” means providing households with authorization documents (e.g. an EBT card and the pin number) when facilities are open in time for households to obtain benefits within the required number of days (7 days expedited, 30 days regular).

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/Eligibility.htm http://www.fns.usda.gov/ops/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-research http://www.fns.usda.gov/ops/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-research

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Measuring and Monitoring Application Processing Timeliness In order to measure timeliness, FNS monitors State compliance with the timeliness requirements through the SNAP Quality Control (QC) System. Each quarter the SNAP QC system produces an application processing timeliness (APT) rate report for each State. The APT rate is the percentage of applications with eligibility determinations made within the appropriate 30- or 7-day timeframe. Each year FNS produces a report of the State’s average APT rate for the prior Fiscal Year. These reports, in conjunction with onsite case reviews, are used by FNS to determine the States’ adherence to APT standards. If a State is out of compliance, the reports and reviews help determine if a corrective action is required for a State to come into compliance with APT requirements. FNS considers an APT rate of 95 percent or above acceptable. Based on the annual APT report, FNS awards performance bonuses to the six States with the highest APT rates. These bonuses stem from provisions in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and are further outlined in 7 CFR 275.24(b)(4).

States with APT rates below 90 percent are required to develop and enact a corrective action plan (CAP). While closely monitoring these States, FNS provides technical assistance to poor performing States by:

• Analyzing the State CAP to advise on additional actions the State should consider;

• Sharing information on effective practices, procedures, and policies of States with recent improvements or sustained high performance in APT;

• Using State exchange funds to support sharing of best practices;

• Encouraging State waivers and options that may assist timeliness;

• Providing consultation on business process reengineering (BPR); and

• Providing funding opportunities through the Process and Technology Improvement

Grants for extensive system changes that may help timeliness rates.

Recent Research on Application Timeliness Results from a recent FNS survey of nine States with high APT rates indicate that State administrative and business practices may allow States to maintain healthy timeliness rates even with increased caseloads and decreased staffing levels. Four common themes were identified across these nine States:

1. leadership makes APT a priority, supports changes in operation to improve processes, and obtains necessary resources;

2. the States examined processes and underlying policies, identified areas for improvement, and implemented changes accordingly;

3. business process reengineering moved the workflow from a case management style to a process management style; and

4. States often made operational and procedural changes, particularly flexibility in distributing work that results from document imaging and electronic case files models.5

5 Timeliness in the SNAP Application Process. Summer 2013. Results from this study and all other relevant information will be made available to the contractor after award.

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In summary, States have implemented various policy options and operational features to improve performance including timely processing of applications. However, a majority of States do not achieve acceptable APT rates. Therefore, it is important to conduct a systematic analysis of program components and practices in all States to identify which combination of policy and operational features can help States meet application timeliness standards.

C.2 STUDY OVERVIEW

This study will examine States’ varying program and policy options, workflow, business processes, and other features to identify the program elements and practices that facilitate high APT rates. The study will include a survey of all 50 States and the District of Columbia as well as a review of program administrative data including administrative and demonstration project waivers. In addition, the study will include a review of reports from studies done by FNS on this issue.

C.3 STUDY OBJECTIVES

The primary purpose of this study is to determine best practices for facilitating high APT rates.

The study will evaluate the program components and practices of all 50 States and the District of Columbia to identify specific practices, such as waivers or options implemented that are associated with better timeliness outcomes. The study objectives and research questions are provided below. The list of questions is not exhaustive, and the offeror may choose to provide additional questions.

Objective 1: Describe each State’s SNAP policy and operational procedures. At a minimum, address each State’s business process, technology improvements, and workflow analysis and process management.

What waivers, if any, do the States have in place? When were they implemented?

What demonstrations, if any, are the States operating? When were they implemented?

What is the “business as usual” approach to receiving and certifying SNAP applications?

Describe in detail how the application process flows across units within the local service offices, call centers, and (if appropriate) online application centers or other units.

o How and when are interviews scheduled with the worker and applicant? How and when are households notified?

o Does the interview process differ for online and paper applications? For regular and expedited cases? If yes, describe how they differ.

o Does the certification process differ for online and paper applications? For regular and expedited cases? If yes, describe how they differ.

o Are the principles of “first contact”6 or “same day service”7 built into the application process? If so, explain how.

o Describe the process and timing of obtaining verification.

