Administrative checkpoints, burdens, and human‐centered design: Increasing interview access to raise SNAP participation
研究通过实地实验发现，向SNAP申请人发送短信提醒和灵活面试安排，可将面试完成率提高10个百分点，福利批准率提高6-7个百分点，并缩短等待时间。
Abstract In this study we describe the potential of human‐centered design principles to identify burdens, reducing the effects of administrative checkpoints. Administrative checkpoints—mandatory requirements that must be satisfied in order to progress in an administrative process—have disproportionate negative effects in excluding the public from receiving public services. Mandatory interviews are one such checkpoint. Based on consultation with safety net clients and caseworkers, we designed a field experiment ( N = 1,554) to minimize the exclusionary effects of mandatory interviews for SNAP applicants. Compared to a control group that received a traditional mailer reminder, SNAP applicants who also received texts reminding them of the interview and communicating flexible “interview anytime” scheduling options had a higher interview completion rate by 10 percentage points, a higher benefit‐approval rate by 6 to 7 percentage points, and also completed interviews 3 to 4 days sooner. Follow‐up surveys show that the text reminders reduced learning costs about the interview requirement and increased applicant confidence about their ability to manage the process.