DSL INFO MEMO 2000-02
January 26, 2000
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Department of Health and Family Services
Division of Children and Family Services
Division of Supportive Living
To:
Area Administrators/Assistant Area Administrators
Bureau Directors
County Departments of Community Programs Directors
County Departments of Developmental Disabilities Services Directors
County Departments of Human Services Directors
County Departments of Social Services Directors
Innovative Family Partnerships
New Ventures
Program Office Directors/Section Chiefs
Tribal Chairpersons/Human Services Facilitators
From:
Susan N. Dreyfus, Administrator
Division of Children and Family Services
Sinikka McCabe, Administrator
Division of Supportive Living
Re: Random Moment Time Study
Background:
The Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) is a federally approved statistical
sampling technique which is implemented through phone interviews to
applicable staff from a Madison central office. The RMTS was created to
satisfy federal requirements that the state is documenting its federal
claims for certain kinds of social service administrative monies. The
Department’s federal claim is based on using a statistical survey to
accurately determine proportions of service worker time spent providing
certain classifications of service to particular groups of clients. The
higher the percentages, the greater the cash value of the claim.
What Is The RMTS:
The RMTS is administered by the Bureau of Fiscal Services in the Division
of Management and Technology with support from other state agencies. All
social workers and social services aides currently working for all the 72
counties and for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Department staff and
contract staff are on a special sample list. Each quarter, a computer
program generates a sample of names randomly drawn from a listing generated
by the Local Personnel Master File (LPMF). The program also assigns a
randomly drawn "moment in time" for the RMTS interviewer to call
the employee. Because of the random sample technique, some social workers
may not receive a call for several quarters at a time, while others may be
picked two or more times in a given year.
For the sample to be scientifically valid, the phone interviewer must
keep on calling back and get a response from the selected worker
about the original time. If large numbers of persons are not
interviewed or cannot reconstruct their activities, the validity of
the sample will be damaged.
What Is Asked In The Phone Interview:
The interviewer asks two kinds of information. The first kind is
the essential data on the work being performed. This information
is used to determine the amount of federal funds the state can claim
from the Federal Government on behalf of all the counties and Bureau
of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW)/contract staff. For obvious
reasons the interviewer will not specify what is claimable
information and what is not, since this would distort the results of
the survey and make the federal auditors question the validity of
the claims.
The essential data is divided into four kinds of information:
- What activity was being performed just before the call was
made;
- What kind of target population was being served by this
activity;
- What specific program or service category was the main element
being dealt with by the worker at that particular moment;
- If substitute care is involved, further questions may be asked
to determine which substitute care activity was worked on.
Secondly, the interviewer also needs information about the primary
client. (The primary client is the oldest child if a child is involved.)
Why Is The Client’s Identity Required And Is There A Confidentiality
Problem:
The phone interviewer asks only the client’s name, birthdate, sex, and
county/BMCW case number. This personal identification is needed because the
Federal Government audits a percentage of the RMTS phone interviews to
ensure that Wisconsin is not distorting the interview data to
inappropriately claim federal funds. The personal identification data is
kept in a locked file, and will only be seen or used by authorized federal
or state officials. The files are destroyed after four years by shredding.
Most importantly, the personal information is not entered onto the computer
tape of the coded replies of the workers who are interviewed.
Worker Cooperation Is Needed For The RMTS To Succeed:
After the initial interview with a worker where the RMTS process will be
explained, subsequent interviews should never take more than a minute or
two. Some replies, such as being on sick leave or vacation, automatically
exclude that phone interview from the survey analysis. The smaller the final
sample of phone calls each three month period, the weaker the validity of
the state’s claim for federal funds. The RMTS needs worker cooperation.
The RMTS survey results will not be used for supervisory evaluations or
activities since worker replies will never be shared with the county or BMCW/contract
staff. Each interview becomes part of a total number and percent used to
make the claim for federal reimbursement each quarter.
The current interviewer is Catherine May for the Bureau of Fiscal
Services, Division of Management and Technology. If you have any questions,
please contact her at (608) 266-8147 or Sally Acuff at (608) 266-9576. The
cooperation of all staff in the survey process will ensure appropriate
claiming of federal funds for the benefit of Wisconsin human services.
Thank you.
REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Area Administrator
CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Catherine May
Bureau of Fiscal Services
Division of Management and Technology
(608) 266-8147
Sally Acuff
Bureau of Fiscal Services
Division of Management and Technology
(608) 266-9576.
e-mail: AcuffSA@dhfs.state.wi.us
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