6 First Contact is a term used to describe the State’s approach to verify as much information as possible when an applicant first contacts the State to minimize the number of times a customer must return or mail information.

7 Same Day Service is a term used to describe the State’s approach of attempting to start and finish a household’s application process in a matter of hours instead of days.

Page | 4 o Determine if and when any changes were made to the “business as usual” approach in the past three years?

How are SNAP cases assigned? Are cases shared by units of workers (case banking)? If yes, explain how SNAP caseloads are organized.

What modernization features (i.e. SNAP office lobby and technology improvement, work flow/caseload assignment model) have the States added in the past three years?

Have the States implemented any business process reengineering initiatives over the past three years? If so, describe.

What is the role of State and SNAP leadership in establishing APT as a priority goal, providing resources to help meet APT acceptable threshold, and support BPR?

Do States provide any performance based incentives or penalties for APT? What, if any, performance based incentives or penalties are in place?

What, if any, changes have been made to the States’ SNAP policy and operational procedures over the past three years?

Objective 2: Identify the policy and operational procedures that may impede or facilitate SNAP application processing timeliness for certifying new applications. At a minimum, address the States’ policies, business processes, technology improvements, waiver options, and workflow analysis and process management.

What policy features, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high APT rates8, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What BPR initiatives, if any, are more commonly implemented by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What office processes, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What technology improvements, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high

APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What recent workflow analysis and ongoing process management, if any, is more commonly employed by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

For States that moved from being untimely to being timely in the past two years, what BPR initiatives, office processes, technology improvements, or workflow analysis and process management changes took place in those States within that time period?

Objective 3: Describe the associations between State policy and operational procedures and APT rates.

If States implemented any changes to policy or operational procedures, what were the impacts of the changes? Which, if any policy or operational changes were associated with changes in APT rate?

8 The list of States that fall under these three categories will be made available to the contractor after award.

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Is the States’ APT status9 associated with any specific modernization initiatives? Describe the modernization initiatives.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific BPR initiatives? Describe the BPR initiatives.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific office processes? Describe the office processes.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific waiver, demonstration, and/or option implemented? Describe accordingly.

Is the States’ APT status associated with a particular work flow/caseload assignment model?

Describe the work flow/caseload assignment model.

How, if at all, does the States’ APT status vary by the use of technology? By the implementation of BPR initiatives? By the work flow/caseload assignment model used? By the modernization initiatives in place?

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall furnish all necessary personnel, material, services, facilities and otherwise do all things necessary to execute the scope of work.

The primary purpose of this study is to identify State policy and procedural practices that hinder and facilitate APT rates. The contractor shall survey all 50 States and the District of Columbia to obtain data pertaining to SNAP administration, demonstration project waivers, State options, and business processes. Survey data shall be collected by way of a web-based instrument, with computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) as a follow-up or for non-respondents. The analysis will also be informed by reports provided by FNS from studies that have examined timelines issues.

C.4.1 TASKS AND SUBTASKS/DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall perform all tasks and subtasks, complete all deliverables, and attend any in-person meetings needed to address the study objectives and produce high quality deliverables for FNS. As needed, the contractor shall provide brief memoranda or participate in phone or in-person meetings with the COR and FNS staff to facilitate decision-making over the course of the study. Such meetings and interactions shall not be viewed as a change in scope. Any changes to the terms and conditions of the contract must be approved by the Contracting Officer.

C.4.1.1 (Subtask 1): Study Plan The contractor shall refine the study plan offered in their technical proposal, which shall include a discussion of the research objectives and their related research questions and identification of variables and their relationship to the research questions. The plan shall describe how the contractor will recruit the 50 States and the District of Columbia, how the administrative and survey data will be collected and analyzed and how best practices will be identified. The plan shall include a small sample of 9 table shells to illustrate how the data will be presented. Any challenges to addressing the study objectives and research questions shall be identified, along

9 APT status could be acceptable (timeliness rate of 95% or higher), unacceptable (timeliness rate below 90%), or borderline (timeliness rate between 90 and 94.99%)

Page | 6 with recommendations for resolving them. The revised study plan will address any issues with or refinements to the proposed approach, data acquisition and preparation, and/or analysis plans offered in the technical proposal.

