INTRODUCING: The USFA Procurement Self-Assesment Tool
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If we continue to buy food for schools the way we always have, we can expect even lower quality, higher costs, and continued supply chain interruptions. School districts that tailor school food service procurement policies and procedures to good food procurement, using best practices from commercial food service, achieve better food, controlled costs, and improved supply chain. Covid shined a light on the failing school food supply chain as districts and industry worked to right size and adjust practices to improve the supply chain. In 2021 Urban School Food Alliance (USFA) brought together a group of industry leaders to learn how the supply chain partners can improve procurement using best practices from the commercial food service industry. Best practices were identified and USFA began to develop training and resources focused on improving procurement. The USFA Procurement Self-assessment Tool measures procurement strategies beyond compliance with federal regulations that can result in better food, control costs, and improve the supply chain. The self-assessment tool highlights best practices in 9 key practice areas: Procurement Plan, The Solicitation, Technical Requirements, Menu, Dairy, USDA Foods, Contract Management, Outsourcing procurement, and Values-Based procurement. The 37 questions encourage districts to look at their current food service procurement policies and practices to identify opportunities to improve. Information about best practices and links to resources are included throughout the tool.
Conducting the Assessment
For the best results, the self-assessment should be completed by the food service director, procurement officer and the business office independently to capture different views of the process. Discuss the results with the team and look for opportunities to remove barriers and unnecessary procedures, develop food specific procurement policies and develop a continuous improvement process for food service procurement. Procurement has been a topic of concern for school nutrition for more than a decade. The USFA was founded in 2012 by six major city districts to leverage their purchasing power to drive food quality up and costs down. We have all participated in numerous discussions about the need for change in the procurement process. It is time to take action to improve school food procurement. When school nutrition teams use good business practices for procurement, they can use their voice in shaping the products available to students in the cafeteria, providing meals that not only meet national nutrition standards but also improve food quality while opening the door to smaller, regional processors. We can also boost sustainability and support local economies while improving efficiency and lowering costs. These activities in turn can be used to increase meal participation, reduce waste, and improve the overall food supply by using collective purchasing power to make changes that benefit all students, particularly those who rely on school meals.
Jill Kidd, MS, RD, SNS | Urban School Food Alliance Jill Kidd MS, RD, SNS leads procurement and business innovation initiatives for the Urban School Food Alliance to change school food procurement, to increase healthier, more sustainable products, stabilize supply and the cost of food in schools. Jill is a former school food service director and a respected leader in school food procurement. She is the Past President of Colorado ASBO, the Colorado School Nutrition Association and served on the School Nutrition Association Board of Directors and as the Secretary Treasurer.
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