Evaluation

The State shall develop and implement a plan for an independent evaluation designed to provide reliable information on Project impacts and implementation. The evaluation will include treatment and control groups and will include random assignment of families to treatment and control groups in an urban setting. The evaluation plan shall satisfy the evaluation concerns of the Secretary of Agriculture such as effects on benefits to participants, costs of the Project, payment accuracy, administrative consequences, any reduction in welfare dependency, any reduction in total assistance payments, and the consequences of cash payments on household expenditures, and food consumption. The evaluation plan shall take into consideration the evaluation requirements and administrative obligations of the State. The evaluation will measure the effects of the Project in regard to goals of increasing family income, prevention of long-term dependency, movement toward self-support, and simplification of the welfare system.

The State shall pay 50 percent of the cost of developing and implementing such plan and the Federal Government shall pay the remainder.