Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The proposed large-scale, GusNIP program, Strengthening Double Up Food Bucks Utilization in Iowa (I- DUFB) fully aligns with GusNIP goal to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in SNAP by providing incentives at the point of purchase.To increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants, I-DUFB will provide SNAP participants with a dollar-for-dollar match incentive, up to $15 per visit for fresh fruits and vegetables purchased at the point of sale at 96 participating locations including Iowa farmers' markets/stands, and retail grocery stores. I-DUFB aims to address Iowa's SNAP participants' barriers to purchasing/consuming fruits and vegetables by providing the financial incentive to purchase more fruits and vegetables using innovative incentive redemption, engaging with independent grocers to increase access to culturally relevant produce, and enhancing outreach and education through the creation of a food navigator program.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
40%
Developmental
40%
Goals / Objectives
The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative (IHSI) will coordinate the statewide Double Up Food Bucks (I-DUFB) incentive program and stakeholders, ensuring program goals and outcomes are achieved efficiently and effectively, in compliance with the rules and regulations of SNAP and GusNIP. The primary focus of the project will be to enhance the utilization of Fresh Incentives with SNAP participants and establish relationships with independent grocers. The activities in this proposal were identified based on the successful outcomes of previous projects to support the creation of I-DUFB.Goal 1: Retain and enhance the use of Epic Fresh Incentive Technology for I-DUFB at 96sites across 42counties.Goal 2: Engage 6 independent grocers for the anticipated adoption of the Epic Fresh Incentive Technology for Double Up Food Bucks fruit and vegetable incentives.Goal 3: Increase consumer awareness and utilization of Double Up Food Bucks by creating and implementing a "food navigator" program.
Project Methods
The evaluation strategy for the project is designed to provide ongoing 1) process data for program improvement and 2) outcome assessment to measure results achieved by the program. The Evaluation team is well-equipped to undertake the proposed evaluation plan and share project results with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. IHSI and the evaluation team have experience managing IRB-approved protocols for GusNIP-funded outcome evaluations and specific expertise in evaluating the outcome and impact of food and nutrition security programs with SNAP/NAP participants. In addition to self-evaluation, the IHSI will comply with all requests from NIFA and the NTAE center.The evaluation of the project will include a robust combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, informed by the RE-AIM framework. Data will be collected to assess the effectiveness of produce incentives, outreach and education activities, reach of the program, participant knowledge gained, and the value of community partnerships to drive continuous quality improvement of the project for the duration of the grant. In addition to the required core firm-level and participant-level metrics, our team will collect the following information:SNAP Participant Surveys- Market & grocery store patrons participating in the program will be asked to complete a self-administered survey, available in English & Spanish, via the Qualtrics online data collection platform on an annual basis to yield repeated cross-sectional data. Surveys will include the NTAE participant level core metrics, demographic information, behavior changes related to produce purchasing/consumption and perceptions related to the marketing and electronic redemption innovations detailed in this proposal.Retail Transaction Data - Retail firm SNAP and DUFB real-time transaction data will be collected via the Epic Fresh Incentive technology and available via the administrative portal web browser.Qualitative Key Informant Interviews - Qualitative interviews of customers, vendors, market managers, and brick and mortar employees will be used to gather their perceptions of implementation, program experiences, and in-depth feedback to drive needed improvements to the I-DUFB program and technology.