[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9198-9200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3619]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comments Request--Study of Organizations Providing or Administering 
SNAP Incentives at Farmers' Markets

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the public and other public agencies to comment on this 
proposed information collection. This is a revision to a previous data 
collection to understand better the shopping patterns of SNAP 
participants at farmers' markets. The purpose of this collection is for 
the Food and Nutrition Service to understand how private organizations 
operate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) financial 
incentive programs for clients purchasing fruits and vegetables at 
farmers' markets. Information collected will be used to examine how 
these organizations design, operate, and evaluate incentive programs to 
encourage SNAP clients to shop for fruits and vegetables at farmers' 
markets. It will also assist in assessing how much these programs 
influence the purchase of fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets 
using SNAP benefits.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 16, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden on the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Office of Research and 
Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service/USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Steven Carlson at 703-305-2576 or via email to 
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
Office of Research and Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service during 
regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Study of Organizations Providing or Administering SNAP 
Incentives at Farmers' Markets.
    OMB Number: 0584-0564.
    Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2014.
    Abstract: The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), is 
undertaking initiatives to improve access to healthy foods among 
nutrition assistance program participants. Among these are steps to 
support access to fresh fruits and vegetables through farmers' markets. 
The overall objective of this collection is to understand how private 
organizations provide and administer financial incentives for SNAP 
participants shopping at farmers' markets. In addition, this collection 
aims to assess how well these incentive programs work concerning the 
purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets by SNAP 
participants. The two main study objectives are to: (1) Describe and 
compare how private organizations design, operate, and evaluate 
incentive program for SNAP clients at farmers' markets; and (2) 
describe and compare the performance, outcomes and/or impacts of each 
incentive program for SNAP clients operated during 2012 based upon the 
FNS SNAP Anti-Fraud Locator for EBT Redemption Transactions (ALERT) 
data and incentive organization self-evaluation data.
    This study is not intended to be nationally representative. 
Organizations to be included in this study will be chosen from a list 
of private organizations that is developed based on responses received 
from farmers' market managers responding to the FNS study, Nutrition 
Assistance in Farmers' Markets: Understanding Current Operations (76 FR 
79646, 12/22/11). To assist in the selection process, the list will 
tentatively categorize the organizations (Business-for and not-for-
profit) into three groups:

[[Page 9199]]

