OMB Control No.: 0584-NEW
Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Research and Analysis, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx*). Do not return the completed form to this address.
EVALUATION OF SFSP ENHANCEMENT DEMONSTRATIONS
INTERVIEW GUIDES
STATE AGENCY OFFICIALS (GRANTEE)
SPONSORS
SITES
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Good morning/afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. My name is [interviewer’s name] and this is [second interviewer’s name]. We both work for Westat, a private research company in Rockville, Maryland.
As you know, the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is funding demonstration projects to test ideas for reaching greater numbers of children in the summer and making sure that they do not go hungry. FNS has asked Westat to conduct an evaluation of these demonstrations to understand how these ideas are working and how they are carried out. All of the information we collect is meant to provide FNS with valid and objective findings to help them with their policymaking on Federal summer programs.
The evaluation of the demonstration projects has been set up to assess several things:
The impact of the SFSP enhancement demonstration model on participation and meal service,
Food security status in households of children in the Meal Delivery and Backpack demonstration projects,
“Targeting accuracy” in Meal Delivery and Backpack demonstrations – that is how much of the food is eaten by the child who received it,
The process of implementing the four SFSP enhancement demonstration projects, and
Costs.
We understand that you are already providing data to FNS on participation, meal service, and costs. This is a little different. The reason we’re here today is to find out about how you implement your project. I’ll be interviewing you, to give us a high level overview of the demonstration project and project operations from a grantee perspective. I’ll also be talking to up to 10 sponsors and 15 site staff or volunteers to get their perspective. We’ll also be talking to other state grantees, sponsors and site staff or volunteers from the other demonstration projects.
As the state agency that holds the FNS grant and you as the grant director, you are an important source of information regarding the implementation and operations of this demonstration. We have some specific questions to ask you about the functioning of your project – what happened, what worked and didn’t work, how things can be improved. The interview should last no more than an hour.
Before we start, we would like to ask your permission to record this interview so that we do not miss any of your responses to our questions. The recording will be used by Westat; it will not be provided to FNS or anyone else, except as otherwise required by law.
Do you have any questions before we start?
INTERVIEW
Let’s start with some background information about your agency/department and the project itself.
Background information on grantee and project
How would you describe your agency/department?
Probe:
Mission [IF AVAILABLE, OBTAIN MISSION STATEMENT]
What agency/department does
Staffing [IF AVAILABLE, OBTAIN ORGANIZATION CHART]
Key stakeholders
Experience with FNS and other food programs [IF AVAILABLE, OBTAIN LIST OF ALL FNS PROJECTS]
Overview of Project Operations in State
Can you give us an overview of this demonstration project [insert demo type] – tell us generally what it’s like and how things work.
Type of demonstration
Demo #1 – Extended Operations
Demo #2 – Enrichment Activities
Demo #3 - Meal Delivery
Demo #4 - Backpack
What are the different ways feeding sites around the state deliver food to children? Please describe.
In the regular summer program?
In this demonstration project?
Overall, how many sponsors did this demonstration project have in 2010 [does the project currently have]?
Where are the demonstration sites located?
Probe:
Counties
Part of the state (northeast, south)
Major cities/towns
Project Staffing
We’d like to get an idea of the staffing for this demonstration.
How many staff are dedicated to the demonstration?
What does each one do (roles and responsibilities)?
Probe:
Overall management of implementation
Application approval process (applies to Demonstration 1 and 2)
Budget – distribution of pass through funds, processing grant expense claims
QC monitoring
Provision of data to FNS
Provision of data to evaluation contractor
Provision of assistance to evaluation contractor in collecting data
Other
[Interviewer: Note overlap in roles.]
Could you tell us the total amount of time spent on each function?
[Interviewer: Record responses to Q5, Q6 and Q7 in table below.]
Role |
Number of dedicated staff |
Major tasks |
Total amount of time spent (monthly) |
Comments |
Overall management |
|
|
|
|
Application approval process (Demos 1 and 2) |
|
|
|
|
Budget |
|
|
|
|
QC monitoring |
|
|
|
|
Provision of data to FNS |
|
|
|
|
Interaction with evaluation |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Community Partnerships
We’d like to learn about any partnerships you have or had in developing or implementing this demonstration project.
Have you partnered [are you partnering] with any other organizations or agencies? Please describe.
