Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

Reimbursement for Inspection or Audit Services (March 2018) 

SCI Division Administration Series

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REIMBURSEMENT FOR INSPECTION OR AUDIT SERVICES 

These instructions provide Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division personnel, and other 

agencies who have performed work on the behalf of SCI Division, with information on SCI 

Division’s policy and procedures for the reimbursement of services provided. 

Contact your immediate supervisor or Federal Program Manager for any inspection or audit 

reimbursement information not addressed in these instructions. 

These instructions supersede all previously issued instructions for service reimbursement.

These instructions contains links to various internal and external sources of information. For 

personnel without internet or intranet access, please contact your immediate supervisor to obtain 

hard copies of documents as needed. 

Reimbursement Policy

It is the policy of SCI Division to reimburse other agencies for inspection or audit services 

provided on the behalf of SCI Division promptly and efficiently, through previously arranged 

contracts or service agreements. 

Example of Reimbursement Arrangement

Examples include: 

• A state employee performs either inspection work or audit services outside their normal

territory or billing area at the request of SCI Division, with the understanding that SCI Division

will bill and collect revenue for this service.

• A state employee performs a Potato Sustainability audit, a program which requires SCI

Division to perform the billing of the service client.

• A state employee performs a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit of a GroupGAP

member’s production site, under the coordination of the GroupGAP Program Coordinator.
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Review and Approval Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of SCI Division personnel, at the appropriate and established position/level, 

to review and approve the various financial documentation. Approvals are assigned to personnel 

who are knowledgeable of the work performed, and who have access to the work or billing 

records.

Final Reimbursement

The Specialty Crops Program Resource Management Office (RMO) handles the processing of the 

SF-270 Request for Advance or Reimbursement. 

REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURE

Work and Reimbursement Documentation

It is the responsibility of the agency that performed the work to take the following steps. Other 

responsible parties are in bold text. 

1. After the inspection or audit activity is finished, complete the appropriate documentation

and submit this to the appropriate SCI Division office for approval and billing.

a. For audit work, see the Federal Audit Billing Procedure.

b. For inspection work, complete the documentation required by the local inspection

office and submit this to the SCI Division supervisor or manager who oversaw the

assignment.

c. For other work, complete the documentation required by, and submit the

documentation to, the manager who oversaw the assignment.

2. At least monthly, complete a SC-214 Specialty Crops Inspection Division Services

Rendered form, listing the services that the agency personnel have performed for the

established time period, and itemizing the appropriate reimbursements due to the agency

office.

3. Submit the completed SC-214 with supporting documentation, as required by the SCI

Division office that oversaw the work performed.

a. For audit services, submit the SC-214 to the Audit Program Coordinator or Program

Manager, who oversees the audit program for which the services were provided.

b. For inspection services, submit the SC-214 to the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) or

Branch Chief, whose staff oversaw the inspection work.
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c. For other services, submit the SC-214 to the Manager, Branch Chief or Chief of

Staff, whose staff oversaw the work.

d. The Audit Program Coordinator/Manager/OIC/Branch Chief/Chief of Staff

will review and approve the SC-214 (approval indicated by their signature in the

space provided), complete the block for the Financial Management Modernization

Initiative (FMMI) code from which the reimbursement will be made, and return the

approved copy to the agency office.

4. Once a month, complete a SF-270 Request for Advance or Reimbursement (see Appendix

1), showing the reimbursements due to the agency office for inspection or audit services,

for the established time period. Attach the associated, approved SC-214(s) to the completed

SF-270 (see item 3.), before submitting.

Note that each SF-270 should only have one type of service per form. If the agency is requesting 

reimbursement for two or more different types of service for the same time period, then each 

request must be submitted on separate SF-270’s. 

5. Submit all completed SF-270’s to SCI Division via email at

SCReimbursement@ams.usda.gov.

6. If this is the agency’s first submittal since December 2017, also complete and submit an

SC-477, Automated Clearinghouse Program (ACH) Vendor Enrollment Form (link to be

provided).

Note: It is permissible for steps 2 – 6 to be combined into a once a month submittal to the SCI 

Division office that oversaw the work, and for this SCI Division office to submit the monthly 

reimbursement documentation (SC-214(s) and the SF-270) to SCReimbursement@ams.usda.gov. 

Steps for Reimbursement Review and Submittal

1. Audit Services Branch (ASB) personnel or Finance staff will present the submitted SF-270,

with supporting SC-214’s, to the appropriate Branch Chief, Inspection Operations Chief of

Staff, or their assistants, for approval. Approval is indicated by a signature in the “This

space for agency use” area of the SF-270, and entry of the appropriate FMMI code. The

reimbursement package should then be returned to the ASB personnel or Finance staff.

2. ASB personnel or Finance staff will submit the approved SF-270, and an ACH Vendor

Enrollment Form if this is the initial reimbursement request, to the SC RMO for

processing.

3. ASB personnel will track the status of reimbursement payments utilizing the SF-270

Reimbursements SharePoint list on the SCI Division Inspection Services SharePoint site.
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APPENDIX 1 – EXAMPLE: SF-270 REQUEST FOR ADVANCE OR REIMBURSEMENT

Electronic version of SF-270 Request for Advance or Reimbursement
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SF-270 Completion Instructions

The form should include the following details in the space provided:

1. Pre-completed.

2. Pre-completed.

3. Pre-completed.

4. Enter the number associated with the agreement under which the work is being provided. 

For example, if the work is performed by staff from a state with a cooperative agreement 

with AMS, enter the number that has been assigned to that cooperative agreement.

5. N/A

6. Enter the agency’s Employer Identification Number.

7. N/A

8. Include the date or the range of dates for the work performed. Please note that a SF-270 

should not exceed a period of one month.

9. Complete the requesting agency’s information.

10. Enter the information for the payee, if it is different than 9.

11. Enter the Type of Service performed (either Audit, Inspection, or Other) in the column 

header, (a), (b), and/or (c); and the dollar amounts for the reimbursement in line a. Totals 

will appear in the other columns, if an electronic version of the document is being 

completed. 

Note that each SF-270 should only have one type of service per form. If the agency is requesting 

reimbursement for two or more different types of service for the same time period, then each 

request must be submitted on separate SF-270’s. 

12. The total requested reimbursement should be listed in line c.

13. Complete the certification of the reimbursement request, with the name, date, telephone 

number, and signature of the person making this request.

This space for agency use – the SCI Division management office representative (Branch Chief, 

Inspection Operations Chief of Staff, or their assistants) will sign here, and indicate the appropriate 

federal FMMI code from which the reimbursement is to be made.
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