Course:LFS350/Projects/2014W1/T10/Proposal

Version Control

Version	Author	Role	Changes	Date
3.0	Group 10 members	Update with Feedback	Second draft of charter, regard to feedback from first draft	November 1, 2014
2.0	Group 10 members	Update with Feedback	Changes to all sections as per presentation feedback	October 2, 2014
1.0	Group 10 members	Design/Rough draft	Initial version	September 24, 2014

Project Background (__ / 10)

In Metro Vancouver, BC, food insecurity was found to be significantly more prevalent in low-income households (BCNPHA & M. Thomson Consulting, 2012). Food insecurity has been a growing concern for low-income housing providers since food insecurity has been strongly associated with overall health, wellbeing, and social outcomes (BCNPHA & M. Thomson Consulting, 2012). Food security can be defined as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (World Health Organization, n.d). For food security to be satisfied, the food for a population must meet six criteria: food must be affordable, available, accessible, appropriate (nutritionally, culturally, and morally), safe, and environmentally sustainable (Think&EatGreen@School, 2013).

Nearly 25% of households in Richmond are affected by poverty, and seniors are the third most affected group at 29% (BCNPHA & M. Thomson Consulting, 2012). Factors that contribute to food insecurity in Richmond include its geographical location and reliance on food imports (Richmond Food Security Assessment, 2006). Many of the services in Richmond are clustered in the city centre region, while many communities live in outlying neighbourhoods, creating a barrier for those to access services (Richmond Food Security Assessment, 2006). Seniors may be vulnerable to food insecurity due to isolation, physical inability to access food and food programs, poverty, low and fixed income, specialized diets brought upon by medical illnesses or deteriorating health, and a limited ability to prepare food (BCNPHA & M. Thomson Consulting, 2012). Food insecurity poses a threat to the health of seniors since populations that are food insecure have been linked to poor health and malnutrition (Richmond Food Security Assessment, 2006). With this information in hand, it is apparent that this is a large problem impacting Richmond and something must be done to remedy it, such as food program interventions. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of quantitative data specifically for low-income seniors in the Richmond area which details their level of food insecurity.

For this project we will be working with the Richmond Food Security Society (RFSS), whose mandate is “that all people in the community, at all times, have access to nutritious, safe, personally acceptable and culturally appropriate foods, produced in ways that are environmentally sound and socially just” (Richmond Food Security Society, n.d.). Our group will focus our efforts strictly on investigating the level of food security access experienced by seniors living in the 173-unit Rosewood Manor, an assisted rental apartment complex in Richmond, BC.

Upon the completion of our group’s research project, we hope to determine the level of food insecurity access faced by seniors living in the Richmond low-income Rosewood Manor . Also we aim to gain a better understanding of how seniors access food in Richmond, as well as determine what is missing in terms of programs to strengthen food security. We hope to take the information we have gathered to recommend possible project interventions that can used to improve food security in Richmond’s social housing complexes. Our team will conduct an examination of previously successful models of social housing interventions to decide what is most appropriate for our community in Richmond.

Stakeholder Summary (__ /5)

List and describe the responsibilities of the student team, community partner(s), and other key stakeholder groups and their associated teams and roles.

Name, Role & Organization	Responsibilities
Dan Fochler, Jianu Huang, Fauziya Issa, Liz Lund, Beth Nanson, Caroline Ramsay, Natalia Romero, Melanie Zhao LFS Group #10 Members	Lead all project phases Create project documents Lead and manage project team for all phases of project Management of documents (location, updates) Bi-weekly status reports for community partner Lessons learned Community service learning hours (World Food Day Event) Present progress to other stakeholders and faculty members
Colin Dring Community Partner Richmond Food Security Society	Provide high level guidance and approve scope, budget and schedule Provide connections and linkages with community Sign off initial Charter and Plan Sign off on changes to Charter and Plan
Rosewood Manor Staff	Provide sample population of low-income housing seniors for our investigation Provide background information on the residence Aid in collecting questionnaires

