Input

1. NPS, working through multi-disciplinary National Program Teams (NPT), defines and articulates the scope of each program - with input from customers, stakeholders, partners, and ARS scientists. Information on each National Program (NP) is available on this website. The NPT and key scientists organize one or more NP Workshop(s) for each program .

2. NP Workshop(s) include customers, stakeholders, partners, and ARS scientists and managers, identify problems/issues that can be addressed through research.

Planning

3. NPT, working with field scientists, define the NP research agenda and develop a detailed 5-year Action Plan for each program. The Action Plan for each program is or will be available on this website.

4. The work of each research project (aligned with this NP) is revised, if needed, to support the NP Action Plan. The Office of Scientific Quality Review (OSQR) conducts a rigorous peer review for each project in the NP.

Implementation

5. Research is implemented. The NPT and the Area Directors will provide on-going oversight. If needed, additional location reviews will be conducted. Annual project reports are submitted to NPT.

6. NPT prepares a summary of the major accomplishments for each NP. These NP Annual Reports and the annual project reports are available on this website.

Assessment

7. Towards the end of the 5-year cycle, the NPT will conduct a retrospective evaluation of the work of each NP.

8. The NPT reevaluates the scope of the NP and begins the planning process for the next 5-year cycle.