RD Instruction 2030-C
	Table of Contents
	Page 1

PART 2030 - COMMUNICATIONS

Subpart C - Written Communications--National Office

Table of Contents
Sec.		Page

2030.101	Purpose.	1
2030.102	Authorities and responsibilities.	1
2030.103	Routing, signature authority, and clearing	
	correspondence.	1

	(a)  Routing.	1
	(b)  Signature authority.	2
	(c)  Clearance.	2

2030.104	Correspondence controlled by Rural Development.	3
2030.105	Correspondence controlled by the Department.	3
2030.106	Types of communication.	4

	(a)  Letters.	4
	(b)  Facsimile transmission.	4
	(c)  Electronic mail (EM).	4

2030.107	Informal methods and forms for expediting correspondence.	5

	(a)  Transmittal letters.	5
	(b)  Form RD 2006-6, "Clearance and Routing of 	
	     Rural Development Issuance."	5

2030.108	Statement of Action (SOA) on Government Accountability 	
	Office (GAO) reports.	5
2030.109	Preparation of envelopes and labels.	6
2030.110	Types of envelopes and mailing labels.	6

	(a)  Bulk mail envelopes.	6
	(b)  Window envelopes.	7
	(c)  Envelopes without the Postage and Fees Paid 	
	     Indicia (Metered Mail System).	7
	(d)  Standard Form 65-B, "U.S. Government Messenger 	
	     Envelope."	7
	(e)  Certified mail services.	7
	(f)  Non-standard mail.	7

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Table of Contents
Page 2

Sec.		Page

2030.111	Mail pick-up messenger service.	8

	(a)  National Office.	8
	(b)  Departmental courier/messenger service.	8
	(c)  Reporters Building.	8
	(d)  School Street.	9

2030.112	"FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" correspondence.	9
2030.113	Federal Express.	9
2030.114	Personal correspondence.	10
2030.115	- 2030.150  [Reserved]	10

Exhibit A  Formal Letter Format

Exhibit B - Unnumbered Letters - Preparation and Processing

Exhibit C - Rural Development STOP Codes

Exhibit D - Informal Letter Format

Exhibit E - [Reserved]

Exhibit F  [Reserved]

Exhibit G - Instructions for Preparing and Processing 
            Statements of Action on Government Accountability 
            Office Reports

Exhibit H - Sample Address Formats

Exhibit I - Abbreviations for Street Designators (Street Suffixes)

Exhibit J - Standard Address Abbreviations

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RD Instruction 2030-C

PART 2030 - COMMUNICATIONS

SUBPART C - Written Communications--National Office

 2030.101  Purpose.

	National Office employees will be guided by this subpart and its exhibits in conducting official business by correspondence.

 2030.102  Authorities and responsibilities.

	The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) subscribes to the standards in the U.S. Government Correspondence Manual (USGCM).  The Departmental Regulation (DR) 3060-1, "USDA Correspondence Management Regulation," is to be used as a basic guide in preparing USDA correspondence.  It can be found at
http://www.ocio.usda.gov/directives/files/dr/DR3060-001.pdf.  Rural Development also established certain requirements to meet internal needs as reflected in this subpart.  

 2030.103  Routing, signature authority, and clearing correspondence.

(a)  Routing.

(1)  All outgoing correspondence which is beyond the authority of the Division/Staff Director to sign will be routed to the applicable Assistant Deputy Administrator, the Deputy Administrator, the Associate Administrator, and the Administrator.

(2)  Officials will use judgment in routing correspondence of an unusual nature to the Administrator or Associate Administrator.

(3)  Electronic mail (EM) requires the same signature as regular mail.

_____________________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTION:  W in Washington, DC only	   Administrative Services
		     Communications

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.103(a) (Con.)

(4)  The name and title of the signing official will be typed on all letters/memoranda prepared.  When an official other than the signing official signs a letter, the word "for" will be written before the typed name of the signing official.  (See example below.) 

                           for  John G. Doe
                                Director
                                Support Services Division

(b)  Signature authority.  Correspondence will be signed by National Office officials who have delegated signature authority.  

(c)  Clearance.  Outgoing letters will be cleared by officials primarily concerned with the subject matter.  Letters recommending changes or establishing policy will be cleared through the Assistants or Assistant Deputies and Deputy Administrators.  All congressional correspondence must be cleared through the Legislative and Public Affairs Staff (LAPAS).  The Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch (RPMB), Support Services Division (SSD), and LAPAS (if necessary) will review the letter after staff office clearances, but before the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) clearance (if necessary) and signature by the Administrator or other official with delegated authority.

(1)  Only those offices having a substantial interest in the subject of the correspondence shall be requested to concur.

(2)  It is sufficient to send informational copies of the completed correspondence to those officials concerned with the subject matter.  

(3)  Use Form RD 2006-6, "Clearance and Routing of Rural Development Issuance," for routing letters addressed to all State Directors, National Office officials, all Rural Development employees, all National Office employees, or all field office employees.  See Exhibit B of this subpart for preparation and processing of unnumbered letters.  

(4)  Use Form RD 2006-6 for correspondence requiring clearance or signature by another office.

(5)  Stamp or type "Official Agency File Copy" on the bottom of the last page of the Agencys official record copy for all correspondence prepared in the Agency.  The originating office will place the concurrence stamp on the bottom of the last page of the official Agency file copy and insert the designated file code from RD Instruction 2033-C, Exhibit A.  Concurring officials will write 

2

RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.103(c)(5) (Con.)

in their Unit, then initial and date on this copy.  The Division/Staff Director will initial and date Form RD 2006-6 and send to the next clearance official.

