# Section 1: Where should states focus first?

### <i class="fa-circle-check">:circle-check:</i>  Key takeaways

1. Before jumping to solutions, first, be sure to understand your state’s data to find ways to lower error rates.
2. Don’t look at your data in isolation — combine insights with listening to caseworker feedback and using your team’s knowledge of state processes and policies.
3. In addition to PER, measure other, more real-time metrics that can provide earlier signals that your state’s changes are having their intended effects.

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#### Overview

First, states need to dig into what their data is telling them and make plans for how to measure progress. We outline in this section practical ways for states to get started interpreting their data, testing changes, and measuring progress based on USDR’s research.

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**Note about terms**

For simplicity, we are using the term “error” to refer to any situation that can affect a state’s PER. In addition, we are using “states,” but DC and U.S. territories with SNAP programs can also use this playbook, as well as county and local governments that administer SNAP.
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**What is quality control versus quality assurance?**

[Quality control (QC)](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/qc) refers to an official process that both state and federal reviewers go through for determining a household’s eligibility and benefit amount. The QC process determines PER for a set of sampled cases.

Alongside the official QC process, state agencies may conduct quality assurance (QA) reviews before or after SNAP certification. During these desk reviews, SNAP staff who did not process the initial case will double check its information to review whether workers and the system processed it accurately.
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#### <i class="fa-circle-arrow-right">:circle-arrow-right:</i>  Go to pages

{% content-ref url="section-1-where-should-states-focus-first/how-can-states-start-analyzing-their-data" %}
[how-can-states-start-analyzing-their-data](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-1-where-should-states-focus-first/how-can-states-start-analyzing-their-data)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="section-1-where-should-states-focus-first/how-to-measure-if-changes-are-working" %}
[how-to-measure-if-changes-are-working](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-1-where-should-states-focus-first/how-to-measure-if-changes-are-working)
{% endcontent-ref %}

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