Probe:
Organizations/agencies
Role – developing proposal, outreach for sponsors and sites, funding, other
Level of involvement
What kind of communication do you have with your community partners? Please describe.
Probe:
Regular/ad hoc
Frequency
Nature of communication
Have there been any issues related to community partner involvement that has needed to be addressed? Please describe.
What was the issue(s)?
How were they addressed?
How have they been resolved?
Selection of Sponsors [ Demonstrations 1 and 2 only]
Let’s talk about the sponsors in this demonstration project. You mentioned that there are approximately [give number] sponsors.
How did you identify and select sponsors?
Probe:
Currently approved sponsors or new applicants for the program?
Outreach methods
Selection criteria
Selection process
Did you do anything differently from what you usually do for the regular summer program (e.g., additional selection criteria, outreach methods, selection process)? Please explain.
Oversight and Monitoring
Probably one of the most important functions of this agency with regard to the FNS demonstrations is providing oversight and monitoring to the work that gets done in the field, so we’d like to spend some time asking you a few questions on oversight and monitoring of the summer demonstration projects.
What kinds of things do you monitor and provide oversight on?
Probe:
How money is spent
Daily meal counts for each meal service offered
Food safety and facility inspection
Food nutrient content
Food appeal to children
Making sure the meal is eaten by the child participating in the project and no one else
Site approval – including plans for alternate service in case of inclement weather if meal service is outside (park, recreational areas).
Documentation for food prepared and served
How leftovers are used
Other
What is monitored |
Monitoring systems/processes |
How money is spent |
|
Daily meal counts for each meal service offered |
|
Food safety and facility inspection |
|
Food nutrient content |
|
Food appeal to children |
|
Who eats the food |
|
Site approval |
|
Documentation of food prepared and served |
|
How leftovers are used |
|
Other |
|
Other |
|
How do you monitor this demonstration? What systems and processes are in place for oversight and monitoring? Please describe.
Probe:
Reporting requirements
Regular telephone calls
Site visits
Performance evaluations (operational/staff)
Feedback from sponsors (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from site staff/volunteers (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from parents (solicited/unsolicited)
Other
What has been the reaction of the sponsors to your oversight/monitoring procedures for the summer demonstration project? Please describe.
16. Have you had to change any of your monitoring/oversight procedures over the course of the demonstration for any reason? Please describe.
Probe:
Which processes
Reason
Changes made
Are there any additional changes to monitoring/oversight you are intending to make this year? For next year [Demos 3 and 4]? Please describe.
Probe:
Nature of change
Reason for change
Timing of change
Process for making change
Nutritional Integrity [Demonstrations 3 and 4 only]
Let’s talk about the meals that are provided to children through the summer demonstration projects.
In addition to required USDA meal patterns, have you provided any written guidance to sponsors on the contents of meals/backpacks? Please describe.
Probe:
Content of guidance
Source (e.g., USDA policy, FRAC, other)
Format (e.g., brochures, emails, web-based)
[OBTAIN COPIES OF DOCUMENTS IF AVAILABLE.]
Do you provide written requirements or guidelines to demonstration sponsors on:
Contents of meals
Portion sizes for meal components
Second meals
Food variety
Accommodation for children with disabilities (specify if this is meal modification or facility design or both)
Accompanying activities
Site environment
Sharing food
Leftover food and food waste
Other
Please describe. [OBTAIN COPIES OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, IF AVAILABLE.]
Have you provided any guidance to demonstration sponsors on ways to ensure food safety? Please describe.
Probe:
Content of guidance
Source (e.g., USDA policy, Food Research and Action Center [FRAC], National Food Service Management Institute [NFSMI], other)
Format
[OBTAIN COPIES OF DOCUMENTS IF AVAILABLE.]
Training and Technical Assistance
This leads nicely into a discussion of training and technical assistance to make sure all sponsors and site staff/volunteers are following the same procedures.
What would you say are the five most common issues on which technical assistance is needed? Please list.
Does your demonstration have a technical assistance component? Please describe.
