The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 gave authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to reorganize the Department, including both headquarters and field structures. The USDA Service Center concept is one cornerstone of the organization effort. By consolidating individual agency field offices into service centers, USDA has reduced its total number of offices, provided more efficient service to its customers, and done so at a reduced cost to taxpayers.

USDA's Service Centers deliver programs from one or more of the following major partner agencies: the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development. Other USDA agencies, such as the Extension Service and Forest Service, are also present in some USDA Service Centers as appropriate.

The four strategic goals of USDA's Service Centers are:

• One-stop service for greater customer convenience in accessing USDA programs,
• High quality customer service,
• Reduced cost for taxpayers and customers, and
• Partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local governments, organizations, communities, and customers.

The Secretary of Agriculture charged the National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC), with implementation of the USDA Service Center concept. The NFAC is comprised of the leaders of the major service center partner agencies. The NFAC has initiated action in a number of areas to support service center implementation. These initiatives include: Business Process Reengineering, Change Management and Customer Service Training, and Information Technology.

This is an Official United States Government system which may be used only for authorized purposes. Unauthorized modification of any information stored on this system may result in criminal prosecution. The Government may monitor and audit usage of this system, and all persons are hereby notified that use of this system constitutes consent to such monitoring and auditing. Visit the legal information and disclaimers page and the privacy policy page for more information.