Purpose and Research Question (__ / 20)

The purpose of our project is to determine the level of food insecurity experienced by the senior residents of Rosewood Manor, a low-income complex in Richmond, BC. We aim to identify how severe the food insecurity is by calculating the impact it has on their health and wellbeing. Furthermore, through qualitative means (see Research Design), we intend to identify aspects of their community life that relate directly or indirectly to their food security. Our questions target the community structure in the life of the seniors living at Rosewood Manor - how the seniors are involved in their community and what they would like to see added. Our questions also seeks to identify any coping mechanisms that the seniors living in the Rosewood Manor may employ to meet their caloric and nutritional needs for a healthy and active lifestyle. Examples of coping strategies include eating less per meal and/or per day, borrowing money and/or asking for food from family and friends, obtaining food from the food banks, and using food coupons. Often times, these coping strategies are not sufficient to meet the needs of individuals and this might be the case for the seniors at Rosewood Manor (M. Thomson Consulting and BCNPHA Research Department, 2012). We will compile the data and information we collect from our surveys and visits to the Rosewood Manor and provide suggestions that can improve food utilization at the individual level, access at the household level, and availability at the community level.

The responses we receive will be very specific to the seniors at the Rosewood Manor, a very small population. Therefore any information gathered will only be useful to changes and additions to the senior community specifically at Rosewood Manor. This will be useful for the management at the Rosewood Manor and the Richmond Food Security Society who work with the low-income housing community.

Using the compiled data, we will make suggestions for the improvement of the food security experience of the seniors living at Rosewood Manor. Possible suggestions would be the implementation of facilities adaptable to these particular seniors’ physical limitations, nutritional needs, as well as culture and traditions. It could also include improving food programs that can be easily accessible by the seniors at the Rosewood Manor. The information we gather could increase the efficiency of programs and/or processes, at Rosewood Manor, that aim to provide an adequate quantity of appropriate, safe and nutritious foods available on a constant basis, for the senior residents. Answers from the survey may also serve to increase the accessibility to the upcoming local community garden. They may also serve to increase the attraction of the community garden to the seniors at Rosewood Manor.

With our project, we aim to provide ideas to improve food security in the residents of the Rosewood Manor.

Research Question: What is the level of food insecurity experienced by the senior community at Rosewood Manor, a low-income housing complex in Richmond, BC, and what are the the possible changes to the community structure at Rosewood Manor that could directly or indirectly improve the food security of the seniors who live there?

Methods (__ / 20)

Research Design:
Our research design can be viewed through the lens set in place by John W. Cresswell in Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (2003). This perspective on methodology will be used as it was the one presented in LFS 350. We will be using a mixed methods approach in this study. This can be defined using a variety of methods, representing quantitative and qualitative data, put in place either simultaneously or sequentially (Cresswell, 2003). This approach will be used because we are of the opinion that food insecurity is a complex systemic issue. Because of this complexity, obtaining a wide variety of data will allow us to better evaluate food insecurity among Rosewood Manor seniors.

Our group will be designing and conducting a survey that will provide us with information in order to effectively measure the level of food insecurity faced by those seniors living within Rosewood Manor in Richmond, BC. The survey will be divided into three parts: The U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module designed by the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A), demographic questions designed by the group members, and qualitative questions designed by the group members. Further information regarding the design of the survey and reasoning can be found in the section titled “Instrumentation”.

Posters will be put on display to inform the senior residents of Rosewood Manor that we will be implementing a survey. Design of the posters will be left to the discretion of the group members, but the posters will convey what we are researching, why we are conducting research, and logistics for picking up and returning surveys. The information on the posters will increase awareness and transparency of the project among Rosewood Manor residents. These posters will be placed around common areas and high traffic areas to increase awareness, to be determined by the group members and Rosewood Manor administration.

