[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75557-75558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-32128]


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FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION


Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2004-2009

AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration.

ACTION: Notice of approval and availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the approval and availability of the 
Farm Credit Administration's (FCA or agency) Strategic Plan for Fiscal 
Years 2004-2009 (revised Strategic Plan). The Government Performance 
and Results Act of 1993 requires that Federal agencies update their 
strategic plans at least every 3 years and, in doing so, solicit the 
views and suggestions of those entities potentially affected by or 
interested in the plan. In formulating the revised Strategic Plan, the 
agency solicited input from various constituent groups. Additionally, a 
draft of the Strategic Plan was made available for comment in October 
2003.

DATES: December 11, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The revised Strategic Plan is available on the agency's Web 
site at http://www.fca.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Walker, Executive Assistant, 
Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Farm Credit Administration, 
McLean, VA 22102-5090, (703) 883-4271; TTY (703) 883-4056.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or 
agency) is charged by Congress, as established in Title V of the Farm 
Credit Act of 1971, as amended, with the mandate of overseeing the 
agricultural Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) serving rural 
America. These include the Farm Credit System (System) and the Federal 
Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. FCA also has statutory 
responsibility to examine the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, a 
non-System entity operating as a federally chartered, privately owned 
banking corporation.
    The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires 
that each Federal agency establish a strategic plan that covers a 
period of not less than 5 years. It also mandates that these plans be 
updated and revised at least every 3 years. In accordance with GPRA, 
FCA issued its first strategic plan in 1997. A revised plan was 
approved in 2000. Thus, the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2004-2009 
represents the second update to the agency's original Strategic Plan 
completed under GPRA. The revised Strategic Plan describes our mission, 
our strategic goals, and strategies to achieve those goals over the 
next 5 years.
    The Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2004-2009 is the culmination of 
an extensive outreach effort. The FCA Board began its work on this plan 
in April 2003 by initiating a series of strategic planning sessions to 
seek input from farmers, the Farm Credit Council and other Farm Credit 
System representatives, academics and economists, the American Bankers 
Association, the Independent Community Bankers of America, former FCA 
Board chairmen and FCA senior management. Subsequent planning sessions 
held by the Board and the Office of the Chief Operating Officer over 
the next several months were used to establish specific direction for 
formulation of a draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2004-2009, which 
the agency released for comment in October 2003 for a 30-day period.
    The agency received 24 comment letters on the draft Strategic Plan 
for Fiscal Years 2004-2009. Most of the comment letters (22 of 24) came 
from the agency's staff. To the extent practicable, applicable comments 
recommending revisions to specific sections of the draft Strategic Plan 
were incorporated in the revised Strategic Plan. Most of the revisions 
made were in the interest of providing clarification and did not 
represent material changes to the draft Strategic Plan. The most 
substantive revision was the decision to identify Goal 3 in the Plan, 
Implementation of the President's Management Agenda, as the third 
strategic goal rather than an operational goal, as it was defined in 
the draft Strategic Plan. One commenter felt this goal was also 
strategic in nature, just as Goals 1 and 2, and the FCA Board 
ultimately agreed.


[[Page 75558]]


    Dated: December 23, 2003.
James M. Morris,
Acting Secretary, Farm Credit Administration Board.
[FR Doc. 03-32128 Filed 12-30-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6705-01-P