USDA
Rural Development
National Financial and
Accounting Operations Center
St. Louis, MO
Last updated 2/3/15
National Financial and
Accounting Operations Center
The National Financial and Accounting Operations Center
(NFAOC) organization is responsible for providing expert
financial and portfolio management support to businesses.
Current services include accounting and reporting activities
for Rural Development’s and Farm Service Agency’s
portfolio of direct loans, guaranteed loans, and grant
programs.
The NFAOC web page on the Rural Development intranet is
located at: http://teamrd.usda.gov/rd/daom/cfo/nfaoc.html
National Financial and Accounting
Operations Center
Tony Bainbridge
Kristen Landwehr
Internal Control and
Initiatives Staff
Director
Lisa Randolph
Planning and
Accountability Staff
Moraima Rivera
Deputy Financial Management
Christine Mechtly
Deputy Portfolio Management
Mark McKinley
Direct Loan Division
Tonia Lohman
Guaranteed Loan Division
Alison Suhre
Program Reporting
Division
David Larsen
Financial Operations
Division
James Jordan
Financial Reporting
Division
Harry Barnett
Mission Support
Division
Cindy Haas
Farm Services
Sharon Sachs
Farm &
Community Services
Karen Campbell
Debt Collection
Improvement
Edwin Henry
Cash Management
Collections
Tracy Galloway
Financial Statements
Greg Lovett
Operations & Scheduling
Ginger Luke
Community Services
Germaine Jones
Housing Services
Debra Deters
Program Reports
Linda Schmidt
Cash Management
Disbursements
Rhonda Knolhoff
General Ledger
Larry Clayton
Shift 1
Greg Thebeau
Credit Reform
Linda Hamel
Fiscal Reconciliation
Pam Younger
Program Funds Control
Brian Link
Cheryl Parker
Multi-Family
Housing Services
Ann Bradley
Telephone &
Electric Services
Pat Brown
Administrative Funds
Control
Shift 2
Marie Lott
Shift 3
Financial Management Systems Utilized
National Financial and
Accounting Operations Center
DLOS
CLSS
PLAS
AMAS
FFB
NFAOC
DLS
GLS
FMMI
PFCS
RET
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PFCS – Program Funds Control System
GLS – Guaranteed Loan System
DLS – Direct Loan System *
PLAS – Program Loan Accounting System
AMAS – Automated Multi-Housing
Accounting System
CLSS – Commercial Loan Servicing System
RET – Rural Electric and Telephone
FFB – Federal Financing Bank
FMMI – Financial Management Modernization
Initiative
DLOS – Dedicated Loan Origination
System**
* Managed and operated by Farm Service Agency
** Managed and operated by RHS, CSC. Financial data supports NFAOC financial reporting.
Portfolio Management
Direct Loan Division
 Multi-Housing portfolio management includes assistance with
problem accounts, payment application, and assistance with
delinquent account servicing.
 Rural Utility portfolio management includes assistance with
discounted prepayments, basis date agreements, short term
maturity rollovers, variable interest rate updates, and delinquent
account servicing.
Portfolio Management
Direct Loan Division
 Community Facility, Business and Industry, Water and
Environmental, Intermediary Relending, and Rural Economic
Development portfolio management includes assistance with
statement of accounts, loan closings, loan reconciliation/ special
servicing issues, correction of payment application and
delinquent account servicing.
 Farm Loan Program portfolio management includes assistance
with statement of accounts, problem case resolution, correction
of payment application, delinquent account servicing, and
servicing concerns.
 Assist Program Staff in design and implementation of new
system initiatives.
Portfolio Management
Guaranteed Loan Division
 Process GLS Obligation Changes, Guarantee Fees, and
Lender Changes.
 Maintain GLS Lender File.
 Process Losses and Recoveries, Purchases, Appraisals, and
Interest Assistance.
 Process or assist with Reamortizations, Consolidations,
Transfer and Assumptions, and other servicing transactions.
 Process Offset Collections, Refunds and Write-offs.
Portfolio Management
Guaranteed Loan Division
 Administer User Agreements and Agreements for Electronic
Transactions with Lenders.
 Administer Security For LINC (Lender Interactive Network
Connection).
 Establish Lender Access to Credit Alert Verification
Reporting System (CAIVRS).
 Administer and Monitor all GLS Status Reporting.
 Assist Program Staff in design and implementation of new
system initiatives.
Portfolio Management
Program Reporting Division
 Coordinate, monitor and process debt management
and collection activities for:
• Debt Collection Act and Debt Collection
Improvement Act
• Treasury Offset Program and Credit Bureau Reporting
• Cross Servicing and Credit Alert Verification
Reporting System
Prepares Treasury Report on Receivables
Portfolio Management
Program Reporting Division
 Prepares cohort level cash flow data used to calculate
annual reestimates.
 Prepares program assumptions used to calculate program
subsidy rates.
 Works with program staff and the Budget Division to
determine policy decisions impact on program costs
Portfolio Management
Program Reporting Division
 Coordinates, reviews, and distributes calendar yearend
documents and management reports
 Conducts semi-annual unliquidated obligation certification
reviews
 Provides responses to ad-hoc reporting and Freedom of
Information requests
 Prepares the Management Discussion and Analysis for the
financial statements
Financial Management
Financial Operations Division
Process collections for Direct and Guaranteed loans.