__________________________________________________
| Unit | Initial & Date || Unit | Initial & Date |
|      |                ||      |                |
|      |                ||      |                |
|      |                ||      |                |

 2030.104  Correspondence controlled by Rural Development.

	All congressional letters addressed to officials within Rural Development and any congressional letters initiated by Rural Development should be sent to the Office of the Executive Secretariat (OES) for assignment of a control number and logging into the Document Management System (DMS).  

 2030.105  Correspondence controlled by the Department.

(a)  The OES assigns a control number for correspondence such as White House (Presidential) mail, congressional mail, and special public mail (public mail defined as mail from governors and other State and local government officials; officials of major businesses, trade and farm organizations; unions; and other private citizens).  These letters are usually prepared for the signature of a departmental official.

(b)  The OES assigns a priority control number to congressional letters and certain letters from the general public.  These letters are signed by the Secretary, Under Secretary, or the Administrator. 

 2030.106  Types of communication.

(a)  Letters.  

(1)  Informal.  The informal letter format (To: and Subject: format) will be used for most day-to-day correspondence in the transaction of daily routine business within the Department and with other Federal agencies.  The informal format will not be used for correspondence outlined in paragraph (2) of this section.  
(See Exhibit D of this Instruction and USGCM Part I, Chapter 1.)

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.106(a) (Con.)

(2)  Formal.  The formal letter format contains an inside mailing address, salutation, and complimentary close, and will be used when the addressee would expect to receive a more personalized letter.  This format will be used when writing to the general public, mayors, governors, foreign officials, independent agencies, heads of departments, Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Members of Congress.  (See Exhibit A of this Instruction and USGCM Part I, Chapter 1.)

(b)  Facsimile transmission.  All correspondence sent by facsimile transmission requires the same clearance procedures and signature authority as hard copy correspondence.  All information to be transmitted by facsimile should be accompanied by a cover sheet. 

(1)  When faxing information that contains the name of a borrower or other sensitive information, the recipient of the facsimile should be notified when the fax is being sent and asked to stand by for receipt.  This will minimize the risk of nonessential disclosure of sensitive information.

(2)  Facsimile machine usage is restricted to "Official Government Business."  The use of facsimile equipment for personal use is strictly prohibited.

(c)  Electronic mail (EM).  EM is a service that provides for the electronic transfer of information data, correspondence, and messages between individuals and/or organizations.

(1)  Formal correspondence statements of policy, and the implementation or changes of directives or instructions that are transmitted by EM require the same clearance procedures and signature authority as hard copy correspondence (Refer to 
 2030.103).  No Agency official is authorized to sign and send, by EM, any formal correspondence which either exceeds the authority of the signer or would be in conflict with any existing Agency policy or procedure.

4

RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.106(c) (Con.)

(2)  EM may be used by Rural Development employees for the informal exchange of business-related information that might otherwise occur via telephone or note.

(3)  EM is restricted to "Official Government Business."

 2030.107  Informal methods and forms for expediting correspondence.

(a)  Transmittal letters.  A letter of transmittal need not be written unless it adds to that which is being transmitted.  Appropriate mailing notations such as the date and to whom the material was sent may be made on the file copy(ies) of the material which was transmitted.  In some cases, Optional Form 41, "Routing and Transmittal Slip," may be used instead of a transmittal letter.

(b)  Form RD 2006-6, "Clearance and Routing of Rural Development Issuance."  This form must be used for Unnumbered Letters and Administrative Notices requiring clearance from the RPMB, SSD, and the Administrator and for correspondence requiring clearance or signature by another office.  This form should be stapled to the "Official Agency File Copy" prior to sending the document to the Central File Unit.

 2030.108  Statement of Action (SOA) on Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports.  

	A Statement of Action (SOA) is USDA's report of corrective action(s) taken or planned on the recommendation(s) contained in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) final report.  Public Law 97-258, Section 720, states that an SOA must be submitted to Congress within 60 days from the date of issuance of a GAO final report.  

(a)  The Secretary of USDA requested that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) provide liaison, coordination, and cooperation for USDA SOAs.  The Food and Marketing Division of the Office of the Assistant Inspector General for Audit is USDA's designated GAO Liaison Manager.  

(b)  The Financial Management Division (FMD) is Rural Development's designated GAO Liaison Office, with an FMD Program Analyst assigned to GAO audits designated as Rural Development's GAO Liaison Officer.  

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.108 (Con.)

(c)  The SOA is prepared by the designated lead USDA agency.  
(See Exhibit G of this subpart for instructions on preparing an SOA.)

(1)  If Rural Development is the designated lead USDA agency, the Rural Development GAO Liaison Officer will forward the GAO final report to the appropriate Rural Development agency officials for preparation of the SOA and submission to FMD for further processing, clearance, and delivery to the GAO Liaison Manager.  

(2)  If Rural Development is not the designated lead USDA agency, FMD will coordinate and provide Rural Development's response (to be included in the SOA) to the designated lead USDA agency.

 2030.109  Preparation of envelopes and labels.

(a)  The following format (see Exhibit H of this subpart) will be used in preparing envelopes:

(1)  Use all capital letters.

(2)  No punctuation.

(3)  Abbreviate street suffixes.  (See Exhibit I of this subpart.)

(4)  Abbreviate states and territories.  (See Exhibit J of this subpart.)

