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An annual performance plan will be prepared each fiscal year to accompany the Rural Development budget request. The plan will consist of annual performance measures directly linked to the general goals, objectives and strategies contained in the strategic plan. It will outline an annual increment of the key strategies called for in the strategic plan and any additional strategies that are required to implement Rural Development objectives and achieve current performance goals. It will also contain baseline data for the measures for the 2 fiscal years prior to the budget year.
The data systems used by the Rural Development mission area contain elements responsive to many needs other than this plan. The performance measures included in this plan are selected indicators of success in achieving the goals and are based on data currently available in the existing systems. As new systems are developed and refined,
additional data will be available for measurement of future performance.
Most of the performance measures used in this plan will also be used in the annual performance plan. However, additional or different measures may be used in any given year to report on priority concerns related to the Goal or to make use of new data that has become available. For example, a strategy under Initiative 4, “Quality Customer Service”, is to periodically survey external customers. This information, when available, will be a useful measure for reporting on program delivery.
The annual performance plan will constitute the basic management tool to direct the application of resources to implement key strategies and identify specific efforts that will be used to achieve goals, objectives and performance measures. Performance plans will include estimated staff years and program costs required to achieve performance goals.
Upon completion of the fiscal year for which the annual performance plan was prepared, a report to Congress will be made defining achievement of the performance goals.
Goal 1 is linked to the Business and Industry program, Intermediate Relending Program, Rural Business Opportunity Grants, Rural Business Enterprise Grants, Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants, Cooperative Services’ Research on Cooperatives, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, and the Cooperative Development Grant Program.
Goal 2 is linked to the Community Facilities Program, the Multi-Family Housing Program and the Single Family Housing Program.
Goal 3 is linked to the Electric Program, Telecommunications Program, including Distance Learning and Telemedicine, and the Water and Waste Water Disposal Program.