Collection methods include:
• Preauthorized Debits
•Customer Initiated Payment
• Retail Lockbox
• Remittance Express
•Wholesale Lockbox
• Local Deposits
• Fedwire
•National Receipts &
Receivables System
Financial Management
Financial Operations Division
 Certify disbursements for direct loans, grants, cost item
payments, guaranteed losses and repurchases.
 Process activity for Treasury borrowings and repayments for
the direct and guaranteed programs.
 Prepare daily and monthly reconciliations of cash transactions
with Treasury.
Financial Management
Financial Operations Division
 Balance and maintain data integrity within the various
financial management systems.
 Authorizes all accountings systems to be opened for normal
business for Rural Development and Farm Service Agency
offices nationwide.
Financial Management
Financial Reporting Division
 Serves as the national centralized accounting and financial
reporting operation for Rural Development loan and grant
programs and Farm Service Agency’s Farm Loan Program.
 Prepare audited financial statements required by the Chief
Financial Officers’ Act of 1990 as expanded by Government
Management Reform Act of 1994.
 Perform analysis and statistical reporting in compliance with
the Credit Reform Act of 1990.
 Provides budget formulation and execution for all
administrative programs for Rural Development.
Financial Management
Financial Reporting Division
 Perform analysis related to financial data for special
congressional inquiries and requests from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
 Maintain fund control systems for obligations and
disbursements for all loan and grant programs.
 Financial Management Modernization Initiative (FMMI):
• Track administrative (Salaries and Expense), Program Loan
Cost Expenses, and certify unliquidated obligations.
• Provide support to field and national office staff.
Financial Management
Financial Reporting Division
Report and reconcile the status of allotments, obligations,
unobligated allotments, and unliquidated obligations.
Coordinates with departmental organizations on the
reporting, reconciliation, and certification of various
requirements, such as on the Federal Funding Accountability
& Transparency Act.
Evaluates new or revised regulatory and program guidance,
identifying the impact on allotment ledger, general ledger, and
financial reporting functions.
Financial Management
Mission Support Division
 Three shift operation
 Executes nightly updates of financial management
systems. Over 39 million transactions are updated
annually.
 Supports Rural Development, Farm Service Agency and
National Resource Conservation Service.
 Transmits secured electronic files to Treasury, NITC
mainframe support.
Financial Management
Mission Support Division
 Schedules nationwide availability of computer terminals.
 Prints and mails hardcopy reports, customer/borrower
correspondence, billings, and IRS reports.
• Over 33 million pieces of mail are metered each year.
• Over 16.7 million pieces of loan correspondence and
reports are converted to electronic format (Efiche)
each year.
Planning & Accountability Staff
 Overall planning related to Government Performance and Results
Act (GPRA) reporting.
 Develop & administer administrative budget for the NFAOC.
 Preparation and/or review new business proposals, service contract
agreements, and automation initiatives.
 Development of Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and
Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP).
 Transformation planning
 Program evaluation
Internal Control & Initiatives Staff
 Ensure accounting operations and financial systems comply with
Legislative, Regulatory, and Program Guideline.
 Ensure internal controls comply with OMB Circular A-123,
Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control, for all RD
offices.
 Coordinate all external audits performed by OIG, GAO, and other
investigative offices related to NFAOC operations and Bureau
financial statements.
 Prepares the fiscal plan and coordinates all fiscal yearend activities
to ensure activities are executed as scheduled.
 Manages and coordinates all system automation initiatives.
FY 2014 Accomplishments
 Established the NFAOC by successfully reassigning all staff into
the organization and completing labor negotiations addressing
AFGE concerns.
 Completed three rounds of critical hiring to move toward our
limited ceiling of 244 FTE.
 Completed physical movement of NFAOC employee into
temporary office space and initiated remodel effort in line with the
USDA initiative to reduce office space.
Miscellaneous
RD – Upcoming Software
Enhancements
• PLAS/GLS/CLSS – removal of 6 day
reservation period for BP/CF/WW
obligations – testing will begin soon
RD – Guaranteed Rural Housing
(GRH)
• National Office Update on GRH 3555 Handbook
– 12/9/2013 – Rule Publication creating the GRH
3555 handbook
– 12/1/2014 – GRH 3555 handbook published
– http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Handbooks.html
– Updates are currently being completed on specific
chapters
FSA – Upcoming Software
Enhancements
• EFT – timeframe for automated pre-note
validation will be reduced from 14 to 3 days
(estimated implementation – Spring 2015)
• GLS – ability to add multiple co-borrowers
to applications (project kickoff February
2015)
FSA - Guaranteed Loan Items
• Reduced processing timeframes in ECM
(most transactions will be processed within
5 days of assignment)
• Form 2249, Request For Restructuring
Guaranteed Loans, must be used when loan
terms are modified (Form 2247, Guaranteed
Loan Borrower Adjustments, should only
be used when an input error occurs on the
loan closing)
FSA – Direct Loan Items
• Request for Change in Application, Form FSA-2429
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Corrections should be submitted via NRRS.
Do not submit hard copies
Receipt and Completion letters are not sent on item submitted through NRRS
Inquiries should be made via email or phone call
• Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) - pilot starting spring 2015
– A means for the NFAOC to electronically collect loan payments from a
borrower’s account
– Cash Management Collections Branch (CMCB) is responsible for setting-up,
changing, correcting, and cancelling PAD agreements. Questions: 314-4574023
– PAD Form RD 3550-28 may be faxed. The web address for the fillable form is
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/formstoc.html#3500, select form 3550-28
USDA
Rural Development
National Financial and
Accounting Operations Center
St. Louis, MO