NIFA Update on Plan of Work, REEport, and Associated Systems

Bart Hewitt

May 2011

Plan of Work and Annual Report of Accomplishments Update

May 2011

Plan of Work Additional Information• NIFA Plan of Information Work Web Page

– http://www.nifa.usda.gov/pow.html

• Plan of Work Software– http://pow.nifa.usda.gov

Katelyn Sellers

Katelyn supports the planning, development, coordination, and delivery of accountability and financial reporting from agency information systems. She is also responsible for conducting business process analyses and implementing related efficiency improvements. Additionally, Katelyn is the new Lead for the State Plan of Work and Annual Report process under the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act (AREERA).

(202) 401-5482

pow@nifa.usda.gov

Or

ksellers@nifa.usda.gov

Brevity and Conciseness in the Executive Summary

• The Executive Summary is a brief overview narrative of your total program.

• Copy and paste text into this field from your current state’s yearly brief publication.

• Two pages should suffice. • Highlights of your State program• Let the Planned Programs section attend to

detail.

Outcomes

• Outcomes is the name of the game• De-emphasize Outputs• Brief and written for the lay reader• The most useful outcomes contain both

quantitative and qualitative data

Sample Qualitative Outcome• Issue: Producers, seedsmen, grain

merchandisers, processors, crop consultants, plant breeders, and extension staff are interested in new cultivars that bring them increased revenue.

Sample Qualitative Outcome• What has been done: The new

varieties Faller Wheat, Lariat and Stampede pinto beans, Sheyenne non-transgenic soybean, RG7008RR soybean, and Pinnacle two-row barley were released for use.

Sample Qualitative Outcome• Results: The estimated dollar value to

producers, seedsmen, grain merchandisers, processors, crop consultants, and plant breeders on these new varieties is $290,600,000 for 2007. Moreover, because of best management practices developed by research and extension, wheat and barley producers reduced economic losses by $40,000,000 through use of better varieties of wheat and through use of fungicides.

What is needed to convince a decision-maker?

• Concise and comprehensible• Context and interpretation• Public, National value

Farmers Grow Higher Revenue Generating Crops – With NIFA funding scientists in North Dakota developed three barley cultivars which are recommended for malting and brewing by the American Malting Barley Association. The two-rowed malting barley cultivar Conlon was grown on 18% of the North Dakota barley acreage or 265,000 acres. Since Conlon is a malting barley, it commanded on average a $1.25 premium over feed barley. In 2009, this resulted in Conlon generating an additional $23 million in revenue for North Dakota growers that grew this cultivar.

More Efficient Bio-refineries - Improved conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels is a high priority national research goal that will enhance national security, balance of trade, rural employment opportunities, and the nation’s environmental performance, including net reductions in CO2 emissions. NIFA funded scientists in Georgia developed a new chemical reaction that converts waste biomass lignin into high-value chemical components that will make bio-refineries more efficient and effective. This new reaction will yield high-value, renewable, chemical components derived from lignin. The new products can be used in a variety of products that are currently dependent on petroleum-based resources, as well as improve modern ethanol conversion programs.

Improving Efficiency in Pork Production – Pork producers who formulate diets on a digestibility basis, maximize their use of synthetic amino acids, and make use of alternative ingredients can reduce total feed costs by more than $20 per ton in some cases at an average savings per ration of $12 per ton. This information was provided by NIFA funded University of Missouri to more than165 Missouri pork producers who raise more than 80 percent of the pork in Missouri. The feed savings generated by reformulating diets resulted in an average of $5.50 per pig marketed. Therefore, a Missouri pork producer who finishes 6,000 head of pigs had a $30,000 savings in feed costs. For Missouri, the economic impact for pork producers is over $14.8 million savings in feed costs.

Research Aims to Improve Child Nutrition – About 12% of the U.S. population do not consume enough zinc in their diets and are at risk for marginal zinc deficiency.  NIFA funded researchers at Oregon State University found that rats fed even marginally zinc-deficient diets had more DNA damage, increased levels of oxidative stress and decreased ability to repair DNA compared to control animals fed diets containing adequate levels of zinc.  Impairment of DNA integrity can adversely impact immune function and increase risk for cancer.  This study has important implications for child nutrition because infants and children are more likely to suffer from marginal zinc deficiency than adults.

