CSREES Reporting Web Conference February 14, 2008

questions to User Support (202) or Do not contact Texas A&M support FAQs and other information on the CSREES Reporting Web Conference web page at

questions to Welcome! Purpose of the Reporting Web Conference Series Format and Logistics Presentations and Questions Topics for Next Time

questions to Purpose of the Reporting Web Conference Series Improve communications between CSREES and its partners on reporting issues, including: AREERA Plan of Work Grant and project reporting through CRIS One Solution Initiative

questions to Format and Logistics Web conference on the 2 nd Thursday of even months from 2-4 p.m. Eastern 2 topics of one hour each Generally, one topic will be a planning and accountability issue, one will be a One Solution issue ½ hour presentation ½ questions

questions to Format and Logistics questions to Opportunity to vote for topics for next conference Conferences are recorded and will be available on the Reporting Web Conference web page at

questions to Greg Crosby Greg is the CSREES National Program Leader for Sustainable Development; Governing Committee for eXtension; Agency Representative to the USDA Council for Sustainable Development; US Government and USDA Lead for "My Community, Our Earth: Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development"; Director of the Agency OneSolution Business Process; Director of Geospatial Extension Specialists NRI Program; Co-lead Agency Working Group on Science for Sustainability; Senior eGovernment Fellow at the Council for Excellence in Government. (202)

questions to Bart Hewitt Bart is the Accountability and Reporting Leader for the Office of Planning and Accountability. He leads the national effort for the State Plan of Work and Annual Report process under the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act; manages the Multistate Research Fund Project Proposal approvals for CSREES; and develops performance information for the PART and CSREES Budget. (202)

One Solution Overview and Transition Standard Report

questions to One Solution: Why Increased emphasis on results-oriented accountability Integration of performance with budget decisions as a prerequisite of continued funding

questions to One Solution: How Various reporting processes currently used by CSREES will be unified into an innovative integrated system that better aligns the agency budget with performance outcomes across research, education, and extension.

questions to One Solution: Benefits Better manage increasing performance and budget reporting expectations Enhanced data quality and analyses Improved national program leadership and planning Decreased reporting burden on grantees Better able to demonstrate how the agency is fulfilling its mission and serving the American public.

questions to One Solution: Principles Every investment has to be reported in the database and we must be able to explain how every dollar was spent. Report once and only once, and use the information that is collected. The data we collect must meet the requirements of federal reporting The information collected must be of value to us and the grantees we ask to report CSREES must be able to reliably answer detailed questions in a manner that is consistent over time and across different functions CSREES and the partners want to be able to go back into the database after grant has ended and enter the outcomes that can not be captured now.

questions to One Solution: History With input from the partnership--- Business Case (2005) Project Plan (2006) CRIS Transition Standard Report (2007) with modified categories and more complete guidance.

questions to One Solution: Standard Report Previous CRIS Forms + CSREES Logic Model + Research Performance Progress Report = CRIS Transition Standard Report

questions to One Solution: CRIS Transition Standard Report The revised CRIS AD 416 sections include: Goals/Objectives/ Expected Outputs Methods Non-Technical Summary The revised CRIS AD 421 sections include: Outputs Outcomes/Impacts Publications Participants Target Audiences Project Modifications

questions to One Solution: For More Information General Info--Greg Crosby Standard Report--Deb Hamernik Technology--John Mingee

questions to Plan of Work A Key Component of the One Solution How does the Plan of Work relate to the One Solution Initiative Part of the larger One Solution Initiative Web-based system for Formula Funds Same goals of One Solution

questions to One Solution Initiative Goals of One Solution Improve quality of accountability data Simplify Reporting Reduce burden on Partners and CSREES Help CSREES staff with Program Leadership Meet increasing performance & budget reporting expectations

questions to Plan of Work – What’s Next? Plan of Work Update Due to CSREES by April 1, Annual Report due by April 1, 2008 Administrative Interface for NPLs Integration into One Solution Initiative

questions to Plan of Work Administrative Interface Manage Workflow NPL Review of POW and Annual Report Automatic Notification System Approvals of POW and Annual Report

questions to Plan of Work Integration into One Solution Analysis Underway on Double Hatch Reporting and Integrating Project Level Reports into Plan of Work requirements. Analysis Underway on Smith-Lever 3d and other Extension grant programs and how POW Planned Program module can be used.