Probe:
Formal/informal
Format
Frequency
Type of recipients (sponsors, site staff/volunteers)
TA provider
Content
Opportunities for communication – with grantee and among sponsors
Have there been any formal training activities associated with your demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Format – webinars, in-person, workshops
Content
Recipients (sponsors, site staff/volunteers)
Number of recipients
Frequency (e.g., initial, refresher)
Attendance (optional, required)
Distribution of manuals/procedures/brochures [OBTAIN COPY.]
Source -- who provides the training
FNS Monitoring
Now we’d like to talk to you about the monitoring FNS does for your demonstration and how you go about meeting FNS monitoring and oversight requirements.
How does FNS monitor your demonstration project and provide oversight? Please describe.
Probe:
Reporting requirements
Site visits
Telephone calls
Other
We understand that you are required to provide a variety of information to FNS on this demonstration:
Daily meal counts by sponsor
Site level participation
Number of authorized SFSP sponsors in the state
NSLP and SBP enrollment
Is there any other information that you collect routinely for this summer demonstration project? Please describe.
What do you do to obtain information on this demonstration from sponsors? Have you set up systems for collecting the information? Please describe.
Probe:
Email reminders
Use of form or template
Web-based reports
Routine review of process
Onsite visits
Other
What problems, if any, have you encountered in obtaining information required by FNS on this demonstration? Please describe.
Is there anything you would do differently or that you have plans to do differently to aid in collecting information from sponsors on the demonstration? Please describe.
Is there anything you think FNS could do that would make the process easier? Please describe.
Demonstration Innovations
What do you consider to be the greatest innovations of your demonstration project? Please describe.
Probe:
Design or model
Staffing
Outreach methods
Structures and/or systems that have been put in place
Other
Are these innovations specific to your agency/department, or do you think they could be implemented by other agencies? Please explain.
Challenges and Resolution of Challenges
Over the course of the demonstration, have you come across particular challenges (that you haven’t already mentioned or that you’d like to expand upon) in implementing this demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing, monitoring, quality control)
Method of identification
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down after the summer)
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer programs or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
How have these challenges been resolved? Please describe.
Probe:
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Over the course of the demonstration, have you identified particular challenges sponsors have had? Please describe.
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing/volunteers, monitoring, quality control)
Method of identification
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down)
How have these challenges been resolved?
Probe:
Resolution
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
Over the course of the demonstration, have you identified particular challenges sites have had? Please describe.
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing/volunteers, monitoring, quality control)
Method of identification
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down)
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer programs or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
How have these challenges been resolved?
Probe:
Resolution
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Final Comments
Overall, are you happy with the way the demonstration project has been operating so far [has operated]? Please explain.
Overall, are you satisfied with the number of sponsors and site staff/volunteers who participated (are participating) in the demonstration? Please explain.
Overall, are you happy with the participation in this demonstration? Please explain.
Do you think that the demonstration project helped participating children to eat better and contributed to increased food security for the household? Please explain.
Do you have any stories you’ve heard from children or parents about the success of the demonstration project?
What do you perceive to be the greatest barriers to children participating in the summer demonstration project?
Is there anything else about the demonstration that you’d like to tell us that we may have missed asking you about?
Those are all the questions we have for you. Do you have any questions you would like to ask us? We’d like to thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Good morning/afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. My name is [interviewer’s name] and this is [second interviewer’s name]. We both work for Westat, a private research company in Rockville, Maryland.
As you know, the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is funding demonstration projects to test ideas for reaching greater numbers of children in the summer and making sure that they do not go hungry. FNS has asked Westat to conduct an evaluation of these demonstrations to understand how these ideas are working and how they are carried out. All of the information we collect is meant to provide FNS with valid and objective findings to help them with their policymaking on Federal summer programs.
As one of the sponsors under this demonstration project, you are an important source of information on the operations of this demonstration. We have some specific questions to ask you about what you and your partners actually do, what innovations you’ve put in place, what the problems have been, and what has been done or could be done to make the project even better. The interview should last approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Please be assured that the information you provide will be kept private, and your name will not be used in any report we provide to FNS.
Before we start, we would like to ask your permission to record this interview so that we do not miss any of your responses to our questions. The recording will be used by Westat; it will not be provided to FNS or anyone else, except as otherwise required by law.
Do you have any questions before we start?
INTERVIEW
Let’s start with some background information about your organization and the project itself.
Background information on sponsor
How would you describe your organization?
