Ticket to Work (TTW) Program Outreach Materials Interviews

Individual Interview Guide for Testing the “Meet Ben!” Graphics Video

Background for Interviewers (Do Not Read Aloud)

The goal of the Ticket to Work program is to assist Social Security disability beneficiaries ages of 18 through 64 to join or re-join the workforce. The program promotes increased self-sufficiency and greater financial independence by providing access to employment support services to help beneficiaries reach their work goals. The Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS) contract supports the program by developing and implementing a comprehensive communications and outreach strategy, using online and social media, targeted communications and marketing materials.

As outreach efforts have evolved, the BASS team has continuously developed materials with new content and in new formats to support the Ticket to Work program. In late 2013, the BASS team developed a four-minute motion graphics video, titled “Meet Ben!,” featuring Ben, an animated character who takes the audience with him on his journey to financial independence using the Ticket to Work program. Encouraged by the positive reception Ben has received, the BASS team started including Ben in outreach materials, including self-paced Work Incentives Seminar Event training modules and the program’s email campaign.

However, Ben’s believability and effectiveness needs to be tested with individuals with disabilities before adopting Ben as the “face” of the Ticket program. Confirming Ben’s appeal among stakeholders is important to providing consistent, useful messaging and materials for beneficiaries. BASS has asked Source America to collect beneficiaries’ feedback on the materials that use Ben to gauge the appeal and effectiveness of the video and related material.

About the Individual Interviews

The interviewer will begin the session by introducing him or herself as well as their connection to Source America. S/he will inform interview participants of the topic of conversation: Social Security’s Ticket to Work program and the effectiveness of Ben. At this point, the interviewer will communicate the conversation’s expectations, encouraging the respondents to share their points of view and opinions. The interviewer will also present conversation guidelines, including informing participants that the session will be recorded and encouraging civil, respectful discussion (if more than one person is interviewed).

Each interview will run approximately 30 minutes.

Questions or statements to be read aloud are identified by italic text.

INTRODUCTION (Read Aloud):

Hello. My name is ___________ and I’m the moderator for today’s 30 minute interview.

The purpose of this interview is to introduce and discuss the impact of Ben, an animated character designed to build awareness of the Ticket to Work program benefits. I will show you some pictures and a short video of Ben (speak of the video only if you are able to show it) as he explains how the program works and why it may help beneficiaries who are looking to increase their earnings as they enter or re-enter the workforce. Ben is intended to improve the program’s appeal and accessibility and persuade viewers to respond to the call-to-action. At the conclusion of the interviews, we hope to have a better sense of how people perceive Ben and if he is useful in helping beneficiaries decide if the program is a good one for them, and that they should participate. Social Security will also gain a sense of which aspects of Ben do not encourage people to participate, or perhaps even inspire a negative response from potential participants.

Feel free to make any negative or positive comments about any of the things we will be discussing today. This is an open discussion, and there are no right or wrong answers.

DISCLOSURES (Read Aloud):

Before we get started, here is some important information you need to know.

1. CONFIDENTIALITY. Everything that you say here will be kept strictly confidential. Nothing said during this interview will ever be associated with you by name. We ask that you similarly maintain the confidentiality of what is said during the interview.

2. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION. Your participation in this interview is entirely voluntary. You may stop participating at any time, and nothing you say or do during this session will affect your Social Security benefits or employment status. You do not have to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer. The consent form provides more detailed information regarding confidentiality and the voluntary nature of participation. If you haven’t already done so, please sign the consent form and return it to__________.

3. THANKS. Thank you for arranging your schedule today to be here for this session. We really appreciate you giving us your time and your opinions. In order to avoid any disruptions during the interview, please turn off your cell phone and any other electronic device, such as a PDA, laptop, iPad, etc.

BEGIN THE INTERVIEW:

The interviewer will ask the participant whether s/he is aware of the Ticket to Work program, and then later probe into his/her awareness and understanding of work incentives.

If the participant is familiar with the program, the interviewer will continue to ask questions about his/her awareness of the program, including:

• “What do you he/she knows about the program?

• How did he/she learn about the program.

• What he/she believes is the program’s purpose.

Hi _________ (refer to the participant by first name only), thank you for your participation today.

I want to begin by asking, “What do you know about the Ticket to Work program and Social Security Work Incentives?”

• How did you learn about the Ticket program?

• What is the purpose of the Ticket program?

• Are you familiar with the term, “work incentives”?

• Can you give me an example of a work incentive?

• Can you give me another example of a work incentive?

Testing Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors

After establishing the participant’s level of awareness of the Ticket to Work program and work incentives, the interviewer will inquire about the participant’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors based on his or her perceptions of Ben after being shown Ben’s video (or pictures of Ben, if unable to show the video). The interviewer will focus discussion on how the participant views and responds to Ben, as well as to what degree Ben resonates with each participant. These questions are intended to reveal the degree to which the participant finds the video and/or images to be relevant, accurate, trust-worthy, persuasive, and motivating.

• What do you like about Ben?

• What don’t you like about Ben?

• After seeing the video/pictures of Ben, how do they make you feel?

• Do you relate personally to Ben?

  • Why or why not?

• Do you trust the information from Ben?

  • Why or why not?

• Do you feel that Ben is an appropriate image for providing information about a government program?

  • Why or why not?

• Does Ben make you feel more secure about the work incentives you will receive while you are participating in the program?

  • Why or why not?

• Does this material portraying Ben motivate you to pursue employment?

  • Why or why not?

• If yes, do you think you could have the same outcomes as Ben?

  • Why or why not?

WRAP UP (Read Aloud)

Read Paperwork Reduction Act Statement:

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement – This Ticket to Work program interview session, cleared under OMB No. 0960-0788, meets the requirements of 44 U.S.C. § 3507, as amended by section 2 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Participation in this activity is voluntary. We estimated that it would take approximately 30 minutes to complete. If you would like to comment on our time estimate, please send your comments to: SSA, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.

Thank you very much for your participation. Your feedback has been very valuable. If we need to contact you again, would you be willing to provide additional input? If so, please provide us your contact information (i.e., email and/or phone number).

04/08/14