State, Local and Tribal Agencies (Respondents)

OMB Control No: 0584-XXXX Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

Appendix D21. Sponsor KII Discussion Guide

INTERVIEWER: Review data collected from quantitative survey and keep on hand when conducting this qualitative interview.

DATE OF INTERVIEW: [MM/DD/YYYY]

INTERVIEW START TIME:_________ INTERVIEW END TIME: ____________

INTERVIEWER ID:_______ NOTE TAKER ID: _______

INTRODUCTION (3 MINS)

Hello, I am [NAME] from Insight, and I am calling about the Summer Meals Study. May I speak with:

Name of sponsor

R available 11

R lives here – needs appointment 12

R lives at another number or address 13

Never heard of R 14

Phone company recording 15

Answering machine 16

Retry dialing 17

REFUSED 77

DON'T KNOW 99

IF RESPONDENT IS AVAILABLE:

I would like to ask you some questions about the <Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)/Seamless Summer Option (SSO)> program, to gain better understanding about program operations and factors that affect the decision of sponsors, sites, and households to participate in the program.

Your participation in this interview is voluntary. The information you provide will be kept private and will not be disclosed to anyone outside of the research team, except as otherwise required by law. You have the right to stop at any time or skip questions. Whether you decide to participate or not will not affect any government benefits or services you or your organization receives – either now or in the future.

As described in the system of record notice (SORN) titled FNS-8, USDA/FNS Studies and Reports published in the Federal Register on April 25, 1009, volume 56, pages 19078-19080, FNS and contractors working on their behalf may collect and analyze this information for research purposes and are required to have safeguards in place to keep data private. See https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1991-04-25/pdf/FR-1991-04-25.pdf)

The interview should take about 1 hour.

Do you agree to participate?

• YES

• NO  ADDRESS ISSUES/CONCERNS ABOUT STUDY. CODE AS REFUSAL.

Thank you. Before we begin, I would like to introduce my colleague, [NAME] also from Insight. [NAME] will be taking notes while we talk. With your permission, we would also like to record this discussion. The recording will be transcribed so that we can recall exactly what was said and correctly summarize the information you provide. The recordings, transcripts, and any notes we have will be stored on Insight’s secure server and will be destroyed after the project is complete.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

INTERVIEWER: ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WESTAT/STUDY/TOLL-FREE NUMBER, ETC. AS NEEDED.

Do I have your permission to record this discussion?

• YES

• NO – clarify if willing to continue without recording but OK with note taking. Otherwise end interview.

IF NO, ADDRESS ISSUES/CONCERNS ABOUT STUDY. CODE AS REFUSAL.

INTERVIEWER: Turn on recorder and begin interview

SECTION A. SPONSOR PARTICIPATION FACTORS

I would like to begin our discussion by asking about your organization and the reasons your organization sponsors [Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)/Seamless Summer Option (SSO)] program sites.

A1. Can you tell me whether your sponsoring organization’s primary purpose is to offer meals, or are the meals only one component of what you offer?

[NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: For example, a camp could operate primarily to provide programming/activities to children and the meals are only one aspect of their programming. In contract, a sponsor/site could only operate to provide meals.]

A1a. Can you tell me why your organization participates in [SFSP/SSO]?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

What are the main reasons you decided to participate as a sponsor?

How many years have you been a sponsor?

Would your operations continue without SFSP/SSO?

A2. What specific group of children do you have in mind to receive free meals at the sites you sponsor?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Is your target audience…

• …Children in the area?

• …Children enrolled in a specific program such as a camp or summer reading program?

• [For SFAs: Children that attended the school during the school year?]

• …Some other subset of children?

A2a.Is this the same across all sites?

IF NO: Please explain what is different for some sites.

A3. Do any of your [SFSP/SSO] meal service sites offer activities for children who eat the summer meals in addition to providing meals and snacks?

IF YES ASK: Who offers the activities for children who eat the summer meals, <SPONSOR NAME> employees or another organization?

THEN CONTINUE WITH A4 AND A5 THEN ASK A6

IF NO GO TO A6

A4. What role, if any, does your organization play in determining if there are activities or programs offered at the meal service sites?

A5. What types of activities do your sites offer for children other than providing meals and/or snacks?

A5a. What impact, if any, do the activities provided have on attendance?

A5b. Have activities or programs changed over time? How? Why?

IF NO ACTIVITIES OFFERED CURRENTLY:

A6. Have meal sites had activities in the past? Do you think more children would attend if there were activities?

A7.To the best of your knowledge, what changes, if any, have you made to the types of sites and children served in SFSP /SSO?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Have you…

Added more sites?

Closed/ended any sites?

Added different types of sites?

