Notice2023-02055
Agency Information Collection Activities: School Meals Operations Study: Evaluation of the School-Based Child Nutrition Programs
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 1, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection for the School Meals Operations (SMO) Study (OMB control number 0584-0607) information collection with updated survey instruments for school year (SY) 2022-2023. This study will collect data from State agencies and public school food authorities (SFAs), including disaggregated administrative data, on the continued use and effectiveness of the nationwide Child Nutrition (CN) COVID-19 waivers, and continuation of SMO information collection with updated survey instruments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6697-6700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02055]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: School Meals Operations
Study: Evaluation of the School-Based Child Nutrition Programs
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision
of a currently approved collection for the School Meals Operations
(SMO) Study (OMB control number 0584-0607) information collection with
updated survey instruments for school year (SY) 2022-2023. This study
will collect data from State agencies and public school food
authorities (SFAs), including disaggregated administrative data, on the
continued use and effectiveness of the nationwide Child Nutrition (CN)
COVID-19 waivers, and continuation of SMO information collection with
updated survey instruments.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 3, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Darcy G[uuml]ng[ouml]r at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a1e1b081903541d0f141d15083a0f091e1b541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d1b5b0a3b2a8ffb6a4bfb6bea391a4a2b5b0ffb6bea7">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments will also be accepted through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, and
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Darcy
G[uuml]ng[ouml]r at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b8dcd9cadbc196dfcdd6dfd7caf8cdcbdcd996dfd7ce"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="56323724352f78312338313924162325323778313920">[email protected]</span></a>, 703-305-4345.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
that were used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Title: School Meals Operations Study: Evaluation of the School-
based Child Nutrition Programs.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: 0584-0607.
Expiration Date: 12/31/2024.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: FNS administers the school-based Child Nutrition (CN)
Programs (i.e., the school meal programs) in partnership with States
and local SFAs. Section 28(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act authorizes the USDA Secretary to conduct annual national
performance assessments of the school meal programs. FNS plans to
conduct this annual assessment through the SMO Study in SY 2023-2024.
This notice covers the fourth year of the SMO Study, which will collect
data from State and local agencies on the CN COVID-19 waivers as well
as data on state and local CN Program operations during SY 2022-2023.
Data collection will occur in SY 2023-2024.
The fourth year of the SMO Study is a minor revision of a currently
approved collection for the SMO Study. The SMO study is designed to
collect timely data on the continued use and effectiveness of the CN
COVID-19 waivers as well as policy, administrative, and operational
issues in the school-based CN Programs, which contributes to budget
preparation, development and implementation of program policy and
regulations, and identification of areas for technical assistance and
training. This study will help FNS obtain:
[[Page 6698]]
1. General descriptive data on the characteristics of CN Programs
to inform the budget process and answer questions about topics of
current policy interest;
2. Data on Program operations to identify potential topics for
training and technical assistance for SFAs and State agencies (SAs)
responsible for administering the CN Programs;
3. Administrative data to identify program trends and predictors;
4. Information on the use and effectiveness of the CN COVID-19
waivers.
The activities to be conducted subject to this notice include:
<bullet> Collecting disaggregated administrative data from 67 State
Agency Directors that are currently only reported in aggregate on forms
FNS-10, Report of School Program Operations, FNS-418, Report of the
Summer Food Service Program for Children, and FNS-44, Report of the
Child and Adult Care Food Program (which are approved under OMB# 0584-
0594, Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS), expiration date 07/31/
2023)
<bullet> Conducting a web survey of 54 State CN Directors
<bullet> Conducting a web survey of 1,266 SFA Directors
To reduce data collection burden on SFAs, the SMO Study will
analyze existing administrative data collected from SAs which will
limit the number and type of questions included in surveys to SAs and
SFAs. To facilitate data collection, SAs will receive an agenda for
initial telephone meetings and a template for the data request. The
data request template will link each data element to the corresponding
item number on forms FNS-10, FNS-418, and FNS-44. Examples of the types
of data that the administrative request will respond to include number
of schools and students participating in the meal programs and the
number of meals served under the meal programs.
SMO will also conduct surveys of a census of SAs and a nationally
representative sample of SFAs on key topics identified annually.
Recruitment will be a three-step process. First, data collection will
begin with an email to regional offices requesting their assistance by
sending a letter of support to States. Next, the study team will send
an advance letter to the States that describes the study and asks CN
Directors to send a letter of support to SFAs. Third, the study team
will send an invitation to States and SFAs to complete the web survey.
To maximize the opportunity to reach all respondents, the study team
will attempt to contact them by mail, email, and phone. Participants
will be able to complete the survey on the web, in hard copy, or over
the phone.
The goal of data collection for the SMO Study is to respond to
annual research questions on the following topics: (1) school
participation, (2) student participation, (3) meal counting, (4)
financial management, and (5) program integrity. This revision covers
data collection for one school year, with revisions of surveys and
administrative data collection instruments from previous years.
Note: Personally identifiable information will not be used to
retrieve survey records or data.
Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Respondent
groups identified include: (1) SFA Directors for public schools, and
(2) State Agency Directors from all 50 States, 3 territories, and the
District of Columbia.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 1,339. This includes (1) 67 State Agency Directors who
are expected to participate in the administrative data collection, 54
of whom are also CN Directors who will be participating in the CN
Director survey (3 of the 54 CN Directors are also expected to
participate in the pretest), and (2) 1,266 SFA Directors. Six SFA
Directors are expected to participate in the pretest of the SFA
Director web survey; these six SFA Director pretest participants are
unique respondents and will not be included in the sample for the SFA
survey. Of the 1,266 public SFA Directors included in the sample for
the SFA Director web survey, 1,012 are expected to respond and FNS
expects 254 will not respond to the study activities (non-respondents).
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: State Agency Director
respondents will be asked to complete an initial telephone meeting and
respond to the FNS-10, FNS-418 and FNS-44 administrative data requests
one time. SFA Director and CN Director respondents will be asked to
complete their respective web surveys one time. In the event of non-
response, CN Directors may receive reminder emails and phone calls
until the target of 67 respondents is reached for the administrative
data collection. Child Nutrition Directors may receive reminder emails,
phone calls, and a last chance postcard until the target of 54
respondents is reached for the web survey. Similarly, SFA Directors who
do not respond to the web survey may receive reminders via email,
phone, or post card until the target number of 1,012 respondents is
reached.
FNS estimates that respondents will average 7.33 responses (7,948
responses/1,085 respondents) across the entire collection, with non-
respondents averaging 15.32 responses (3,892 responses/254 non-
respondents). Across all participants in the collection (respondents
and non-respondents) the average number of responses is 8.84 (11,840
responses/1,339 total respondents).
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 11,840.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response ranges
from 3 minutes (0.05 hours) to 6 hours depending on the instrument, as
shown in the table below, with an average estimated time for all
participants of 13.20 minutes (0.22 hours) per response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 119,985.60 minutes
(1,999.76 hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden
for each type of respondent.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN01FE23.015
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Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-02055 Filed 1-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
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