Stakeholder Relations Guide
FFP's stakeholder community spans the Food Aid Consultative Group (FACG, congressionally-mandated), the International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP), U.S. agricultural producer associations, Title II implementing PVOs, the World Food Programme (WFP), and host-country governments. USDA needs an engagement architecture rather than ad hoc outreach.
Why It Matters
FACG and IFRP are structurally embedded in FFP's statutory and operational architecture. Effective engagement compounds USDA's program intelligence and stakeholder support; poor engagement creates congressional friction and operational blind spots.
Statutory & Regulatory Authority
The legal/regulatory instruments that bound this deliverable. HSG analysts cite these in every Section 4.1 deliverable submission.
7 USC § 1725
Food Aid Consultative Group (FACG) statutory composition and consultative authority; FACG meets at least twice yearly per statute.
7 USC § 1725(c)
International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP) authority.
22 CFR Part 226 (transitioning)
USAID grant administration to PVOs — base regulation for PVO Registration system.
22 USC § 6321
Bilateral partnership authority with foreign governments.
WFP-USAID Cooperative Agreement framework (historical)
WFP multilateral relationship migration baseline.
Operating Context
Anchored on the FY25 NOFO Reform 2 (strict accountability against fraud / waste / abuse / diversion) (Design Goal 2). Stakeholder Relations carries the integrity architecture that makes traceable accountability operationally real — partner-eligibility screening, conflict-of-interest disclosure regimes, third-party monitoring decision criteria, and counter-terrorism vetting at FFP scale all sit in this Guide. FFP's stakeholder community is structurally embedded in federal statute (FACG composition under 7 USC § 1725) and operational practice (IFRP partnerships, PVO Registration, WFP coordination). USDA inherits a constellation of relationships built by USAID over six decades. The PVO Registration system — the registry of eligible Private Voluntary Organizations and cooperatives — anchored Title II partner eligibility; USDA must determine whether to inherit, replace with a USDA-equivalent (e.g., FAS cooperator-program model), or pivot. The WFP relationship — the major multilateral channel for emergency operations — survives USAID dissolution and migrates to USDA stewardship under the $452M FY25 USDA-WFP MOU announced by Under Secretary Lindberg on February 3, 2026. Kevin Sage-EL — 34-year USDA FAS career; Agricultural Counselor U.S. Embassy Nairobi 2016-2020 with operational collaboration with WFP and FAO including oversight of USDA-funded school feeding programs in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania that delivered U.S. commodities through WFP and USAID Food for Peace with cargo markings showing the U.S. source — anchors the East Africa field-execution perspective on partner engagement and the WFP/FAO multilateral coordination architecture USDA inherits.
Inherited State — Quantitative Baseline
Real public-record figures HSG uses as the starting baseline for this deliverable. Every entry is sourced and dated.
| Baseline metric | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Title II implementing PVOs (FY24) | 18 awardees holding DFSAs / RFSAs | USAID/BHA award registry; USAspending.gov FAIN crosswalk | FY24 Q3 |
| Top-5 PVO concentration of Title II obligations | Approximately 70–75% (CRS, Save the Children, World Vision, Mercy Corps, CARE) | USAspending.gov FAIN-level obligation analysis; USAID FFP Annual Reports | FY23 close-out |
| USDA FAS-recognized cooperator organizations (MAP/FMD) | 76 cooperators | USDA FAS Market Access Program cooperator list | FY25 |
| InterAction member NGOs (industry association) | Approximately 190 international NGO members | InterAction member directory (interaction.org) | CY 2026 |
| WFP global operating budget (CY24) | Approximately $10.3 B (CY 2024 actual) | WFP Annual Performance Report 2024 | CY 2024 |
| WFP global headcount | Approximately 22,800 staff (CY 2024) | WFP Annual Performance Report 2024 | CY 2024 |
| WFP Executive Director | Cindy Hensley McCain (took office April 2023) | WFP official leadership announcement; UN Secretary-General appointment | Apr 2023 |
| USAID historical contribution to WFP (FY22) | Approximately $3.5 B (FY22) | USAID Foreign Assistance reporting; WFP Annual Report | FY22 |
| USDA Food for Progress contribution to WFP (annual avg) | Approximately $50–100 M/yr (variable by year) | USDA FAS Food for Progress program reports | FY21–24 avg |
| USAID PVO Registration system status | SUNSET — terminated in 2017 USAID reform | USAID/ADS 303 update; no live PVO registry exists post-2017 | 2017 sunset |
| FACG statutory composition | 10–12 members (statutory chair + 4 PVO seats + ag-industry + interagency seats) | 7 USC § 1725 composition provisions; FACG meets at least twice yearly per statute | Statutory |
Inherited Document Inventory
The specific documents USDA inherits from USAID/BHA on this scope. Each must be re-issued, modified, or sunset under USDA authority.
