The Human Resources Division provides support to the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services mission-area which includes the Farm Service Agency, the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Risk Management Agency. The Foreign Operations Branch (FOB), provides classification, employment and management advisory services to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and administers the foreign service employment system within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mission of FAS is to serve U.S. agriculture's international interests by expanding export opportunities for U. S. agricultural, fish, and forest products, and promoting world food security. FAS has approximately 500 Civil Service employees headquartered in Washington, D.C., and maintains an international field cadre which includes approximately 165 Foreign Service employees and 150 Foreign Service National (FSN) employees, in U. S. embassies and trade offices in 80 posts, covering 130 countries around the world. FAS employs another 150 employees appointed under a special Schedule B appointing authority for technical assistance activities.
The FOB is a staff of 12 human resources professionals and supporting personnel. The major functions of the Branch are to:
- Develop and issue policy and guidelines covering the FAS civil and foreign service position classification program, including interpretation of OPM classification standards, position description development, and liaison with the Department of State on the FSN classification program.
- Provide management advisory services to FAS officials in Washington and overseas on position management, allocation of position numbers, types and grade, utilization of employees, and workforce planning.
- Provide technical assistance in solving a wide variety of organizational problems.
- Develop and administer the FAS employment program including management of recruitment and placement activities for headquarters and overseas offices, and management of the FAS Recruitment Committee.
- Maintain student programs such as the: Student Temporary Employment Programs (STEP), Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), Summer Intern Program, and 1890 Scholar Program, and to build a diverse work force at the entry level.
- Develop policies and procedures for administration of the USDA foreign service personnel system including reviewing legislation and representing the Department of Agriculture on interagency boards, working groups, joint negotiations and other forums involving the legal, regulatory and policy provisions of the foreign service.
- Administer the Foreign Service Lateral Entry Examination for career entry in the foreign service, and coordination of the Board of Examiners with the Department of State.
- Develop and issue policy and procedural guidelines for the Foreign Service Secretarial Program, including administering the Career Entrance Examination.
- Develop policy and procedural guidelines for administration of the foreign service Selections Boards to rate and rank members for promotion, performance pay, and selection out.
- Establish policy and procedures to monitor and track Commissioning and Tenuring requirements for career foreign service members.
- Exercise the special Schedule B recruiting and appointing authority for international cooperation and development technical assistance specialists for domestic and overseas assignments under agreements with other government agencies, international organizations, and foreign governments.
The Branch also participates in a variety of Department and mission-wide human resource initiatives, and develops FAS classification and employment policy consistent with FFAS, Departmental, and Department of State policy requirements. Human resource policy is also developed in collaboration with 2 bargaining unions, representing the civil service and foreign service, and with other mission-wide human resources operations. Services include providing advice, training and counseling to supervisors, employees and managers on human resource processes.
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