State Agencies and School Food Authorities (SFA) (CN and SFA Directors) - SLT

Appendix G.6
State Agency Invitation email

OMB Control Number: 0584-0607

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

FROM: [STUDY EMAIL]

TO: [SA CN DIRECTOR EMAIL]

EMAIL SUBJECT: USDA/FNS SMO IV web survey link

Dear [SA CN DIRECTOR NAME],

Thank you for your recent participation in the first three years of data collection for the School Meals Operations (SMO) Study, which Mathematica is conducting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. This email contains the link to your 30-minute web survey for the fourth SMO data collection (SMO IV).

SMO IV will collect information on CN Program operations in SY 2022-2023 and gather all of the information needed to meet States’ statutory reporting requirements for the nationwide Child Nutrition (CN) COVID-19 Waiver to Allow Fiscal Action Flexibility for Meal Pattern Violations Related to COVID-19 Supply Chain Disruptions Impacting School Meals in School Year 2022-2023. The SMO Study is the required reporting tool for the CN COVID-19 nationwide waivers.

Please click on the following link to access and complete the 30-minute survey. Some of the information gathered may be presented by State; however, each respondent’s personally identifiable information will be kept private to the full extent allowed by law.

Survey website:
[LINK TO SA SURVEY]

Surveys must be completed by [DATE] or 10 weeks following the start of data collection, but do not need to be completed all at once. You may save your progress and return to the survey as needed during the survey period.

Thank you in advance for participating in this important collection. If you have any questions, please call 1-833-440-9475 or email SMOStudy@mathematica-mpr.com. Your time and cooperation are much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Veronica Severn

Survey Director

Mathematica

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is collecting this information to understand how State agencies and school food authorities operated CN Programs in SY 2022-2023 and to satisfy the State agencies’ congressionally mandated reporting requirements for the COVID-19 nationwide waivers pursuant to section 2202 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127). This is a mandatory collection for State agencies and SFAs. FNS will use the information to assess how the waivers improved services to children and to inform FNS’s planning, policy, and guidance related to state and local meal service operations. Because the personally identifiable information (PII) requested under this collection will not be used to retrieve survey records or data, requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974 do not apply. Responses will be kept private to the extent provided by law and FNS regulations. 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 0584-0607. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes (0.05 hours) 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA (0584-0607). Do not return the completed form to this address.