Revisions to the study plan shall not result in either a change in the study scope or cost. Should revisions to the contract be required, they must be made with the approval of the FNS Contracting Officer.

The contractor shall submit two drafts of the refined study plan (week 10 and 14 after contract award) and a final version of the Study Plan within 18 weeks of award to FNS. All deliverables shall be made to FNS in electronic format.

C.4.1.2 (Subtask 2): Recruit State SNAP Agencies The contractor shall contact the State SNAP Agencies to discuss the data collection plan. This discussion will include the process for collecting the survey data and for obtaining administrative case record data. A memorandum describing the status of recruitment of States10 for participation in the study is due within 24 weeks of award. If recruitment of all the study states is not completed by the time the memo is submitted, the contractor shall describe the plan to complete the recruitment of States.

C.4.1.3 (Subtask 3): Develop and Test the Data Collection Instrument The contractor shall develop the survey instrument and any other necessary data collection instruments and submit to FNS for review by week 12 of award. The draft survey shall be accompanied by a document that provides a crosswalk between the survey questions, study objectives and the research questions being addressed. After revising the instruments based on FNS comments and recommendations, the contractor shall conduct full cognitive pretesting of the survey instrument with one State. The purpose of pre-testing is to address respondent comprehension, response burden, and delivery method. The contractor shall make any additional revisions to the instruments based on pretest findings. The contractor shall prepare a memorandum on the pretest results, including a question-by-question analysis of the pretest, results of the pretest, and the changes made to the instruments as a result. The draft pre-test results memorandum shall be submitted with the revised instruments to FNS by week 20. The final memorandum and the final version of the data collection instruments shall be submitted by week 24 of award. Note that the final instruments must be included in the OMB Data Collection Package. The OMB Package cannot be submitted until the final instruments are complete. The deliverables schedule shall reflect this timing.

C.4.1.4 (Subtask 4): Federal Register Notice and OMB Clearance Package The contractor shall prepare and submit a draft and final version of the Federal Register 60 Day Notice that is required for OMB clearance by weeks 23 and 27 of contract award, respectively.

The 60-day notice shall not be considered approved until it is published in the Federal Register.

In addition, the contractor shall summarize all public comments received in response to the published Federal Register Notice and any actions taken in response to them as part of the OMB Information Clearance Request (ICR).

10For this study “States” includes the District of Columbia.

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The contractor shall prepare and submit to FNS the package for requesting OMB approval for data collection. The OMB data collection package shall contain copies of all data collection instruments and a supporting statement as set forth in the revised Standard Form No. 83a, “Instructions for Requesting OMB Approval under the Federal Reports Act, as Amended.”

Sections A and B of the OMB package shall comply with OMB requirements. Screen shots of the web-based survey instrument shall also be included. Special note shall be taken that scripts are required to be prepared and included in the OMB package for all communications (telephone, mail, email, or internet) with all persons and organizations contacted in connection with the project. The time required in communications with respondents and separately for non-respondents contacted in the project must be included in the burden table. Instrument changes based on the pretests shall be incorporated into the final version of the OMB package. The first draft, revised draft and final version for OMB submission are due to FNS by weeks 27, 31 and 35 of contract award, respectively.

The OMB data collection package will be reviewed at FNS by the Office of Policy Support (OPS), the Planning and Regulatory Affairs Office (PRAO), USDA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), and USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) prior to being submitted to OMB for review and approval. The contractor shall be required to update the OMB package after each set of required revisions and edits. The package shall not be accepted by the FNS COR until OMB gives final clearance of the package. When developing the project schedule, the contractor shall allow 36 weeks for OMB’s final approval from the date of publication of the 60-day notice in the Federal Register to final OMB approval. The approval process may take less than this amount of time.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance and instructions for preparing an ICR are provided by OCIO at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/policy-directives-records-forms/information-quality-activities. The Offeror is advised that there may be differences in format and practices of ICRs used for obtaining OMB Clearance at other Federal agencies and/or at FNS on prior studies, therefore, ICR packages will be rejected as unacceptable unless they are fully compliant with FNS clearance requirements current at the time of submission. The contractor shall include the approved OMB burden statements on data collection instruments.

