Essential Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for SN Success

The Essential KPIs for School Nutrition Success resource focuses on the most critical aspects of the school nutrition program performance.  It provides a straight-forward, easy-to-use reference for identifying and applying these aspects to achieve success.  The key performance indicators allow the users to set standards of expectation, identify problem areas, and measure progress in correcting the problems.  The KPIs can also be used to identify where resources should be invested to have the most positive impact and track the progress of major initiatives on participation, cost, and revenue.  There are 12 key performance indicators: Meal Equivalents, Average Daily Participation, Revenues, Expenditures, Revenue Per Meal Equivalent, Cost Per Meal Equivalent, Cost as a Percentage of Revenue, Break-even Point, Inventory Turnover Rate, Meals Per Labor Hour, Staff Turnover Rate, and Absenteeism Rate.

ICN has developed the KPI Interactive Spreadsheets based on the resource Essential KPIS for School Nutrition Success.  The interactive spreadsheets are tools to help SN directors and managers calculate financial performance indicators that focus on the most critical aspects of the school nutrition program.  The KPIs allow users to set standards of expectation, identify problem areas, and measure progress in correcting these problems.  They can identify where resources can be invested to have the most positive impact and they can be used to track the progress of major initiatives on participation, cost, and revenue.  Many of the spreadsheets automatically calculate the information.  All the director or manager needs to do is enter some basic information.

Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers

The Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills for School Nutrition Managers resource focuses on the identified functional areas, competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for SN managers to effectively operate an SN program. The tools in this resource are designed to identify performance standards; to guide efforts to support employees’ performance; to measure job responsibilities and behaviors; and to show how well employees perform in their individual and team-related roles to meet organizational goals.

Included are tools designed to assist both the SN director and the SN manager in accomplishing the following tasks:

  • Create job descriptions based on the competencies, knowledge, and skills addressed within the resource.
  • Identify training needs of the SN managers working in the local SN program.
  • Create targeted learning opportunities.
  • Evaluate local SN managers’ job performance in three different time periods – probationary, annual, and reappraisal.
  • Establish mentoring relationships among managers and directors.

Each tool has detailed instructions on its usage, templates, and how to complete the documents.