Fighting Food Pathogens at the Source – Although cattle are important reservoirs of foodborne pathogens, no validated method exists to monitor them on farms. The goal of this project was to improve food safety by developing efficient, effective methods to determine the E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella status of pens of feedlot cattle and to reduce the potential that these foodborne pathogens are transmitted outside the feedlot. NIFA funded scientists in Nebraska developed and validated a pen-testing protocol as a monitoring tool for feedlot production HACCP programs and as a research tool to identify and test potential HACCP control points. This work was important to the understanding of when and where food safety pathogens occur in cattle feedlots and enable the development of control strategies.

Types of Outcomes Needed

• Outcomes related to USDA Priorities:– Global Food Security and Hunger– Climate Change– Sustainable Energy– Childhood Obesity– Food Safety

Found on the AREERA Plan of Work Web Page

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/pow.html

Plan of Work and Annual Report Expert Panel• Met May 4 – 6, 2010• Discussed the Future of the Plan of Work• Made Recommendations to NIFA for Improving

and Streamlining

Upcoming Changes to 2013 – 2017 POW and 2011 Annual Report1. Elimination of quantitative targets in the Plan of Work

(keep output and outcome titles however), but will continue to enable quantitative and qualitative reporting in the Annual Report.

2. Eliminate the current check box structure in the Evaluation section.

– Provide only a text box that lets the States describe their evaluation plans for each Planned Program

– No longer to be optional.

Upcoming Changes to 2013 – 2017 POW and 2011 Annual Report3. Add eXtension to the Extension Methods check boxes on

the Activity screen of the Plan of Work, and include a text box in the Annual Report on the Activity screen so an explanation can be made on how eXtension was used.

4. Add a few standard national outcome indicators for the NIFA priority areas. (Developed from Workshop)

5. Include a table on the input screen of the Annual Report for reporting volunteer time for each Planned Program so the value of volunteers to these Planned Programs can be captured.

Future Changes to POW and/or Annual Report

6. Include the Multistate Extension and Integrate Research and Extension reports to the online Plan of Work and Annual Report software. – Until it can be implemented directly in the software,

NIFA will provide a way for the states to upload the existing file in PDF format as an attachment to the Annual Report.

National Outcomes Workshop

Purpose

• Consensus on a few Outcomes and Indicators that can be reported on nationally and/or regionally in the Plan of Work and Annual Report.

• Outcomes that can be aggregated across the nation to show a national impact.

Outcome Teams• Five Teams

1. Childhood Obesity

2. Climate Change

3. Food Safety

4. Global Food Security and Hunger

5. Sustainable Energy

Outcome Teams• Defined two or more national outcomes and

measures under each outcome (research and extension).

Workshop Participants• 60 Land-Grant Participants

– 25 Research, 25 Extension• One Research, One Extension from each Region on each of

the Five NIFA Priority Area Teams• Directors/Associate/Assistant Directors/Executive Directors• State Program Leaders

– Five Evaluation Specialists (one on each team)– Five Facilitators (One for each team)

• Ten NPLs – NIFA (2 per Team)• Two Office of Planning and Accountability Staff

Team Makeup

• 14 Persons per team– 10 Land-Grant Program Experts– 1 Land-Grant Evaluation Expert– 2 National Program Leaders – NIFA– 1 Land-Grant Facilitator (non-decision making role)

• 2 Planning, Accountability and Reporting Staff from NIFA will provide support and guidance

Logistics

• New Orleans, LA – Feb. 22 – 24, 2011– 2 full days (Tues. & Wed.) and one half-day (Thur.)

• Participants were invited• University support for Land-Grant participants

Where to Find the Draft Outcomes• Reporting Web Conference Web Page• www.nifa.usda.gov/rwc• April 14, 2011 Web Conference Slides

Announcements

• Website Changes– http://www.nifa.usda.gov/pow.html– Will be more user friendly, including specific policy and training

sections, as well as updated training tools & FAQs

• New to POW? – POW 101– October Reporting Web Conference– Helpful “lessons learned” and hints for next year’s Plans & Annual

Reports

REEport Update

May 2011

What is REEport?• NIFA’s grant and formula project reporting system,

building on and replacing the existing CRIS web forms system.

• REEport implements the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), a standard progress report format that all Federal research agencies will be required to use.

Characteristics of REEport?• No form numbers such as AD-416, AD-417, AD-

419, or AD-421• Instead: modules such as Project Initiation (which

includes classification), Progress Report, Financial Report, and Final Technical Report

Implementation of REEport• Stage A – Non-Formula Grant Initiation

– October 1, 2010

• Stage B – Existing Non-Formula Grants & Project Reporting– January 15, 2011 (Target date)

• Stage C – Formula Grant Initiation– October 1, 2011 (Target date)

• Stage D – Existing Formula Grants & Project Reporting– October 1, 2011 (Target date)

Implementation of REEport• A complete more robust REEport will be released

for use.

