Special thanks to FNS for presenting the following information in a clear, accessible, easy to read format. You can read the article at http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/mis/samprojectoverview.htm
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is an agency of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). FNS has committed a lot of resources to the development of the State Agency Model (SAM), a project initiated at the request of the White House Office of Management and Budget. FNS defines the project as a 5-year initiative to plan, develop and deploy model information systems (IS) in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) State agencies. It goes on to list the common features of the SAM projects as follows:
- Modern Web (HTML/HTTP) technology
- Standard WIC data elements
- Open system architecture
- Modular components
- Compliance with Federal policy and regulations
Enacted on June 30, 2004, Public Law 108-265 , requires the Secretary to use in FY 2006 through 2009 $30 million for management information systems (MIS).
FNS selected three main programs for SAM.
- Successful Partners In Reaching Innovative Technology (SPIRIT)
- Mountain Plains State Consortium (MPSC)
- Crossroads
All three programs have consortia led by a particular state. For Spirit, it is Chickasaw Nation. Colorado leads MPSC. Alabama, Virginia and West Virginia follow the lead of North Carolina for the Crossroads project.