C.4.1.5 (Subtask 5): Prepare Data Collection Training Manual The contractor shall develop a data collector training manual to address data collection by way of the web-based survey and CATI administration as well as protocols for follow-ups for clarification. This training manual shall include, at a minimum, an overview of the study, the survey instrument, administration of the web-based survey, procedures for data collection using CATI, and simulated data collection exercises. The data collection training manual shall be submitted to FNS for review in week 33. The final data collection training manual shall be revised to incorporate FNS comments and submitted to FNS in week 39 for final approval.

C.4.1.6 (Subtask 6): Select and Train Data Collectors on Study-Specific Protocols The contractor shall select qualified staff to provide technical assistance for the web-based survey and when required, to administer the CATI survey, as approved under Subtask 1. Using the materials developed in subtask 3 and 5, the contractor shall train experienced data collectors on protocols specifically for this study. Data collector training shall be carried out no sooner than two weeks before survey administration begins. The contractor shall submit to FNS a http://www.ocio.usda.gov/policy-directives-records-forms/information-quality-activities http://www.ocio.usda.gov/policy-directives-records-forms/information-quality-activities

Page | 8 memorandum summarizing the results of each training session (e.g., evidence of staff capacity to collect study data, along with plans for data collector replacement if necessary) within a week of completing the training for conducting the survey.

C.4.1.7 (Subtask 7): Data Collection Using a combination of surveys of State SNAP Agency Staff and administrative records, the contractor shall collect data on State options, business processes, and program administrative data to include, but not limited to application processing timeliness, and application dispositions, as well as administrative and demonstration project waivers. The contractor shall submit a written update via electronic mail on the data collection to the FNS COR on a weekly basis.

Updates shall include any challenges faced by the contractor in collecting the necessary data, and whether or not the data collection is on schedule.

C.4.1.8 (Subtask 8): Data Analysis Analysis of the data shall be conducted in accordance with the updated study plan approved as part of Subtask 1. The contractor shall submit to FNS for review draft tables that thoroughly inform and illustrate the analyses conducted to address all the research objectives by week 92 of award. Incorporating FNS feedback, the contractor shall submit the final tables by week 96 of award. Prior to final approval of this deliverable, the contractor shall engage in a discussion of the tables with FNS to explain the data results and clarify any issues/questions posed by FNS.

Deliverable shall be submitted in electronic format to FNS.

C.4.1.9 (Subtask 9): Prepare Final Report The contractor shall submit a detailed outline of the report to demonstrate how information will be integrated across data sources, including information from FNS reports, to address the study objectives and research questions in week 94. The outline shall also detail the contents of the planned technical appendices as well as the supplementary Appendix that will contain an inventory of State-level data on options, waivers and business processes. A final outline, integrating FNS feedback, shall be submitted in week 98.

The contractor shall prepare a draft, one revised draft, and a final report that reflects the revised outline. At a minimum, each version of the report shall contain:

• An executive summary of the study purpose, approach, and major findings;

• An introduction and background to the study;

• A description of the context, objectives, and research questions;

• A discussion of the methodology employed, challenges, steps to address them, and remaining issues;

• A presentation of all major findings of the study in which results from the various data collected are integrated to address each study objective;

• Study conclusions and any remaining limitations or qualifications; along with

• Technical appendices necessary to fully document all analytic procedures used.

• Supplementary Appendix with a State-level inventory that includes the list of options, waivers, and relevant business process changes implemented by the State and the timing and scope of implementation. The content of the supplementary Appendix will be finalized by FNS with the report outline.

