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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

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Rural Business-Cooperative Service Value-Added Producer Grants

USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) aids in the marketing of value-added products and farm-based renewable energy. Grants are for planning activities and working capital. Eligible recipients: independent producers, farmer cooperatives, agricultural groups, and majority-controlled producer ventures.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Adequate

This rating describes a program that needs to set more ambitious goals, achieve better results, improve accountability or strengthen its management practices.
  • The assessment found that the program is well designed with detailed protocols. The program has good management in place.
  • RBCS is still in the process of developing baselines and gathering data for some measures because is a new program, created from the 2002 Farm Bill. Not all performance measures have data.
  • This program provides valuable support for emerging markets. Though there is room for improvement on how a project is selected for funding, in general, new market technologies are favored and the target audience is reached.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Assessing opportunities for reducing the program burden on applicants and Rural Development staff.
  • Continually re-assessing existing performance measures and evaluate potential new measures. Replace existing measure(s).
  • Increasing targeting of program to emerging markets. Continuing to assess the focus of the program on small and medium-sized producers.

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