(5)  Use Zone Improvement Program (ZIP) code + 4, when available.

(b)  All envelopes prepared in Rural Development must reflect this format.  This format will reduce postal costs for all Government agencies.

 2030.110  Types of envelopes and mailing labels.

	Provide envelopes large enough to adequately contain all enclosures.  However, to keep postage costs at a minimum, use the smallest envelope necessary to accommodate the enclosure.

(a)  Bulk mail envelopes.  These envelopes are prepared by the Departmental Mail Unit, Room 0421, to transmit mail to each State Office.  Therefore, individual envelopes will not be prepared for these offices except "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" correspondence as prescribed in  2030.112 of this subpart.  

6

RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.110 (Con.)

(b)  Window envelopes.  These envelopes will be used, when applicable, to eliminate one typing operation and the possibility of transcription errors.  They also eliminate the time-consuming process of matching letters to envelopes.

(c)  Envelopes without the Postage and Fees Paid Indicia (metered mail system).  The National Office is using the metered mail system.  The postage for all outgoing mail will be applied by the Departmental Mail Unit with the exception of Secretarial letters.  

(d)  Standard Form 65-B, "U.S. Government Messenger Envelope."  Messenger envelopes must now be used for all mail addressed to Rural Development offices and other USDA agencies within the Department's Washington D.C. complex.  To assure proper delivery, the addressee's name and STOP Code (See Exhibit C for STOP Code), must be shown on the messenger envelope.  

(e)  Certified mail services.  When certified mail service is required, the sender is responsible for filling out the necessary forms.  On Postal Service (PS) Form 3811, "Domestic Return Receipts," item 3 should contain the receiver's address, item 4 should contain the article number (which is the number on the PS Form 3800, "Certified Mail Receipt"), and the type of service requested as certified.  Also, fill out the return address on the reverse side of PS Form 3811.  The PS Form 3800 only needs the receiver's address to be completed.  Paper clip or fasten both forms to the package and send to the Departmental Mail Unit for shipping.  

(f)  Non-standard mail.  First Class Mail will be non-standard if any of the following size limitations are exceeded and the WEIGHT is one ounce or less:

(1)  Length exceeds 11 1/2 inches, or

(2)  Height exceeds 6 1/8 inches, or

(3)  Thickness exceeds 1/4 inch, or

(4)  The length divided by the height is less than 1.3 or more 
than 2.5.

Example:  Placing one or two pieces of paper flat in a 9" x 12"
          envelope.

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.110 (f) (Con.)

(5)  A surcharge will be levied against First Class Mail weighing one ounce or less and not meeting the above-size limitations.  In order to avoid the penalty surcharge, fold all material that permits folding and use the smallest size envelope necessary to accommodate the enclosure.  This is especially applicable to travel vouchers being mailed to the National Finance Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.

 2030.111  Mail pick-up messenger service.

(a)  National Office.  

(1)  All Rural Development mail must be processed through the Departmental Mail Unit.  If, after the last messenger pick-up, you have mail that should be sent that day, it must be hand-carried to the Departmental Mail Unit, Meter Section by 4:30 p.m. The reason for this deadline is that the postage meter is shut down at 
5:00 p.m., and daily readings of the meter are taken. 

(2)  Place all outgoing letters in the "OUT" box as early as possible each day.  Each office is responsible for hand-carrying to the next office important "deadline"-type correspondence, including all correspondence assigned a control number by OES.  Special messenger service is not available for this purpose.  Scheduled drop off and pick-up times are: 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

(b)  Departmental courier/messenger service.  Scheduled courier/
messenger mail pick-up trips (time for leaving Departmental Mail Unit) are:  10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

(c)  Reporters Building.  Scheduled drop-off and pick-up times are:  9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.  Do Not address any United States Postal Service (USPS) mail to Rural Development staff located at the Reporters Building, 300 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024.  The following address should be used: 

(NAME OF PERSON)
(NAME OF DIVISION)
RURAL DEVELOPMENT/USDA
STOP CODE NUMBER
WASHINGTON DC  20250-(STOP CODE NUMBER)

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.111 (Con.)

(d)  School Street.  Do Not address any USPS mail to Human Resources Training (HR), at 501 School Street SW., Washington, D.C.  The following address should be used:

(NAME OF PERSON)
HUMAN RESOURCES TRAINING DIVISION
RURAL DEVELOPMENT/USDA
STOP CODE 0732 
WASHINGTON DC  20250-0732

 2030.112  "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" correspondence.

	The term "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" will be used in identifying non-defense classified material which requires limited access handling or restricted processing.  No other term will be used.

(a)  "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" will be placed two lines above the subject of an informal letter, or two lines above the inside address of a formal letter, flush with the left margin.

(b)  Material designated "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" should be placed in a plain envelope and identified as such when sent by bulk mail.  If the envelope is to be opened only by the one to whom it is addressed, "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY--TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY" should be written or typed on the envelope.

 2030.113  Federal Express.  

(a)  All Rural Development employees are required to process shipment labels via the Federal Express internet site which can be found at www.fedex.com for their Federal Express letters and packages.  Rural Development is now a registered member of the FedEx Ship Manager (Passkey) system.

(b)  All Rural Development employees who process Federal Express shipments must have a user id and password to log on to the 
FedEx Passkey.  To obtain a user id and password, you must contact the Passkey Administrator at 202-692-0027.

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RD Instruction 2030-C
 2030.113 (Con.)

