Appendix B7 Invitation Letter to SFA Directors, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and Web Survey Information Sheet

APPENDIX B7
INVITATION LETTER TO SFA DIRECTORS,

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

AND

WEB SURVEY INFORMATION SHEET

OMB Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

XX/XX/2015

Dear [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]:

2M Research Services and its partner, Mathematica Policy Research, are conducting a national survey for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), as part of a study called the Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II (CN-OPS II). This is the first year of the study. The CN-OPS II is being conducted to understand and address the current policy issues related to Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operations.

The goal of this study is to improve the implementation of the Child Nutrition Program by examining:

• Data on the Child Nutrition (CN) program characteristics to help FNS respond to questions about the CN programs in schools;

• Data related to program administration for designing and revising program regulations, managing resources, and reporting requirements; and

• Data related to program operations to help FNS develop and provide training and technical assistance for SFAs and State Agencies responsible for administering the CN program.

The survey is designed to be completed by the SFA Director or designated members of your staff in about two hours. This is a web survey that you will complete online. A hardcopy of the survey is included with this letter for planning purposes. We encourage you to circulate the survey among appropriate staff, if necessary, to obtain all responses. We have also included frequently asked questions and a web survey information sheet to assist you.

Please note that your cooperation in this study is required under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Section 305 of that Act states that

“States, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, schools, institutions, facilities, and contractors participating in programs authorized under this Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C 1771 et seq.) shall cooperate with officials and contractors acting on behalf of the Secretary, in the conduct of evaluations and studies under those Acts.”.

Therefore, let me encourage you to complete the study by XX. Please let us know if there is any way we can help you. The survey helpline is 1-866-465-7738 (toll-free) or send us an email at: [email protected].  Your organization is part of a nationally representative sample. Your responses will only be used for statistical purposes, including summary tabulations, and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose unless otherwise compelled by law. This means that your personal information (name, telephone number, etc.) will be kept private and the responses you provide will not be associated with your personal information.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes (0.05 hours) 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.

To access the survey, please log on to http://www.YYYYY.com. You will be asked for your Login Identification and Password, which are indicated below.

Login Identification: [Username]

Password: [Password]

We thank you in advance for your important contribution to this research. For assistance with the survey, you may use our toll-free help line and our email help desk. The help desk number is 1-866-465-7738, while the email help desk is [email protected]. If you have questions or concerns about this study, please contact Jim Murdoch, the project director, by email at [email protected] or by telephone at: 817-856-0863. You may also call Devin Wallace-Williams, the FNS Project Officer, at 703-457-6791.

Sincerely,

Jim Murdoch, Project Director

Enclosed: CN-OPS II SFA Director Survey, Frequently Asked Questions, and Web Survey Information Sheet

Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II (CN-OPS II)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q	Why is FNS conducting the survey?
A	This survey is being conducted to provide nationally representative information about Child Nutrition programs and programs available in public school districts. The goal of the CN-OPS II is to understand the policy and operational issues surrounding the Child Nutrition Programs. Specifically, survey topics include the preparation of program budget, development and implementation of program policy and regulations, and identification of areas for provision of technical assistance and training.
Q	Who is invited to participate in CN-OPS II?
A	This is a survey of 55 State Child Nutrition Program Directors and 2,188 School Food Authority Directors.
Q	Why is participation by your School Food Authority (SFA) important?
A	This study is authorized under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Section 305 of that Act states that “States, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, schools, institutions, facilities, and contractors participating in programs authorized under this Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C 1771 et seq.) shall cooperate with officials and contractors acting on behalf of the Secretary, in the conduct of evaluations and studies under those Acts.”
Q	What types of information should I be prepared to provide in this survey?
A	You should be prepared to provide the following information for your SFA: School participation and student enrollment numbers in NSLP/SBP for SY 2015-2016, breakfast prices in SY 2014-2015 and SY 2015-2016, number of schools operating under special provisions in SY 2015-2016, number of students directly certified as of October 31, 2015, money owed as a result of unpaid meals, number of staff meeting training requirements, and revenues and expenditures for SY 2013-2014 and SY 2014-2015.
Q	How long is the data collection period?
A	Because of the time sensitive nature of data that are being collected, we expect to receive all completed surveys within 12 weeks of initial mailing.
Q	How does FNS protect the privacy of the information that you provide?
A	Your answers may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose unless otherwise compelled by law. The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the survey (OMB Number: 0584-XXXX. Expiration Date: X/XX/XXXX).
Q	Who should I contact if I have questions about the study or the survey?
A	If you have any questions about this survey, please contact the Help Desk at 1-866-465-7738 or email the help desk at [email protected]. You may also call Devin Wallace-Williams, the FNS Project Officer, at 703-457-6791.

W eb Survey Information Sheet

Getting Started with Your SFA Director Survey

Step 1: Go to the web browser on any computer with Internet access and enter the web site address below in the address bar to access the evaluation’s data collection site. Do not enter the address into a search engine.

Survey address: https://www.YYYY.org

Login Identification: Username

Password: Password

Step 2: Click on the survey link to reach the login page.

Step 3: Look at the letter you received with this instruction sheet to find your user login and password. Enter this information into the corresponding boxes and click the login button to access your account, where you will see the introduction page of your district survey. All staff responding to the survey will need to use the same user login and password.

Step 4: The first time you log into the survey you will be directed to the Menu page, which lists each survey section.

Step 5: Prior to responding to the web survey, we recommend that you review the hardcopy of the survey to get a general sense of the survey content and to help identify which individuals are in the best position to complete survey sections. You can also access a PDF copy of the survey by clicking the link labeled “PDF Version of the Survey” in the survey header (which appears on every page after you log in).

We also recommend that you review the frequently asked questions document before responding to the survey. You can access this document by clicking the link labeled “Frequently Asked Questions” in the survey header.

Step 6: Once you have completed all sections of the SFA Director Survey, click on the "Submit Survey" button (on the Menu page).

If you ever lose your user login and/or password information, please contact the study team at [email protected] or call toll-free at 1-866-465-7738 and provide your district’s name, city, and state, and we will provide the information for you again.