United States Department of Agriculture 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Directive 3130.12 03/24/2008

Distribution: All AMS Employees Originating Office: AMS/S&T/ITG 

AMS FORMS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

I. PURPOSE.................................................................................................................................... 1

II. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS........................................................................1 

III. AUTHORITIES ........................................................................................................................ 1

IV. POLICY..................................................................................................... 1 

V. OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 1 

VI. FORMS CRITERIA .....................................................................................2 

VII. RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................................................2 

VIII. *- NEW OR EXISTING FORMS -*.................................................................4 

IX. OMB FORMS .............................................................................................. 5

X. QUESTIONS ...............................................................................................5

I. PURPOSE 

This Directive establishes the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Forms Management 

Program. 

II. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

This Directive replaces AMS Directive 256.1 Forms Management Program, dated 6/4/93. 

III. AUTHORITIES 

The laws that establish and define Federal forms management are addressed in Departmental 

Manual (DM) 3020-001, Departmental Forms Manual. 

IV. POLICY 

*- It is AMS policy to provide an AMS Forms Management Program that promotes an efficient 

and cost effective process for collecting, reviewing, creating, and approving all AMS forms. This 

policy provides a method of collecting information by establishing a single focal point to review 

and approve all forms and provide overall management of forms in AMS. For the purpose of 

this directive, AMS Forms include documents that are collected from or issued to the public, 

filed as an official record, or are centrally printed and stocked for distribution. -* 

V. OBJECTIVES 

The objective of the AMS Forms Management Program is to achieve maximum efficiency and 

economy in the development and use of forms to: 
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A. Ensure that new and existing forms meet the needs of AMS Programs and are compliant with 

Department regulations; 

B. Ensure that forms are designed in a standardized format, meet users’ needs, and eliminate 

duplication; 

C. Provide and maintain an electronic workflow system for the efficient electronic processing of 

forms within *- AMS -*; and 

D. *- Maintain an accurate Forms Catalog of all current forms managed under this program. -* 

VI. FORMS CRITERIA 

A. A form is a fixed arrangement of captioned spaces designed for entering and extracting 

information, including documents created or used on a computer. 

Certain items such as instruction sheets, certificates, brochures, notices, tags, labels, and 

envelopes are considered forms when it is necessary to control them for purposes of reference, 

printing and distribution. 

*- No form that is collected from or issued to the public, filed as an official record, or centrally 

printed and stocked may be created, modified or retired without the consent of the AMS Forms 

Manager. However, when the program develops and/or uses a worksheet or similar temporary 

internal form, they do not have to notify the AMS Forms Manager. Other similar temporary 

internal forms may be created, modified and retired by the Program at any time. -* 

B. All forms will bear a prefix identification symbol, a form number, and an edition date for 

control purposes and to indicate that the forms have been cleared and approved by the AMS 

Forms Manager. 

 1. Forms prescribed for general usage throughout AMS (i.e., personnel, budget) will bear the 

symbol "AMS." 

 2. Forms developed for use by a specific Program area will bear the prefix symbol 

identifying the Program (i.e., "CN" for Cotton Programs, "DY" for Dairy Programs, etc.). 

VII. RESPONSIBILITIES 

A. The Information Technology Group (ITG) oversees the management and operation of the 

AMS Forms Management Program. 

B. The AMS Forms Manager has overall responsibility for the AMS Forms Management 

Program and will administer the program as follows: 

 1. Develop and maintain effective systems for managing and operating the AMS Forms 

Management Program; 

 2. Develop forms management standards, policies and procedures; 
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 3. Ensure forms meet all requirements of applicable standards and regulations; 

 4. Provide forms analysis and design services; 

 5. Assign form numbers and edition dates; 

 6. Review and approve all forms *- under the AMS Forms Management Program;-* 

 7. *- Maintain a Forms Catalog of all current forms under the AMS Forms Management 

Program; -*; 

 8. Coordinate and prepare printing specifications for specialty forms and submit for printing; 

 9. Monitor the inventory, control and usage of forms; and 

 10. Maintain a central filing system for *- AMS -* forms. 

C. Program and Staff Offices are responsible for: 

 1. Contacting the AMS Forms Manager as early as possible in the development of new or *- 

revising -* existing forms or for assistance in the area of forms management; 

 2. Providing the correct print request information to the AMS Forms Manager regarding 

form number, distribution instructions, printing instructions, samples, dies, Agency account 

number(s), or any other information that is critical for the successful completion of the forms 

print request; and 

 3. Approving the image of all forms to be printed as meeting the needs of that Program or 

Staff Office. 

 

VIII. *- NEW OR EXISTING FORMS -* 

A. Creating a New Form or Revising an Existing Form.

 1. The Originating Office: 

 a. Drafts requirements for new or existing form. The AMS Forms Manager is available to 

the organizational unit to provide assistance and guidance on forms design and the development 

of a workflow; 

b. Coordinates with *- the AMS Forms Manager to ensure that the form meets the

business needs of the organization; and -* 

*- c. Approves the final version of the form. -* 

2. The AMS Forms Manager: 
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 a. Meets with the originator to determine how the form will be used, by whom and how 

many, preferred construction, and best method to design the form; 

 b. Assigns the form number and edition date to the form; 

 c. Prepares the camera or CD copy of the form and returns it to the Originating 

Office for approval; and 

 *d. Updates the AMS Forms Catalog -* 

B. *- Printing a Form. -* 

 *- AMS has designed an electronic workflow process that is used for print requests. This 

process electronically tracks each print request and automatically notifies the customer, via email, about the changes in request status. -* 

 1. The Originating Office:

 a. Fills out an electronic AMS Print Request (located on the “AMS Forms” option of the 

AGNIS home page). The print *- request form, once completed, is electronically sent to the 

Approving Official. The Approving Official, who is designated by each Program, reviews the 

information and once approved is electronically sent to the AMS Forms Manager. The 

Approving Official is responsible for ensuring that the information is correct. -* 

 *- b. Sends a sample of the form to the AMS Forms Manager, which will be used by the 

print shop as a construction sample, and if applicable, attaches customized printing and 

distribution instructions to the print request; -* 

*-c. Allows adequate processing time when planning, developing, and revising forms. 

For simple forms such as envelopes and single page formats, allow approximately 5 weeks; for 

complicated forms such as color prints and booksets allow approximately 8-10 weeks; and -* 

*-d. Incurs any additional costs for rush jobs, complex forms, requests for proofs, press 

inspections, etc. -* 

 2. *- The AMS Forms Manger: -* 

 *- a. Assembles the print request package that includes completed and approved print 

request form(s), construction sample(s), and/or camera copy(s), CD(s), negative(s), special 

distribution and printing instructions. The AMS Forms Manager forwards the completed print 

request package to the APHIS Printing Specialist. -* 

*- C. Reproducing a Form-* 

*- Any form under this program may be reproduced locally as long as the visual integrity and 

content of the form remains the same. -* 

 

IX. OMB FORMS 
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Any form that the public is required to complete which includes information collection for 10 or 

more people must be approved by OMB. *-The Originating Office prepares the information 

collection package that consists of four (4) components to meet OMB’s approval. The 

Originating Office should contact the AMS Legislative Regulatory and Review Office for 

instructions on completing these requirements. Once OMB approves the form, an OMB control 

number will be assigned. -* 

X. QUESTIONS 

Direct all questions concerning forms to the Science & Technology Program, Information 

Technology Group, AMS Forms Manager. 

Lloyd C. Day 

Administrator