Statutory — Consultative Body & Partnership Authority
These statutory instruments structure FFP's stakeholder community. None require USDA-equivalent re-issuance; all transfer directly to USDA execution.
7 USC § 1725Food Aid Consultative Group (FACG) statutory composition
Defines statutory consultative-body chair, seats, and authority; biannual minimum meeting cadence. USDA Secretary or FAS Administrator becomes statutory chair on FFP transition.
7 USC § 1725(c)International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP)
Operational partnership authority for smaller sub-awardee PVOs. USDA inherits authority unchanged.
22 USC § 6321Bilateral partnership authority with foreign governments
Bilateral co-investment framework for stakeholder engagement with host-country counterparts.
7 USC § 1721 et seq.P.L. 480 authorizing statute
Base authority for all Title II partnerships and grant administration.
Regulatory — Grant Administration to PVOs
USAID 22 CFR Part 226 framework. USDA inherits PVO partnerships under transitional rules; long-term USDA-equivalent regulation required.
22 CFR Part 226Administration of Assistance Awards to U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations (USAID — transitioning)
Pre-award eligibility, post-award compliance, financial / property / procurement / reporting / records management. Substantially covered by 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance; supplemental USDA guidance required for FFP-specific provisions.
2 CFR Part 200Uniform Administrative Requirements (Uniform Guidance)
USDA-internal grants administration baseline — already in force USDA-wide; FFP-specific supplemental guidance layered on top.
ADS 303Grants and Cooperative Agreements (USAID — transitioning)
Primary instrument framework for Title II DFSAs / RFSAs; USDA Departmental Regulation equivalents required to replace USAID-internal directives.
ADS 308Awards to Public International Organizations (USAID — transitioning)
Defines USAID-WFP cooperative-agreement architecture. USDA-WFP re-papering required at transition.
PVO Registry — SUNSET (Historical Context Only)
USAID PVO Registration system was terminated in 2017 USAID reform. USDA does NOT inherit a live system — it inherits historical PVO eligibility context only. The structural analog under USDA is the FAS cooperator-program registration (MAP/FMD eligibility list).
USAID PVO Registry (HIST)Private Voluntary Organization Registration (terminated 2017)
No live system to inherit. Historical eligibility records used as PVO-vetting context only. Structural replacement: FAS cooperator-program model.
FAS MAP/FMD cooperator listUSDA FAS cooperator-program registration
Live USDA-side analog to PVO Registration — 76 recognized cooperators eligible for FAS MAP/FMD funding. Direct structural template for FFP partner-eligibility framework.
WFP Multilateral Relationship Architecture
Documents and instruments governing the USAID-WFP relationship that USDA inherits.
USAID-WFP Coop Agreement (HIST)Cooperative Agreement framework (historical)
Governs USAID-WFP multilateral relationship — terms, contribution mechanism, performance reporting. Re-papering as USDA-WFP relationship required at transition.
WFP Annual Performance ReportWFP global operational results document
WFP-side performance baseline. USDA inherits oversight of USAID-WFP contribution stream.
Cindy McCain ED appointment (April 2023)WFP Executive Director current term
Senior-leadership relationship that USDA Administrator must establish at transition. Early-engagement memo to ED is the recommended cadence opener.
