The referenced funding opportunity announcement focuses on efforts to advance the nationally integratedfood safety system by assisting retail food regulatory programs to achieve conformance with the VoluntaryNational Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards by developing, implementing, and improving theinfrastructure necessary to support conformance with the VNRFRPS. The Michigan Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development's (MDARD) experience as an enrollee in the VNRFRPS gives us a clearunderstanding of how the standards focus your food safety program on the reduction of risk factors and theissues surrounding the implementation of an active managerial control program within the retail food sector.MDARD's proposal would support the development of that infrastructure by developing and implementing aLearning Management System (LMS). It would offer a tool for agencies to use in meeting the requirementsoutlined in the VNRFRPS specifically Standard 2, Training. This is MDARD's first plan to resolve this issueand MDARD's proposal builds upon our current work with our 45 LHDs during the accreditation andstandardization processes. During these processes both MDARD and the LHD have identified that the lackof an effective LMS for tracking and documenting an individual's training as a problem. This creates anissue for MDARD and LHD in assuring that all staff who are delivering food safety inspections are fullytrained and maintaining their continuing education requirements as needed. In order for a LHD to meet therequirements of the VNRFRPs they must be able to demonstrate that they have a fully trained inspectionstaff current on their training requirements and that any new staff hired also meet the requirements fortraining. Even small agencies staffed with two or fewer inspectors have experienced difficulties, resulting inreluctance to enroll in VNRFRPS. MDARD will develop the LMS through a consensus process with ourLHD and other partners. MDARD's long track record of consensus building with the LHD and other stateand federal agencies will help us to develop requirements, implement, and train staff to use a LMS system.A comprehensive LMS would enable any food safety agency to successfully document training and removea roadblock for enrollment in the VNRFRPS, resulting in the delivery of a complete food safety program totheir constituents. MDARD and LHD successful implementation of a LMS can be used as a model for avariety of food safety agencies at various governmental levels; local, regional, tribal, and state. MDARDbelieves that the use of a LMS will become a best practice and we will support this concept and projectnationally. Michigan has been an active member of a variety of partnerships, initiatives and associations onthe local, state, regional and national level. Michigan's participation and continued work with thoseorganizations will help to ensure that this project will align with and support the goal of a fully integrated foodsafety system.
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) The referenced funding opportunity announcement focuses on efforts to advance the nationally integrated food safety system by assisting retail food regulatory programs to achieve conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) by developing, implementing, and improving the infrastructure necessary to support conformance with the VNRFRPS. The proposal would support the development of that infrastructure by developing, and implementation of a Learning Management System (LMS) for use in multiple jurisdictions across the nation, as it would offer a tool for food regulatory programs to use in meeting the requirements outlined in the VNRFRPS specifically standard 2, Training. A comprehensive LMS would enable any food safety agency to successfully document training and remove a roadblock for enrollment in the VNRFRPS and the delivery of a complete food safety program to their constituents.
