Service Insights FAQ's
Why does God’s Pantry Food Bank want to introduce Service Insights? What is the benefit to my organization?
Improving access to electronic client data has benefits for individual agencies and the network as a whole. By taking an approach that includes all partner food pantries and meal programs, the Food Bank will have the information we need to make more strategic decisions about the resources we provide and the services we are able to offer. For your agency, participating in Service Insights will provide a better understanding of the people you serve, and will demonstrate the true impact of your services. Service Insights can also speed up the intake and TEFAP certification process for clients and your staff.
What changes will food pantries and meal programs have to make?
Service Insights will look different for each agency, depending on the information they already collect and how it is stored. Service Insights focuses on three things:
- Collecting a minimum standardized set of information during intake and storing it electronically
- Reporting data to God’s Pantry Food Bank at least monthly (system will perform much of this for you)
- Following data privacy and confidentiality measures, including a client consent process
Agencies that are already collecting electronic client data may need to make some changes to the the collected data fields. Your agency may be asked to collect new information from clients and/or change the way you report client data to the Food Bank. Agencies that are using paper forms can adopt an electronic system called Oasis Pro for collecting and managing client data. The Food Bank will work with your agency to outline what Service Insights looks like for you and how we can best provide support.
Is my organization required to participate in Service Insights?
Service Insights is part of our strategy to build capacity and increase the impact we have as a network, so it’s important that our partner food pantries participate. God’s Pantry Food Bank will work individually with our partner food pantries to understand current capacity, needs, and a timeframe for each to begin participating in the program. Our network of partner food pantries and meal programs is diverse, and we know that some partners may face unique circumstances that prevent them from participating fully in this initiative. The Food Bank will provide exemptions for food pantries who demonstrate they meet certain criteria that prohibit them from conducting Service Insights activities.
We like the system we use to manage our client data. Can we continue using it and still participate in Service Insights?
Yes! God’s Pantry Food Bank recognizes that our partners are using a variety of systems to collect and store client data, especially partners that are offering a range of services and programs to the community. If your system works well for your organization, the Food Bank will work with your food pantry to assign a small set of standard data fields to be collected that align with the programs you offer. You will need to report standardized client data to the Food Bank on a monthly basis, and implement a process to obtain client consent.
What kind of information is God’s Pantry Food Bank asking us to collect from clients?
All food pantries and meal programs that participate in Service Insights must make their best effort to collect information for the standardized data fields, including basic demographic information and information about other household members and their needs. Some partners may collection more detailed information, but that is optional. Remember – clients may never be required to provide additional information after being certified, or to verify the information they choose to provide.
When will my organization need to make these changes?
An initial group of partner food pantries began using the new system in early 2022. God’s Pantry Food Bank continues to work with partners who want to switch from their existing system to the new central system. For partners that are currently using paper forms, the Food Bank has also started the onboarding process. Partners that have expressed immediate interest will be the first to implement the system.
How will Service Insights affect our intake process? Won’t this make intake longer?
It may take longer the first time you collect information from a client with the new system, but it will save time when that client returns because their information will be stored. When a client visits, it will be easy to look them up electronically and provide appropriate services. Each client is assigned a barcode, and we will provide barcode scanners. Scanning a client’s barcode will immediately retrieve their record. We also have key tags available for clients to make providing services even simpler.
Will we still be required to submit monthly reports to God’s Pantry Food Bank?
You will still submit monthly inventory reports for TEFAP and CSFP, but you will no longer be required to submit information on households served or household demographics.
My organization collects all intake information on paper. What does Service Insights mean for us?
God’s Pantry Food Bank will cover the licensing costs for your organization so you can begin using the new system. We will provide training and hands‐on support throughout the process. You can always reach out to your God’s Pantry Food Bank Partner Services contact with questions about what Service Insights means for you.
My organization is interested in collecting electronic client data, but we don’t have the resources. What can we do?
God’s Pantry Food Bank will cover the licensing costs for your organization so you can begin using the new system. If your needs are related to training and technical assistance, we will provide those resources if your organization agrees to participate in Service Insights. If you need computers or other devices, the Food Bank will be sharing more information about applying for support.
My food pantry is not interested in collecting client electronic data. Are we required to do so?
Your time is valuable, and we wouldn’t ask our partners to make these changes if there wasn’t a real benefit. Collecting electronic client data will allow your agency to better understand who your clients are and their unique needs. It will also allow you to paint a picture of the services your organization offers and the populations you serve. This is valuable information that can be used to improve services, track clients over time, and inform reporting and grant writing. We know that this is a different way of doing things, but electronic client data tracking will benefit your organization and your clients in the long run. We will support you throughout the process.
If we participate in Service Insights, can we import our existing data?
The costs of importing historical data generally outweigh the benefits you might receive, therefore we recommend starting fresh with Oasis. However, there may be exceptions, and God’s Pantry Food Bank will work with your organization to identify these circumstances.
What if we used to collect client data electronically, but stopped because of the COVID‐19 pandemic?
If you were using Oasis Insight prior to the pandemic but paused your use during the pandemic, God’s Pantry Food Bank can help you restart and make the same changes as active Oasis users. If you were using a different system, we can work with you to determine if adopting Oasis is the right move for your organization. If you choose to keep your system, the Food Bank may ask you to align the data you collect with our standardized data fields and to submit monthly data to us.
Why is God’s Pantry Food Bank making changes to the demographic data fields in Oasis?
There were many duplicate fields throughout our existing demographics. Standardizing fields in Oasis will make it easier for our partners and God’s Pantry Food Bank to accurately track clients and generate reports so we understand the populations we serve in a consistent way across our network.
Will I lose the information I have already entered?
You will not lose any existing information. God’s Pantry Food Bank will map the existing information to client records using the new fields.
What information those we serve will be shared with other food pantries and meal programs?
Clients will have the option to share their information with only your organization and God’s Pantry Food Bank, or with other organizations in our network. For client data shared with the network, only the information needed for intake and eligibility will be visible to organizations other than the one where they originally completed the intake process. This will allow clients to visit other pantries if needed, or to easily transfer to other counties without repeating the intake process. Assistance records will not be visible to other network members.
The benefits of data sharing are improvement of the client experience, a reduction of intake times, prevention of duplicate cases, and streamlining the intake and sign‐in process at distributions. If your organization has questions about a specific client or case, you can always reach out to God’s Pantry Food Bank. As the network administrator, we can look into questions and provide more detailed information on a case‐by‐case basis.
Will I need to use paper intake forms and sign-in sheets is I participate in Service Insights?
No. Client information will be entered directly into the system. Any ID with a barcode on it can be used to register a client for services, or a key tag can be provided for clients that to not have or do not wish to use another ID.
We also offer a paperless CSFP application and recertification form, a paperless TEFAP Signature Register, and designated authorized representatives for proxy pickups will be displayed when a client record is accessed and stored as a form attached to their record. The same TEFAP signature report used today will be generated automatically as a report from within Oasis. This means that clients will complete and sign the CSFP application and TEFAP register directly in the system. Ultimately, this will replace the need to save paper forms.