The survey will be distributed to seniors living at Rosewood Manor by the members of our group in person within envelopes along with a consent form for the participants to fill out, allowing us to use their responses for our research. Once the seniors have completed their surveys they can seal the envelope containing both the survey and consent form and return it to the reception desk at Rosewood Manor where the members of this group will return to collect the surveys. The dates for distribution and collecting the surveys are anticipated to be the weeks of November 9th and November 16th, respectively.

Once collected, the responses from the survey will be compiled into a Microsoft Excel file in order to effectively organize the data and allow us to analyze it properly. Using the guidelines set forth by the USDA survey, we will determine the level of food insecurity, as later indicated, faced by those seniors living at Rosewood Manor. Along with the demographic data that we collected, if time permits, we would like to categorize participants into different groups to analyze if there are any other trends among those seniors living in Rosewood Manor experiencing food insecurity, whether by age, annual income, or highest education level for example. The methodology used to analyze the qualitative data is to be determined, as group members need to further research precedents in mixed methods research. This shall be completed by November 5th.

After the data has been completely analyzed, a report will be written by the members of the group to convey our findings from our research and given to the Richmond Food Security Society (RFSS). The report will be agreed upon by both parties and potentially used by RFSS and other LFS 350 students in future years for further research.

Sampling:
Our research involves surveying seniors in low income housing, specifically those residing in Rosewood Manor. It is crucial to identify the parameters of the participants taking part in the study.

Due to time constraints of our research, and a lack of information from Rosewood Manor, we are unable to ensure that we will be able to effectively communicate the survey questions to all senior residents, therefore we will be excluding those individuals who are not proficient in English. We realize that this will reduce the amount of research participants able to take part in our experiment, but feel that within the time frame of our project it will not be feasible to translate our survey.

Rosewood Manor has a total of 173 residents currently living there, a mix of seniors and families. Although we have made contact with a representative of Rosewood Manor we have not received a response. At this point in time we are unaware of the population of seniors living at Rosewood Manor and cannot accurately determine a sample size. Once we have been in contact with the employees of Rosewood Manor and have identified this population we will update our current information.

Posters will be put on display to inform the senior residents of Rosewood Manor that we will be implementing a survey. These posters will be placed around common areas and high traffic areas to increase awareness.

Each senior living in Rosewood Manor will be given a survey to fill out because we believe that even if there are those living together, each may experience food insecurity differently, and so it is important to assess all seniors. We expect a low response rate from the seniors to begin with mainly due to the sensitivity of the topic of food security and potential embarrassment experienced by those participating. As well, we anticipate disinterest by some participants, or simply forgetting to fill out or hand in the survey. In distributing surveys to all seniors it will help to increase the responses we receive.

Instrumentation:

For this project our group will be designing and distributing a survey to the seniors living at Rosewood Manor.

The first part of our survey will be The U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module, a survey that allows researchers to quantify food insecurity within a population. While there have been other food insecurity surveys designed, this one will be administered at the request of the Richmond Food Security Society (See the appendix for exact survey questions). The clear benefit of this survey is that it quantifies food insecurity and places food insecurity on a categorical scale (i.e. food secure, food insecure without hunger, moderately food insecure with hunger, and severely food insecure with hunger) (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012).

However, there are limitations. This survey is designed to asses a larger population with a larger sample size; we are not following the sampling methodology set in place by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012). Because of this, our data cannot be generalizable to other populations. The survey also does not ask demographic questions (e.g. ethnicity/race, age, income level, sex, education level)(United States Department of Agriculture, 2012). The survey alone would not allow us to compare levels of food insecurity between different demographics. This will be addressed by demographic questions of our own design in the second part of our survey. Furthermore, the survey does not attempt to uncover why a household might be food insecure (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012). We will attempt to address this limitation with qualitative questions of our own design in the third part of the survey. It must be noted that by introducing a second and third part to our surveys, new limitations arise: respondent burden increases as the overall survey becomes more time consuming and the USDA survey was not designed to be followed with additional questions. While we have not identified a way to minimize the later, the former will be addressed by having Colin Dring and group members reviewing the survey and cutting unessential questions, left to their discretion.

