New Course on Advanced Compliance and Enforcement Topics

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service national organic program organic insider

New Organic Integrity Learning Center Course

New Course on Advanced Compliance and Enforcement Topics

The National Organic Program (NOP) is committed to both developing the organic market and protecting it. To advance this work, we are pleased to announce a new course in the Organic Integrity Learning Center: Advanced Compliance and Enforcement Topics.

Accredited certifiers regularly verify compliance with and enforce the USDA organic regulations for the organic operations they oversee. Certifiers conduct many distinct tasks as part of their complex oversight role, from researching applicants, proposing adverse actions, and mediating settlement agreements, to conducting announced and unannounced inspections. These actions protect all the organic farmers that are playing by the rules and help keep fraud out of the system.

The Advanced Compliance and Enforcement Topics course offers new resources, tips, and best practices to successfully implement these activities. This course builds on the NOP Compliance and Enforcement – Adverse Actions, Appeals, and Reinstatements course. Certifiers and inspectors will participate in hands-on activities to learn how to:

  • use online research tools and strategies.
  • write, monitor, and manage strong settlement agreements.
  • evaluate strategies and methods for conducting targeted investigations.

Self-Enrolling in Learning Center Courses

Getting Started

How to Register for a Course

Once logged into the USDA AMS National Organic Program, Organic Integrity Learning Center, signing up for a course is like buying a product at an online store, but all training is free.

To register for an NOP course in the Organic Integrity Learning Center, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Register for Course in the menu.
  2. Available courses in the program will appear.
  3. Click the green Register button for each desired course.
  4. The green button will change to a blue button that says "Added to Cart."
  5. You will see a shopping cart with the number of courses selected.
  6. Click the link that says Proceed to Checkout. Note: The tuition is $0 – All training in the Learning Center is free!
  7. A list of the courses you've selected will appear. To confirm enrollment, select the green Confirm button.
  8. Go to your Dashboard to launch the course.
  9. Click on the course title from the list of Active Courses.

Need more? Access more detailed instructions with screen-shots

Notes:

  • Once you have completed a course, it will appear under the list of Completed Courses.
  • To access all completed course content, register for the National Organic Program Training Archive course to review (read-only) material from all OILC courses.

Learning Center Course Offerings

OILC Course Offerings

Click image to view course list.