II.
PARTNERING WITH CERTIFIERS ON MORE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Certifiers possess working relationships and frequent communication with the producers they certify. Cost share benefits certifiers’ clients and supports their viability. This foundation makes certifiers a natural fit to administer the program. The OCCSP application requires a copy of an operator’s organic certificate, a completed W9, an invoice marked paid by the certifier as the primary contents of the cost share application packet. Often, an applicant will submit an invoice that is not marked paid by the certifying body. This can cause unnecessary back and forth and even a rejected cost share application. To streamline this process, it’s more productive for OCCSP program administrators to work directly with certifying bodies for the application material. With this insight in mind, a natural solution is to employ certifying bodies to apply directly to the program for the operations they certify. The most predominant obstacle to this administrative change is most likely time. This additional task will take up a significant amount of time that is not readily available for many certifiers. A second likely obstacle is with potential for privacy or confidentiality concerns regarding the W9 paperwork needed to complete the cost share application. While certifiers have most of the information needed (including official certification documents and marked paid invoices), the W9 paperwork requires a social security number or employer identification number. While certifiers have established procedures to handle and protect their clients’ confidential business information, the W-9 disclosure is information that some certifiers may be uncomfortable acquiring and maintaining. Allocating administrative duties of the OCCSP to certifying bodies would streamline the process and make it easier for organic producers to receive their reimbursements. This solution would solve the issues that arise when there is miscommunication between applicants, program administrators, and certifying bodies by relying on the expertise of certifiers and the relationships between certifiers and producers.
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O R GA NIC C E RT IFI CAT I O N CO ST SHA RE WHI T E PAPER
