U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Implementation of USDA's Position Designation Process for Research Scientists

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number:
50601-0007-23
Report Type
Audit
Component
Agricultural Research Service
Forest Service
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Description
The three USDA agencies that we reviewed did not consistently implement USDA’s position designation process or review position designations, increasing the risk of improperly vetted research scientists.
Joint Report
No
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

We recommend the Office of Human Resources Management seek national security expertise input from the Office of Homeland Security to document and implement specific policies and procedures for the position designation process, including guidance on how to interpret and apply the Position Designation Tool criteria to USDA’s mission, to ensure research scientists are appropriately vetted.

We recommend the Office of Human Resources Management implement guidance specific to USDA directing agencies to review position designations at least every 4 years and, if necessary, revise the position designations.

We recommend the Agricultural Research Service document and implement mission specific position designation procedures, including guidance on interpreting and applying the Position Designation Tool for research scientists, and evaluate current positions to ensure appropriateness and consistency

We recommend the Forest Service document and implement mission specific position designation procedures, including guidance on interpreting and applying the Position Designation Tool for research scientists, and evaluate current positions to ensure appropriateness and consistency.

We recommend the National Institute of Food and Agriculture document and implement mission specific position designation procedures, including guidance on interpreting and applying the Position Designation Tool for research scientists, and evaluate current positions to ensure appropriateness and consistency.