Caird E. Rexroad, Jr. Wilbert H. Blackburn

 ARS is a matrix organization comprised of National Program Staff who establish national research program direction and Line Management responsible for geographic area implementation coordinated by the strategic plan and national programs  National program staff has primary responsibility for: national programs research relevance strategic planning, and agency budget  Line Management has primary responsibility for: implementation of relevant high quality research programs, performance accountability, and capacity building

ARS Locations 3

Animal Production Natural Resources Crop Production Human Nutrition Water Quality & Management Soil & Air Resource Management Rangeland, Pasture & Forages Manure & Byproduct Utilization Integrated Agricultural Systems Bioenergy & Energy Alternatives Plant, Microbial & Insect Germplasm Conservation & Development Plant Biological & Molecular Processes Plant Diseases Crop Protection & Quarantine Crop Production Methyl Bromide Alternatives Food Animal Production Animal Health Arthropod Pests of Animals and Humans Aquaculture Human Nutrition Food Safety (animal & plant products) New Uses, Quality & Marketability of Plant & Animal Products Dr. David Klurfeld, Acting

. Program Planning & Priority Setting Scientific Merit Peer Review Program Assessment Project Implementation Program Coordination Quality  National Program Developed (including NP Strategic Plan and Action Plan)  Workshop with Customers and Scientists  Program planning (including centralized project direction and resource allocation)  Project planning (including Project Plan Outline and Project Plan)  Scientific peer review for project quality (OSQR)  Research initiated  Research project and personnel performance monitored annually  National Program performance monitored annually  Retrospective national program review by external customer panel  Retrospective Assessment Report prepared for and provided to customers Impact Relevance Performance

 Increasingly, political leaders and society as a whole are becoming more results and accountability oriented The need for accountability is dictated by the Congress, and the Administration  Focuses attention on customer needs & achieving desired outcomes & results, not just effort (e.g., studies, data collection)

 Agency  National Programs  Projects  Locations/Research Units  People

 Government Performance & Results Act (GPRA)  Annual Budget Process  Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART)

Government Performance & Results Act-1993 Changed ARS From an Output to an Outcome Organization Quality The Commitment to Quality was Institutionalized

 Research Excellence Meeting Customer / Stakeholder Expectations Deliver Products (information, knowledge & technology) That Meet Customer / Stakeholder Expectations

 ARS reports to Congress selected research accomplishments, providing evidence of the performance of the research programs  Receive specific congressional inquires on the performance (status) of selected research projects

 Supports the Presidents Management Agenda & Government Performance & Results Act (GPRA) Strengthens & reinforces GPRA performance reporting Oversight is provided by OMB  Used as an accountability tool to drive program improvement Identifies a program’s strengths & weaknesses Drives funding and management decisions Allows programs to show improvements over time, and comparisons between similar programs

 Annual Reports  Retrospective Review

 Office of Scientific Quality Review (OSQR) A prospective peer-review of proposed research projects Panel scores: no, minor, moderate, or major revision or not feasible. “certified” projects must receive a score of moderate revision or better  Annual Report Provides data for GPRA, Budget & PART

 On-site review Conducted by a panel of scientists from outside ARS Focused on the Unit’s research performance, quality, capacity, and leadership Conducted every 5 years prior to OSQR review Supplements OSQR’s prospective assessment by a retrospective review

 Customer Focus Group Individuals of influence, early implementers of technology and Local, State, or National leaders Interface with the research staff to identify Research needs Perpetuate innovative ideas Ensures research plans are implemented & outcomes are achieved Organize activities that increase the adoption and visibility of the research Ensure that ARS research has a positive impact on the lives of the agriculture community

 Performance Appraisal System Aligns project objectives to: National Program Action Plans Agency’s and Department’s Strategic Plans Publish in refereed peer reviewed journals  Research Position Evaluation System (RPES) “impact-of-the-person-in-the-job” concept Peer panel review every 3 years – grade 12; every 4 years grade 13; every 5 years grade 14 & 15 Scientists qualifications, scientific contributions & impact have the greatest influence

 Agency GPRA GPRA - annual performance measures (white house, OMB & congressional oversight) Budget - research accomplishments & congressional inquires (OMB & congressional oversight) PART (White House & OMB oversight)  National Programs Annual Reports (White House & congressional oversight) Retrospective Assessment (peer review)

 Research Projects OSQR (peer review, OMB & congressional oversight)  Research Units On-Site Review (peer review) Customer Focus Groups (research needs, customer accountability)  People Performance Appraisal System Publish in Refereed Journals (peer review) RPES (peer review)