Installation Staff Script

Installation Staff/Command Teams Script:

The RAND Corporation—an independent, non-profit, research institution—is conducting research on how junior enlisted service members and their families access food and nutrition on and off the installation.

We are planning on conducting two types of focus groups: 1) groups limited to junior enlisted service members; and 2) spouses of junior enlisted service members. We are also seeking to interview food service providers and/or dining hall food staff at the installation. A description of each is below:

Focus Groups

Focus group and interview plan for each installation site visit
Focus groups with service members*
		Junior enlisted (E1-E4)
Not married	Living on-post	~8-10 participants
	Living off-post	~8-10 participants
Married	Living on-post	~8-10 participants
	Living off-post	~8-10 participants
	# of focus groups	4
Focus groups with spouses
	Living on- or off-post	~8-10 participants (one group per installation)
	# of focus groups	1

*While we won’t recruit based on whether members have children, this will be one of the topics raised.

In addition to the above specifications, junior enlisted service members from a variety of occupational duties and diverse personal backgrounds should be invited to participate in the focus groups.

Focus groups will be approximately one hour in length. Issued covered include where junior enlisted military members and spouses get their food, how food fits into their spending, and challenges accessing food.

Groups will be held in person with options for joining a virtual focus group or interview, if preferred.

Food will be provided to participants at in-person focus groups.

Food Service Provider or Food Staff Interviews

Interviews with Food Service Providers and/or dining hall food staff on base
3-5 staff who work in the food service or food supply at the installation	Examples include Supervisors or management responsible for commissary food inventory; food service directors; supervisors for dining facilities

The interviews will focus on issues such as food that is provided to service members, dining facility utilization and hours, and menu planning.

Interviews will be approximately ½ hour.

For more information about this study, feel free to contact the RAND Corporation Research Team:

Thomas Trail, ttrail@rand.org

Tamara Dubowitz, dubowitz@rand.org

Andrea Richardson, arichard@rand.org