[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 10]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1485.15]

[Page 755-756]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XIV--COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1485_COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN MARKETS FOR 
 
                     Subpart B_Market Access Program
 
Sec. 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.
    (b) An activity plan shall contain:
    (1) A written presentation of all proposed activities including:
    (i) A short description of the relevant constraint;
    (ii) A description of any changes in strategy from the strategic 
plan;
    (iii) A budget for each proposed activity, identifying the source of 
funds;
    (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
    (3) An itemized administrative budget for any overseas office.
    (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 Attach[eacute]/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

[[Page 756]]

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 Attach[eacute]/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.