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Good afternoon Stakeholder,
The planning teams from GIPSA, FSA and AMS
are making solid progress on the design of our new organization and are already
moving to identify the next steps for implementation of the merger. In
our weekly planning meeting this week, the teams spent time discussing “what
success will look like” as we implement the necessary changes to create our new
organization. Here are some of the elements of success that the team
identified:
- Maintaining
business operations
- Transition
of employees into the new organizational structure
- Have
shared services people in place so that employees know who to go to for
services
- All
GIPSA and FSA employees fully function with their IT systems, computers,
printers, access, etc. within the AMS environment
So we have a question for all of you.
How would you define success as we move forward through this transition?
Your input and feedback on this topic will help us develop our implementation
plans, so
please take some time to give this question some thought and email us your
ideas at employeeqs@ams.usda.gov
or amsadministratoroffice@ams.usda.gov.
And , If you haven’t already, please sign up to receive
future updates through GovDelivery and let others know this is how we
will be providing current details as they become available.
Bruce Summers
Acting AMS Administrator
This
Week
Commodity Procurement
The commodity
procurement team is requesting position descriptions of all affected FSA
employees, source documents for all funding streams for commodity purchases and
personnel costs, and WebTA data illustrating how employees’ time was billed to
various funding sources for analysis.
Fair Trade Practices
The FTPP Team confirmed that the structure of the new program
would be similar to other AMS programs; confirmed support services would be
“shared services” provided through the Office of the Administrator; suggested revising the program name to more
accurately reflect the warehousing functions proposed; and
is developing recommendations for what staff and functions will move to
the new program.
Federal Grain Inspection Service
FGIS Team developed a list of key tasks to
be completed and hot issue items requiring immediate attention and developed
draft list of contracts/agreements/MOUs.
Information Technology
The AMS, GIPSA and FSA IT staff worked
with OCIO on email and migration of GIPSA and FSA
employees and reviewed and inventoried
existing IT staff office space. AMS/GIPSA IT
teams worked together to prepare a response to IT Modernization/IT
Rationalization data call.
Support Services
The
joint support team presented the new AMS Office of the Administrator structure
to the Leadership
Team, and met
with the FSA Office of Budget
and Finance to discuss future warehouse funding.
On the Horizon
Commodity Procurement
Complete working final draft of Project
Management Plan (Objectives/Outcomes) spreadsheet, with dates added.
Fair Trade Practices
The FTPP team will address
the new program’s IT functions.
Federal Grain Inspection Service
After completing the list of
contracts/agreements/MOUs, the team will begin drafting an implementation plan.
Information Technology
The IT will finalize email transition timeline; conduct an Initial analysis
of GIPSA and FSA employee computers, printers and network migration and AMS IT
and GIPSA IT staff will host a Fall team building event.
Support Services
Once OSEC approval is received, the team will a prepare organization chart
complete with staff assignments and create conversion/migration team for
APHIS/MRPBS/Financial Management Division.
The Facts
Q. Are
the reorganization teams tasked with proposing ideas for the transition or will
they actually develop the transition plan? And will there be
representation on the teams for PSP headquarters’ staff?
A. The
teams currently working on the merger of AMS, GIPSA
and FSA are developing plans for how the merger can best be accomplished.
The teams are developing new organization charts and identifying all of the
issues that must be addressed during the merger. In the next few weeks we
will begin to prepare implementation plans that include next steps, timelines
and identifying
the individuals that will take ownership of
each particular phase of the implementation. This next phase of the
merger will involve many employees from each of the three agencies representing
all program areas and divisions.
Q.
In the e-mail we received on September 7, there is no mention of what is to become of Commodity Management Division (CMD)
and Business Operations Support Division (BOSD) in the Commodity Office. Can
you shed some light on what will happen to us?
A. The plans for the FSA and AMS merger are still being drafted so
specifics are not yet available. However, the Secretary made clear in his announcement of the merger that
every employee will have a job and no reductions in workforce will occur.
In general, most
employees will see little change in the day-to-day activities.
Q.
The answer to the question about buyouts
stated that “The plan calls for every employee to maintain their employment in
either their existing position or in a closely related capacity.” Please
elaborate on what “closely related capacity means?”
A. By closely related capacity we mean that employees are likely to
continue in their current job series.
Q.
Would the reorganization give staff more
opportunity within the new organization to advance?
A. The most likely opportunities for employees in the new
organization will be realized through more varied job
responsibilities. Opportunities for advancement will arise as employees expand
their range of knowledge and skills in the new, larger
AMS.
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