The secretary shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To design the project application and selection process, including a program to advertise the project to rural communities and encourage prospective applicants to apply. Subject to funding, project sites shall be selected that are eligible to receive funding. Funding shall be used to hire consultants and perform other activities necessary to meet participant requirements under this chapter. The secretary shall require at least fifty percent matching funds or in-kind contributions from participants. In considering selection of participants eligible for seed grant funding, the secretary should consider project sites where (a) existing access to health care is severely inadequate, (b) recruitment and retention problems have been chronic, (c) the community is in need of primary care practitioners, or (d) the community has unmet health care needs for specific target populations;

(2) To design acceptable health care professional recruitment and retention strategic plans, and to serve as a general resource to participants in the planning, administration, and evaluation of project sites;

(3) To assess and approve strategic plans developed by participants, including an assessment of the technical and financial feasibility of implementing the plan and whether adequate local support for the plan is demonstrated;

(4) To identify existing private and public resources that may serve as eligible consultants, identify technical assistance resources for communities in the project, create a register of public and private technical resource services available, and provide the register to participants. The secretary shall screen consultants to determine their qualifications prior to including them on the register;

(5) To work with other state agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and private organizations to coordinate technical assistance services for participants;

(6) To administer available funds for community use while participating in the project and establish procedures to assure accountability in the use of seed grant funds by participants;

(7) To define data and other minimum requirements for adequate evaluation of projects and to develop and implement an overall monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the projects;

(8) To act as facilitator for multiple applicants and entrants to the project;

(9) To report to the appropriate legislative committees and others from time to time on the progress of the projects including the identification of statutory and regulatory barriers to successful completion of rural health care delivery goals and an ongoing evaluation of the project.