Probe:
Type of organization
What organization does
Staffing/volunteers
Key stakeholders
State and community partners
Experience with FNS food programs (e.g., number of years operating the SFSP)
Experience with other food programs
Overview of Project Operations
Can you give us an overview of this demonstration project [insert demonstration type] – what the project is like and what it does.
Demo #1 – Extended operations
Demo #2 – Enrichment activities
Demo #3 - Meal Delivery
Demo #4 - Backpack
How would you describe the children being served in this demonstration?
Probe:
Age – average and range
Race/ethnicity
Immigrant/non-immigrant
Language(s) spoken (by child, at home)
Approximate percent urban/rural
How many different sites do you organize under this demonstration project? How would you describe them?
Probe:
Number
Affiliation with sponsor organization – yes/no
If not affiliated, type of organization -- Public/private, nonprofit/for profit, school, camp (residential, non-residential), church group
Location – urban, rural, close to one another, distant from one another
About what percent of your sites are also involved in an FNS school program? Please: describe.
Probe:
Percent
Name or description of program
What are the different ways food is prepared for the children under this demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Sponsor meal preparation at a central kitchen
Self-prep at the individual site (applies to Demonstration 1, 2, and 4)
Obtain from a school food authority
Obtain from a food service management company
When have meals for this demonstration project been provided so far this summer?
Probe:
Weeks in June?
Weeks in July?
Weeks in August?
What days during the month were meals provided under this demonstration project?
Probe:
All days?
Some days?
Varies by site
When would you say the most meals have been provided under this demonstration?
Probe:
Month?
Week in month?
Days of the week?
What meals are provided under the demonstration?
Probe:
Breakfast
Lunch
Snack
Supper (if a camp or migrant site only)
Combination
Varies by site
How does your project organize the delivery of meals (applies to Demonstration 3)? Please describe.
How did you decide the method for delivering meals to children (applies to Demonstration 3)? Please describe.
How were dropoff sites determined (applies to Demonstration 3)?
How are backpacks distributed (applies to Demonstration 4)? Please describe.
Probe:
Who distributes
When distributed
Where distributed
Method of distribution
Community Partnerships
We’d like to learn about any partnerships you have or had in implementing this demonstration project.
Have you partnered [are you partnering] with any other organizations or agencies in your community? Please describe.
Probe:
Organizations/agencies
Role
Developing proposal
Outreach to sites
Outreach to children/families
Provision of space
Provision of food
Provision of volunteers
Funding
Other
Level of involvement
What kind of communication do you have with your community partners? Please describe.
Probe:
Regular/ad hoc
Frequency
Nature of communication
Have there been any issues related to community partner involvement that has needed to be addressed? Please describe.
What was the issue(s)?
How was the issue (s) addressed?
How has the issue(s) been resolved?
Staffing/Volunteers
We’d like to get an idea of the people who work on this demonstration.
How many staff/volunteers in your organization are dedicated to the demonstration?
What experience do staff/volunteers on the demonstration project have with other food programs? Please describe.
What does each one do on the demonstration project (roles and responsibilities)?
Probe:
Overall management of implementation (e.g., conducts site visits, provides documentation forms to site, keeps records, ensures correction of site violations, monitors personnel, reviews records for accuracy)
Hires staff or finds volunteers
Payments (e.g., distribution of pass through funds, processing grant expense claims, tracking funds to account for all funds received and expended)
QC monitoring
Provides data to FNS
Provides data to evaluation contractor
Provides assistance to evaluation contractor in collecting data
Training
Other
Could you tell us the total amount of time spent monthly on each role?
[Interviewer: Record responses to Q16, Q18 and Q19 in table.]
Role |
No. staff/ volunteers |
Major tasks |
Total amount of time spent (monthly) |
Comments |
Overall management |
|
|
|
|
Hires staff or finds volunteers |
|
|
|
|
Payments |
|
|
|
|
QC monitoring |
|
|
|
|
Provides data to FNS |
|
|
|
|
Provides data to evaluation contractor |
|
|
|
|
Provides assistance to evaluation contractor in collecting data |
|
|
|
|
Training |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
How do you go about replacing staff/volunteers that leave the demonstration project? Please describe.
Have there been any particular problems with regard to staffing/volunteers? Please describe.
What did you do to try to resolve these problems? Please describe.