Added more meal/snack service or decreased the meal/snack service (e.g. continuing to serve lunch and adding breakfast, or stopping serving snacks)?

A7a. What other changes has your organization made?

A8. Who is involved in advertising the [SFPS/SSO] program and/or the other programs offered at the site to families with children so that they will attend (site or sponsor)? What role do they play? [TAILOR BASED ON PRIMARY ACTIVITY OF SITE—MEALS OR OTHER PROGRAMMING]

PROBE IF NEEDED:

What role does [REFER TO EACH PERSON, GROUP, OR ORGANIZATION MENTIONED] play?

IF NOT MENTIONED:

What about advocacy groups, State agency staff, other sponsors, etc.?

What role does your organization play in advertising the SFPS/SSO program? What guidance do you provide as the sponsor?

A9. What aspects, if any, of [SFSP/SSO] are promoted to encourage families with children to participate?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Availability of free meals and snacks?

Activities?

Availability of nutritious meals and snacks?

Other aspects of the program?

A9a. Which is more important in your advertising? (Activities or free meals)?

A10. What have you done to get the word out about your [SFSP/SSO] program?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

How are families given information about the sites and food?

Are they provided the menu in advance?

Do you wish you used other methods to promote the program? Which ones and why?

What makes it not possible for you to use these methods?

A10a. Have you advertised the program on

• …Social media?

• …Flyers or other printed material?

• …A toll-free line?

• …any other methods?

A10b. Have any of these methods been effective? How do you know?

A10c. Have any not been effective? How do you know?

A10d. What schedule or timeline does your organization follow for advertising the [SFSP/SSO]?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

When do you start?

How long does the advertising last?

How has that schedule worked out?

What, if anything, would you change about the schedule? Why?

SECTION B. SEAMLESS SUMMER OPTION (ASK ONLY OF SFA SPONSORS)

B1. Tell me about the process your organization undertook to decide to participate in [SFSP/SSO].

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Who was involved in the process?

How long did it take?

How long ago? Do you reconsider every year?

What factors were considered in making the decision? Which factors were most important?

IF ORGANIZATION HAS EVER PARTICIPATED IN SFSP/SSO:

B2. Can you tell me when and why your organization decided to switch programs?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

When did you make the switch? Do you plan to continue?

What did you see as the key benefit to the current program?

What change could be made to the (other) program to make it more appealing?

SECTION C: SPONSOR/SITE RELATIONSHIP

Let’s talk now about how your organization works with the meal service sites you sponsor.

C1. What is the relationship between your organization and the sites you sponsor?

Are the sites…

part of the same organization as the sponsor?

separate entities?

Or is there some other arrangement?

Do staff at the sites work for your organization or for the site?

C1a. Is this the case for all the sites you sponsor? If not, why is it different for some sites?

C2. Across the <INSERT # FROM SURVEY> sites your organization sponsors, how many days or weeks in total do you provide [SFSP/SSO] meals in Summer 2018?

C2a. How do you decide the number of days or weeks that the meal program will operate?

C2b. Does this vary across the sites you sponsor? Why?

C2c. What factors are considered when making that decision?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Does your organization consider…

• …When other programs at the site operate?

• …Availability of staff?

• …Availability of site facilities?

• …Costs?

• …Summer break for local schools?

• …Other meal options available in the area?

• …Some other factors?

C2d. Would you like to increase the number of days or weeks that you offer meals each summer? If so, what would help you keep the program open more days or weeks?

C3. Does attendance at your organization’s summer meal sites vary, or is it fairly consistent?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Does attendance vary from day to day, from week to week…?

Does attendance vary at different meal services if offered (i.e. breakfast, lunch, supper, or snacks)…?

Is attendance predictable or unpredictable?

Why? (transportation? Activities? Other meal options available? Other issues?)

IF FLUCTUATES -- SPORADIC/INCONSISTENT:

C3a. What seems to cause variation (unpredictability) in attendance?

C4. Have any of your sites experienced any challenges with the requirement for serving meals in a congregate setting? By congregate we mean eating at the site.

PROBES IF NEEDED: Do you have challenges with…

• Finding enough space for children to eat together?

• Providing shelter from the heat/rain?

• Attracting children to the site to eat there?

• Safety of children while at site?

• Children preferring to eat off site?

SECTION D. OBTAINING MEALS

Now let’s talk about the program at <SITE NAME>, the meals they serve and where they get their meals.

D1. Who decides whether <SITE NAME> will serve breakfast, lunch, snack, or supper?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

How are these decisions made?

[IF SPONSOR:] D1a. Why did you decide that the site would serve <breakfast/lunch/snack/supper>?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

• What factors were important in that decision?

