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Initiative 1 | Initiative 2 | Partnerships/Coordination | Initiative 3 | Initiative 4
Management Initiative 1
COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING
Rural Development will provide information, technical assistance, and, when appropriate, leadership to rural areas, rural communities and cooperatives to give their leaders the capacity to design and carry out their own rural development initiatives.
The preceding three goals recognize that rural development involves providing financial assistance. This management initiative adds the understanding that a successful comprehensive community development process also involves technical assistance. Mission area programs can also provide technical assistance to rural communities and cooperatives, often in partnership with public and private organizations.
Time Frame for Completion
FY 2002Strategies for Achieving the Management Initiative
Provide guidance to rural leaders on sources of technical assistance, which will help them assess community strengths, plan for the future, and prepare applications for assistance.
Use local and state coordinating bodies, such as planning districts and the State Rural Development Councils, to identify alternative sources of funding for rural projects.
Implement collaborative rural economic and business development training for rural organizations, involving other Federal, State, and local agencies, and organizations.
Expand the base of knowledge and understanding of the rural development mission area employees in economic and business development, evaluation methods and operations, and analyzing the social/economic dynamics of rural areas and communities.
Performance Measures
Assist 400 communities with the development of applications for assistance from non-Rural Development sources.
Establish State Rural Development Councils in the remaining 14 States.
Establish 150 formal relationships with other rural development partners.
Attend and participate, in a leadership or trainer role, in business development and community leadership programs.
Provide cooperative research and educational materials to 75,000 customers.
Management Initiative 2
INNOVATION, LEARNING, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
Rural Development will design and implement new and innovative internal ini-tiatives which strengthen its ability to help rural residents and communities.
The mission area’s resources are being adjusted as a result of the Administration’s and
Congress’ joint efforts to balance the Federal budget. To adapt to available resources, yet still achieve the mission area’s Goals, Rural Development must be innovative in improving its processes, systems, and organizational structure.
The performance measures used throughout this plan are based upon data in the existing systems. Future system enhancements will be based on the needs of the programs and will add to the base of data available to measure progress.
Partnerships and Coordination
Time Frame for Completion
FY 2002.Strategies for Achieving the Management Initiative
Support the establishment of USDA Service Centers and encourage their use as a resource for the local community.
Develop Rural Development information and technical infrastructure that will improve service delivery through more effective information systems.
Assure accurate financial reporting for customers by implementing the Rural Development Century 2000 Project.
Develop and install a GPRA-driven planning system to accurately and efficiently measure impacts (outcome) of Rural Development programs on recipients, communities, and rural economies; with the ability to relate performance measures to future requests for funding.
Enhance Rural Development’s ability to track and monitor administrative and program funds appropriations and provide accurate reports to all internal customers.
Implement the requirements of the Debt Collection Improvement Act.
Improve financial management and reporting to reduce number of outstanding audit issues.
Performance Measures
Co-locate all Rural Development field offices in USDA Service Centers.
USDA Service Center staff will be the primary resource in outreach efforts for its programs.
Have an operational New Guaranteed Loan System (NGLS) by December 1998.
Have an operational Departmental-wide Telecommunications Enterprise Network by September l998.
Replace the obsolete RUS Wang System by September l998.
By March 1999 at least 60 percent of the RUS Modernization Project will be operational.
Migrate and implement MFH applications to the USDA Service Center technical architecture by December 1999.
Have more accessible information due to the employment of WEB technology.
Replace distributed legacy systems, such as the Management Record System (MRS) by December 1999.
By the end of 1999 all Rural Development automated systems will recognize the year 2000 in mathematical calculations.
Implement USDA’s Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS).
Reduction in the number of outstanding financial statement audit issues.
Reduce outstanding audit issues related to financial management and reporting.
Where appropriate, Rural Development will participate in Treasury’s tax offset and loan servicing programs.
By 1999 all disbursements are made electronically.
Management Initiative 3
EMPLOYEE EXCELLENCE.
Rural Development will create and sustain a work environment that develops and fosters partnerships, cooperation, full and open communications, teamwork, mutual respect, and maximum individual development.
Most USDA agencies have traditionally relied on a top-down management approach. Achievement of our Goals in a manner that includes partnering with community-based rural development organizations will require us to change our management approach and workplace environment.
Time Frame for Completion
Ongoing.Strategies for Achieving the Management Initiative
Establish communication channels throughout the mission area to ensure that employees have the information necessary to implement mission-area-wide policies and that senior managers understand and address employees’ questions and concerns.
Develop a workforce capable of delivering a full range of financial and non-financial services in support of rural development activities.
Instill the value of cultural diversity in all Rural Development personnel and develop a workforce which is representative of the diversity of the areas in which they work.
Revise the performance appraisal system to include the accomplishment of goals and objectives of the strategic plan and incorporate employee input on how managers can enhance their managerial performance.
Include in the recognition and rewards system a linkage to the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the strategic plan.
Performance Measures
Publish results of partnership efforts in Rural Development internal publications.
Pre\post course assessments show employees’ acquisition of critical skills.
Demographics of staff in the National Office, Finance Office, Centralized Servicing Center, and each State are reflective of the local community.
Implement a reengineered performance appraisal system.
Implement the new employee recognition and rewards system policies and practices.
Management Initiative 4
QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Rural Development will foster and continually strengthen an internal culture that focuses on and is driven by customer needs, both internally and externally, systematically acts to make internal processes and individual actions responsive to the needs of customers, and assures that all customers and employees are treated fairly, equitably, and with dignity and respect.
The mission area is committed to providing all customers, whether they are members of the general public or employees, with courtesy and equal treatment. Rural Development has also made a commitment to listen to its external customers and to take action to resolve their concerns. Feedback from customers is critical when determining customer needs, identifying processes in need of reengineering and measuring the effectiveness of Rural Development programs.
Time Frame for Completion
Ongoing.Strategies for Achieving the Management Initiative
Implement processes to systematically obtain feedback from internal and external customers.
Review those processes, regulations, and reporting procedures identified by the customer as being too burdensome and revise as needed to give them a customer-friendly orientation based on concepts of simplicity, ease of use, and adoption of modern technologies. Assure that the needs of socially disadvantaged customers are addressed when making revisions.
Ensure applications for loans and proposed adverse decisions affecting socially disadvantaged customers are treated equitably.
Assure that administrative support services to agencies, all State Rural Development offices, and all programs are customer-focused and committed to providing outstanding and equitable service to all internal customers.
Performance Measures
Survey customers at least every other year for each appropriate program and administrative area.
Customer feedback data received for each program area is used to identify problems and initiate corrective action.
Average timeframes for processing applications, requests for servicing actions, and adverse decisions for each class of applicant will be within 10 percent of the timeframe for the same activity for all applicants.