[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 7, Volume 4]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 7CFR275.15]



[Page 859-860]

 

                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE

 

    CHAPTER II--FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 

PART 275_PERFORMANCE REPORTING SYSTEM--Table of Contents

 

                 Subpart D_Data Analysis and Evaluation

 

Sec. 275.15  Data management.





    (a) Analysis. Analysis is the process of classifying data, such as 

by areas of program requirements or use of error-prone profiles, to 

provide a basis for studying the data and determining trends including 

significant characteristics and their relationships.

    (b) Evaluation. Evaluation is the process of determining the 

cause(s) of each deficiency, magnitude of the deficiency, and geographic 

extent of the deficiency, to provide the basis for planning and 

developing effective corrective action.

    (c) Each State agency must analyze and evaluate at the State and 

project area levels all management information sources available to:

    (1) Identify all deficiencies in program operations and systems;

    (2) Identify causal factors and their relationships;

    (3) Identify magnitude of each deficiency, where appropriate (This 

is the frequency of each deficiency occurring based on the number of 

program records reviewed and where applicable, the amount of loss either 

to the program or participants or potential participants in terms of 

dollars. The State agency shall include an estimate of the number of 

participants or potential participants affected by the existence of the 

deficiency, if applicable);

    (4) Determine the geographic extent of each deficiency (e.g., 

Statewide/individual project area or management unit); and,

    (5) Provide a basis for management decisions on planning, 

implementing, and evaluating corrective action.

    (d) In the evaluation of data, situations may arise where the State 

agency identifies the existence of a deficiency, but after reviewing all 

available management information sources sufficient information is not 

available to make a determination of the actual causal factor(s), 

magnitude, or geographic extent



[[Page 860]]



necessary for the development of appropriate corrective action. In these 

situations, the State agency shall be responsible for gathering 

additional data necessary to make these determinations. This action may 

include, but is not limited to, conducting additional full or partial ME 

reviews in one or more project areas/management units or discussions 

with appropriate officials.

    (e) Deficiencies identified from all management information sources 

must be analyzed and evaluated together to determine their causes, 

magnitude, and geographic extent. Causes indicated and deficiencies 

identified must be examined to determine if they are attributable to a 

single cause and can be effectively eliminated by a single action. 

Deficiencies and causes identified must also be compared to the results 

of past corrective action efforts to determine if the new problems arise 

from the causal factors which contributed to the occurrence of 

previously identified deficiencies.

    (f) Data analysis and evaluation must be an ongoing process to 

facilitate the development of effective and prompt corrective action. 

The process shall also identify when deficiencies have been eliminated 

through corrective action efforts, and shall provide for the 

reevaluation of deficiencies and causes when it is determined that 

corrective action has not been effective.

    (g) Identification of High Error Project Areas/Counties/Local 

Offices. FNS may use quality control information to determine which 

project areas/counties/local offices have reported payment error rates 

that are either significantly greater than the State agency average or 

greater than the national error standard of the Program. When FNS 

notifies a State agency that a ``high error'' area exists, the State 

agency shall ensure that corrective action is developed and reported in 

accordance with the provisions of Sec. 275.17. If FNS identifies a 

``high error'' locality which a State agency has previously identified 

as error-prone and taken appropriate action, no further State agency 

shall be required. If a State agency's corrective action plan fails to 

address problems in FNS-identified ``high error'' areas, FNS may require 

a State agency to implement new or modified cost-effective procedures 

for the certification of households.



[Amdt. 160, 45 FR 15909, Mar. 11, 1980, as amended by Amdt. 266, 52 FR 

3409, Feb. 4, 1987; Amdt. 320, 55 FR 6240, Feb. 22, 1990]