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The final report shall be submitted electronically in two forms: a microcomputer word processing format agreeable to FNS (currently Microsoft Word 2010 for Windows) and a PDF file. The contractor shall submit the first draft report to FNS in week 104, the second draft report in week 110, and the final version in week 116 after contract award. The report format shall be consistent with the requirements of the most recent version of the Government Printing Office Style Manual. The contractor shall retain the services of a professional editor for the revised draft and final version of the report. Fifteen (15) bound hard copies of the final version of the report shall also be provided.

C.4.1.10 (Subtask 10): Briefing The contractor shall conduct a briefing for FNS to discuss the findings of the study following submission of the revised draft of the final report. The briefing shall be conducted in a manner that is appropriate for a non-technical or policy audience. The contractor shall submit draft PowerPoint slides for the briefing to FNS for review by week 108 and the final briefing slides shall be submitted in week 110. The briefing shall occur in week 111.

C.4.1.11 (Subtask 11): Public Use Files and Documentation The contractor shall provide the restricted use data files that were used to produce the analyses included in the initial draft of the final report in week 112. These data and analysis files shall be complete and in a readily usable format allowing FNS to replicate the results presented in the draft report.

The contractor shall prepare two sets of public use files – a raw data file and an analysis file – and submit these on CD-ROM or an external drive to FNS. Files shall be prepared in a microcomputer format for use with PC SPSS. File documentation and codebook shall document the:

• Record layout, format and labels,

• File names and record lengths,

• Data sources and methods for data input, and

• Editing procedures and descriptions of any composite variables.

These public use data files and documentation should be complete such that an analyst could use the files without requiring technical assistance from FNS or the contractor.

Draft public use data files and documentation shall be submitted by week 116 of award and by week 120 for the final delivery of this task.

Prepare Monthly Progress Reports The contractor shall prepare and submit monthly progress reports to FNS by the 15th working day of each month. Each report shall include a:

• Cover page with task order title, number, award date, period of performance covered by the report and number in the sequence of monthly reports;

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• Description of activities, by subtask(s), that were carried out during the reporting period and staff involved in completing the task(s);

• Discussion of any problems, including subtask expenditures that exceed the budget and delays encountered, along with proposed steps to resolve them;

• Description of activities by subtask, planned for the next reporting period;

• Discussion of anticipated problems, including expenditures likely to exceed subtask budgets for the next reporting period, and recommendations for avoiding them;

• Project schedule that shows, by subtask and deliverable, the dates on which work started, was expected to end and actually ended;

• Table showing, by subtask, and dollars budgeted (minus fees), spent during the reporting period, spent cumulatively and remaining. Any expenditure not yet invoiced shall be described in a table footnote.

• Table showing, by subtask, hours budgeted, hours spent during the reporting period, hours spent cumulatively, and hours remaining by individual and total project staff.

Deviations from the proposed staff plan shall be explained in the progress report.

All monthly progress reports shall be submitted in electronic format. All progress reports shall be submitted directly to the FNS COR and to the Contracting Officer. In addition, the contractor shall notify the COR, by phone or e-mail, of any schedule delays or expenditures that exceed the agreed upon deliverable dates and budget.

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PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

The Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) describes the requirements of this project, along with a performance standard and measure per outcome.

Performance Measure

Performance Standard

Performance Deliverable Monitored

Surveillance Method

Performance Rating Surveillance Frequency

Monitoring Performed

Study Plan Written document is clear, comprehensive, well-organized, and error-free. Plan evidences a high level of technical expertise and demonstrates the use of a creative approach to achieve FNS objectives with available resources. Plan presents specific research questions and outlines the steps that will be taken to fully address these questions using the available data.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Recruit State SNAP Agencies

Invitation is detailed enough to fully inform states and meets the date of delivery that is specified in the schedule of deliverables.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Develop and Test Data Collection Instrument

The web-based survey instrument is designed to collect the data needed to thoroughly address the study objectives and it is pre-tested with a State prior to the submission of the draft OMB package. The CATI version of the survey is also available to supplement the web-based survey.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Federal Register Notice and OMB Clearance Package

Written documents are clear, comprehensible, well-organized, and error-free. Federal Register and OMB supporting documents meet OMB requirements and are delivered in compliance with the date in the schedule of deliverables.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

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Corrective issues on the OMB package are adequately addressed and in a timely manner.

