II.a
CERTIFIERS TO ADMINISTER THE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST SHARE PROGRAM IN FULL:
Taking the solution to utilize certifying bodies in the administration of cost share one step further, we recommend reallocating USDA cost share funds to compensate certifying bodies for this work. Employing certifiers to administer cost share for all their clients including those outside the certifier’s home state is a start in remedying the problems with OCCSP, but to ensure this program is enduring, certifiers need funding to allocate time and resources to this vital program. The work to administer the cost share program varies by organization and by state. Typically, it takes more than one staff person to administer the different aspects of the program. Staff time from accounting, administration, funding specialist, IT, and communications teams are involved in the cost share process. Accounts differ, but program administrators are generally allowed a maximum of 10% of allocated funding to run the program. This 10%, or future decided percentage, should go directly to support certifiers’ investment to administer the OCCSP for their clients. Incorporating certifiers in this way has the potential to allow the cost share program to be conducted on an ongoing basis. If certifiers are granted funding, it can eliminate the need for producers to complete the application each year as certifiers can simply credit them their reimbursement as part of the certification process. There would still be one initial paperwork step, acquiring the completed W9 form, but afterward, as long as producers confirmed no information had changed, there would be no additional paperwork11. This eliminates the need for annual deadlines for the OCCSP and increases accessibility which will, in turn, raise utilization rates nationwide. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
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This is similar to how WSDA ran the program prior to the shift from the NOP to the FSA.
O R GA NIC C E RT I FI CAT I O N CO ST SHA RE WHI T E PAPER
