**Human Capital Survey**

**December 2005**

**Question 49**

Question: Please provide any additional comments you would like to make
on any topic covered in this survey or topics you feel should have been
part of this survey on human capital.

Response: open ended

1.  this survey asked alot of nosey questions.

2.  I am very pleased to be a part of the NRCS family and am impressed
    that leadership cares about my concerns.

3.  Student loan repayment program and telecommuting are excellent
    incentives and should be used more in retaining employees.

4.  I think that if you are doing a good job, you should be able to get
    a WG increase.

5.  My wife is employed outside of the home. Our choice was to create
    our own business so she could quit the USDA/FSA agency. She had
    worked for the agency a total of 16 years, but could no longer
    finish until retirement because of health reasons which was induced
    from stress relating to the job.

6.  An ethinically diverse workforce is somewhat important, but the most
    qualified person must be hired to fill a position. Quite often
    caucasian males are passed over for promotions because of the
    importance NRCS has placed on hiring minorities.

7.  On the subject of requiring a move to be promoted, the policy
    shouldn\'t be strictly yes or no. There are many factors that should
    be considered. Maybe for certain entry level positions, such as soil
    con, it is a good idea. But in other cases, it might make more sense
    to promote them in place and give them experience because the next
    job they want isn\'t offered at the current location and they will
    have to move at that time if they want that type of position. I
    think a combination policy of circumstances where it will always be
    required and circumstances that would be considered on an individual
    case basis would be the most effective. As far as areas where NRCS
    will need more expertise in the future, I believe NRCS should be
    more active in working with the organic community as it dovetails in
    nicely with our goals of conservation. It has come into its own
    largely without government help and I believe is more of a
    sustainable approach than the current methods of large scale
    chemical farming we are currently associating ourselves with. Wind
    power is another area, possibly for cleaner air but the detriment to
    the bird population should be determined once and for all. I just
    saw choices in that question that seemed to keep the agency
    operating under the status quo and I had hoped to see some choices
    that acknowledged we are living in a changing world and hopefully
    the agency is considering some of those technologies for future
    directions to go. We have led the way in the past and could probably
    do so in the future.

8.  As a member of the LGBT community I find federal govt benefits do
    not recognize or support me or my familiy\'s needs. If NRCS is to
    become an employer of choice, then the lack of \"freindly\" benefits
    will have to be offset by a supportive work environment that
    encourages each individual to excel.

9.  The section on needed expertise could have been stronger. The agecny
    seems to be demanding more of the traditional skills from the past
    in achieving performance goals. The release of the agency strategic
    plan may more clearly define this than this survey. Diversity
    questions could also have been expanded. The agency has done quite
    well with some diversity and hardly made any progress with other.

10. Should ask: How aware are agency managers of your type of work? How
    crucial is your type of work to the future of the nations natural
    resources? How well do the top level managers stay in touch with
    field operations? national level activities? administratation
    politics? interagency collaborative opportunities? new advances in
    science that apply to mission functions? plan for long-term
    (5-10)technology development needs? plan for just about anything in
    the long-term (5-10yr)? NOTE: many of us have been warning
    leadership about the impending loss of a large number of employees
    (a majority in some disciplines)for 10 years now. This suggests that
    the 5 year planning cycles of the agency are too short.

11. The NRCS needs to emphasize hiring clerical people to fill out
    PROGRAM paperwork

12. Supervisors need more training in dealing with employees unwilling
    to do their jobs. Instead of resolving the issue, they are
    transferred to a more \"welcoming\" environment and the entire
    agency suffers. Let\'s deal with the NRCS deadwood problem.

13. The ability to gain additional experience is always denied because
    this state has the policy not sending my pay grade to tempoary
    assinments in field or area offices. No training is provided to
    productivly operate newly upgraded software or new technologies. The
    promotion and/or recruitment of personel is at low pay grades with
    no opportunity to advance unless someone retires. Once a person is
    hired and trained they take that training elsewhere (other agencies)
    at a greater pay grade not offered here. Therefore a large amount of
    manpower is diverted to train their replacements every few years.

14. Funding is insufficient to hire new people. Exorbitant time is lost
    due to inadequate and outdated computer equipment. More assistance
    is needed from IT staff (understaffed).

