Meanings of targeting from program workers.

Abstract

Program workers have a critical role in targeting in nutrition programs, but little has been studied about the concept and the operation of targeting from their perspectives. This paper introduces and compares meanings of targeting from the perspectives of program workers in food assistance programs in the United States. There exist some variations in perceptions of targeting and actual operational procedures adopted by program workers at the local and federal levels. Regardless, program workers' perspectives on targeting suggest a new framework of targeting, which consists of key components (program access, service, and evaluation) and issues in need of careful attention in targeting nutrition programs. The success of targeting depends on how well these components and related issues can be translated into targeting policy, rules, and procedures. With increased devolution to the state and local levels in the United States, it is even more critical for federal policy makers and administrators to understand how frontline program workers perceive and implement targeting. The new framework based on the perspectives of program workers may contribute to developing a conceptual definition as well as practical guidance for targeting that can be used to formulate better ways of targeting in nutrition programs.