questions to Annual Report Data Use How will CSREES use the information from the Annual Report for planning and accountability? State Plan of Work Accountability Portfolio Reviews OMB PART process Budget Performance Integration GAO and OIG inquiries Answer Congressional & Departmental inquiries Brings greater visibility of successes of Formula Funded Programs

questions to What is being done at CSREES? One Solution Initiative Redesign CRIS report to include elements of the government wide Standard Report Build POW and standardize annual reports to make it easy for partners to report outcomes following a logic model format Develop management dashboard to enable the Agency to search for outcomes submitted in annual reports Sub-group of One Solution looking at perceived double reporting of Hatch and Evans-Allen

questions to Questions? questions to For more information, visit the One Solution web page at

questions to Bob MacDonald Bob is Director of the Office of Planning and Accountability which provides leadership to the agency in strategic planning, performance measurement, and evaluation. These activities are used by the agency to improve program leadership and management, allocation of resources, and evaluation of success. (202)

How CSREES Uses Your Reporting and What It Needs for Outcomes

questions to Budget-Performance Cycle Partners’ Plans & Results ProjectsFormula ProposalsPlans of Work Progress Reports Annual Report Portfolio Assessment Internal Self-Assessment (Annual) Portfolio Review Expert Panel (PREP) (Every 5 Years) OMB Assessment Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) (Every 5 Years) CSREES Strategic & Budget Planning Guidance: Portfolio Assessments Stakeholder Input Administration Congress Performance-Based Budget Request Proposals for Increases Impacts Performance Measures PART results

questions to CSREES Portfolios Agricultural Markets & Trade Agricultural Structures & Farm Management Animal Systems Economic and Community Decision Making Education Environment & Natural Resources Food Processing & Bio- Based Products Food Safety International Economic Development Nutrition and Healthier Food Choices Plant Systems Quality of Life in Rural Areas

questions to Budget-Performance Cycle Partners’ Plans & Results ProjectsFormula ProposalsPlans of Work Progress Reports Annual Report Portfolio Assessment Internal Self-Assessment (Annual) Portfolio Review Expert Panel (PREP) (Every 5 Years) OMB Assessment Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) (Every 5 Years) CSREES Strategic & Budget Planning Guidance: Portfolio Assessments Stakeholder Input Administration Congress Performance-Based Budget Request Proposals for Increases Impacts Performance Measures PART results

questions to Other Uses of Your Reporting Program Leadership Reporting to Congress, Administration, and Interested Parties Grant Oversight

questions to What CSREES Needs for Outcomes Grant Oversight National Program Leadership Portfolio Assessment Communications Information for Decision Makers and Stakeholders

questions to What is needed to convince a decision-maker? Concise and comprehensible Context and interpretation Public value

questions to Public Value? Public value is the value of a program to those who do not directly benefit from the program  The public sector provides information that allows consumers and producers to make better choices.  The public sector addresses a crucial concern about fairness.  Consumers or producers create benefits for others or impose costs on others. Laura Kalambokidis, University of Minnesota Extension

questions to Examples of “Quality” Outcomes A Model to Reduce Dependence on Oil – Researchers developed a model of the market for gasoline, gasoline additives and gasoline substitutes specifically to analyze the market for ethanol. The model develops an indicator of competitive position, the cost difference between ethanol imports from Brazil and domestic production in the United States under ideal conditions without tariffs in the ethanol market. The model shows that biomass fuel could replace 20 percent of current gasoline usage without major land conversion and about 45 percent of current usage with land conversion.

questions to Examples of “Quality” Outcomes Researchers cloned a gene, GPC-B1, from wild wheat that increases the protein, zinc and iron content in the grain, offering a potential solution to nutritional deficiencies affecting hundreds of millions of children around the world. The researchers found that all commercial pasta and bread wheat varieties analyzed so far have a nonfunctional copy of the GPC gene, suggesting the gene was lost during the domestication of wheat. Reintroducing the functional gene into commercial wheat varieties could increase their nutritional value.

questions to Examples of “Quality” Outcomes Since 2001 the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has provided e-Commerce training to over 600 businesses (the Nebraska Electronic Main Street Program). As a result of the training, 93% indicated they will be increases business efforts on the web, 96% indicated that they will be changing their existing website (or developing websites). Previous to the training, only 51% of the businesses had a website.

questions to Examples of “Quality” Outcomes Research at Kentucky State University has shown that screened bottom boards eliminate many live Varroa mites from beehives. Over a 15-month period, Varroa mites were reduced by 57% by the use of this equipment.

questions to Questions? questions to For more information, visit the Planning and Accountability web page at

questions to Topics for Next Time …

questions to See you in April!!! Next CSREES Reporting Web Conference will be on Thursday, April 10 from 2-4 pm (Eastern) Visit the conference web site at for: The recording of this conference The slides from this conference Announcements