Data Collection Training Manual

Manual is clear, comprehensive, well-organized, and error-free.

Training plan incorporates a diverse learning and instructional methods.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Select and Train Data Collectors on Study- Specific Protocols

Training is done no more than two weeks before the start of data collection.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Data Collection Data are collected from all six States and from State SNAP agency staff at all levels. Data collected meet the scope and depth of data required to address all research questions.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet

Data Analysis Data are analyzed to thoroughly address research objectives 1 to 3.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet

Final Report Report is clear, comprehensible, well-organized, and error-free.

Report provides a thorough examination of factors affecting application processing timelines rates to inform best practices.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Briefing Briefing slides provide relevant details and take away messages for a non-technical audience of program staff and managers. Slides are professionally designed, contain an

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet

Page | 13 appropriate amount of information, and can be viewed clearly from the audience. Presentation is effective and delivered within the allotted time and allows for discussion with the audience.

deliverable

Data Files and Documentation

Files are delivered in format delineated in the PWS, are complete and without errors.

COR’s analysis with restricted use files replicates the analysis conducted by the contractor and reported in the draft report and data tables.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Monthly Progress Reports

Timely delivery of progress reports that meet all requirements set forth in the PWS.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

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Performance Rating Definition

Exceptional Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds many to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being assessed was accomplished with few minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were highly effective.

Very Good Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds some to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being assessed was accomplished with some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were effective.

Satisfactory Performance meets contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element contains some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor appear or were satisfactory.

Marginal Performance does not meet some contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being assessed reflects a serious problem for which the contractor has not yet identified corrective actions. The contractor’s proposed actions appear only marginally effective or were not fully implemented.

Unsatisfactory Performance does not meet most contractual requirements and recovery is not likely in a timely manner. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element contains a serious problem(s) for which the contractor’s corrective actions appear or were ineffective.

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SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

The total period of contract performance shall be 120 weeks.

SUBTASK

DELIVERABLE

FORMAT/QUANTITIES

DUE DATE

(Weeks from

Award) C.5.1.1 Study Plan Refined Study Plan Draft -Electronic Word 10

Revised Draft –Electronic Word 14 Final - Electronic Word & PDF file

C.5.1.2 Recruit State SNAP Agencies

State Recruitment Memorandum

Electronic Word 24

C.5.1.3 Develop and Test Data Collection Instrument

Survey Instrument Draft- Electronic Word Revised Draft – Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word & PDF file

Memorandum on Pre- Test Results

Draft- Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word and PDF file

C.5.1.4 Federal Register Notice and OMB Clearance Package

Federal Register Notice Draft- Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word & PDF file

OMB Clearance Package

Draft- Electronic Word Revised Draft – Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word

C.5.1.5 Prepare Data Collection Training Manual

Data Collection Training Manual

Draft- Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word & PDF file

C.5.1.6 Select and Train Data Collectors

Summary Memorandum of Training Session

Electronic Word Within 2 weeks of completing training.

C.5.1.7 Data Collection Weekly Updates Electronic mail Starts one week after

OMB

approval

C.5.1.8 Data Analysis Tables with results Draft - Electronic Word Final – Electronic Word

C.5.1.9 Final Report Final Report Draft Outline - Electronic Word Final Outline - Electronic Word First Draft- Electronic Word Revised Draft – Electronic Word Final - Electronic Word & PDF file 15 Bound Hardcopies

C.5.1.10 Briefing Presentation Slides Draft – Electronic PowerPoint Final - Electronic PowerPoint

Briefing 111

Page | 16

25 hard copies of Briefing slides 111 C.5.1.11 Data Files and

Documentation Restricted Use Data and Analysis Files

Electronic files and 1CD/DVD 112

Public Use Data Files Data Code Book Data Documentation

Draft – Electronic files and 1 CD/DVD copy

Final - Electronic files and 1 CD/DVD copy

Monthly Progress Reports

Electronic Word 15th each month