  • Timing? Limit on total meals that can receive reimbursement? Popularity of certain meals with children? Other factors?

D2. Would you like to increase the number of meal services you offer each day? If so, what would help you offer more types of meals?

PROBES:

• Why haven’t you served more meal types?

• Have you reached the USDA limit of meals you can serve each day?

• Would children come to eat the meals if you served them?

• Is staffing a challenge?

• Other reasons?

IF SPONSOR IS NOT PRIMARY MENU PLANNER:

D3. At <SITE NAME>, meals are [provided by a vendor/company or are prepared by the site/sponsor]. How would you describe your organization’s involvement in the decision to [use a vendor/prepare meals yourself] at <SITE NAME>?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

What role does the /<SITE NAME> play in deciding whether to use a vendor or prepare their own meals?

How do you work together? What does that look like?

When are decisions made about using a vendor or preparing meals yourself?

Has your organization’s role in deciding how meals are bought or made for <SITE NAME> changed over time?

D4. Is your role in decisions about buying meals from vendors or preparing meals yourself the same across all the sites you sponsor? If no, why not?

IF SPONSOR IS PRIMARY MENU PLANNER AND SITE USES VENDOR:

D5. At <SITE NAME>, meals are provided by a vendor. Please walk me through the process of how the decision was made to use a vendor for meals at <SITE NAME>, instead of preparing meals yourself.

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Who made the decision?

D5a. What factors were considered when deciding whether to purchase the meals from a vendor instead of preparing your own meals?

PROBES:

How does your organization consider…

• Facilities at the meal service site? (kitchen, equipment, storage, etc) IF YES: What type of facilities did you have? What facilities are needed to prepare meals on site

• Cost of meals? IF YES: What alternative meal service arrangements did you consider? How much more cost effective was your choice of vendor?

• Number of children enrolled or expected to be participate in the program? IF YES: What process did you use to estimate the number of meals you would need? Did you find your estimate to be on target?

• Expected changes in daily or weekly attendance of children at the site?

• Availability of kitchen staff to prepare meals? IF YES: Were you able to explore multiple staffing sources (for example, school or organization employees, volunteers, temporary employees)?

• Some other factors?

D5b. Which factor is most important in deciding how you make or buy meals for <SITE NAME>? Why is that most important?

D5c. Would you prefer that site staff prepare their own meals? Why/why not?

D5ci. What would you need for site staff to be able to prepare their own meals?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

• Equipment? Staff expertise? Facilities? Other?

D5d. Do you use the same method for all the sites under your sponsorship?

D6. How satisfied or dissatisfied is your organization with the available vendors in your area?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

Why? (For example, cost, meal quality, number of vendors to choose from, meal delivery options)

IF SPONSOR IS PRIMARY MENU PLANNER AND SITE IS SELF-PREP:

D7. At <SITE NAME>, meals are prepared by the site. Please walk me through the process of how the decision was made for the site to prepare your own meals, instead of buying meals from a meal vendor or company.

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Who made the decision?

D7a. What factors were considered when deciding whether to self- prepare meals instead of purchasing the meals from a vendor?

PROBES:

How does your organization consider…

• Facilities at the meal service site? (kitchen, equipment, storage, etc) IF YES: What type of facilities did you have? Did you need?

• Cost of meals? IF YES: What alternative meal service arrangements did you consider? How much more cost effective was your choice of vendor?

• Number of children enrolled or expected to be participate in the program? IF YES: What process did you use to estimate the number of meals you would need? Did you find your estimate to be on target?

• The consistency or variability in daily or weekly attendance of children at the site?

• Availability of kitchen staff to prepare meals? IF YES: Were you able to explore multiple staffing sources (for example, school or organization employees, volunteers, temporary employees)?

• Some other factors?

D7b. Which factor is most important in deciding how you make or buy meals for <SITE NAME>? Why is that most important?

D7c. Do you use the same method for all the sites under your sponsorship?

SECTION E. PLANNING MENUS

Now let’s talk about the menus for <SITE NAME>.

IF SPONSOR IS NOT PRIMARY MENU PLANNER:

E1. How does your organization assist <SITE NAME> in the menu planning process?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

How are you involved?

When are you involved?

Do you have staff who are dietitians or nutritionists?

Is this the same for all of the sites you sponsor?

ASK REMAINING QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION ONLY IF SPONSOR IS PRIMARY MENU PLANNER:

E2. What is your organization’s menu planning process for <SITE NAME>?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

Who participates in the menu planning process?

In planning menus, what is the role of…

• …Staff within your organization?

• …Site staff?

• …State agency staff?

• .. Any others who participate?