• Target Date: April 1, 2012

Implementation of REEport

• Non-Formula Grant Project Initiation• Linked to Grants database – C-REEMS

– Pre-population of some Project data

• Existing Non-Formula Grants & Project Reporting• Copying Existing Formula Projects from CRIS to

REEport– Annual Progress Reports– Continuations– Final Technical Reports

Implementation of REEport

• Formula Grant Project Initiation & Classification• Program of Research• Assurance Statements• Email Notifications and Reminders• Link Hatch and Evans-Allen Projects to POW• Data Exchange with NIMSS

Implementation of REEport• Moving Existing Formula Projects to REEport

– Progress Reports– Financial Report– Termination Reports

• Email Notifications and Reminders• Link Hatch and Evans-Allen Projects to POW

– Auto Upload FTEs, Financial Data, KAs & % to Annual Report

NIFA Reporting and Reports Portal

• One Place to enter for:– REEport– Plan of Work– Partnership Leadership Management Dashboard

• One User ID and Password for Reporting• All Users must have a User ID and Password• Roles

– Site Administrator– Project Grantees (PDs)

Where will you get data from REEport?

• REEIS - http://www.reeis.usda.gov

• Partnership LMD – (Leadership Management Dashboard)

• NIFA Portal - https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/

REEport Training

• YES, there will be training!!• Online Training Modules• Web Conferences (Recorded)• Help Text and Definition Links on each screen

Information on REEport

• Reporting Web Conferences– http://nifa.usda.gov/rwc

• REEport Email box– reeport@nifa.usda.gov

• REEport Implementation Web Page– http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/reeport_imp.html

NIMSS

National Information Management and Support System

NIMSS• Is how the 1862 Land-Grant Universities manage

the development of Multistate Research projects and committees.

• NIFA leverages NIMSS to process MRF project proposals.

Regional EDSubmits MRF Proposal

To NIFA PARS via NIMSS

NPL Rep. isNotified by PARS of

MRF Proposal Submission (via Email)

Electronic Copy ofProposal from NIMSS

Is Filed in Folder

Electronic Folders areCreated on PARS G:Drive

ED resubmitsMRF Proposal with

Corrections/Additions

PARS MRF LeaderNegotiates with ED for

More Information

NPL ReviewerSubmits Acceptance

Email to PARS

NPLReviews Proposal

NIFA PARS sendsAcceptance EmailTo ED and Others

Via NIMSS(MRF Leader E-Signature)

NIFA OPA sendsParticipant Email

Via NIMSS(MRF Leader E-Signature)

Accept?

All correspondence isFiled in Electronic

File Cabinet

NIFA Review of Multistate Research Proposals

No

Yes

Appropriate Institute Asst. Dir.Contacted by PARSFor NIFA Rep. (NPL)

Assignment

Types of Multistate Projects• Hatch Approved Projects

– Regional Designated MRF• NC = North Central• NE = North East• S = Southern• W = Western

– Examples: NC-1034, NE-1034, S-1034, W-1034

– NRSP (National Research Support Project)• Example: NRSP-4

Types of Multistate Projects• Regional Projects

– Coordinating Committees (i.e. NCCC-022)– Advisory Committees (i.e. NCAC-012)– Developmental Committees (i.e. NCDC-211)– Extension/Research Information Exchange

Committees (i.e. NCERA-013)

• Not Approved to use MRF Funds– May use limited funds for travel purposes

Partnership Resources• North East Region

– Dr. Daniel Rossi, Executive Director– Rubie Mize, Assistant to the Director– http://nera.umd.edu/

• Southern Region– Dr. Eric Young, Executive Director– Donna Pearce, Assistant to the Director– http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/saaesd/

• North Central Region– Dr. Arlen Leholm, Executive Director– Christina Hamilton, Assistant to the Director– http://www.wisc.edu/ncra/

• Western Region– Dr. Michael Harrington, Executive Director– Harriet Sykes, Assistant to the Director– http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/WAAESD/

Contact Information

• Bart Hewitt– Interim Director, Planning, Accountability, and Reporting Staff– Accountability and Reporting Team Leader

• Hatch Multistate Research Fund• AREERA Plan of Work• CRIS• REEport

– bhewitt@nifa.usda.gov– 202-720-0747

Questions??