For the case study approach, the team solicited eleven restaurants and food
serving establishments in various regions in Alberta. The selected food operations
represent a cross-section ranging from small to large, fast food to fine dining,
and rural to urban to ensure that all voices and perspectives are heard and
utilized in this study. The 'Profile of Participating Companies' section
further in the report describes the diversity of the contributing establishments
in the industry.
The chief data gathering technique was the face-to-face interviews. In most
cases, the consultants met with three staff members at each establishment
to get their input. They usually were an owner/operator or a manager, a line
supervisor and a front line employee.
Project Activities
In order
to meet the project objectives, the AWES project team conducted the following
activities:
- Thirty-one face-to-face interviews with managers,
owner/operators, supervisors, servers, cooks, front line attendants
and bartenders/servers throughout the province.
- Telephone survey
of fifteen (15) food establishments in Edmonton to identify food
safety training practices. This was conducted by ATEC.
- Two telephone
interviews with food safety educators with the Regional Health
Authorities.
- Observation
of a food safety training session.
- Telephone interview with
the Project Team Leader (Disease Control and Prevention Branch)
with Alberta Health and Wellness
- Development of a one-page 'terms
of reference' overview of the project (Appendix 1) used to introduce
participants to the project's goals and action plan.
- Preparation
of the interview tool for managers/supervisors and employees.
- Review
of training materials from five organizations and training providers.
- Meeting
with the ARFA Education committee.
- Meeting with ATEC.
- Inclusion
of a notice of the working relationship with ARFA and ATEC on the
AWES web site under "What's New" link at http://www.nald.ca/AWES/.
- Examination
of provincial food safety certification requirements in Canada.
- Telephone
conversations with managers of five food establishments in Edmonton,
other than those in the case studies.
- Informal conversations with
employees of three food operations.