Is there anything you would do differently or plan to do in the future to make sure you have enough staffing/volunteers for this demonstration project? Please describe.
Outreach Efforts
Let’s talk some more about the sites in this project and how you selected them (applies to Demonstration 1 and 2). You mentioned that there are approximately [GIVE NUMBER] sites.
How did you go about selecting sites for the demonstration?
Probe:
Outreach methods
Selection criteria – meal service facilities, site capacity to serve children, number of children living in area that will participate, site activities, number of sites to operate
Selection process
Consideration of site activities (Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, National Youth Sports Programs, camps)
Is there anything about your selection of sites that you would like to change? Please explain.
Now let’s talk about the outreach efforts to attract children to the project.
What kind of outreach was done to attract children to the demonstration project? Please describe.
Probe:
Conducted outreach to local businesses and organizations, churches
Used interpersonal communication in target neighborhoods
Held a kickoff event
Used the media (radio, newspaper, community or church newsletter, TV) to promote project
Other
What kinds of steps did you take to target a diverse group of children? Please describe.
Demonstration Implementation
I’d like to talk a little more specifically about the different ways meals are provided to the children.
[Demonstrations 1 and 2] How does each site distribute the meals to children for the demonstration project? Would you describe a few of the sites and what I could expect to find there when the children receive their meals.
Probe:
Activities (if any) before and after food distribution
Method of distribution (serving line, family style meal service)
Method used to ensure compliance with meal pattern requirements
Arrangements for shelter in inclement weather (for outdoor facilities)
[Demonstration 3 and 4] How are the meals delivered to children in the Meal Delivery or Backpack demonstration project? Please describe.
Probe:
Activities (if any) before and after food distribution
Method of distribution (serving line, family style meal service)
Method used to ensure compliance with meal pattern requirements
Arrangements for shelter in inclement weather (for outdoor facilities)
[Demonstration 2 – enhancement activities] Which activities are provided with demonstration funds? Please describe.
Does your demonstration project attempt in any way to maintain anonymity for the children who receive meals? Please describe.
What are the meals like that are provided as part of the demonstration project? Please describe.
.
Probe:
Contents (specify meal components for each meal type)
Hot meals or cold meals
Preparation – self-prepared, vended, satellite, purchased from another source
Variety of fruits and vegetables
Whole grain foods
Low fat or skim
Vegetarian options
Choices offered
[OBTAIN COPY OF MENU IF AVAILABLE.]
What foods seem to be the most popular with the children participating in the demonstration project?
What foods seem to be the least popular with the children participating in the demonstration project?
What is done to make sure the food is nutritious and safe? Please describe.
What procedures are in place to arrange for health department inspection and prompt trash removal?
What procedures are in place to accommodate food allergies and other food restrictions?
What is done to make sure the food is fresh and safe?
What kinds of things do you do to make sure the different rules you’ve put in place specifically for the demonstration are followed? Please describe.
Probe:
All meal components are served according to USDA meal patterns
Financial rules
Food safety
Making sure all the food goes to the child and no one else
Handling leftovers
Other
Training and Technical Assistance
Have you or others in your organization received any training or technical assistance, specific to the demonstration project, from the state demonstration grantee? Please describe.
Probe:
Format – webinars, in-person
Content
Attendance
Who provides it
Distribution of manuals/procedures [OBTAIN COPY.]
Satisfaction
Are there opportunities for communication with the state grantee and other sponsors throughout the state about the demonstration project? Please describe.
Probe:
Formal/informal
Format
Circumstances
Who initiates communication
Satisfaction with number and type of opportunities for communication
How do you provide training or technical assistance for the demonstration project to the sites (applies to Demonstration 1, 2, and 4)? Please describe.
Probe:
Formal/informal
Format
Content
Frequency
Who provides it
Opportunities for communication – with sites
Project Monitoring (applies to Demonstration 1, 2, and 4)
An important function of a sponsor is to provide oversight to the different sites under your jurisdiction.
What kinds of things do you monitor and provide oversight on for this demonstration?
