The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has formed a task force to improve the fairness and transparency of school meal equipment procurement and establish a more field-oriented purchasing system.
The TF comprises 15 members, including contract, fiscal, meal service and audit officials from the city education office and district education support offices, as well as nutrition teachers at schools.
Administrative and contract staff will work alongside those who actually use the equipment in school cafeterias to identify problems across the procurement system and develop remedies.
The TF plans to focus on strengthening the fairness and transparency of school meal equipment purchasing procedures, building a user-centered equipment selection system and streamlining administrative processes.
Particular attention will be paid to incorporating feedback from nutrition teachers and cafeteria workers who use the equipment on the ground, with the aim of improving practical suitability and eliminating unnecessarily complex or redundant administrative steps.
At the TF's first meeting, held Friday, participants discussed ways to reduce unfair practices in the equipment procurement process and identified improvement tasks for each stage of purchasing.
Attendees agreed on the need to secure objectivity in the procurement process while building a system that more faithfully reflects the needs of schools and the views of end users.
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
