Best Practices for RCPP Grant Administration

For organizations awarded a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant, navigating the administration process can be complex yet crucial for ensuring impactful conservation outcomes. RCPP, established by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), enables local governments, nonprofits, conservation districts, and other partners to address resource concerns at a watershed scale, support agricultural producers and forest landowners, and promote sustainable land management practices. This guide offers best practices for RCPP award winners to streamline grant administration and optimize conservation benefits.

1. Understand the RCPP Program Framework

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is a unique funding structure where partner contributions and technical assistance play key roles. RCPP has two major funding tracks: RCPP Classic, for traditional funding and partnership agreements, and RCPP Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA), which allows greater flexibility for innovative projects. Ensuring that each project is aligned with natural resource concerns and priority conservation areas, like critical conservation areas (CCAs), is foundational to success.

Each fiscal year, NRCS releases funding opportunities and program funding pools targeting different geographic and environmental priorities, often using webinars to educate potential applicants about the current year’s priorities.. As a lead partner, staying informed about USDA priorities, such as soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat enhancement, can guide the alignment of your project proposals.

Tip: For lead partners seeking a streamlined approach to managing RCPP projects, FarmRaise Grant Administration Software offers a centralized platform to track compliance, coordinate contributions, and manage reporting requirements, simplifying the complexities of federal funding guidelines.

2. Set Clear Expectations with Project Partners

RCPP success is contingent on effective collaboration with project partners, including agricultural producers, nonprofits, tribal governments, and municipal water entities. At the start of your partnership agreement, establish clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines. This is especially important if your project includes alternative funding arrangements, which offer increased autonomy but also require a higher level of administrative accountability.

Technical assistance is another key aspect, and project partners, particularly in conservation districts and watershed-scale projects, should understand how they will contribute. Additionally, for projects involving land rental agreements, easements, or entity-held easements on agricultural land, partners must be fully aware of eligibility requirements and the types of eligible activities permitted.

One way to ensure expectations are clear is to have project partners outline their contributions via writing when you prepare your RCPP application materials. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and RCPP proposal narratives can serve as the roadmap outlining expectations and commitments of each partner, should your proposal get funded.

3. Manage Outreach and Engagement with Farmers and Ranchers

RCPP places a strong emphasis on outreach to historically underserved groups, including Indian tribes, nonindustrial private forest landowners, and farmer cooperatives. Effective outreach and communication will be essential to reaching these groups and fostering their participation in conservation projects.

An effective approach includes hosting webinars or informational sessions for prospective applicants to your RCPP programto answer questions about eligibility, resource concerns, and conservation practices. Building relationships with local water districts, soil conservation districts, and units of local government can also facilitate engagement in RCPP conservation activities that address pressing resource concerns within a geographic area.

4. Leverage USDA-NRCS Resources and Technical Assistance

For projects funded by RCPP, collaborating with NRCS can streamline technical assistance needs, such as land surveys, conservation planning, and technical assessments of resource concerns like water quality or soil erosion.

NRCS technical assistance is particularly helpful when dealing with complex projects involving watershed restoration, municipal water management, or wastewater treatment entities. Ensuring that your project incorporates such resources can strengthen its foundation and long-term sustainability.

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5. Build a Robust Administrative System for Compliance and Reporting

Administering an RCPP grant means maintaining rigorous compliance with federal standards, particularly those outlined by the USDA and Department of Agriculture. Regular reporting on project progress, fiscal responsibility, and partner contributions is essential to maintaining a smooth relationship with USDA-NRCS and ensuring continued funding.

An effective system should:

• Track spending, including any matching funds from partner contributions.
• Monitor conservation outcomes against agreed-upon benchmarks.
• Collect relevant data from participating farmers, including proof of practice implementation, FSA eligibility and signed contracts.
• Regularly update contact information for all project stakeholders to ensure seamless communication.

This framework will be especially useful for multistate or large-scale projects where project components are spread across different regions.

6. Addressing Conservation Priorities Amid Inflation and Other Challenges

In recent years, initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act have increased funding and support for conservation projects, including RCPP proposals. As a grant administrator, adapting to economic changes, including inflation, means proactively adjusting project budgets and scopes with your partners to mitigate any funding gaps.

This is particularly important in projects with land management or forest landowner components, as rising costs can impact both technical assistance and the ability to meet priority resource concerns. Anticipate these challenges by working closely with your RCPP partners and NRCS to explore additional funding avenues or cost-saving measures.

7. Effective Evaluation of Conservation Benefits

A critical part of RCPP administration is evaluating the conservation benefits achieved. Developing metrics for evaluating conservation outcomes, such as improvements in water quality, increases in soil health, or reductions in runoff, can help communicate the program's impact to both NRCS and the broader community.

Metrics are also beneficial when engaging in outreach with agricultural producers and conservation districts, as they showcase the tangible results of participation. Consider how RCPP projects support conservation priorities identified in the farm bill and contribute to long-term goals for sustainable land and water management.

8. Looking Forward: Building Stronger RCPP Proposals

For future RCPP funding cycles, reflect on lessons learned and build upon the strengths of past projects. Focus on drafting RCPP proposals that address urgent natural resource concerns or explore innovative alternative funding arrangements. Highlighting success stories in outreach efforts to local government entities, tribal governments, and nonprofits can inspire other conservation-minded partners to join in on the next round of RCPP applications.

Key Takeaways for Successful RCPP Grant Administration

Administering an RCPP grant involves a comprehensive understanding of USDA-NRCS guidelines, effective collaboration with partners, and a commitment to achieving meaningful conservation outcomes. By implementing these best practices, funders can successfully administer RCPP funds and drive impactful changes that support sustainable farming, improve water quality, and conserve natural resources across the U.S.

Whether it’s technical assistance, supporting critical conservation areas, or meeting priority resource concerns for agricultural producers, your role as a lead partner in RCPP is essential to advancing the mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and securing a sustainable future for our lands and waters.

Visit FarmRaise Grant Administration Software to learn how your organization can streamline RCPP grant administration and drive conservation success.