(c)  Hand carry Federal Express items to the fourth wing loading dock FedEx drop off box in the South building by 4:00 p.m. or the second floor FedEx drop off box in the Reporters Building by 2:00 p.m.

 2030.114  Personal correspondence.  

	This subpart does not restrict in any way the right of an employee to correspond with any person or public official with respect to matters of concern to the employee as a private citizen.  All employees, however, are advised to acquaint themselves fully with the provisions of RD Instruction 2045-CC.

 2030.115 - 2030.150  [Reserved]

Attachments:  Exhibits A, B, C, D, E [Reserved], F [Reserved], G, H, I, 
and J.

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10

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit A

FORMAL LETTER FORMAT
[ON LETTERHEAD]

3  lines
December 1, 2003

14  lines down to show through window
Honorable John G. Doe
U.S. House of Representatives
123 Russell House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20522

3  lines
Dear Congressman Doe:

2  lines
This exhibit illustrates the format for preparing formal letters throughout the United States Government.  The formal letter should be used when protocol dictates, or when the addressee would expect or should receive a more formal or personalized letter.

The date may be typed or stamped approximately three lines below the letterhead.

Left and right margins are at least 1 inch and not more than 1 and  inches.  Each part of the letter is double-spaced from the previous text.  The signing officials name and title are typed at least five lines below the complimentary close.

Start typing the signer's name flush with the left margin on the fifth line below the complimentary closing.  Please refer to this exhibit for the complete signature block.

2  lines
Sincerely,

5  lines
JANE DOE
Administrator
Agency Name

2  lines
Enclosure [DR-3060-1 14(q)(1)]

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit B
Page 1

UNNUMBERED LETTERS

  SUBJECT:  Preparation and Processing

       TO:

ATTENTION:

Unnumbered Letters are written communications in the memorandum format addressed to all State Directors, National Office officials, all Rural Development employees, all National Office employees, or all field office employees.  Unnumbered Letters will be used to provide general information and not to establish, change, or modify authorized directives.

l.  Requirements.

a.  Sufficient time must be allowed for the necessary clearances, final signature, date stamping, issuance, and timely arrival.

b.  Attachments must be indicated in the body of the letter and below the signature block.

c.  Provide Unnumbered Letters to the Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch (RPMB) on a disk so that they can be posted on the Internet.  Notify RPMB if the Unnumbered Letter contains sensitive information and should not be posted on the Internet.

d.  Unnumbered Letters must be sent by electronic mail (except letters with attachments that are not on the computer) to field offices and National Office officials.

2.  Preparation.

a.  An "ATTENTION" line should be placed below the "TO" line on all Unnumbered Letters requiring action or attention by the State Office employee(s) other than the State Director.  Attention lines help State Office personnel to quickly route letters to the intended recipient(s).

EXPIRATION DATE:	FILING INSTRUCTIONS:
April 30, 2004	Administrative/Other 
		Programs

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit B
Page 2

b.  Place the "EXPIRATION DATE" at the bottom left corner of the first page.  The expiration date is the responsibility of the writer.

c.  Place "FILING INSTRUCTIONS" at the bottom right corner of the first page.  The originator is responsible for designating one of the following three broad program areas as the filing instructions:  Housing Programs, Community/Business Programs, and Administrative/Other Programs.

3.  Clearance and Signature Authority.

a.  The originating office is responsible for obtaining the necessary clearances.  Place Form RD 2006-6, "Clearance and Routing of Rural Development Issuance," on top of the original, fill in the applicable clearance officials on the form, and forward the document to the first clearance official.  If the final is changed during clearance by a clearing official, the official agency file copy of the original containing the page change should be stapled to the corrected official agency file copy.  The legend should be updated to reflect the name of the official requiring the revision. 

b.  RPMB will review the letter after staff office clearances, but before the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) clearance (if necessary) and signature by the Administrator or other official with delegated authority.

4.  Distribution of Unnumbered Letters.

a.  After the Unnumbered Letter is signed, it will be returned to RPMB for a final check and given to the originating office to send electronically if appropriate.  After electronic transmission, the originating office will return the Unnumbered Letter (both hard copy and disk) to RPMB.

b.  Unnumbered Letters transmitted electronically will not be reproduced except for the required file copies.

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit B
Page 3

c.  Unnumbered Letters not transmitted electronically will be duplicated and distributed by RPMB.  

d.  When special attachments such as preprinted pamphlets, diskettes, etc., are prepared, RPMB will return the letter to the division/staff for assembly.

5.  Filing.

After distribution, the original letter, with any extra copies will be returned to the originating office and retained for no longer than  
1 year.  Future requests for extra copies of an Unnumbered Letter should be referred to the originating office.

JAMES L. DOE
Administrator

Attachments (if appropriate)

One of the following sentences is to be typed below the signature line of the letter to describe further handling.  If the memo is one page, one of the following lines will be placed after the expiration date and filing instruction line.

* Sent by Electronic Mail on (date)_________at (time) ______by ________(office).  The State Director should advise other personnel as appropriate.

* Sent by Electronic Mail on (date) ________at (time) _______by ________(office).  

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit C
Page 1

RURAL DEVELOPMENT STOP CODES

Stop Codes replace the use of room numbers on internal and external envelopes.  The first 2 digits of the code identifies the Agency and the last 2 digits identifies the organizational unit within the Agency.  The STOP codes also represent the ZIP + 4 digit code.

