B-304718, Veterans Benefits Administration--Refreshments for Focus Groups, November 9, 2005

B-304718 Nov 09, 2005 Jump To VIEW DECISION DOWNLOADS RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights To fulfill its statutory mission, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, conducts focus groups in which veterans and their families participate. VBA asks whether it may use appropriate funds to pay for incentives in the form of refreshments or light meals to increase participation in and the effectiveness of focus groups. VBA may reasonably determine administratively that providing such incentives encourages participation in and improves the quality of information gleaned from focus groups, and accordingly may use appropriated funds to pay for such incentives. VBA should provide incentives pursuant to an enforceable policy that ensures incentives are provided only when necessary and appropriate. View Decision B-304718, Veterans Benefits Administration--Refreshments for Focus Groups, November 9, 2005 Decision Matter of: Veterans Benefits Administration—Refreshments for Focus Groups File: B-304718 Date: November 9, 2005 DIGEST To fulfill its statutory mission, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, conducts focus groups in which veterans and their families participate. VBA asks whether it may use appropriated funds to pay for incentives in the form of refreshments or light meals to increase participation in and the effectiveness of focus groups. VBA may reasonably determine administratively that providing such incentives encourages participation in and improves the quality of information gleaned from focus groups, and accordingly may use appropriated funds to pay for such incentives. VBA should provide incentives pursuant to an enforceable policy that ensures incentives are provided only when necessary and appropriate. DECISION The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has requested an advance decision under 31 U.S.C. sect. 3529 on whether it may use appropriated funds to pay for incentives in the form of refreshments or light meals, as a means to attract veterans and their families to VBA focus groups, and to encourage participation in and improve the quality and reliability of the feedback from the focus groups. VBA conducts focus groups, to satisfy a requirement in 38 U.S.C. sect. 527(a) that VA –measure and evaluate— its programs. We would not object to a VBA administrative determination that providing such an incentive to veterans and their families encourages their participation in and improves the quality of information gleaned from focus groups. Accordingly, based on such a determination, VBA may use appropriated funds to purchase the refreshments. BACKGROUND In recent years, to aid in its customer service efforts, VBA has been conducting focus groups wherein veterans and members of veterans' families provide feedback on VBA benefit programs and how they might be improved. Letter from James W. Bohmbach, Chief Financial Officer, VBA, to Susan Poling, Associate General Counsel, GAO, Feb. 11, 2005, at 2 (hereinafter Bohmbach Letter). VBA solicits feedback under direction of 38 U.S.C. sect. 527(a), which requires that the agency –measure and evaluate ... all programs authorized under this title, in order to determine their effectiveness in achieving stated goals in general, and in achieving such goals in relation to their cost, their effect on related programs, and their structure and mechanisms for delivery of services.— Id.While VBA obtains information from a variety of sources, including mail or internet surveys and telephone interviews, VBA has determined that use of focus groups, in many circumstances, is the best method of gathering this feedback. [1] Id.Focus group participants are not VBA employees but are veterans and family members of veterans served by VBA. Id. VBA usually pays the veterans and their family members who participate $50 each for their participation. Id. It is a common practice in the private sector for refreshments or light meals to be served to focus group participants as an incentive for participation and as a means to facilitate greater communication within the group. Richard A. Krueger and Mary Anne Casey, Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research at 104 (3d ed. 2000). Referring to this practice, VBA argues that the provision of refreshments to the veterans and members of their families who participate in focus groups is very helpful both in attracting these participants and getting useful information from the focus group. Bohmbach Letter at 2-3. VBA also argues that because focus groups are held near the dinner hour, participation levels would be drastically lower if VBA did not provide refreshments or light meals as an additional incentive. Id. at 2. VBA states that allowing participants to leave the group for dinner and then return would disrupt the group dynamic and add considerable time to the event.