Food and Nutrition Service EARS Training Moving from Planning to Implementation

1. Food and Nutrition Service EARS Training Moving from Planning to Implementation

2. EARS –What, Why and When

3. What is EARS? • EARS is a reporting form - not a data collection tool • It provides descriptive information and data, not outcome data • Annual report of prior Fiscal Year’s activities and expenditures

4. Why do we need EARS? EARS has established uniform definitions for FSNE participants and contacts Data will provide a picture of FSNE activities on a state, regional and national level Allow for trend analysis over time Data will be available to respond to and support policy and legislative efforts

5. EARS will not meet all our needs… • EARS is one of several actions FNS has taken to enhance our understanding of State and local FSNE activities…it will not tell us everything. • It will NOT: • Replace the year end report. • Tell us about all aspects of FSNE. • Provide evaluation data.

6. What will EARS Accomplish? Inform management decisions Support policy initiatives Provide documentation for legislative, budget & other requests Support the planning function

7. Roles & Responsibilities: FNS HQ and Regional Offices Coordinating, planning, and participating in EARS trainings Provide training resources Conduct training follow-up

8. Roles & Responsibilities: FNS Regional Offices Monitoring & providing training & TA to States Reviewing EARS & transmitting it to HQ Using EARS data to inform the annual FSNE State Plan review process

9. Roles & Responsibilities: FNS Headquarters Developing Web-based reporting system Generating reports to inform management decisions Monitoring EARS implementation Plan to consolidate EARS and annual reporting Collecting user feedback to improve EARS Developing training tools Sharing “best practices”

10. Roles & Responsibilities: State FSNE Partners Participating in training Providing training and technical assistance to IAs as needed Reviewing and monitoring data collection Using data to inform annual FSNE State Plan process Providing guidance to IAs on dates to submit EARS to the State Food Stamp Office and providing feedback Reviewing and submitting EARS data to FNS using the FPRS Web-based system

11. Roles & Responsibilities: Implementing Agencies Collecting, compiling, and submitting accurate data to State Agency Participating in trainings as needed Providing training and technical assistance to local providers Monitoring data collection Using data to inform planning and management process Reviewing and monitor data collection at the project level to ensure accuracy of collection and reporting.

12. EARS Milestones & Timeline • EARS Work Group convened October 2003 • EARS Pilot Test Winter 2005 • EARS submitted for OMB Clearance January 2007 • Clearance Obtained /Approval August 2007 • EARS Training Conduct Regional Trainings Jan – May 2008 Conduct Training Conference Calls Mar – Nov 2008 Online Training Resource Jan 2009 • First Year EARS Implementation Report financial data (9 and 10) Fiscal Year 2008 • Full EARS Implementation Report all applicable EARS data Fiscal Year 2010

13. Outputs:What will EARS tell us?

14. Direct Education Average Contacts Per FSNE Participant by FSP Status by FY Sample Output Only

15. Direct Education FSNE Participant Ages by FSP Status by FY / SA / RO / National Sample Output Only

16. Direct Education Racial/ethnic Composition of FSNE Participants by FY Sample Output Only

17. Direct Education FSNE Delivery Sites Sample Output Only

18. Social MarketingMajor Activities for Current Year Sample Output Only

19. ExpendituresProportion of funds spent on administration vs. delivery Sample Output Only

20. EARS – Get Ready, Set, and Go!

21. Objectives Ensure a common understanding of the purpose of the EARS report Provide a hands-on experience in completing the reporting form Clarify questions about the final reporting form and data required under each section Begin to identify ‘best practices’ for collecting and compiling EARS data Identify any ‘unanticipated’ issues and formulate strategies for resolving them. Training Objectives

22. Moving to Implementation • Most States are in the planning phase • Identifying gaps in current collection • Making adjustments in data collection for implementation • Identifying training needs & conducting training • Focus of today’s training • Understanding what EARS requires • How to compile data & record on the form • Share examples of tools & approaches for collecting data

23. General Guidance: Collecting & Submitting EARS Data EARS data must reflect activities and expenditures that occurred during the Federal fiscal year covered by the report EXAMPLE: The financial data that is due to FNS by 12/30/08, must reflect expenditures for the period 10/1/07 through 9/30/08

24. General Guidance: Collecting & Submitting EARS Data In general do not duplicate the same participants or data in multiple sections of the report, i.e., report EARS participation data in only one section. Scenario: Ms. Jones participates in a FSNE series that consists of 4 class room sessions, an interactive newsletter and a point-of-purchase session at the local supermarket. HOW DO WE REPORT MS. JONES?

25. Under what section (s) should we report Mrs. Jones? Since all of the follow-up activities were interactive and an integrated component of the series AND the needed data was collected via her enrollment, Ms Jones may be counted under direct education. If the newsletter and point-of-purchase were not part of the planned series OR were not interactive, they would be counted under indirect. Direct Education Only Indirect Only Both Direct and Indirect Other

26. General Guidance: Collecting & Submitting EARS Data Answer: State Food Stamp Office staff will enter the data into the online submission system they now use for other Food Stamp reports. Staff will use the EARS module. This data will be reviewed by the FNS regional office to ensure accuracy before it is transmitted to FNS. FNS regions will set dates for getting the data to them for review. Who will submit EARS to FNS?