OFFICE/DIVISION			STOP CODE

Operations and Management

Deputy Administrator for Operations and Management			0720
Civil Rights Staff			0703

Office of the Chief Financial Officer   			
	Office of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer			0721
	Budget Division 			0722
	Financial Management Division			0707
	Policy and Analysis Division			0708

Assistant Administrator for Procurement 			
  and Administrative Services 			0740
	Procurement Management Division 			0741
	Support Services Division 			0742
	Central File Unit			0747

Office of the Chief Information Officer			0750
	Management Control Staff 			0751
	Customer Services Division			0753
	Management Services Division			0752
	Information Technology Division			0754
	Information Resource Management			0750
	Rural Utilities National Development Branch			1534

Assistant Administrator for Human Resources 			0730
	Mission Area Personnel Services Division 			0730
	Human Resources Training Division 			0732
	Labor Relations Staff			0733
	Headquarters Personnel Services Branch 			0730

Legislative and Public Affairs Staff 			0705
Alternative Dispute Resolution 			0790
Policy and Analysis Division			0786

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit C
Page 2

Office of Community Development

	Empowerment Program Division			3203
	Community Resource Development Division			3203
	National Rural Development Partnership			3203

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Office of the Administrator 			3201
	Resource Coordination Staff 			3204

Deputy Administrator for Business Programs 			3220
	Special Projects/Programs Oversight Division			3221
	Business and Industry Division			3224
	Specialty Lenders Division			3225

Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services			3250
	Statistics 			3256
	Cooperative Marketing Division			3252
	Cooperative Resources Management Division			3253
	Cooperative Development Division			3254

Rural Housing Service

Office of the Administrator			0701
	Program Support Staff			0761

Deputy Administrator for Single Family Housing 			0780
         Single Family Housing Direct Loan Division			0783
         Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Division		0784
         
Deputy Administrator for Multi-Family Housing			0780
	Multi-Family Housing Processing Division			0781
	Multi-Family Housing Portfolio Management Division	0782

Deputy Administrator for Community Programs			0788
	Guaranteed Loan Division			0787
	Direct Loan and Grant Processing Division			0787

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit C
Page 3

Rural Utilities Service
Office of the Administrator			1510
	Financial Services Staff			1516

Assistant Administrator for Program Accounting 			
  and Regulatory Analysis			1530
	Program Accounting Services Division			1523
	Program Development and Regulatory Analysis			1522

Assistant Administrator for Electric Program			1560
	Northern Regional Division			1566
	Southern Regional Division			1567
	Power Supply Division			1568

Electric Staff Division			1569
					
Assistant Administrator for Telecommunications			1590
	Eastern Area Telecommunications			1599
	Southwest Area Telecommunications			1597
	Northwest Area Telecommunications			1595

	Telecommunications Standards Division			1598
	Advanced Services Division			1550
	Program Advisor			1541

Assistant Administrator for Water and 
  Environmental Programs			1548
	Water Programs Division			1570
	Engineering and Environmental Staff			1571

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit D
INFORMAL LETTER FORMAT
[ON LETTERHEAD]

2  lines down from letterhead
	May 1, 2003 (Added after signature)

3  lines down
	TO:		Rural Development                    
         2 tabs 	Support Services Division
         STOP 0742
         Washington, D.C.  20250-0742

2  lines
	FROM: (Option **)

2  lines
	SUBJECT:

3  lines to body of the informal letter
This informal letter shall be prepared on letterhead.  It illustrates the informal letter format used throughout the United States Government.  This format will be used to prepare most day-to-day letters in the transaction of routine business within the Department and with other Federal agencies.

Begin the body of the informal letter three lines below the last line of the subject.  Single space lines in the paragraph and double space between paragraphs.  Short letters of 10 lines or less, double space between lines and triple space between paragraphs.

The name of the signer will be typed on the fifth line below the last line of an informal letter, flush with the margin.  If more than one line is needed for the signer's title, begin succeeding line indented two spaces.  The entire signature element should not run over four lines.  **When using FROM:  There is no signature block at the bottom of the informal letter.

5  lines
Jane Doe
Director
Agency name

2  lines
cc:  T. Randall			(May be typed on original
     M. Monroe 			if so determined by writer)

(USGCM part 1 Chapter 1 figures 5&6)

2  lines
Attachments
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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING AND PROCESSING
STATEMENTS OF ACTION ON 
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTS

FORMAT

Attachment 1 of this exhibit is an example of an original and salmon copy Statement of Action (SOA).

Preparation	Prepare the SOA on 8 1/2 x 11-inch plain white bond paper.  Also prepare a salmon copy for use in obtaining Department of Agriculture (USDA) clearances (to be attached to the OES signature sheet).  Use 12-point Times New Roman type with 
1-inch margins on all sides.  Style preferences are provided later in these instructions (this exhibit).

Heading	Title the SOA using the full Government Accountability Office (GAO) report title and report number as shown on the cover of the final report. 

Preparation Date	Insert the date of preparation (or the date the SOA was last revised during clearance) immediately following the heading title. 

Introductory Paragraph	Using the "Highlights" section located on the first page of the GAO report, paraphrase GAOs findings and synopsis of the recommendations cited (further details are described on Attachment 1 of this exhibit).

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 2

General Comments	Include comments of a general nature, if applicable, that are not specifically relevant to the recommendations.  If no general comments are given, omit the "General Comments" section in the SOA. 