Four-Phase Methodology
Phase 1 (Month 4) — Landscape Mapping
Activity: Full stakeholder inventory; FACG / IFRP statutory composition review; WFP relationship state-of-play
Output: Stakeholder map v1
Phase 2 (Month 4–5) — Disposition Analysis
Activity: PVO Registration disposition decision tree; WFP relationship migration architecture; cooperator-program model evaluation
Output: Disposition recommendations
Phase 3 (Month 5) — Cadence Design
Activity: FACG / IFRP engagement protocols; USDA-side ownership architecture; escalation paths
Output: Cadence framework v1
Phase 4 (Month 6) — Senior Review & Production
Activity: Senior bench review; Kevin's cooperator-program integration; final formatting
Output: PWS Deliverable 7
HSG's Approach
- 1Map the full FFP stakeholder landscape — FACG members, IFRP partners, implementing PVO community, U.S. agricultural cooperator network, WFP multilateral channel.
- 2Determine USDA's posture on inheriting the USAID PVO Registration system — inherit / replace / pivot decision.
- 3Map the WFP relationship architecture for migration to USDA stewardship.
- 4Build the engagement cadence for FACG (statutory consultative function) and IFRP (operational partnership).
- 5Design USDA-side engagement architecture and develop the cooperator-program integration framework drawing on Kevin Latner's FAS career.
Sample FrameworkReal Data
FFP Stakeholder Engagement Architecture — Real Partners & USDA-Side Owners (CY 2026 baseline)
| Stakeholder Cluster | Real Members / Examples | Engagement Mode | Cadence | USDA-Side Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top-5 Title II Implementing PVOs | CRS · Save the Children · World Vision · Mercy Corps · CARE | Operational + senior-leadership | Monthly + quarterly | FAS Office of Capacity Building (or successor) |
| Tier-2 Title II Implementing PVOs | ADRA · IRC · ACDI/VOCA · Land O' Lakes Venture37 · NCBA CLUSA · Food for the Hungry | Operational coordination | Monthly | FAS Office of Capacity Building |
| FACG (statutory under 7 USC § 1725) | USDA Sec. designee (chair) · State F · Treasury · 4 PVO seats · ag-industry seats | Statutory consultative meeting | Quarterly + ad hoc | FAS Administrator (statutory chair) |
| IFRP partner network | 200+ sub-awardee PVOs historically; partnered through primary Title II awardees | Working-level coordination | Per program cycle | Via primary Title II awardee |
| WFP (multilateral) | Cindy McCain, Executive Director (Rome); historical USAID-WFP coop. agreement | Senior-leadership coord | Quarterly + emergency | FAS Administrator / Deputy |
| US ag cooperator network | USA Rice · US Wheat Associates · US Grains Council · USSEC · US Pea & Lentil Council | Trade-policy + program coordination | Semi-annual | FAS Office of Trade Programs |
| Industry association — PVO collective voice | InterAction (~190 NGO member orgs); FANTA / Tufts academic-partner network | Federation-level dialogue | Quarterly | FAS Office of Public Affairs |
| Cargo Preference + Maritime | USDOT MARAD; US-flag ag-cargo carriers (Liberty, Maersk Line Ltd, ARC, Waterman) | Compliance coord (statutory) | Monthly + per shipment | FAS / Departmental Counsel |
Members are real. FACG composition is statutory under 7 USC § 1725; the 4 PVO seats rotate per FACG procedures. WFP Executive Director is Cindy McCain (since April 2023). IFRP partner count is historical; live count depends on Title II partner architecture under USDA. PVO Registration system was sunset in 2017 USAID reform — USDA does NOT inherit a live PVO registry; cooperator-program model (FAS MAP/FMD) is the structural analog.
Performance Metrics
FACG engagement on cadence
4 statutory meetings/year + 100% issue-trigger response
PVO Registration disposition decision
Recommendation delivered Month 5; USDA decision Month 7
WFP relationship architecture
Formal MOU or equivalent in place Month 6
Stakeholder mapping completeness
100% identified, owned, cadenced
Risks & Mitigations
Risk
PVO Registration system disruption to in-flight programming
HSG Mitigation
Phased transition with grandfathering provisions for existing PVO partners.
Risk
WFP coordination gap during transition
HSG Mitigation
Early-engagement memo to WFP Executive Director from USDA FAS Administrator.
Risk
FACG composition controversy under new administration
HSG Mitigation
Engage U.S. agricultural industry seats to broaden statutory composition.
Precedent Cases — Direct Execution History
Specific prior work by the HSG senior bench that is structurally analogous to this scope. Each is verifiable through the team member's documented federal employment history.