27. When will implementing agencies submit EARS data and to whom? Answer: State Food Stamp Offices will set the date for implementing agencies to get the EARS to the designated Food Stamp Office contact. They will also identify the format (spread sheet, text document, etc.) for submitting the data to them.

28. EARS Flow • HQ • Accepts or rejects report. • If rejected it will go back to sender for correction Reports & Outputs shared

29. Overview of the EARS Reporting Form • The EARS reporting form has 10 data “elements” divided into four areas: • Direct Education • Social Marketing Initiatives • Indirect Education • Expenditures

30. Direct Education 1. FSNE Participants by Age and Food Stamp Program Status 2. FSNE Participants by Gender 3. Race and Ethnicity 4. Number of FSNE Delivery Sites by Type of Setting 5. Direct Education Programming Format 6. Primary Content of Direct Education

31. Social Marketing #7 Major campaign activities for current year Priority population(s) Estimated participation Intervention levels and channels Key messages Expenditures

32. Indirect Education 8a. Types of materials distributed 8b. Estimated size of audiences reached through communication and events

33. Summary of Expenditures 9. Expenditures by Sources of Funding 10. Expenditures by Category of Spending

34. Direct Education • Elements • Definitions • Instructions • Examples • Key Questions

35. Summary - Key Features EARS - the Final Form Establishes actual unduplicated counts as the “preferred” method Allows IA to report actual or estimated unduplicated counts Includes Contacts-actual or estimated When using estimates- IAs must report method for estimating

36. Direct Education Elements 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and Food Stamp Program Status 1b. FSNE CONTACTS by Age and Food Stamp Program Status 2a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Gender 2b. FSNE CONTACTS by Gender 3. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Race and Ethnicity 4. Number of FSNE Delivery Sites by Type of Setting 5. Programming Format 6. Primary Content of Direct Education

37. Direct Education Direct Education is defined as interventions where a participant is actively engaged in the learning process with an educator - and/or interactive media - allowing the educators to obtain information about individual participants. • Direct education, requires the collection of information on: • the number of individuals • Food Stamp Program participation status • age • gender • and race/ethnicity

38. Direct Education Example 1: An implementing agency conducts a series of nutrition sessions designed to increase fruit and vegetable intake. The educators collect enrollment data including name, age, race, ethnic group, gender, and Food Stamp Program participation.

39. Direct Education Example 2: The implementing agency provides nutrition education via computerized kiosks at several locations. Participants using the kiosks provide identifying information including their Food Stamp status, ethnicity, age and gender by entering this data or by using codes that can be linked to this information by the implementing agency.

40. What is not Direct Education? …cases where an individual obtains nutrition education or materials or listens to a session but no demographic information is captured about the individual that allows you to report actual participation or data is not available for making a reliable estimate. This type of contact would count as indirect education.

41. 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and FSP Status For Question 1a, indicate below if you are providing actual unduplicated counts or an estimate of FSNE direct education participants. (See page #2 of EARS Form) _X _ Actual Counts of Participants (unduplicated) ____ Estimated Counts of Participants

42. 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and FSP Status To report an unduplicated or actual count of direct education participants: provide the number of different individuals who receive any FSNE direct education. each individual counts as one participant, regardless of the number of times he or she has participated in direct education activities actual unduplicated counts is the preferred method agencies that are not able to do so now, may report an estimate of the number of individuals served

43. 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and FSP Status1a. Row 1: the total number of participants (1a) who are Food Stamp recipients Row 2: the total participants (1a) for all other (non- food stamp) persons Row 3: the total participants [by age category (Row1-2; Columns A-E)].

44. 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and FSP Status EXAMPLE:

45. 1a. FSNE PARTICIPANTS by Age and FSP Status EXAMPLE: If you reported an estimated count in Question 1a, please describe in 100 words or less the methods used to estimate the number of participants.

46. 1b. CONTACTS by Age & FSP Status “FSNE contact” an interaction in which a person participates in a FNSE direct education activity. EachFSNE participant may have one or more FSNE contacts. • “Participation” answers the who question. • “Contact “ answers the how much question.

47. 1b. CONTACTSby Age & FSP Status • For Question 1b, indicate below if you are providing actual counts or an estimate of FSNE direct education contacts. ___ Actual Counts of Contacts • ___ Estimated Counts of Contacts Row 1: the total number of Contacts (1a) who are Food Stamp recipients Row 2: the total Contacts (1a) for all other (non- food stamp) persons Row Row 3: the total Contacts [by age category (Row1-2; Columns A-E)].

48. 1b. CONTACTS by Age & FSP Status EXAMPLE:

49. 1b. CONTACTS by Age & FSP Status EXAMPLE: If you reported an estimated count in Question 1b, please describe in 100 words or less the methods used to estimate the number of contacts. Line 3, Column D = # of attendees X # of classes = est. total contacts

50. Special Circumstances What method can we use to determine Food Stamp status among children in schools and child care settings? Multiply the # of children participating in FSNE at each school or child care facility by the % of students eligible for FREE school meals.