School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II, Outlying Areas Cost Study Feasibility Reassessment - SAs, SFA Directors, District Business Managers, School Nutrition Managers, and School Principals (SLT)

APPENDIX G

SFA DIRECTOR RECRUITING EMAIL

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Note: The burden associated with gathering and submitting the requested documents is included in the disclosure statement on Appendix A.

OMB Control No.: 0584-0606

Expiration Date: 03/31/2019

Dear [SFA Director Name]:

This email is to request your assistance with the Outlying Areas Cost Study Feasibility Reassessment. As you may remember from the correspondence the State Child Nutrition agency director (copied) recently sent you, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and its partner, Insight Policy Research, to assess the extent of information available about the costs of producing reimbursable meals for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and update the information gathered in 2018. This study is important because an accurate assessment of meal costs could help adjust per-meal reimbursement rates in [Puerto Rico/the U.S. Virgin Islands]. Today I am contacting you with [three/four] requests, including identifying staff for interviews, gathering documents, and preparing to coordinate visits for face-to-face interviews.

The purpose of these interviews is to find out about the records your school food authority (SFA) keeps for meal production and planning, food prices, non-reimbursable food sales (if applicable), the staff who work on food service activities, and indirect costs. These interviews will also update the information about food service operations that we gathered in 2018.

1. Identify regional SFA staff for face-to-face interviews [PUERTO RICO CENTRAL SFA ONLY]

We plan to interview the seven SFA directors and business managers in the new regional SFAs. These staff should be available to participate together in face-to-face interviews during the scheduled visit (see below). If any of the regional SFAs are not yet operational, we would like to interview the staff who are likely to become the SFA directors and business managers.

When I call in a few days, I will ask you for the contact information for these individuals. You can also reply to this email and provide the following information for each regional SFA:

• Regional SFA name

• Regional SFA address

• SFA director name

• SFA director email address

• SFA director telephone number

• Business manager name

• Business manager email address

• Business manager telephone number

[1/2]. Identify public school staff for face-to-face interviews

We plan to interview school nutrition managers (SNMs) and principals in up to [three public schools in your SFA/10 public schools across Puerto Rico]. We need your help selecting public schools with different characteristics. Please consider schools that vary in whether they (1) have staff who are not in the food service department but work on food service activities, (2) purchase any foods directly, and (3) prepare food onsite versus receive meals from a central kitchen or a production kitchen. [IF PR CENTRAL SFA: Please select schools that are located across the seven new SFA regions, and are located near the regional SFA offices.] The schools should also include [an/at least one] elementary, middle, and high school, if possible, and staff should be available and willing to participate in face-to-face interviews during the scheduled visit (see below).

When I call in a few days, I will ask you for the contact information for the SNMs and principals. If a central kitchen prepares school meals for any schools, I will also ask you for the contact information for the SNM of the central kitchen. You can also reply to this email and provide the following information for each of the [three/10] public schools. Please gather examples of completed production records, personnel records, and if applicable, non-reimbursable foods sales records described below for these schools.

• Public school (or central kitchen) name

• Public school (or central kitchen) address

• SNM name

• SNM email address

• SNM telephone number

• Principal name

• Principal email address

• Principal telephone number

[2/3]. Gather documents

We would like to review some of your SFA’s records before the interviews. Please start to gather the following records. Gathering and submitting the documents could take up to 1.5 hours. Your district’s business manager might have access to some of the records. If your SFA does not maintain some of these documents but the State Child Nutrition agency does, we will request the documents from the State. [IF PR: Likewise, if your [central/regional] SFA does not maintain some of these documents, we will request the documents from the [central/regional] SFA.] When I call you, I will confirm which documents are available and provide instructions for sharing documents through a secure website.

• Audited and unaudited revenue and expenditure statements for the SFA from fiscal year 2017–2018 or, if those are not available, audited and unaudited revenue and expenditure statements for 2016–2017

• Completed daily production records that document the foods that were prepared for and served in reimbursable meals each day for a typical school week for the selected schools (see above)

• Documentation that identifies the cost categories and support functions included in the district’s indirect cost rate(s) or cost allocation plan(s), such as documentation submitted to the State Department of Education for approval

• If applicable, your SFA’s cycle menu(s)

• If applicable, your SFA’s food service management company contract

• If applicable, the food service employees union contract

In addition, please gather examples of the following:

• Records of food purchases, such as invoices, delivery slips, or monthly vendor statements, that show the item, unit size, price per unit, and quantity obtained; please gather an example from each of your SFA’s suppliers, including all vendors, USDA Foods, and, if applicable, DoD Fresh

• Standardized recipes for foods prepared from scratch

• Records for SFA personnel and personnel in the selected schools (see above) who work on food service activities and are paid out of the food service account

  • These records should show job title, salary, hours worked, amount of leave time, and amount of time spent on food service activities. Please redact any names, Social Security Numbers, or other personally identifiable information from these records.

• Records for district personnel and personnel in the selected schools (see above) who work on food service activities but are paid out of the district account rather than the food service account

  • These records should show job title, salary, hours worked, amount of leave time, and amount of time spent on food service activities. Please redact any names, Social Security Numbers, or other personally identifiable information from these records.

• If applicable, records of non-reimbursable foods sales (for example, adult meals or items that are sold a la carte in the cafeteria or elsewhere in school, such as in vending machines, school stores, food carts, or snack bars)

[3/4]. Coordinate face-to-face interviews

I need your help coordinating the face-to-face interviews with staff during our team’s visit. We are planning a [Number]-day visit during [Month] 2019 to interview everyone described previously. We can discuss the logistics when I call in a few days.

This assessment is not an audit. Your SFA’s participation is mandatory under Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Please email or call me if you have any questions about the Outlying Areas Cost Study Feasibility Reassessment. I can be reached at [Email] or [Telephone Number]. Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation.

Sincerely,

[Recruiter Name]

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