The second part of the survey will include questions pertaining to key demographics. We have read previous food insecurity research, set them as a precedent we can follow, and synthesized their demographics of interest. We have identified these demographics as the following: sex, ethnicity, annual income, and highest education level achieved (Goetz, 2008; Nalty, Sharkey, & Dean, 2013). The following questions will be asked:

• What is your sex?

• Female
• Male
• Other
• Prefer not to say

• What is your ethnicity?

• (Fill in the blank)
• Prefer not to say

• What is your income level?

• less than $10,000
• $10,000-$20,000
• $20,000-$30,000
• $30,000-$40,000
• $40,000- $50,000
• $50,000- $60,000
• $60,000- $70,000
• $70,000- $80,000
• $80,000- $90,000
• $90,000- $100,000
• more than $100,000
• prefer not to say

• What is the highest education level you attained?

• Kindergarten or never attended school, or equivalent
• Grades 1-4, or equivalent
• Grades 5-8, or equivalent
• Grades 9-10, or equivalent
• More than grade 10, without secondary school completion, or equivalent
• Secondary school diploma, or equivalent
• Some postsecondary education
• Postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree below bachelor level
• Bachelor’s degree
• University certificate, diploma, or degree above bachelor level.
• Prefer not to say

“Prefer not to say” is given as an option for all questions as some questions may make respondents uncomfortable. This option allows those questions to be identified, which can then indicate that the question is not appropriate for our sample and requires revision or omission in future surveys.

The first question within the demographic survey asks “What is your sex?”. Note that gender was not asked. While looking at the demographics of gender within the population could be interesting, it cannot be analyzed given 1) the broad nature of gender, 2) the small sample size we are expecting and 3) the short time frame of the project.

The second question asks respondents to identify their ethnicity. We have chosen to allow respondents to write in their answer instead of choosing from pre-selected ethnic groups. Given the broad nature of ethnicity, this allows for any ethnic group to be chosen based off the personal identification of the respondent and the respondents personal definition of ethnicity.

The third category addresses income levels. The categories are non-exclusive because we expect respondents to estimate their income level and respond accordingly, i.e. not many people can say they earned exactly 80,000 dollars in a year. This is an assumption we are making; our study would be strengthened if we could test this assumption. However, given the time constraints, we have not identified a way to reasonably do so.

The last question asks respondents to identify the highest level of education they have attained. We have designed the answers by basing them off of the “Classification of highest educational attainment” set forth by Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada, 2011). We believe that the answers take into account both Canadian formal education and possible non-Canadian equivalents.

Qualitative question have not yet been designed. We as researchers feel that we do not have the knowledge to design qualitative questions that are appropriate to the research. To address this, we will be completing individual, informal literature reviews of qualitative research by November 5th. On November 5th, we will discuss what we learned as a group and then begin to design our qualitative questions and analysis strategy. We hope to have the qualitative questions and analysis strategy completed by November 8th.

It should be noted administering the survey on paper rather than through interviews was chosen. A paper survey increases respondent anonymity, which then increases dignity when providing personal information regarding a sensitive topic such as food insecurity.

Data Collection and Analysis Procedures:
Posters informing senior residents of the survey will be implemented around Rosewood Manor. A date for implementing the posters has not been decided upon as of this time as we have not been able to receive communication back from Rosewood Manor, but will tentatively be up by the week of November 2, 2014.

Team members will distribute the surveys, placed inside envelopes, in person to the seniors at Rosewood Manor. These surveys are planned to be distributed the week of November 9, 2014. Each envelope will include the survey as well as a consent form for the participants to fill out. This consent form informs participants about who our group is and that their responses and identity will be kept strictly confidential. Team members will also inform participants that the survey is completely voluntary and they do not need to answer all questions,.

Once participants have completed their survey and consent form, they can seal the envelope and return it to the reception desk of Rosewood Manor where the members of the group will pick them up the week of November 16, 2014.