Probe:
Compliance with USDA meal pattern requirements
How money is spent
Daily meal counts for each meal service offered
Food safety (sanitary conditions and health inspections)
Food nutrient content
Food appeal to children
Making sure food is eaten by the child and no one else
Meals served within appropriate timeframes (applies to Demonstration 1 and 2 only)
Portion control of food components
No more than one meal served at one time to a child (applies to Demonstration 1 and 2 only)
Making sure backpack goes to the right child (applies to Demonstration 4 only)
Other
What is monitored |
Monitoring systems/processes |
Compliance with USDA meal pattern requirements |
|
How money is spent |
|
Daily meal counts for each meal service offered |
|
Food safety (sanitary conditions and health inspections) |
|
Food nutrient content |
|
Food appeal to children |
|
Making sure food is eaten by the child and no one else |
|
Meals served within appropriate timeframes |
|
Portion control of food components |
|
No more than one meal served at a time to a child |
|
Making sure backpack goes to right child |
|
Other |
|
Other |
|
How do you do it? What systems and processes are in place for oversight and monitoring? Please describe.
Probe:
Reporting requirements
Telephone calls
Site visits
Feedback from sponsors (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from sites (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from parents (solicited/unsolicited)
Other
What has been the reaction of sites to these monitoring procedures? Please describe.
Have you had to change any of your monitoring/oversight procedures over the course of the demonstration for any reason? Please describe.
Probe:
Which processes
Reason
Changes made
Are there any additional changes you are intending to make? Please describe.
Probe:
Nature of change
Reason for change
Timing of change
Process for making change
Project Innovations
What does your organization do in this demonstration that’s particularly innovative? Please describe.
Probe:
Outreach methods
Staffing
Monitoring systems
Food content
Food variety
Accompanying activities
Facilities – serving areas
Other
Are these things specific to your particular organization, or do you think they could be implemented by other organizations? Please explain.
Challenges and Resolution of Challenges
Over the course of the demonstration, have you come across particular challenges to being a sponsor in this demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing, collection and provision of data, monitoring, quality control)
Method of identification of challenges
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down)
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer programs or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
How have you resolved these challenges? Please describe.
Probe:
Resolution
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Over the course of the demonstration project, have you identified particular challenges sites have had? Please describe.
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing/volunteers, monitoring, quality control)
Method of identification
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down)
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer programs or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
How were these challenges resolved? Please describe.
Probe:
Resolution
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Final Comments
Overall, are you happy with the way the demonstration project has been operating (operated)? Please explain.
Overall, are you satisfied with the number of sponsors and sites who participated (are participating) in the project? Please explain.
Overall, are you happy with the number of children who participate in this demonstration? Please explain.
Do you think that the demonstration project helped participating children to eat better and contributed to increased food security for the household? Please explain.
Do you have any stories you’ve heard from children or parents about the success of the demonstration project?
What do you perceive to be the greatest barriers to children participating in the summer demonstration project?
Is there anything else about the demonstration that you’d like to tell us that we may have missed asking you about?
Those are all the questions we have for you. Do you have any questions you would like to ask us? We’d like to thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions.
Note to interviewer: These questions are asked to site staff/volunteers under Demonstration 1, 2, and 4.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Good morning/afternoon. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. My name is [interviewer’s name] and this is [second interviewer’s name]. We both work for Westat, a private research company in Rockville, Maryland.
As you know, the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is funding demonstration projects to test ideas for reaching greater numbers of children in the summer and making sure that they do not go hungry. FNS has asked Westat to conduct an evaluation of these demonstrations to understand how these ideas are working and how they are carried out. All of the information we collect is meant to provide FNS with valid and objective findings to help them with their policymaking on Federal summer programs.
As one of the sites under this demonstration project, you are an important source of information on the operations of this demonstration. We have some specific questions to ask you about what you do as a project site, what the problems have been, and what has been done or could be done to make the project even better. The interview should last approximately 30-45 minutes.
Please be assured that the information you provide will be kept private, and your name will not be used in any report we provide to FNS.
Before we start, we would like to ask your permission to record this interview so that we do not miss any of your responses to our questions. The recording will be used by Westat; it will not be provided to FNS or anyone else.
Do you have any questions before we start?
INTERVIEW
Let’s start with some background information on you and this site.
Background information on sites
How did you become involved in being a site? Please describe.
Probe:
Experience with summer programs - # years offering SFSP.
