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Means and Strategies: Achievement of the FY 2001 Performance Goals and Indicators is contingent upon receiving the program and general support resources indicated in this plan. The FY 2000 program levels and projected performance targets are based on Congressional appropriations and are not subject to changes that could impact a program’s subsidy rate, such as fluctuations in the Treasury discount rate. As required by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the program-specific subsidy rates utilized in the development of the President’s FY 2000 Budget will be used when establishing obligations of FY 2000 funds.
Specific strategies to achieve the objectives include:
• Build leveraging partnerships to expand resources going to rural areas.
• Where applicable, direct resources to the neediest projects and communities.
• Continue the advocacy for Rural America as in policies resulting from deregulation of electric utilities.
Coordination with other Federal programs is not required for the delivery of the electric program. Proposed projects must meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the same sense that they must meet the zoning and construction requirement of the state, county, or local government. These are issues of concern handled by the applicant’s engineer. Other Federal agencies, or state agencies, may be potential partners for joint funding if a specific project meets their requirements.
Verification and Validation: Most of the data used in the Performance Indicators are taken from internal RUS and Rural Development Mission Area records. Data to measure the number of loans, loan amounts, number of borrowers, and funds advanced are performance measures will come from the RUS Loan Servicing System (RUSLS). This automated accounting system is designed to manage the agency’s portfolio of direct and guaranteed loans. The system contains a variety of data edits to minimize the risk of inaccurate data being placed in the system. RUSLS is audited annually by OIG as a part of their development of an audited financial statement.
Consumers served, counties served, and investment in infrastructure is available from RUS borrower reported statistics. While this information is not audited, it is considered to be sufficiently accurate for management’s purposes.
The identification of persistent poverty counties and persistent out-migration counties is available from the USDA Economic Research Service.