August 16, 2022 — The U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published updated performance measures for the Federal State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), Micro-Grants for Food Security (MGFS), and Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP).
These performance measures provide a framework for grant recipients to evaluate project activities more accurately in relation to program outcomes.
Beginning with the FY 2023 Requests for Applications, AMS will provide tools and resources to assist grant applicants and recipients in successfully incorporating the new measures into their work.
“These revised performance measures are a continuation of the performance measures evaluation USDA AMS conducted in 2020. They will make it easier for recipients of AMS’ grant programs to report their accomplishments,” said AMS Administrator Bruce Summers. “We are continuously trying to improve our customer service and transparency of agricultural funding opportunities.”
The revised outcomes and indicators for these programs reflect feedback from grant recipients, state departments of agriculture, grant recipients. and other stakeholders. The updated measures were developed through a rigorous stakeholder engagement process, and provide the framework to:
- More accurately reflect grantees’ work and accomplishments.
- Reduce burden on grant applicants and recipients.
- Improve AMS’ ability to report on the impact of its grant programs.
- Standardize measures across programs where appropriate.
For more information, visit the Grant Performance Measures webpage.
The overall goal of this initiative is to improve customer service and transparency of agricultural funding opportunities. The initiative also strengthens AMS’s ability to demonstrate overall grant program portfolio impact, showcasing the extensive impact that USDA funded projects can have on the creation of more and better market opportunities for American agriculture.
The AMS Grants Division works to improve opportunities for U.S. growers and producers. AMS works with a variety of organizations to support rural America and the nation’s agricultural sector.
For additional information, visit the AMS Grants & Opportunities webpage.