GAO Recommendation and	Cite each GAO recommendation and follow 
USDA Response	with the USDA response; continue this
	pattern for each recommendation.  Describe actions that have been completed or planned, along with the estimated dates of completion.  Also include any reasons for disagreement with the recommendations.  

	Note:  An SOA should "speak in one voice" on behalf of USDA.  Any agency disagreements concerning responses to recommendations should be reconciled prior to writing the Departmental response. 

Number of Copies	Using the original, make three photocopies.  The copies must be clear, legible, and free from any marks or handwritten corrections.  Additional photocopies will be made once the document is delivered to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

Agency Identification on	On the last page of the salmon copy, type 
Clearance Copy (Salmon)	the name of the preparing agency/office, the writer's name and telephone number, the typist's initials, and the date.  This information must not appear on the original or the photocopies. 

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 3

Correspondence Control	Prepare a Correspondence Control Cover to 
Cover Preparation	route the SOA through clearance.  An Office of Executive Secretariat (OES) control number (obtained by OIG) is assigned to the package.  This control number should be referenced at all times.  Cite the GAO report number, the date, and title in the appropriate areas of the form.  Address the SOA package to the attention of June Hill, OIG, Room 450-E, Jamie L. Whitten Building. 

	Attachment 2 of this exhibit is an example of a completed Correspondence Control Cover.  A blank form will be forwarded via e-mail to the agency GAO Liaison Officer when the control number is obtained by OIG from OES. 

"35" Control Number	The "35" controlled correspondence number is obtained by OIG and will be provided to the agency GAO Liaison Officer when assigned (usually within a week after receipt of the GAO final report). 

OES Signature Sheet	Prepare an OES Signature Sheet to obtain
Preparation 	approval signatures at the preparing agency head level and above.  Include in the first column (as appropriate) acronyms for the preparing (lead) agency, agency head, appropriate Under/Assistant Secretary, etc.

	Attachment 3 of this exhibit is an example of the OES Signature Sheet.  The sheet may be modified to accommodate the agencys clearance preferences (below the Office of the General Counsel (OGC)/Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) level).  A blank form will be forwarded via e-mail (along with the Correspondence Control Cover) to the agency GAO Liaison Officer when the control number is obtained by OIG from OES. 

(04-20-05)  PN 385

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 4

SOA Package Clearances	The appropriate agency head(s); Under Secretary(ies)/Assistant Secretary(ies), and/or Director(s); the OGC; and the OBPA should sign and date the OES clearance sheet of the SOA prior to submission to OIG.  Each signature should appear in the "Final" block of the OES clearance sheet. 

	To expedite clearance, the SOA should be hand carried by the agency GAO Liaison Officer to each successive appropriate clearance office. 

	Internal clearances below the agency head level should not appear on the OES signature sheet.  Requirements for such clearances are established at the discretion of the individual agency.

SOA Package and Routing	A pocket folder (portfolio) should be used.  The completed Correspondence Control Cover should be stapled to the top of the portfolio.  At minimum, the SOA package should contain: 

In the right-hand side pocket:  

(1)  The original; and 

(2)  Three stapled copies of the SOA. 

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 5

SOA Package and Routing (Con.)	In the left-hand side pocket:  

(1)  The salmon copy of the SOA with the OES signature sheet (on white paper attached to the top of the salmon) showing the appropriate clearance signatures to be obtained; 

(2)  A copy of the GAO final report; and 

(3)  A disk containing an electronic version of the SOA. 

Once appropriate clearances have been obtained (up to and including OBPA), the SOA package should be hand carried by the agency GAO Liaison Officer to the GAO Liaison Manager (June Hill), OIG, 
Room 450-E, Jamie L. Whitten Building for further processing. 

Transmittal Letters	No transmittal or memorandum is required for the SOA package to be sent to OIG.  OIG will prepare the necessary transmittal letters to the congressional committees, the Office of Management and Budget, and GAO. 

	Note:  Controlled correspondence to incoming letters ("35s") need not be accompanied by informational memoranda. 

Agency Copies	After the Secretary has signed the transmittal letters, OIG will furnish the agency GAO Liaison Officer with a copy of all correspondence. 

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 6

STYLE

In working with OES, the following style preferences have been requested and should be used when preparing the SOA for submission to the Secretary.

Heading and Date	The heading should be centered and should appear in 12-point boldface Times New Roman type, followed by the date of preparation or last revision.  

Format of SOA Body	In general, all subhead and text type should appear flush left in 12-point regular Times New Roman.  Subheads should appear in boldface type.

Acronyms	Acronyms should be used sparingly to avoid confusing the reader.  The first time a name (e.g., the name of a department, organization, or program) is used, it should be spelled out in full.  If the name is to be used again, an acronym may be included in parentheses immediately after the first mention of the name and used thereafter instead of the full name.  If the name is used only once, the acronym should not be used. 

Bulleted Items	In using bulleted items, be sure to use a "stem" to lead the reader conceptually into the material.  Begin each bulleted item with a capital letter, and end it with a period (not a semi-colon).  The first sentence of each bulleted item may be italicized if appropriate.  Include a line of space between each of the bulleted items. 

References	References, if used, should be indicated in the text by a number (not a superscript) in parentheses, for example: 

USDA will review the GAO lists (1) and the EPA lists (2) periodically.

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Page 7

Proofreading	The SOA should be proofread for accuracy and for adherences to the elements of style detailed in the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual 
(29th edition, 2000; http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/index.html).  The reviewer should also ensure: 

* Proper reference to an agency title or program name (i.e., Office of the General Counsel, not Office of General Counsel).

