FSIS BACKGROUNDER
January 1996
Proposed Reorganization on the
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Highlights of the Proposal
FSIS must change its organizational structure to make the best possible
use of its resources so that it can meet the food safety and consumer protection
challenges of the further. The change will position the Agency to implement
the inspection program of the future.
Proposal would maintain a frontline workforce capable of providing rigorous
science-based regulatory oversight. The streamlining of the management
would assure that the maximum resources can be applied to priority food
safety activities such as increased microbial sampling, storage, and retail
stages of the food system.
Proposal would streamline current headquarters structure significantly:
- reduce number of major organizational segments form 13 to 7.
- eliminate one layer of management at headquarters (Associate Administrators).
- reduce number of supervisory positions.
- reduce number of headquarters and field non-front line positions by
20%.
Proposal would unify and streamline field management structure:
- unify current four separate field structures into one structure to carry
out all domestic and international meat, poultry and egg product inspection
and compliance activities.
- streamline current 46 field management offices, staffed by 470 employees
at a cost of $27 million to 18 district offices, staffed by 240 employees
at a cost of $16 million, one centralized technical services center, and
two centralized administrative centers. The difference would be used to
fund the functions which would move to the technical services center and
the administrative centers, fund the cost of implementing the reorganization,
and carry out the Agency's commitment to further streamline its support
structure.
- eliminate one of three existing inspection supervisory/management layers
in the field by collapsing the 5 regional offices and 26 area offices into
the 18 district offices.
Benefits
- Streamlining of management would permit further focusing resources on
frontline activities.
- Unified field management structure would improve ability to marshall
and flexibly manage resources to carry out inspection and compliance activities.
- New headquarters structure would provide new focus, leadership and scientific
expertise in addressing the most important public health risks related to
meat, poultry and egg products.
- New headquarters structure would centralize management of all policy,
rulemaking, and program development activities to better lead and evaluate
program changes.
- Consolidation of administrative functions would increase efficiency
and improve effectiveness
Impact on Employees
The proposed reorganization requires approval by USDA before FSIS can begin
implementation. The approval process is expected to take several months,
and full implementation is expected to be completed within 2 years following
approval.
The proposal would not affect staffing levels or the wok locations of employees
at the in-plant level.
The current 46 field management offices are staffed by 470 employees. Under
the proposed reorganization the jobs of 240 of these employees will be transferred
to the district offices. Approximately 40 jobs will by transferred to the
technical services center, and approximately 90 jobs will be transferred
to centralized administrative offices located in Minneapolis and Des Moines.
For those employees who work in offices that may be closed or reduced in
size, the Agency will do everything it can, within legal and budgetary constraints,
to find other opportunities in FSIS. Job placement assistance will be provided
to employees whose jobs are abolished as a result of the reorganization.
The Agency is not currently considering any involuntary separation actions.