| What is the
Memorandum of Agreement signed by FSIS and the Public Health
Service?
On April 17, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services' Public Health Service (PHS)
entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which significantly
expands the number of PHS Commissioned Corps Officers detailed
to FSIS.
How will FSIS and PHS benefit from this new agreement?
This MOA provides a win-win situation for both agencies
in the following ways:
First, the MOA brings additional resources to fill critical
job positions throughout FSIS - ones in which the Agency typically
has difficulty in recruiting, such as nurses, medical officers
to name a few. The diverse background and skills that the
Commissioned Corps Officers bring to FSIS will nicely complement
the skills of its current workforce.
Second, this agreement allows the Commissioned Corps Officers
an opportunity for new tours of duty in another dynamic Federal
agency, bringing with that career enhancements, and an attractive
pay and benefit package.
Third, the MOA improves FSIS' coordination with sister agencies.
The Commissioned Corps wants its officers to rotate among
different Federal agencies. It enhances their potential for
promotion and gives them an expansive Federal experience.
The emphasis on coordination with sister agencies is a major
goal of FSIS in its ongoing mission to improve food safety
and public health.
Fourth, this agreement complements FSIS' current personnel
system. It allows recruiters to offer potential new employees
a choice of either General Schedule or Commissioned Corps.
Fifth, flexible deployment rules allow the Officers to respond
instantly to emergencies and shifting priorities within the
Agency. The Officers are on call 24 hours, seven days per
week, which gives them the ability and flexibility to respond
to public health issues immediately. This will further support
FSIS' commitment to public health.
How does the MOA help FSIS achieve its vision of
becoming a world-class public health agency?
The addition of PHS Officers will provide a level of expertise
and professionalism in specialized areas that are key to protecting
public health. More specifically, the addition of these officers
will help FSIS achieve its public health vision by enhancing
its efforts in:
- Homeland Security - For homeland security,
Commissioned Corps Officers are on call 24 hours, seven
days a week, which enhances FSIS' capabilities for rapid
response during heightened security alerts or an actual
threat to the food supply.
- Workforce Development - The Commissioned
Corps Officers, with their level of expertise and professionalism,
will help raise the standard of excellence for FSIS' workforce.
Commissioned Corps Officers will share their scientific
and technical knowledge with FSIS employees, which is vital
as the Agency develops its workforce to have the skills
needed to succeed in a science-based inspection program
and operate within a public health-oriented environment.
- Meeting Critical Priorities and Needs -
The Commissioned Corps Officers' flexible deployment rules
allow FSIS to respond immediately to shifting priorities,
such as outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.
Have Commissioned Corps Officers been detailed to
FSIS before this MOA?
Yes. In January 1998, FSIS' Office of Public Health and Science
entered into a agreement with the Public Health Service to
have Commissioned Corps Officers detailed only to that particular
office with FSIS. The number of Commissioned Corps Officers
at any given time serving in FSIS since 1998 has been between
five and 10.
What makes this MOA unique?
This MOA significantly expands the number of Commissioned
Corps Officers detailed to FSIS and these officers can serve
in other program areas such as the Office of Field Operations,
Office of Management, and Office of Food Security and Emergency
Preparedness. The other unique factor is that FSIS is the
first agency within USDA to sign an agency-wide MOA with the
Public Health Service.
How many Commissioned Corps Officers will be employed
by FSIS?
With this new agreement, FSIS intends to incorporate at least
30 additional officers nationwide across all program areas.
How will Public Health Service Officers be integrated
into FSIS?
FSIS will have mentors assigned to each new Public Health
Officer detailed to the Agency. These mentors, who are career
FSIS employees, will be in the same program area and will
work closely with the new commissioned corps officers. Their
purpose is to provide a complete orientation to the roles
and responsibilities required of their position in the Agency,
and they will be there to assist with any questions or concerns
during their transition.
Do Public Health Officers outrank their career FSIS
employee counterparts since they (Commissioned Corps) wear
uniforms?
One should not automatically assume that since the Commissioned
Corps Officers wear a uniform, they automatically outrank
their FSIS counterparts. They will be held accountable to
their colleagues and report to their FSIS supervisors who
very well may not be in the Commissioned Corps - just like
every other FSIS employee. The Commissioned Corps Officer
ranks are comparable to the following GS grades:
- Lieutenant (0-3) = GS 9/11
- Lieutenant Commander (0-4) = GS 12
- Commander (0-5) = GS 13
- Captain (0-6) = GS 14/15
- Rear Admiral (0-7) = SES
What are the qualifications needed to become a Commissioned
Corps Officer?
Generally speaking, there are six factors which one must meet
in order to be a Commissioned Corps Officer. These are:
- U.S. citizen;
- Under 44 years of age;
- Physically qualified;
- Must pass an initial suitability/background investigation;
- Must have an active current license; and An appropriate
bachelor's degree or higher level (master's or doctorate)
degree from an accredited university.
The particular degree required will be different depending
on the occupation. For example, if FSIS wants to fill a Veterinary
Medical Officer position with a Commissioned Corps Officer,
that officer would have to hold a doctorate degree in Veterinary
Medicine from a school accredited by the Council on Education
of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
What types of positions will Commissioned Corps Officers
fill within FSIS?
The Commissioned Corps has a variety of occupations that will
help promote FSIS' public health mission. These Officers will
serve in a various capacities across FSIS in specific areas
where there is a greater demand for scientific knowledge and
judgment. PHS Officers will work as permanent staff members
alongside their FSIS counterparts as veterinarians, scientists,
dietitians, environmental health officers, physicians, and
nurses.
What other Federal agencies utilize Commissioned
Corps Officers?
The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers are
frequently assigned to a broad range of career opportunities
in the following agencies:
April 2003 |