* Proper use of initial caps when referring to:
o Department
o State, Federal
o Congress

* The particle "the" is no longer required if an acronym begins a sentence (unless the sentence reads awkwardly). 

PLEASE CONTACT JUNE HILL, OIG, ON (202) 720-6772
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUIRE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

oOo

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Attachment 1
Page 1

EXAMPLE OF ORIGINAL AND SALMON
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STATEMENT OF ACTION

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Statement of Action on the
U.S. Government Accountability Office Final Report [INSERT GAO REPORT NUMBER], 
[INSERT THE FULL TITLE AS SHOWN ON THE COVER OF THE GAO REPORT]

[INSERT DATE  example July 8, 2004]

The purpose of this INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH is to orient the reader to the remainder of the report.  This paragraph should include information on the "who, what, why, where, and when" to provide the reader with instant understanding of the gist of the piece.  It is recommended that you paraphrase the "Highlights" section located on the first page of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.  This section gives an explanation of why GAO conducted the study and a synopsis of the recommendations.  The last sentence of this paragraph should lead the reader to the recommendations cited.  For example, The following addresses those recommendations made specifically to the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

General Comments

Include any comments of a general nature, if applicable, that are not specifically relevant to an individual recommendation.  If no general comments provided, omit this section from the statement of action (SOA).  Any use of acronyms, including those cited in the GAO recommendations, should be written out the first time they are used with the acronym in parenthesis.

GAO Recommendation

Cite the first GAO recommendation reflected in the report.  If at all possible, the GAO recommendation(s) should be stated in the same words as shown in the report.  

USDA Response (or Comment)

Describe what action has been completed, what additional action is planned, and the estimated date(s) of completion.  If there is disagreement with the GAO recommendation, state the reason.

If more than one agency is responding to the GAO recommendation, prepare one Departmental response to the recommendation that represents USDAs position.  Describe what actions have been completed, what additional actions are planned overall, and the estimated dates of completion. 

Note:  This response should "speak in one voice" on behalf of USDA.  Any agency disagreements concerning responses to recommendations should be reconciled prior to writing the SOA.

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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Attachment 1
Page 2

Statement of Action on [Report Number, Short Title]
Page 2

GAO Recommendation

Cite the next GAO recommendation reflected in the report.  If the SOA is more than one page, insert a "continuous page break on the first page and title the succeeding pages as noted above using the GAO report number and a short title (e.g., SOA on GAO-03-541, Rural Development:  USDAs Outreach).  This text should be italicized 12-point Times New Roman type.

USDA Response (or Comment)

Again, describe what action has been completed, what additional action is planned, and the estimated date(s) of completion.  If there is disagreement with the GAO recommendation, state the reason.

CONTINUE THIS PATTERN FOR EACH GAO RECOMMENDATION, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE USDAS RESPONSE(S)/COMMENT(S).

On last page (of salmon copy only) include

AGENCY IDENTIFICATION (EXAMPLE:   RHS/SWhite:202-720-1615:dm:7/8/04)

oOo

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Attachment 2

EXAMPLE OF COMPLETED
CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL COVER
NOTE:  A blank form will be e-mailed to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Liaison Officer for the agencys use

CORRESPONDENCE 
CONTROL COVER for
U.S. Government Accountability  Office
Statement of Action Package
TO:
Office of Inspector General
ATTN: June Hill
Room 450-E, Jamie Whitten Bldg.
DATE:
  July 9, 2004
JACKET NO:
35-4119681


FILE DESIGNATION:
  GAO-04-937

TITLE OF GAO AUDIT REPORT:
Rural Housing Service:  Updated Guidance and Additional Monitoring Needed for Rental Assistance Distribution Process
PREPARING AGENCY:
      RHS
PHONE NUMBER:
(202) 692-0085
CONTACT POINT IN AGENCY:
    Betty O'Loughlin

REMARKS:
For Secretary's signature.  To be hand carried at all times.  If problems arise, please contact June Hill, OIG, on 202-720-6772. DO NOT return package back to originating agency.  Thank you.

Letters to the members of Congress, GAO, and OMB (in accordance with PL 97-258 and OMB Circular OMB A-50) will be prepared by OIG. 
SENT TO
ROOM NO.
DATE IN
DATE OUT
INITIALS
1.	Administrator, RHS
5014-S



2.	Under Secretary, Rural Development
206-W



3.	General Counsel, OGC
1518-S



4.	Director, OBPA
101-A



5.	OIG: June Hill
450-E



6.	Inspector General, OIG
117-W



7.	OES
116-A



8.




PRIORITY -- HANDLE PROMPTLY
KEEP THIS JACKET ON TOP OF CORRESPONDENCE AT ALL TIMES
Note:  Add other reviewers at agency level or above, as appropriate

oOo
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RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit G
Attachment 3

		EXAMPLE OF OES SIGNATURE SHEET 
*Printed on white paper and modified to reflect clearances necessary for your agency.  To be placed on TOP of the salmon copy of the statement of action.
U. S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Executive Secretariat
Official Clearance Sheet

DRAFT
REWRITE
FINAL
AGENCY:     
(Signature)
(Date)



AGENCY HEAD:  
Administrator, RHS
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



UND/ASST. SEC:  
Rural Development
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



ADDTL UND/ASST:  
if applicable
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



OGC:  
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



OBPA:  
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



OIG:  
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



OES:  
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



EXEC. ASST:
(Signature)
(Title)
(Date)



SEC/AUTOPEN:




OES-1 (modified for GAO SOA) 10/20/04
NOTE:  Include clearance lines for other reviewers as appropriate (i.e., other USDA agencies that provided responses if more than one agency was involved; or as instructed by OIG).

oOo
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Exhibit H in PDF ONLY.

RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit I
ABBREVIATIONS FOR STRET DESIGNATORS (STREET SUFFIXES)

Alley		ALY			Fort		FT			Plaza		PLZ
Annex		ANX			Freeway		FWY			Point		PT
Arcade		ARC			Gardens		GDNS			Port		PRT
Avenue		AVE			Gateway		GTWY			Prairie		PR
Bayou		BYU			Glen		GLN			Radial		RADL
Beach		BCH			Green		GRN			Ranch		RNCH
Bend		BND			Grove		GRV			Rapids		RPDS
Bluff		BLF			Harbor		HBR			REST		RST
Bottom		BTM			Haven		HVN			Ridge		RDG
Boulevard	BLVD			Heights		HTS			River		RIV
Branch		BR			Highway	HWY			Road		RD
Bridge		BRG			Hill		HL			Row		ROW
Brook		BRK			Hills		HLS			Run		RUN
Burg		BG			Hollow		HOLW			Shoal		SHL
Bypass		BYP			Inlet		INLT			Shoals		SHLS
Camp		CP			Island		IS			Shore		SHR
Canyon		CYN			Islands		ISS			Shores		SHRS
Cape		CPE			Isle		ISLE			Spring		SPG
Causeway	CSWY			Junction		JCT			Springs		SPGS
Center		CTR			Key		KY			Spur		SPUR
Circle		CIR			Knolls		KNLS			Square		SQ
Cliffs		CLFS			Lake		LK			Station		STA
Club		CLB			Lakes		LKS			Stravenue	STRA
Corner		COR			Landing		LNDG			Stream		STRM
Corners		CORS			Lane		LN			Street		ST
Course		CRSE			Light		LGT			Summit		SMT
Court		CT			Loaf		LF			Terrace		TER
Courts		CTS			Locks		LCKS			Trace		TRCE
Cove		CV			Lodge		LDG			Track		TRAK
Creek		CRK			Loop		LOOP			Trail		TRL
Crescent		CRES			Mall		MALL			Trailer		TRLR
Crossing		XING			Manor		MNR			Tunnel		TUNL
Dale		DL			Meadows	MDWS			Turnpike	TPKE
Dam		DM			Mill		ML			Union		UN
Divide		DV			Mills		MLS			Valley		VLY
Drive		DR			Mission		MSN			Viaduct		VIA
Estates		EST			Mount		MT			View		VW
Expressway	EXPY			Mountain	MTN			Village		VLG
Extension	EXT			Neck		NCK			Ville		VL
Fall		FALL			Orchard		ORCD			Vista		VIS
Falls		FLS			Oval		OVAL			Walk		WALK
Ferry		FRY			Park		PARK			Way		WAY
Field		FLD			Parkway		PKY			Wells		WLS
Fields		FLDS			Pass		PASS
Flats		FLT			Path		PATH
Ford		FRD			Pike		PIKE
Forest		FRST			Pines		PNES
Forge		FRG			Place		PL
Fork		FRK			Plain		PLN
Forks		FRKS			Plains		PLNS

oOo
(04-20-05)  PN 385
RD Instruction 2030-C
Exhibit J

STANDARD ADDRESS ABBREVIATIONS
TWO-LETTER STATE AND POSSESSION ABBREVIATIONS

Alabama	AL	Missouri	MO
Alaska	AK	Montana	MT
Arizona	AZ	Nebraska	NE
Arkansas	AR	Nevada	NV
American Samoa	AS	New Hampshire	NH
California	CA	New Jersey	NJ
Colorado	CO	New Mexico	NM
Connecticut	CT	New York	NY
Delaware	DE	North Carolina	NC
District of Columbia	DC	North Dakota	ND
Federated States of		Northern Mariana Islands	MP
  Micronesia	FM	Ohio	OH
Florida	FL	Oklahoma	OK
Georgia	GA	Oregon	OR
Guam	GU	Palau	PW
Hawaii	HI	Pennsylvania	PA
Idaho	ID	Puerto Rico	PR
Illinois	IL	Rhode Island	RD
Indiana	IN	South Carolina	SC
Iowa	IA	South Dakota	SD
Kansas	KS	Tennessee	TN
Kentucky	KY	Texas	TX
Louisiana	LA	Utah	UT
Maine	ME	Vermont	VT
Marshall Islands	MH	Virginia	VA
Maryland	MD	Virgin Island	VI
Massachusetts	MA	Washington	WA
Michigan	MI	West Virginia	WV
Minnesota	MN	Wisconsin	WI
Mississippi	MS	Wyoming	WY

DIRECTIONAL ABBREVIATIONS

North	N
East	E
South	S
West	W
Northeast	NE
Southeast	SE
Southwest	SW
Northwest	NW

Note:  For certain computerized addressing needs, the National Five-Digit Zip Code & Post Office Directory contains two additional tables of official U.S. Postal Service abbreviations:  (1) an Extended Suffix Table, containing suffix forms which appear in some address files, and the corresponding USPS suffixes as coded in the ZIP+4 National Directory File, and (2) abbreviations for postal names which cannot be reduced to 15 positions through use of standard abbreviations.
oOo
(04-20-05)  PN 385