Appendix A3 Email Notification to State Child Nutrition Directors

Appendix A3. Email Notification to State Child Nutrition Directors

X/XX/2018

To: [SELECTED CN STATE AGENCY DIRECTORS]

Subject: Study of School Food Authority (SFA) Procurement Practices

Dear [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has contracted with 2M Research (2M) and its research partner, Mathematica Policy Research (Mathematica), to conduct the Study of School Food Authority (SFA) Procurement Practices on school year (SY) 2017–2018. The study will describe and assess the decision-making process of SFAs regarding school food procurement practices. Using a nationally representative sample of SFAs, this study is one of the first FNS studies to comprehensively examine SFA procurement practices related to food service management companies, cooperative purchasing agreements, recordkeeping, local purchases, and food purchase specifications for Child Nutrition program meals served in schools. SFAs selected to participate in this study previously participated in the second year of the Child Nutrition Program Operations Study.

2M and Mathematica will soon contact SFA directors who have been selected for participation in the study. The purpose of this email is to inform you of the SFAs selected in your State (see attached list) so that you will be prepared if they contact you with questions or concerns.

We understand that research requests place an additional burden on SFA staff which can be difficult to balance with other responsibilities, and we have made every effort to reduce that burden. However, SFA cooperation is important for preserving the national representation of the findings.

In addition to the list of SFAs in your State, we have attached Frequently Asked Questions about the study, which we have also sent to the SFA directors.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the 2M survey help desk anytime by either calling (toll-free) 1-844-250-1911 or emailing [email protected] (or simply reply to this email). Someone will be available during normal business hours (9 A.M. to 5 P.M. CST, Monday-Friday) to take your call. If you call outside of this time, please leave a message and we will return your call the following business day.

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 three 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.

For additional questions about the nature and authority of the study, you may also contact your Regional Office Study Liaison:

Regional Office: [NAME OF REGIONAL OFFICE]
FNS Regional Study Liaison: [NAME]
Address: XXXXXX

Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Thank you for your assistance.

Dr. Steven Garasky

Senior Study Director | 2M Research Services, LLC Project Director

Attached: Frequently Asked Questions; Selected SFAs in your State

^{[DISTRICT NAME], [STATE ABBREVIATION]}