    (1) Type I: fairly large organizations that provide grant money to 
other organizations that administer incentive program for SNAP clients;
    (2) Type II: smaller than the Type I organizations, Type II 
organizations distribute the SNAP financial incentives to farmers' 
markets and administer the incentive program for SNAP clients in the 
markets that they support; and
    (3) Type III: local organizations that provide money for incentive 
program for SNAP clients.
    Further stratification of the frame may be made based on whether 
the organizations also provide non-financial support. Non-financial 
support might include providing information and technical assistance 
for implementing or managing incentive program for SNAP clients or 
providing staff to work at the farmers' markets and assist with the 
management of the programs onsite.
    There are two main data collection activities for this study. They 
include:
     Conducting a telephone interview with each of one to three 
key staff at selected organizations that provide and/or administer 
farmers' market SNAP incentives. The interview is designed to gather 
qualitative data to better understand the:
    [cir] Relationship of the organizations to the farmers' markets 
that obtain incentive funds for SNAP clients;
    [cir] Primary mission of the organizations and their history with 
SNAP;
    [cir] Source of the financial support for the organizations' 
incentive program for SNAP clients, and whether other types of support 
are offered;
    [cir] Number of markets a specific organization supported in 2012;
    [cir] Selection process and requirements for farmers' markets to be 
awarded incentive dollars for distribution to SNAP clients;
    [cir] Factors that make it difficult to implement and manage 
incentive programs; and
    [cir] Characteristics of successful incentive programs.
    The telephone interview will also capture information on whether 
the organizations maintain and/or collect information on the 
performance of their incentive program. This self-evaluation data may 
include information regarding the number of incentives redeemed by 
markets with an incentive program, vendor satisfaction with the 
program, and/or data used for assessing the impact of these programs on 
farmers' market sales and SNAP participation at farmers' markets.
     Collecting and evaluating self-evaluation data of 
participating organizations. Organizations identified during the 
telephone interviews as maintaining data on their incentive program for 
SNAP clients will be asked to share this data for the purpose of this 
research study. Self-evaluation data shared by organizations may 
include for example, the number of other organizations or farmers' 
markets that they awarded or are managing financial incentive programs 
for, the volume of SNAP incentive redemptions, dollar amount of 
unredeemed incentives, and other information. These data will help 
identify differences across incentive programs with respect to 
performance in 2012. In combination, the self-evaluation data, 
organizational and incentive program characteristics obtained through 
interviews, and ALERT data, will inform how such incentive programs for 
SNAP clients may work best in the context of individual markets.
    Affected Public: Respondent groups identified include individuals 
working for organizations (Businesses for- and not for-profit. Note: 
preliminary research suggests that all organizations in the sample will 
be not for-profit businesses. However, the study leaves open the 
possibility that some for-profit businesses will be part of the sample) 
that provide or administer financial incentives at farmers' markets for 
use with SNAP clients.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total number of respondents is 
225 individuals at 115 organizations. This includes up to 3 individuals 
working for each of the 15 Type I and 40 Type II organizations, and 1 
individual at each of the 45 Type III organizations. Out of the 225 
individuals, it is estimated that 10 percent from each type of 
organization, a total of 23 individual, invited to participate will 
refuse (2.5 Type I, 8 Type II, and 4.5 Type III organizations). If a 
selected organization refuses to participate, another similar 
organization will be selected as a replacement.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One time.
    Estimated time per Response: For 110 individuals participating from 
Type I and II organizations, and 45 individuals from Type III 
organizations, the telephone interview will take 60 minutes (1 hour) to 
complete. For 55 participating individuals (the Type I and II 
organizational leaders), the telephone interview will take 20 minutes 
(0.33 hours) to complete. It is estimated that 23 organizational 
leaders (from 15 organizations) that refuse to participate will spend 
approximately 15 minutes (0.25 hours) on the telephone. Further, of the 
90 organizations that participate and complete the telephone 
interviews, 80 organizations will agree to provide self-evaluation data 
for their programs. To provide the data, it will take 120 minutes (2.0 
hours) of a staff member's time (1 from each organization). For the 10 
organizations that elect not to share their self-evaluation data, it 
will take 30 minutes (0.50) hours of a staff member's time (1 from each 
organization).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 341.9 hours.

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                                                                                                                             Estimated       Estimated
                                                                           Estimated        Responses                         average      total annual
            Affected Public                       Respondent               number of      annually per     Total annual      number of       hours of
                                                                          respondents      respondent       responses        hours per       response
                                                                                                                             response         burden
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Business (for/not-for-profit).........                                                 Type I Organization
                                                                                      Telephone Interviews
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Leaders Completed.............             15                 1             15              0.33           4.95
                                        Leaders Non-response..........              2.5               1              2.5            0.25           0.625
                                        Staff *.......................             30                 1             30              1.00          30.00
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Subtotal Type I............             45                 1             47.5  ..............          35.575
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                                                                                      Type II Organization
                                                                                      Telephone Interviews
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Leaders Completed.............             40                 1             40              0.33          13.2

[[Page 9200]]

 
                                        Leaders Non-response..........              8                 1              8              0.25           2
                                        Staff *.......................             80                 1             80              1.00          80
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Subtotal Type II..............            120                 1            128    ..............          95.2
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                                                                                      Type III Organization
                                                                                      Telephone Interviews
                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Leaders or Staff Completed....             45                 1             45              1.00          45
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Leaders or Staff Non-response.              4.5               1              4.5            0.25           1.125
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Subtotal Type III............             45                 1             49.5  ..............          46.125
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                                             GRAND TOTAL..............            210    ..............            225    ..............         176.9
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                                                                        Provision of Organizational Self-Evaluation Data
                                                                                Type I, II, and III Organizations
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                                        Number of Organizations                    80                 1             80              2.00         160
                                         Providing Self-Evaluation
                                         Data.
                                        Number of Organizations that               10                 1             10              0.50           5
                                         Refuse to Provide Self-
                                         Evaluation Data.
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Total......................             90                 1             90    ..............         165
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* 100% response anticipated for this group.


    Dated: February 7, 2012.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator,
    Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-3619 Filed 2-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P