The University of Michigan School of Social Work Program Evaluation Group (PEG) will conduct a process and impact evaluation of Michigan’s Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program operated by the Fair Food Network (FFN). The evaluation will answer five primary evaluation questions: 1. To what extent does program participation lead to greater fruit and vegetable consumption among SNAP shoppers? 2. What is the economic benefit of Double Up Food Bucks to farmers? 3. How do DUFB participants compare to the population of SNAP users in Michigan? 4. What are the processes, challenges, and factors contributing to successful program implementation? 5. What are the core program metrics, as defined by the Nutrition Incentive Hub? A rigorous design will be used to explore the causal l ink between the program and the expected outcomes. The evaluation will make use of FFN’s existing implementation and core program outcome indicators as well as FFN’s current data collection methodology. In collaboration with FFN, PEG evaluators will plan and collect new information from grocers, farmers, and program participants to answer the key evaluation questions. The evaluation findings will integrate and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data across sources, and outline recommendations for improvement.
