Appendix D11 SFA On-Site Confirmation Letter

APPENDIX D11

CONFIRMATION LETTER TO SFA DIRECTORS PARTICIPATING

IN THE ON-SITE DATA COLLECTION

APPENDIX D11. CONFIRMATION LETTER TO SFA DIRECTORS

OMB Number: 0584-0562

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

XX/XX/2013

SUBJECT: Participation in the Special Nutrition Program Operations Study (SN-OPS)

On-Site Data Collection: 2013

TO: School Food Authority (SFA) Directors

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the On-Site Data Collection for the Special Nutrition Program Operations Study (SN-OPS). The information for this study is being collected by Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

This letter confirms the dates for the visit, the Westat data collector, and schedule of activities.

Dates on site: [dates]

Westat Data Collector: [name]

Schools visiting: [list of schools, name and phone number for primary contact]

Schedule of activities for each day: [attach schedule]

On-site data collection will include:

• Observation of school meals (breakfast and lunch) including cafeteria activities and physical characteristics of the cafeteria;

• Identification of alternate food sources (school stores, snack bars, vending machines, food carts, etc.) including location, hours of operation, and the types of foods available; and

• Data collectors will interview school food service managers and record any strategies SFAs have implemented to encourage healthy food choices. 

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0562. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 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.

The topics for the site visits were determined by FNS based on policy needs. Your SFA is one of a sample of only 125 SFAs that have been selected to cover a broad range of SFAs with respect to geography (FNS region), size category, and poverty status.

If you have any questions about this study, please contact me directly at [phone number and email address] or contact the Westat survey helpline at 1-888-202-1565 (toll-free) or by email: SNPOS@westat.com.

Sincerely,

(Westat site recruiter)