1485.15—Activity plan.
(a) General.
A participant shall develop a specific activity plan(s) based on its strategic plan and the allocation approval letter and shall submit an activity plan for each year in which it engages in program activities. An activity plan handbook, available from the Division Director, provides suggested formats and codes for activity plans and amendments.
(iv)
Specific goals and benchmarks to be used to measure the effectiveness of each activity. This will assist CCC in carrying out its responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 that requires performance measurement of Federal programs, including the MAP. Evaluation of MAP's effectiveness will depend on a clear statement by participants of goals, method of achievement, and results of activities at regular intervals. The overall goal of the MAP and of individual participants' activities is to achieve additional exports of U.S. agricultural products, that is, sales that would not have occurred in the absence of MAP funding.
(2)
A staffing plan for any overseas office, including a listing of job titles, position descriptions, salary ranges and any request for approval of supergrade salaries; and
(c)
Activity plans for small-sized entities operating through an SRTG shall contain a certification that it is a small-sized entity within the standards established by 13 CFR part 121.
(d) Requests for approval of “supergrades”.
(1)
Ordinarily, CCC will not reimburse any portion of a non-U.S. citizen employees compensation that exceeds the highest salary level in the Foreign Service National (FSN) salary plan applicable to the country in which the employee works. However, a participant may seek a higher level of reimbursement for a non-U.S. citizen who will be employed as a country director or regional director by requesting that CCC approve that employee as a “supergrade”.
(2)
To request approval of a “supergrade”, the participant shall include in its activity plan a detailed description of both the duties and responsibilities of the position, and of the qualifications and background of the employee concerned. The participant shall also justify why the highest FSN salary level is insufficient.
(3)
Where a non-U.S. citizen will be employed as a country director, the MAP participant may request approval for a “Supergrade I” salary level, equivalent to a grade increase over the existing top grade of the FSN salary plan. The “supergrade” and its step increases are calculated as the percentage difference between the second highest and the highest grade in the FSN salary plan with that percentage applied to each of the steps in the top grade. Where the non-U.S. citizen will be employed as a regional director, with responsibility for activities and/or offices in more than one country, the MAP participant may request approval for a “Supergrade II” salary level which is calculated relative to a “Supergrade I” in the same way the latter is calculated relative to the highest grade in the FSN salary plan.
(e) Submission of the activity plan.
A participant shall submit three copies of an activity plan to the Division Director and a copy of the relevant country section(s) to the Attaché/Counselor(s) concerned.
(f) Activity plan approval.
CCC shall indicate in an activity plan approval letter which activities and budgets are approved or disapproved, and shall indicate any special terms and conditions that apply to the participant including any requirements with respect to contributions and program evaluations. A participant may undertake promotional activities directly or through a foreign third party; however, the participant shall be responsible and accountable to CCC for all such promotional activities and related expenditures.
(g) Activity plan changes.
(1)
A participant may request changes to an activity plan by submitting one copy of an APAR to each of the Division Director and the Attaché/Counselor(s) concerned.
(2)
An APAR for a new activity shall contain the information required in paragraph (b) of this section. All other APAR's shall contain the activity description, the proposed budget and a justification for transfer of funds, if applicable.