Application of a Delphi Technique to Identify the Challenges for Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance of WIC Online Ordering Across Various Systems and Stakeholders

Vendors’ Perceptions and Experiences with WIC Online Shopping Implementation

“…Key partners noted were WIC State agencies, the federal government, and IT experts. This aligns with previous research on the entities to be involved with the WIC OS process [ 20 ]. It is helpful to involve these partners as early as possible in the WIC OS planning process and to engage in frequent communication and information sharing on the requirements and needs of each partner related to WIC OS.…”

“…We used 2 mechanisms to identify potential interviewees for the first subgroup of vendors. First, we used the contact list of vendors gathered during Phase 1 formative study of the GSCN project [ 20 ], which included ∼30 unique vendors. Second, we worked with the WIC OS Grant Steering Committee, comprising WIC experts, to identify additional vendors who were interested in online shopping.…”

“…Thus, WIC online shopping (WIC OS) has the potential to improve the WIC participant experience and reduce food access inequities when shopping with WIC food benefits [ 18 ]. Innovative projects led by WIC State agencies and vendor partners are underway to develop solutions for WIC OS and transactions through the WIC OS Grant, a multiyear 2-phase project funded through a cooperative agreement with USDA-FNS and the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition (GSCN) [ [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] ]. Phase 1 involved a formative study to identify recommendations for implementing WIC OS, which led to the creation of a WIC OS resource guide called the Blueprint for WIC OS Projects, or “the Blueprint.” The ongoing Phase 2 involves 4 GSCN subgrant projects that received funding to implement WIC OS using the Blueprint as a guide [ [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] ].…”