What is the difference between PEARS and N-PEARS?

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PEARS and National PEARS (N-PEARS) are separate online systems for SNAP-Ed reporting. More details about both systems and the differences between them are provided below.
  1. What is the system used for?
    PEARS collects program data at a granular level to help agencies evaluate their work, analyze their impacts, and aggregate data for reporting.
    N-PEARS focuses on the information needed at the national level for FNS. N-PEARS is not designed to capture all details of the work that each agency performs throughout the year. N-PEARS provides an online mechanism to create, review, and submit the SNAP-Ed State plan and annual report to FNS.
  2. Is my state required to use the system?
    PEARS: Individual states contract with Canopy to use PEARS. Using PEARS is optional. Each state may determine how they would like to collect program, evaluation, and impact data throughout the year.
    N-PEARS: FNS contracts with Canopy to develop and use National PEARS. Using National PEARS is required for all SNAP-Ed State and implementing agencies.
  3. Who needs access to the system?

    PEARS: All staff involved in SNAP-Ed program delivery, evaluation, and data cleaning/analysis/reporting should have access to PEARS. Staff providing SNAP-Ed programming need access to report their work in the system. Program evaluators and staff involved in creating reports need access to pull data from the system for further analysis.
    N-PEARS: Staff that have historically been involved in creating the State plan and annual report need access to enter data, review data, and submit plans & reports to FNS. FNS recommends that primary State agency account holders consider the appropriate staff to add as implementing agency users in the system. There are no restrictions on the number of users at this time; however, FNS recommends that only those directly involved in the plan and report submission should be added, to prevent issues with multiple users working in the system at once. N-PEARS has three main user categories: Implementing Agency, State Agency, and Regional Coordinator users, each with their own unique permissions.