Experience with school year feeding programs
Reason for choosing to be a part of demonstration
Do you represent or belong to a particular organization that is participating in this demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Type of organization- Public/private, nonprofit/for profit, school, camp (residential, non-residential)
What organization does
Organization’s experience with summer programs
Organization’s experience with school year feeding programs
Overview of Operations
Can you give us an overview of this demonstration project [insert demonstration type] – what the project is like and what it does.
Demo #1 – Extended operations
Demo #2 – Enrichment activities
Demo #4 - Backpack
How would you describe the children you give meals to in the demonstration project?
Probe:
Age
Race/ethnicity
Immigrant/non-immigrant
Language(s) spoken
Place of residence
Urban/rural
How does this site provide meals to the children in the demonstration project? Please describe.
During this summer, when did your site operate?
Probe:
Months
Weeks
Days/week
When would you say attendance has been the highest?
Probe:
Month?
Week in month?
Days of the week?
Weekend?
Do you have any thoughts on what influences attendance from day to day/week to week/month to month? Please explain.
What meals do you provide at your site for this demonstration project?
Probe:
Breakfast
Lunch
Snack
All
Varies
Staffing/Volunteers
We’d also like to get an idea of the people who work on this project – and the different things they do.
How many people work at this site to make sure children receive meals under this demonstration?
What exactly does each one do? Please describe.
Probe:
Manage overall operations
Monitor operations (e.g., [Demonstration 1 and 2] ensure that children eat the entire meal at the site, monitor plate waste, monitor meal dining to make sure parents do not eat any portion of the child/children’s meal, monitor timeframe for serving meals, monitor serving staff to ensure they observe guidance for serving second meals to children and using “table sharing” for utilizing leftover food; [Demonstration 4] make sure backpacks meals go to children who are participating in demonstration)
Purchase food
Set up delivery site
Determine number of meals needed
Prepare meals
Give out meals to children
Verify that meals served/packed in backpacks meet meal pattern requirements
Food safety (e.g., record food temperatures; check for spoiled food)
Track and record meal counts
Record how leftover food is handled
Keep track of money spent
Interact with sponsors
Provide data to state or sponsors
Provide data to evaluation contractors
Assist evaluation contractors in collecting data
Attend training sessions on demonstration project provided by sponsor
Other
Could you tell us the total amount of time spent on each task?
[Interviewer: Record responses to Q9, Q10, and Q11 in table below.]
Major tasks |
No. staff or volunteers |
Total amount of time spent (monthly) |
Comments |
Manage overall operations |
|
|
|
Monitor operations |
|
|
|
Purchase food |
|
|
|
Set up delivery site |
|
|
|
Determine number of meals needed |
|
|
|
Prepare meals |
|
|
|
Give out meals to children |
|
|
|
Verify meals meet meal pattern requirements |
|
|
|
Food safety (e.g., record food temperatures; check for spoiled food) |
|
|
|
Track and record meal counts |
|
|
|
Record how leftover food is handled |
|
|
|
Keep track of money spent |
|
|
|
Interact with sponsors |
|
|
|
Provide data to state or sponsors |
|
|
|
Provide data to evaluation contractor |
|
|
|
Assist evaluation contractor in collecting data |
|
|
|
Attend sponsor training sessions |
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
How do you make sure you have the staff/volunteers you need to do all these jobs – especially in the summer? Please describe.
Have there been any particular problems with regard to staffing/volunteers for this demonstration? Please describe.
What did you do to resolve these problems? Please describe.
Is there anything you would do differently or plan to do in the future to make sure your site is well staffed and all the tasks can be carried out for this demonstration? Please describe.
Outreach
Let’s talk about outreach and what you did to attract children to this project.
What kind of outreach did you do to attract children to the project? Please describe.
Probe:
Talked to churches, local businesses and organizations about the project
Walked around target neighborhoods to talk about the project
Held a kickoff event
Used the media (radio, newspaper, community or church newsletter, TV) to promote project
Other
Is this different than what you usually do for the summer program? Please explain.
What kinds of steps did you take to target a diverse group of children? Please describe.
Site Environment
I’d like to get an idea of what the site actually looks like – if we were to go there, what we would find.
What has been done to make the site welcoming to children? Please describe.
What kinds of accessibility measures have been taken? Please describe.
Is there any signage for the project or for the place where meals are served/distributed? Please describe.
