U.S. Department of Agriculture: Foreign Agriculture Service Could Benefit from Better Strategic Planning
GGD-95-225
Published: Sep 28, 1995. Publicly Released: Sep 28, 1995.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to determine if FAS uses its resources in the most effective manner to accomplish its mission.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FAS, to ensure that the strategic plan under development as well as the revised LATS and country marketing plans better reflect the criteria discussed in this report, including differentiation among priorities and appropriate measures for gauging progress and ensuring accountability. |
Closed – Implemented
On October 25, 1995, USDA/FAS updated and revised its Long Term Agricultural Trade Strategy in a manner generally responsive to the thrust of GAO's recommendation. It plans to make additional revisions in the strategic plan consistent with GAO's report recommendations.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To more effectively and efficiently use resources to help increase U.S. agricultural exports, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FAS, to devise and implement a strategy to better ensure that decisions on locations of overseas offices involve consideration of options derived from a systemic as well as a local circumstance perspective. An element of such a strategy would be an assessment of the cost effectiveness of the locations of overseas offices. |
Closed – Implemented
On October 25, 1995, USDA/FAS issued a revised Long-Term Agricultural Trade Strategy that is generally responsive to GAO's recommendation. Further revisions responsive to GAO's recommendation are anticipated.
|
| Department of Agriculture | To more effectively and efficiently use resources to help increase U.S. agricultural exports, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FAS, to reevaluate FAS workforce capacity needs for both the foreign service cadre and other workforce components. An essential part of this reevaluation would be a reassessment of the 50-percent rotation policy with a view toward increasing the amount of time that foreign service officers serve overseas. |
Closed – Implemented
An FAS Task Force on FAS Personnel Systems has made a number of recommendations responsive to GAO's report recommendation, including a revision of its 50-percent overseas rotation policy for foreign agricultural attaches. FAS has begun to implement these recommendations, the majority of which are consistent with GAO's recommendation.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FAS, to ensure that its commodity reporting system contributes to FAS strategic priorities. In doing so, the Administrator should ensure that commodity reports meet the needs of external and internal users and do not unnecessarily duplicate information available from other sources. |
Closed – Implemented
FAS completed an internal review of its commodity reporting systems, which has resulted in a number of management decisions consistent with the thrust of GAO's recommendation. Additional commodity reporting reforms are anticipated.
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Topics
Agency missionsAgricultural assistanceCommodity marketingExportingForeign trade policiesInternational tradeInternational trade regulationStaff utilizationStrategic planningAgricultural trade