The raw data collected will be compiled into Microsoft Excel in order to more effectively analyze the data. We can then identify the level of food security using the analysis methodology set forth by the U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module and the responses from the U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module section. We can also isolate answers for a given demographic group using responses from our demographics section and make compare food insecurity levels. Analysis for qualitative questions is to be determined by November 8th.

Ethics:
We will be following the rules and guidelines set forth by Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics. Because our research is survey-based, confidentiality, anonymity, and transparency will be emphasized in our research. These values are highlighted to maintain the dignity of the respondents, given the sensitive nature of food insecurity. These values will be reflected in our consent form for participants. As previously stated, the subjects’ participation in the survey is completely voluntary and they can choose to not take part in the study at any point in time. The surveys will be distributed in envelopes which participants can seal after completing the survey. This will prevent participant information from being read until our group collects them to analyze the data. As well, the questions on the survey will not ask identifying questions (e.g. name, unit number, etc.), so there will be no information to identify the exact participants by their responses.

Deliverables (__ / 5)

• A situational analysis that looks at the extent to which food insecurity and poverty affects Canadians, those in Metro Vancouver, those in Richmond, and seniors. There will be a focus on looking at research methods in order to set a precedent for our survey questions and data analysis.
• A systems diagram that will address how the Richmond Food Security Society fits into the greater food system.
• Meeting notes
• Our final report will contain the following: Introduction (with background information), research methods, results, discussion and analysis, and recommendations.
• Project proposal presentation

Success Factors/Criteria (__ / 10)

Our project aims to identify the level of food insecurity (ie. chronic, acute, etc.) faced by the seniors at Rosewood Manor. This will be done through a survey, which we will deem as successful if we receive ten individual responses. As we are only focusing upon a small population we cannot use this information to correlate the levels of food insecurity experienced by other seniors living in low-income housing in Richmond. Instead it will be primarily for the interest of our community partner, the Director of Richmond Food Security Society, Colin Dring.

We will also be identifying various community services that the seniors living at Rosewood Manor would like to see implemented. As Rosewood Manor is looking at implementing a community garden, we aim to determine whether those seniors living there would be interested in using this service, if it will be feasible for them, and various information regarding what they would like to see implemented in the garden, such as culturally acceptable produce.

In the end our success will be measured by our research which will produce a report that is agreed upon by both parties involved. It will include the identified level of food insecurity faced by those seniors living at Rosewood Manor and the factors that contribute to this. As well, their suggestions regarding community services they would like to see implemented will be included. The information contained in this final report will provide useful data for future projects conducted by successive LFS 350 students, as well as the Richmond Food Security Society.

Scope Change

Scope changes requested by any stakeholder of the project must be agreed upon, approved and signed by all stakeholders. The agreed format is to revise this charter with version controls. Because this is critical to keep track of, the version control is displayed at the beginning of the charter.

Communication Plan (__ / 5)

Action Item	Deliverable	Dates	Accountable
Weekly Updates	Progress Report (bullet points)	Fridays	All group members
Biweekly Updates with Colin	Progress email	Every second Wednesday	At least 3 group members who are available
Information sharing as it becomes available	Project Specific Information shared through the group Facebook page, Google Drive, and email	Ongoing	All group members and Colin to provide information in a timely manner and to provide prior and reasonable notice of dates when they will be unavailable

Milestones (__ / 5)

Milestone	Event or Deliverable	Target Date	Responsibility
Milestone1	Establish communication with community partner Colin Dring	September 15, 2014	All group members
Milestone 2	Meet with Colin Dring	September 19, 2014	Beth Nanson, Fauziya Issa, Caroline Ramsay
Milestone 3	Present Project Proposal	October 1, 2014	All group members
Milestone 4	Complete First Draft of Charter	October 4, 2014	All group members
Milestone 5	Mailing Rosewood Manor Housing Director	October 10, 2014	Dan Fochler
Milestone 6	Meeting with Colin Dring	October 10, 2014	Jianu Huang, Natalia Romero, Melanie Zhao
Milestone 7	Participate in World Food Day Event	October 18, 2014	All group members
Milestone 8	Communicate with Rosewood Manor Housing Director	October 22, 2014	Caroline Ramsay
Milestone 9	Complete Second Draft of Charter	November 1, 2014	All group members
Milestone 10	Informal literature review of qualitative data research	November 5, 2014	All group members
Milestone 11	Design qualitative survey questions	November 8, 2014	All group members
Milestone 12	Final Project Presentation	November 26, 2014	All group members

