Agency Information Collection Activities: Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys

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Published

May 8, 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 is a new collection focusing on Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs and will utilize survey instruments for school years (SY) 2023-2024, SY 2024-2025, and SY 2025-2026. The studies encompassed under this information collection will collect data from institutions administering and operating Child Nutrition Programs such as State agencies, School Food Authorities (SFAs) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Sponsors, including information on emerging and ongoing operational challenges facing Child Nutrition Program operators.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 88 (Monday, May 8, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 88 (Monday, May 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29625-29627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09706]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Agency Information Collection Activities: Operational Challenges
in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 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 is a new collection focusing on Operational Challenges in
Child Nutrition Programs and will utilize survey instruments for school
years (SY) 2023-2024, SY 2024-2025, and SY 2025-2026. The studies
encompassed under this information collection will collect data from
institutions administering and operating Child Nutrition Programs such
as State agencies, School Food Authorities (SFAs) and Child and Adult
Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
Sponsors, including information on emerging and ongoing operational
challenges facing Child Nutrition Program operators.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 7, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Sarah Reinhardt, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Pl., 5th floor,
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be submitted via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c99aa8bba8a1e79baca0a7a1a8bbadbd89bcbaada8e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fba89a899a93d5a99e9295939a899f8fbb8e889f9ad59c948d">[email&#160;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 Sarah
Reinhardt at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cc9fadbeada4e29ea9a5a2a4adbea8b88cb9bfa8ade2aba3ba"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dc8fbdaebdb4f28eb9b5b2b4bdaeb8a89ca9afb8bdf2bbb3aa">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, 703-305-2532.

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: Operational Challenges in Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP)
Surveys.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: FNS administers the Child Nutrition (CN) Programs in
partnership with States, local SFAs, other program sponsors, and local
program operators. Section 28(a) of the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Secretary to conduct annual national performance assessments of the
school meal programs and requires States and local entities
participating in the programs to cooperate with program research and
evaluations. FNS plans to collect periodic data to obtain information
on operational challenges facing institutions who operate or administer
child nutrition programs, including State agencies, SFAs and Summer
Food Service Program (SFSP) Sponsors. The Operational Challenges in
Child Nutrition Programs (OCCNP) Surveys, are designed to collect
timely data on emerging school food service operational challenges,
including but not limited to supply chain disruptions, food costs, and
labor shortages, and/or related issues in SY 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and
SY 2025-2026. Access to a timely and reliable source of data on these
topics has become particularly important following the COVID-19
pandemic. In addition to changing the ways that school meal programs
operated, the pandemic has contributed to lasting supply chain issues
and substantial changes in the cost and availability of food and labor.
The ability to collect this data will allow FNS to provide the best
possible support to States and program sponsors and operators facing
continued food service operations challenges and enable FNS to respond
more quickly and effectively to potential disruptions in the future.

[[Page 29626]]

To administer the survey(s), FNS may first contact State agencies
administering child nutrition programs to obtain current lists of the
respondent population(s) of interest (e.g., SFAs, SFSP Sponsors, or
CACFP Sponsors). In the case of SFAs and SFSP Sponsors, the list will
be used to conduct a census; in the case of CACFP Sponsors, the list
will be used to generate a representative sample of respondents. After
identifying the appropriate respondent population(s), FNS with provide
State agencies with a template survey support email to be distributed
to the respondent population(s) in their respective States to provide
information regarding the survey and express support for the data
collection. If State agencies administering child nutrition programs
and/or food distribution for these programs will also be considered
survey respondents, these agencies will receive additional
communications from FNS regarding their participation in the survey.
FNS will then email the survey to respondent population(s) via the
Qualtrics Survey Software platform or a similar software. The survey
instrument will include content tailored to each respondent population,
and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Survey administration will be similar to the methods used for the
SFA Survey II on School Food Supply Chain Disruption and Student
Participation, which obtained emergency clearance for data collection
in SY 2022-2023 and was cleared by the Office of Management and Budget
on November 15, 2022 (SFA Survey II on School Food Supply Chain
Disruption and Student Participation, OMB control number 0584-0677,
expiration date 05/31/2023); however, this proposed data collection is
different in that it is broader in scope than the previous emergency
clearance, encompasses a broader potential audience, and focuses on
different timeframes for collection in the future. Under the emergency
information collection, data collection methods consisted of a web
survey of all SFAs nationwide operating child nutrition programs in
schools during SY 2022-2023, and was distributed to 18,843 SFAs based
on contact information collected from the 56 CN agencies that
administer CN Programs at the state level in the 50 States, District of
Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Respondent
groups identified may include: (1) State agencies administering child
nutrition programs or food distribution for these programs, (2) SFA
Directors, (3) SFSP Sponsors (government and private, not-for-profit),
and (4) CACFP Sponsors (private, not-for-profit) from all 50 States, 5
territories and the District of Columbia.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents per year is 21,511. This includes (1) 70 State Agency
Directors (56 administering programs and 14 food distribution only);
(2) 18,843 SFA Directors; (3) 1,663 SFSP Sponsors (government and non-
profit private Sponsors, not including SFAs); and (4) 935 CACFP
Sponsors (based on a representative sample of Sponsors, not including
SFAs). Consistent with past approaches, each survey will engage nine
pretest participants representative of the respondent population(s).
For the purpose of estimating respondent burden, it is assumed that the
pretest reflects participation on behalf of State Child Nutrition
Directors; SFA Directors (government and private, not-for-profit
business); SFSP Sponsors (government and private, not-for-profit
business); and CACFP Sponsors (private, not-for-profit business).
Pretest participants will be adjusted accordingly based on the needs
and content of each survey and SFAs operating multiple child nutrition
programs may be prioritized.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: State Agency Director
respondents will be asked to provide a current list of SFAs and/or
Sponsors operating child nutrition programs, as needed, and distribute
a survey support email to these respondent groups annually (three times
total, in SY 2023-2024, SY 2024-2025, and SY 2024-2025). The selected
respondent group(s) will be asked to complete the web survey once per
year, though respondents operating more than one child nutrition
program (e.g., SFAs that also serve as SFSP Sponsors) will be required
to respond to survey questions for each program. To estimate the
associated burden, we included separate lines in the burden estimate
table to account for additional time SFAs may spend on surveys for SFSP
or CACFP programs, respectively. There are 2,851 SFAs that also act as
SFSP Sponsors; in the case of CACFP Sponsors, it is assumed that half
of the representative sample of CACFP Sponsors (935 of 1,869 total) are
also SFAs.
In the event of non-response, survey respondents will receive
follow-up email correspondence and will be provided contact information
for FNS survey support as needed. Similarly, State Agencies who do not
provide contact information for SFAs/Sponsors upon request may receive
email reminders until current lists have been obtained from all
regions. FNS estimates that respondents will average 5.17 responses
(111,123 responses/21,497 respondents) annually, for a total of 15.51
responses per respondent over the three year period.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 111,123.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response ranges
from 2 minutes (0.03 hours) to 20 minutes (.33 hours) depending on the
instrument, as shown in the table below, with an average estimated time
for all participants of 6 minutes (0.10 hours) per response.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,220.39 hours. See
the table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of
respondent.