IF THEY USE VENDED MEALS:

E2a. How does the vendor participate, if at all, in the menu planning process?

E3. What is the timing of the menu planning process?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

When did the menu planning process begin for the most recent year of [SFSP/SSO]?

When does menu planning start?

How long does the planning process take?

E4. What resources does your organization use in planning menus?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Do you use USDA or state provided nutrition information or sample menus?

Which resources are especially helpful? Why?

What else does your organization need for menu planning, that you don’t currently have?

E5. Is the menu planning process the same for all of your sites? Do all sites use the same menus?

E6. Thinking more about how your organization plans menus for <SITE NAME>, what factors are most important?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

What about meal pattern requirements? Facilities? Staff? State guidance? Equipment? Children’s feedback? Cost?

Why are these important?

How are they considered?

E7. What does your organization use as the basis for defining what “healthy meals” are?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Has your organization developed its own definition of “healthy meals,” or adapted one from some other source? How do you define “healthy meals”?

IF ANOTHER SOURCE:

Which source?

E7a. What guidelines, if any, does your organization use to set standards for “healthy meals?”

E7b. What do you do to provide healthy meals?

• Fresh foods?

• Variety of foods?

• Certain types of foods? (For example, fruits, vegetables, whole grains)

IF NO MENTION OF “HEALTHY MEALS”:

E8. How much focus is placed on serving “healthy meals”?

E8a. Is the focus limited to ensuring the meals meet the meal pattern requirements?

E8b. Do you have a dietitian or nutritionist review the menus?

E8c. What challenges, if any, do you have in serving healthy meals?

E9. When planning menus for <SITE NAME>, how are food preferences of children taken into account?

E10. How do you monitor how children react to menus/new menu items?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

For example, taste tests, surveys, food waste?

E11. When planning menus for <SITE NAME>, how does your organization plan meals to accommodate local foods and cultural preferences of your participants?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

What are some examples of local preferences you incorporate?

How do you get input from the children or community about cultural foods to consider?

E12. When planning menus for <SITE NAME>, does your organization use USDA foods? [IF NEEDED: USDA FOODS ARE “COMMODITIES” OR FOODS PURCHASED BY USDA, SUCH AS FRUITS, VEGETABLES, MEATS, CHEESE, AND GRAINS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO SUMMER MEAL SITES TO SUPPORT THEIR MEAL SERVICE]

IF THE SPONSOR USES USDA FOODS:

E12a. How are USDA foods used in meals?

E12b. How easy or difficult is it to incorporate USDA foods into the menus?

E12c. What is your organization’s experience with using USDA foods in the menus?

E12d. How does using USDA foods impact your organization’s bottom line?

E12e. Which USDA foods would you like to use, but are not available in your State?

IF USDA FOODS ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR USED:

E12e. How do you think you would use USDA foods if they were available in your State? What impact would this have on your menus?

IF ORGANIZATION CONSIDERED LOCAL FOODS IN MENU PLANNING:

E13. How does your organization incorporate locally-produced foods into the meals?

E14. What do you consider “local foods” for your program?

…in the State?

…in the county?

…other area?

E15. Are you aware of any State or regional program to promote local foods?

E16. What are the benefits of obtaining and using local foods?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Are there benefits such as the…

• …Opportunity to provide fresh food?

• …Opportunity to support the local economy and farmers?

• …Opportunity for education about food, etc.?

E17. What are the challenges in obtaining and using local foods?

PROBES IF NEEDED:

Do you face challenges such as…

• …

• …Finding local farmers?

• …Unpredictability of obtaining the foods?

• …Higher costs?

SECTION F. SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM OVERALL EXPERIENCE

The last topic I’d like to cover today is your organization’s overall experience in sponsoring a summer meals program.

F1. For your organization, what is the greatest benefit of participating in [SFSP/SSO] ?

F2. Overall, how would you characterize your organization’s experience as a sponsor of [SFSP/SSO] program?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

Has it been a positive or a negative experience? Why?

F3. What is the greatest challenge your organization faces in serving summer meals?

PROBE IF NEEDED:

• Staff?

• Training?

• Budget?

• Equipment?

• Facilities?

• Program rules?

• Menu planning?

• Food costs?

• Transportation?

• The requirement that children must eat meals at the site?

• Shelter from the heat or rain?

• Ensuring that the site is safe for kids to come and eat their meals?

F3a. What makes this the greatest challenge? Are there any other challenges you considered, but decided not to mention? IF SO: Why?

F4. Would you recommend being a sponsor to other organizations that are considering sponsoring the program, or not? Why?

Thank you for participating in the Summer Meals Study.

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 Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx*). Do not return the completed form to this address.