Approvals (__ / 5)

The following individuals hereby approve this Project Charter:

Role or Title	Name and Signature	Date
Community Partner	Colin During	October 14, 2014
Teaching Assistant	Kristina Michaux	October 14, 2014
Group 10 Member	Daniel Fochler	November 1, 2014

References (__ / 5)

Action contre la Faim International Network. (2008). Introduction to Food Security Intervention Principles. Retrieved from

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/wa_workshop/docs/ACF-SECU_ALIM_GB-janv2008.pdf

BC Non-Profit Housing Association Research Department & M. Thomson Consulting. (2012). A Study of Food Security Programs at Metro

Vancouver Housing Corporation. BC Non-Profit Housing Association Research Department and Metro Vancouver. Retrieved from :http://www.bcnpha.ca/media/Research/FinalReport_FoodSecurity_120822.pdf

Cook, B. (2008). Food Security Issues in a Public Health Context. Retrieved from National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of

Health website: http://www.phabc.org/pdfcore/2008_FoodSecurity_LitRev.pdf

Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches.Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage

Publications.

Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project. (2007). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) for Measurement of Household

Food Access: Indicator Guide. Washignton, D.C: Coates, J., Swindale, A., & Bilinsky, P.

Goetz, J. R. (2008). Exploring food insecurity among individuals with serious mental illness: A qualitative study. ProQuest, UMI

Dissertations Publishing

Govender, S., Solorzano, J., & Coyne, K., (2006). Richmond, BC Environmental Scan & Action Plan. Retrieved from Richmond Food

System Assesment website: http://www.vch.ca/media/CFAI_Full_Richmond.pdf

MacDonald, B. J., Andrews, D., & Brown, R. L. (2010). The Canadian Elder Standard ‐ Pricing the Cost of Basic Needs for the Canadian

Elderly. Canadian Journal on Aging, 29(1), 39‐56.

M. Thomson Consulting and BCNPHA Research Department. (2012). A Study of Food Security Programs at Metro Vancouver Housing

Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.bcnpha.ca/media/Research/FinalReport_FoodSecurity_120822.pdf

Nalty, C. C., Sharkey, J. R., & Dean, W. R. (2013). Children's reporting of food insecurity in predominately food insecure households in

Texas border colonias. Nutrition Journal, 12, 15. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-15

Richmond Food Security Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.richmondfoodsecurity.org/

Richmond Poverty Response Committee. (2006). Richmond Food System Assessment.Retrieved from :http://www.vch.ca/media/CFAI_Full_Richmond.pdf

Statistics Canada. (2011). Classification of highest education attainment. Retrieved from :http://www.statcan.gc.ca/concepts/definitions/education-class02-eng.htm

Shariff, Z. M., & Khor, G. L. (2008). Household food insecurity and coping strategies in a poor rural community in Malaysia. Nutrition

research and practice, 2(1), 26-34.

Think&EatGreen@School. (2013). Annual Activity Report 2012-2013. Retrieved from

http://lfs-teg-collab.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2013/04/ThinkEatGreen_AnnualReport_FINAL_4Nov2013_WEB-FINAL1.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture. (2012). U.S. adult food security module: Three-stage design, with screeners. Washington, DC: U.S.

Economic Research Service Press.

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Food Security. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story028/en/

Writing Quality (__ / 10)

For a proposal report to receive full writing quality marks, it should be well organized and easy to read. It should address all of the topics articulated in the assignment details above, and it should be free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.