Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 1/26/12

As the USDA’s Blueprint for Stronger Service is rolled out over the coming year, it may mean “additional early retirement opportunities based on workforce alignment” and “additional restructuring of organizational charts” internally, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

The call largely focused on ways in which President Obama’s plans for bolstering the middle class covered in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address are expected to play out in rural areas, such as projects to shore up aging infrastructure.

But in response to a reporter’s question, Vilsack addressed the restructuring, noting that USDA’s plans must go through “the process of complying with Congressional requirements on public hearings and the like,” and reiterating that he hoped to minimize job loss overall. Nevertheless, the report has 69 recommendations for short- and long-term changes to the agency which may result in personnel shifts.

In addition, Vilsack singled out the National Agricultural Statistics Service for “some announcements” regarding its operations “because their budget’s been constrained for some time.” The USDA is examining whether discontinuing some reports will improve overall the information being reported by the NASS.
 

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