Southern United States Trade Association
Strategic & Operational Plan
The Challenge
Founded in 1973, the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) is a non-profit agricultural export trade development association that represents the departments of agriculture of 15 southern states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. SUSTA combines federal, state, and industry resources to help introduce U.S. manufacturers and producers to new markets and expand the demand for American food and agricultural products. With agricultural exports rising and state funds for international activities declining, the need for organizations like SUSTA continues to grow. At the same time that demands on the agency have increased, SUSTA has faced a number of hurdles. In recent years, the organization has overcome staffing shortages, a change in leadership, and disruption of its New Orleans headquarters by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Despite these obstacles, the organization has served hundreds of agricultural producers and maintained good relationships with its constituents.
The Approach
TIP Strategies, together with MGT of America, was engaged by SUSTA to develop a strategic and operational plan for the organization. The purpose of this work was to help SUSTA maximize exports of agricultural products through effective administration and execution of the Market Access Program (MAP), an initiative of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The plan is the culmination of the consulting team’s extensive analysis using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The strategies and recommendations were informed by a number of tasks, including:
- an analysis of the organization’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT),
- site visits to SUSTA’s New Orleans office to review operational procedures and gather input from staff,
- an analysis of export growth and market conditions in more than 200 countries, and
- interviews with key stakeholders, including the state departments of agriculture staff, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) personnel, participating companies, and other consultants working with SUSTA.
An important focus of the work was developing a transparent and defensible approach to the evaluation of MAP funding proposals using a specific set of criteria. This system is currently being implemented for the 2008 funding cycle.
The Outcome
SUSTA operates in a unique environment, juggling private sector needs and expectations with those of its member states, while interpreting complex and changing federal regulations and watching global market conditions. The strategic and operational plan provides a course of action that will help SUSTA staff continue to pursue the organization’s mission in a thoughtful and effective manner. It provides guidance on key issues, including standardizing agency operations and procedures, leveraging available resources to increase participation in SUSTA activities, strengthening relationships with the organization’s varied constituent groups, and raising awareness about the organization and its mission.
Jerry Hingle Executive Director Southern United States Trade Association 2 Canal Street, Suite 2515 New Orleans, LA 70130 504.568.5986 jerry@susta.org
Rick Maloney, Director Market Development Division Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture 2800 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4298 405.522.5509 rick@oda.state.ok.us