What arrangements are made for a place to serve children in case of inclement weather (if site is in a park or other outside location)?
Is there proper sanitation/storage?
Is informational material concerning the availability and nutritional benefits of the SFSP available in appropriate translations?
Are any of these things different for the demonstration project than the regular summer program? Please explain.
Demonstration Implementation
I’d like to talk a little more specifically about the way in which meals are provided to the children.
How do you distribute the meals? Please describe.
Probe:
Method of distribution
Activities (if any) before and after food distribution
Which activities were provided this year (applies to Demonstration 2)?
Were the activities funded with demonstration project money (applies to Demonstration 2)?
Does your project attempt in any way to maintain anonymity for the children? Please describe.
What are the meals like for the demonstration project? Please describe.
.
Probe:
Contents
Hot meals or cold meals
Preparation – self-prepared, vended, satellite
Variety of fruits and vegetables
Whole grain foods
Low fat or skim products
Vegetarian options
Choices offered
Other
What do you do to make sure the food nutritious, safe, and appealing to children? Please describe.
How do you accommodate food allergies and other food restrictions?
What do you do to make sure the food is kept fresh?
Are children permitted to share or trade food? Please describe.
Are any of these things different for the demonstration project than the regular summer program? Please explain.
What foods seem to be the most popular with the children participating in the demonstration project?
What foods seem to be the least popular with the children participating in the demonstration project?
[OBTAIN COPY OF MENU IF AVAILABLE.]
Program Requirements and Guidelines
Does your sponsor have specific rules and guidelines in place, specific to the demonstration project, for running the site? Please describe.
Financial rules
Food safety (e.g., recording food temperature, time scheduled for delivery of food prior to meal service, removal of waste from site)
Making sure the food goes to the child and no one else
Contents of meals (i.e., meal pattern components, portion sizes)
Food variety
Accommodation for children with disabilities (food modification or substitution)
Accompanying activities
Sharing/exchanging food
Serving second meals
Handling leftover food
Please describe.
[OBTAIN COPY OF RELEVANT MATERIALS, IF AVAILABLE.]
How did you learn about these rules and guidelines? Please describe.
Probe:
Format (e.g., written material, training)
Source
Frequency of receiving information about requirements or guidelines
Do you feel you received enough information and the right type of information to help you meet these requirements for the demonstration? Please explain.
Would you want anything to be done differently in the demonstration project? Please explain.
Providing Information to Sponsors
What kinds of information are you required to provide to the sponsors for the demonstration project?
Probe:
How money is spent
Food safety
Number of meals
Number of children
How do you keep track of these things? Have you set up any systems, specific for the demonstration project, for collecting this information? Please describe.
Probe:
Reporting requirements
Telephone calls
Site visits
Feedback from sponsors (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from sites (solicited/unsolicited)
Feedback from parents (solicited/unsolicited)
Self-feedback
Other
Have you had any problems in collecting this information for the demonstration project? Please describe.
What did you do to resolve these problems? Please describe.
Is there anything you would do differently or plan to do differently? Please describe.
Is there anything you would like the sponsor to do differently to make it easier for you to provide information on the demonstration project?
Challenges and Resolution of Challenges
What would you say have been your biggest challenges in this demonstration? Please describe.
Probe:
Nature of challenge (e.g., data collection, staffing/volunteers, collection and provision of data, meals delivered to site late, poor quality or spoiled food, sanitation)
Timing (e.g., startup, implementation, winding down)
Have the challenges been any different than in the usual summer programs or school year feeding programs? Please explain.
How have you resolved these challenges? Please describe.
Probe:
Resolution
Facilitators to resolution
Barriers to resolution
Final Comments
Overall, are you happy with the way your site has been operating (operated) the demonstration this summer? Please explain.
Overall, are you happy with the participation in this demonstration? Please explain.
Do you think that what you did at your site helped children participating in the demonstration to eat better and contributed to increased food security for the household? Please explain.
Do you have any stories you’ve heard from children or parents about the success of this demonstration project?
What do you see as the greatest barrier to children participating in the Summer Food Service Program?
Is there anything else about the demonstration that you’d like to tell us that we may have missed asking you about?
Those are all the questions we have for you. Do you have any questions you would like to ask us? We’d like to thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions.
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| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 0000-00-00 |