Cooperative Agreement AP23AC000000C004

AWARD PURPOSE: THIS AGREEMENT WILL ASSESS LICENSEE AND REGISTRANT UNDERSTANDING AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONTINGENCY RULE AS IT APPLIES TO THE TRANSPORTATION OF REGULATED ANIMALS IN THEIR CARE. THE CONTINGENCY RULE WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2022 AND REQUIRED USDA'S LICENSEES AND REGISTRANTS TO DEVELOP CONTINGENCY PLANS TO SAFEGUARD ANIMAL WELFARE DURING EMERGENCIES. REGISTERED CARRIERS ROUTINELY TRANSPORT ANIMALS AND MUST HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS. REGISTERED HANDLERS AND ALL CATEGORIES OF LICENSEES MAY TRANSPORT ANIMALS DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS WHERE THEY MAY ENCOUNTER EMERGENCIES. THEY MAY ALSO NEED TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS DURING EMERGENCIES. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE WORK WILL BEGIN WITH DESIGNING AND PILOTING A QUANTITATIVE SURVEY. THE SURVEY IS INTENDED TO REACH A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF USDA'S LICENSEES AND REGISTRANTS. UPDATES, GUIDANCE, AND INTERIM RESULTS WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH USDA THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS EFFORT. THE METHODOLOGY FROM THE QUANTITATIVE SURVEY WILL BEREFINED AND DISCUSSED WITH USDA BEFORE A QUALITATIVE ARM BEGINS. THE QUALITATIVE ARM WILL RESULT IN A DEEPER ANALYSIS THAT WILL HELP VALIDATE THE QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTED. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: UPON COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA, THE USDA WILL RECEIVE A WRITTEN DRAFT REPORT. WITH INPUT FROM USDA AND DATA FROM THE QUALITATIVE PART OF THE EFFORT, A FINAL REPORT WILL THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE USDA. THE FINAL REPORT WILL SUMMARIZE THE FINDINGS FROM THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE SURVEYS. IT WILL IMPROVE ANIMAL CARE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES REGISTRANTS AND LICENSEES FACE WHEN PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES DURING ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION. THE EFFORT WILL IDENTIFY GAPS IN STAKEHOLDER KNOWLEDGE AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW THE USDA MAY IMPROVE COMMUNICATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS. THE REPORT WILL HELP THE USDA IDENTIFY TRAINING PRODUCTS THAT STAKEHOLDERS NEED, HELP THE USDA UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF LICENSEES OR REGISTRANTS ARE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING, AND WHAT USDA MAY NEED TO CONSIDER IN FUTURE POLICY OR GUIDANCE FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING DURING THE TRANSPORTATION OF REGULATED ANIMALS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): THIS AGREEMENT WILL HELP THE USDA AND ITS LICENSEES AND REGISTRANTS WHO TRANSPORT ANIMALS. THE OVERALL BENEFIT WILL BE TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF REGULATED ANIMALS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE TRANSPORTING THEM HAVE EMERGENCY PLANNING OCCURS FOR TRANSPORTATION. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD: NO SUBAWARDS ANTICIPATED.