State Agency Training Needs Survey

OMB Control Number: 0584-0611

Expiration Date: 9/30/19

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 0584-0611.  The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 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.

State Agency Training Needs Survey

1. How long have you worked for the State Agency in Food Distribution?

• <1 year, 1-3 years, 3+ years

2. In which Region is your State located?

• NERO, MARO, SERO, MWRO, MPRO, SWRO, WRO

3. What responsibilities do you have with the State agency? (Check all that apply)

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods order management, USDA Foods processing program management, entitlement management, management of warehouse/distribution contracts, Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program management, recipient agency/sponsor site reviews, training/technical assistance, director/staff oversight, Other (please specify), None

4. Have you viewed one or more Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)-led USDA Foods webinars either live or through the FNS YouTube channel?

1. Yes/No

2. If yes, did the webinar(s) generally contribute to meeting your training needs/expectations?  Yes- the webinars were helpful; Some webinars were helpful while others were not; No, webinar content was too basic; No, webinar content was too advanced; No, information was not specific enough to my State’s operations; Other __________

3. If yes, what additional topics would you like to see covered in webinar format? (open ended)

4. If No, why haven’t you been able to view FNS-led USDA Foods webinars?  (open ended)

5. Which conferences do you plan to attend to learn about USDA Foods-specific content? (check all that apply)

   1. School Nutrition Association (SNA) School Nutrition Industry Conference (SNIC), American Commodity Distribution Association (ACDA) Annual National Conference, SNA Annual National Conference, USDA/Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) State Agency Meeting, Other

6. Have you contacted the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) help desk?

   1. Yes/No

   2. If yes, do you think your questions could have been addressed through additional WBSCM training? Yes; No, my questions were about specific issues that would not have been answered by general training

      1. If yes, what topics do you think should be covered in WBSCM training? (open ended)

7. Do you use any of the following WBSCM training and user resources? (check all that apply)

   1. Application Document Library & Help Resources (e.g. news forum, release notes, work instructions, job aids, interactive simulations, keyword search tool)

   2. Webpage Resources (tips and FAQs, quarterly newsletter, reference lists for user roles, video tutorials)

   3. Training Environment (NTRN) for hands-on practice

8. What additional WBSCM training/resources would be helpful to you? (open ended)

9. Does your State currently roll down WBSCM to your School Food Authorities (SFAs)?

   1. Yes/No

   2. If no, would you be interested in training/information from USDA to learn more about this opportunity? Yes/No

10. What other resources do you use to get information about USDA Foods? (check all that apply)

    1. FNS website, FNS recorded webinars, ICN training modules, ACDA Website, USDA Foods e-letter, USDA Foods for Schools Quarterly Calls with the States, Regional meetings/conferences, talk/meet with staff in my own State, talk/meet with staff in other States, Other (please specify)

11. Please rank the following types of trainings in order of preference, with all factors considered, including time, budget, learning style, etc.

    1. Webinars, written materials/training manual, in-person meetings, conferences, one-on-one training with USDA, one-on-one training with State mentor

12. Please indicate which of the following would be your top priorities for USDA Foods to focus training efforts around in the next calendar year (Select 6):

• Entitlement management, Demand-driven ordering systems, Order Management and Monitoring, Processing Program Basics, Understanding the Processing Program Value Pass Through Systems, Promotion of USDA Foods products, USDA Foods Product Specifications, Understanding USDA Foods Procurement, State-level Warehouse Contract Management, Complaints Process, Inventory Management, How a Food Becomes a USDA Food, How USDA Foods Support Domestic Agriculture, Disaster Management, Managing Recalls, DoD Fresh, Ordering and Forecasting, Other (specify)

13. Please review the following topics and determine the best format to receive the information? (webinar, written materials, video tutorials, in-person meeting/conference, one-on-one training with USDA or State agency)

• Entitlement management, Demand-driven ordering systems, Order Management and Monitoring, Processing Program Basics, Understanding the Processing Program Value Pass Through Systems, Promotion of USDA Foods products, USDA Foods Product Specifications, Understanding USDA Foods Procurement, State-level Warehouse Contract Management, Complaints Process, Inventory Management, How a Food Becomes a USDA Food, How USDA Foods Support Domestic Agriculture, Disaster Management, Managing Recalls, DoD Fresh, Ordering and Forecasting

14. Please indicate the level of information you would be interested in for each topic (beginner, intermediate, advanced, training not needed)

• Entitlement management, Demand-driven ordering systems, Order Management and Monitoring, Processing Program Basics, Understanding the Processing Program Value Pass Through Systems, Promotion of USDA Foods products, USDA Foods Product Specifications, Understanding USDA Foods Procurement, State-level Warehouse Contract Management, Complaints Process, Inventory Management, How a Food Becomes a USDA Food, How USDA Foods Support Domestic Agriculture, Disaster Management, Managing Recalls, DoD Fresh, Ordering and Forecasting

15. What do you think would be the most valuable resource(s) USDA could provide immediately for new food distribution staff at the State level?

• Written training manual/toolkit, webinar series for review, access to a mentor at USDA, access to a mentor in another state, Other (specify)

16. If USDA conducted targeted training/technical assistance to States with new food distribution staff, what is the best timeframe to offer this after the new staff person is in place?

• 0-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-18 months, Other (specify)

17. Would you be interested in having USDA staff visit your State for one-on-one technical assistance about USDA Foods topics in the future? Yes/No

18. For staff with the agency 3+ years only:

What information have you learned about USDA Foods over time that you wish you knew sooner?

Open ended

19. Additional comments about how USDA could assist your State to learn about USDA Foods-specific topics?

1