Table 1--Annual Burden Estimate
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Type of respondents Number of Frequency of Total annual Hours per Annual burden 3 Year burden
Respondent category (optional) Instruments respondents response responses response (hours) (hours)
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State Government........................ State Child Nutrition OCCNP Survey Support Email 56 1 56 0.17 9.34 28.01
Directors.
Pretest................... 1 1 1 0.83 0.83 2.50
OCCNP Survey.............. 56 1 56 0.33 18.48 55.44
State Food Distribution OCCNP Survey.............. 14 1 14 0.33 4.62 13.86
Agency.
Local Government........................ SFA Directors............. Pretest................... 4 1 4 0.83 3.33 10.00
OCCNP Survey Support Email 15,260 1 15,260 0.03 508.16 1,524.47
OCCNP Survey (SFAs)....... 15,260 1 15,260 0.33 5,035.80 15,107.40

[[Page 29627]]

OCCNP Survey (SFSP)....... 2,851 1 2,851 0.33 940.83 2,822.49
OCCNP Survey (CACFP)...... 935 1 935 0.33 308.39 925.16
Reminder Email............ 15,260 2 30,520 0.03 1,016.32 3,048.95
Thank You Email........... 15,260 1 15,260 0.03 508.16 1,524.47
Government.............................. SFSP Sponsors............. Pretest................... 1 1 1 0.83 0.83 2.50
OCCNP Survey Support Email 255 1 255 0.03 8.49 25.47
OCCNP Survey.............. 255 1 255 0.33 84.15 252.45
Reminder Email............ 255 2 510 0.03 16.98 50.95
Thank You Email........... 255 1 255 0.03 8.49 25.47
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State and Local Government Subtotal..... 15,571 5.23 81,493 0.10 8,473.20 25,419.59
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Private, Not-For-Profit Businesses...... SFA Directors............. Pretest................... 1 1 1 0.83 0.83 2.50
OCCNP Survey Support Email 3,583 1 3,583 0.03 119.31 357.94
OCCNP Survey.............. 3,583 1 3,583 0.33 1,182.39 3,547.17
Reminder Email............ 3,583 2 7,166 0.03 238.63 715.88
Thank You Email........... 3,583 1 3,583 0.03 119.31 357.94
Private, Not-For-Profit Businesses...... SFSP Sponsors............. Pretest................... 1 1 1 0.83 0.83 2.50
OCCNP Survey Support Email 1,408 1 1,408 0.03 46.89 140.66
OCCNP Survey.............. 1,408 1 1,408 0.33 464.64 1,393.92
Reminder Email............ 1,408 2 2,816 0.03 93.77 281.32
Thank You Email........... 1,408 1 1,408 0.03 46.89 140.66
Private, Not-For-Profit Businesses...... CACFP Sponsors............ Pretest................... 1 1 1 0.83 0.83 2.50
OCCNP Survey Support Email 935 1 935 0.03 31.12 93.36
OCCNP Survey.............. 935 1 935 0.33 308.39 925.16
Reminder Email............ 935 2 1,869 0.03 62.24 186.71
Thank You Email........... 935 1 935 0.03 31.12 93.36
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Private, not-for-profit businesses subtotal......................... .......................... 5,926 5.00 29,631 0.09 2,747.19 8,241.57
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Total........................................................... .......................... 21,497 5.1694 111,123 0.10 11,220.39 33,661.17
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Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-09706 Filed 5-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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