[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27006-27007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12836]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Criteria for Evaluating Market Development Proposals for
Participation in the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program
AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has developed approval
criteria and weighting factors for allocating funds on a competitive
basis under the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program. FAS
invites suggestions and comments regarding these proposed factors.
DATES: In order to be considered, written comments must be received by
June 16, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign
Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program is
authorized by Title VII of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, 7 U.S.C.
5721, et seq. The program is intended to create, expand and maintain
foreign markets for United States agricultural commodities and
products. The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) administers the
Cooperator Program and provides cost share assistance to eligible trade
organizations to carry out approved market development activities.
Program regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1550. Under the Cooperator
Program, FAS enters into Market Development Project Agreements with
nonprofit U.S. trade organizations or associations of State Departments
of Agriculture. FAS enters into agreements with those nonprofit U.S.
trade organizations that have the broadest possible producer
representation of the commodity being promoted and gives priority to
those organizations that are nationwide in membership and scope.
Program participants may not, during the term of their agreement with
FAS, make export sales of the agricultural commodity being promoted or
charge fees for facilitating an export sale if promotional activities
designed to result in that specific sale are supported by Cooperator
program funds.
Market Development Project Agreements involve the promotion of
agricultural commodities on a generic basis and, therefore, do not
involve activities targeted directly toward individual consumers.
Approved activities contribute to the maintenance or growth of demand
for the agricultural commodities and generally address long-term
foreign import constraints by focusing on matters such as:
--Reducing infra-structural or historical market impediments;
--Improving processing capabilities;
--Modifying codes and standards; and
--Identifying new markets or new applications or uses for the
agricultural commodity or product in the foreign market.
Approval Criteria
FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the
strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will
contribute to the effective creation, expansion or maintenance of
foreign markets, FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural
trade strategy by market or product and a program effectiveness time
line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using
quantifiable product or country goals. These performance indicators are
part of FAS's resource allocation strategy to fund applicants which can
demonstrate performance based on a long-term strategic plan, consistent
with the strategic objectives of the United States Department of
Agriculture's Long-term Agricultural Trade Strategy, and address the
performance measurement objectives of the GPRA.
FAS considers a number of factors when reviewing proposed projects.
These factors include:
--The ability of the organization to provide an experienced U.S.-
based staff with technical and international trade expertise to
ensure adequate development, supervision and execution of the
proposed project;
--The organization's willingness to contribute resources including
cash and goods and services of the U.S. industry and foreign third
parties;
--The conditions or constraints affecting the level of U.S. exports
and market share for the agricultural commodities and products;
--The degree to which the proposed project is likely to contribute
to the creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets; and
--The degree to which the strategic plan is coordinated with other
private or U.S. government-funded market development projects.
Allocation Criteria
The purpose of this notice is to obtain comments from interested
parties regarding a proposed method of evaluating the relative merits
of different proposals for the purpose of determining an appropriate
funding level for each proposed project. Meritorious proposals will
compete for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria
(the numbers in parentheses represent a percentage weight factor). Data
used in the calculations for contribution levels, past export
performance and past demand expansion performance will cover not more
than a 6-year period, to the extent such data is available.
(a) Contribution Level (40)
The applicant's 6-year average share of all contributions
(contributions may include cash and goods and services provided by U.S.
entities in support of foreign market development activities) compared
to
The applicant's 6-year average share of all Cooperator
marketing plan budgets.
(b) Past Export Performance (20)
The 6-year average share of the value of exports promoted
by the applicant across Cooperator Program targeted markets compared to
The applicant's 6-year average share of all Cooperator
marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share of Market Access
Program (MAP) program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share of
foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural
trade office in those targeted markets.
(c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20)
The 6-year average share of the total value of world
imports of the commodities promoted by the applicant across Cooperator
Program targeted markets compared to
[[Page 27007]]
The applicant's 6-year average share of all Cooperator
marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share of MAP program
ceiling levels and a 6-year average share of foreign overhead provided
for co-location within a U.S. agricultural trade office in those
targeted markets.
(d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (20)
(This criterion will receive a weight of 10 beginning with the year
2000 program)
The total dollar value of the applicant's projected world
imports of the commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year
2003 across all Cooperator Program targeted markets compared to
The applicant's requested funding level.
(e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion Projections
(Since the information is not currently available, this criterion will
be used beginning with the year 2000 program and will receive a weight
of 10)
The actual dollar value share of world imports of the
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998 across
all Cooperator Program targeted markets compared to
The applicant's past projected share of world imports of
the commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998, as
specified in the 1998 Cooperator Program application.
The Commodity Division's recommended program levels for each
applicant are converted to a percent of the total Cooperator Program
funds available and multiplied by the total weight factor to determine
the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
Dated: May 6, 1997.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 97-12836 Filed 5-15-97; 8:45 am]
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