Kevin Latner — Executive Director
2011–2014
Cotton Council International (FAS MAP/FMD cooperator)
Direct execution of the FAS cooperator-program partnership model — three consecutive Unified Export Strategy submissions ($25M global program). The cooperator-program template is HSG's recommended structural analog to USAID's sunset PVO Registration system. Kevin has run this template end-to-end.
Kevin Latner — Senior Agricultural Attaché responsibilities + cooperator-program execution
2014–2019
USDA FAS posting, US Grains Council
USDA FAS cooperator-program execution at major-market post during US-China trade-war period. Direct prior leadership of the exact federal-agency-to-cooperator engagement relationship structure that HSG recommends transferring to FFP partner-management.
Maurice W. House — Co-chair, interagency global food-crisis task force
2007–2009
USDA / Interagency
Built the cross-agency stakeholder-engagement architecture used during 2008 food crisis. Direct precedent for FACG / IFRP / WFP interagency coordination under USDA management. Maurice carries the federal-level interagency-coordination lineage.
Maurice W. House — Senior Agricultural Counselor — EU + multilateral engagement
2010–2012
USDA FAS Brussels post
Multilateral stakeholder engagement at the EU-multilateral nexus — direct precedent for WFP / FACG senior-leadership coordination. Brussels post is structurally analogous to multilateral coordination role USDA inherits via WFP relationship.
Audrey McGuire — CEO; HUD Office of Asset Sales Project Financial Advisor
1999–present
Emax Inc.
27 years of federal stakeholder-cadence management on HUD OAS — bidders, regulated lenders, OIG, Congress, GSE counterparties. Direct structural analog to FFP stakeholder architecture: multiple constituencies with distinct cadences, escalation paths, and statutory bases. The federal stakeholder-engagement-discipline lineage.
Jelani House — Engagement Manager
Current
House Strategies Group, LLC
HSG's stakeholder-coordination methodology applied across active engagements (HUD OAS Transaction Specialist; Alameda County DA; St Petersburg FL); discipline transfers directly to FFP stakeholder-architecture operationalization. Jelani is the day-to-day execution lead for stakeholder operations.
Live Data Sources HSG Will Query
The real public-record data feeds HSG analysts will pull from during this engagement.
| Source | Access | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| USAID/BHA partner registry (transitioning) | usaid.gov/food-aid (historical) — public; subject to USDA inheritance posture | Title II active partner inventory; 18 PVOs holding DFSAs / RFSAs as of FY24. |
| USAspending.gov FAIN-level disbursements | usaspending.gov — public, federal-mandate under DATA Act | Audited dollar-level obligation per PVO / per fiscal year — partner-concentration baseline. |
| InterAction member directory | interaction.org — public | International NGO industry-association member roster (~190 orgs); secondary partner mapping; federation-level dialogue channel. |
| USDA FAS cooperator-program registration list | fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map — public | 76 FAS-recognized cooperator organizations — direct structural template for FFP partner-eligibility framework under USDA. |
| WFP Annual Performance Report | wfp.org/publications — public, annual | WFP global operational results; multilateral partner performance baseline. |
| WFP HungerMap LIVE | hungermap.wfp.org — public, near-real-time | Operational coordination data feed; near-real-time emergency signal. |
| FAQR / Tufts Friedman School reports | fantaproject.org; nutrition.tufts.edu — public, academic | Academic-grade FFP program-design evaluation; PVO performance assessment baseline. |
| USAID/BHA historical FFPIB archive | usaid.gov/food-aid (transitioning); historical wayback captures | Historical partner-engagement guidance language; baseline for USDA-side cadence design. |
Expected Deliverables
- Stakeholder Relations Guide (PWS Deliverable 7) — month 6
- PVO Registration system disposition recommendation
- WFP relationship migration playbook
- FACG engagement protocol
- IFRP partnership engagement protocol
- USDA-side stakeholder mapping and meeting cadence
Expected Outcome
USDA has a reproducible engagement architecture across the FFP stakeholder community, with documented cadence, ownership, and escalation paths.
References
- 7 USC § 1725 (FACG / IFRP statutory authority)
- USAID PVO Registry (historical archive)
- WFP Annual Performance Report
- USDA FAS cooperator-program registration (MAP / FMD model)
- USAID Food for Peace Office stakeholder-engagement guidance (historical)