15. NRCS needs to go back to assisting landowners on the ground more
    than it does.

16. All programs of the agency should have been considered when
    developing the survey so the questions pertained to all employees.
    As usual, unless you are a line employee directly involved in the
    field office\...you might as well not exist and the work you do
    seems to be not valued. While I am a very happy employee, it is
    because of self development and partnerships and \"atta girls\" from
    outside the agency that bring the satisfaction of knowing I am
    making a difference in communities and people\'s lives. It is no
    wonder that virtually every NRCS employee involved in the
    traditional mission area are miserable, hateful and bitter. The
    agency has lost it\'s way, does not know how to be a true partner
    and is so top down that local people laugh when you say who you work
    for. This is not an attractive climate to try to attract the best
    and brightest. \"Come work for NRCS where you will not be allowed to
    think for yourself or make any decisions without the approval of the
    computer or state office.\"

17. The last 10 questions or so are so specific that they effectively
    allow identification of the respondent for stafff serving in
    centers, regional offices, and other special situations

18. I think the agency should hire highly qualified people and if a
    mistake is made remove people in the probationary period. As an
    agency we have not done a good job of this over the last 15 years.

19. This agency suffers from a \"one size fits all\" system development
    strategy that often results in computer systems that are so
    inflexible they end up wasting more of the agency\'s resources than
    they save. The inefficient use of staff time and resources is
    staggering. More and more of our administrative systems (travel,
    timekeeping, human resources etc.) are being automated (which is
    great since I\'m all for automation). However, the systems are
    designed in such a way that a lot of common administrative tasks
    that could be performed by assistants are now being performed by
    GS-14s and 15s because the systems do not allow anyone else to
    perform these tasks on their behalf. While this is a sensible
    approach for the field, where there are very few clerical resources
    and the technical/program staff are dispersed throught the state in
    small field service centers, this model makes no sense for our large
    offices (e.g., state offices, NHQ, and national centers) where there
    is a clerical support structure. For example, it is a complete waste
    of resources to have a GS-15 login to an online travel program to
    make their air and hotel reservations when she/he has a clerical
    assistant who could do that on her/his behalf. However, the way the
    system was designed, a clerical can\'t \"legally\" login and make
    reservations on behalf of another employee. So we are left with two
    choices (1) waste the GS-15s time making travel reservations or (b)
    undermine security procedures and give the GS-15s username/password
    to the clerical assistant (don\'t believe for a moment that this is
    not happening all over the place). Neither are good choices for the
    agency. I realize the goal is to \"do more with less\" by streamling
    and automating clerical processes so that we don\'t have to carry a
    lot of low-graded clerical staff and can hire techical/program staff
    instead. I believe that\'s a worthwhile goal, but the fact remains
    that at certain administrative levels there will always be
    assistants and it would be more cost effective and efficient to
    design systems that have the flexibility to accommodate both the
    traditional \"staff/clerical\" model and the emerging \"unsupported
    staff\" model.

20. Marital status and number of children should not be a requirement to
    developing a human capital strategic plan.

21. -The term \'human capital\' is an example of how the agency has
    changed the perception of agency careers to just jobs. People are
    people and not trucks, computers, nor livestock. -Supervisory and
    personnel skills need to be developed and policies enforced

22. The application process is too burdensome; create a simpler
    electronic application format (like USGS OARS) and let applicants
    know if they have not supplied all the application materials (like
    an SF-50). I have been turned down for positions because I did not
    state that my calculus was integral calculus even though I specified
    that I had four semesters of calculus. Sometimes I think the people
    in personnel look for reasons to screen out applicants. Instead,
    they should be giving the hiring supervisor a larger list not a
    smaller one. Let the agency\'s managers make the hiring decisions
    and not personnel.

23. n/a

24. Q5. Please rate what you think is the basis for why employees are
    promoted? There were only 5 choices and none of them are correct.

25. Had issue with question 5. None of the answers were what I would
    choose. It is my perception that people are more often promoted
    beccause of who they know, or because upper management is just more
    confortable with them, which arguably isn\'t much different from how
    the rest of the world operates. In the IT arena, nobody who is
    willing to state the truth about what can be accomplished with our
    limited resources would ever be promoted to upper management,
    because upper management doesn\'t want to hear that they can\'t have
    every information system that they envision.

26. Question 20 is stupid. It requires exactly five selections, even if
    I select \"I don\'t know\" or \"No increase needed.\" If I don\'t
    think there are five areas that need to be increased I should not be
    required to pick five.

27. I am seeing less promotion possibilities. Through Quality Step
    Increases I was able to quickly move to step 10. Now I am stuck.
    Positions that were supposed to be advertised in the last few years
    have not yet been or have been phased out. I guess I need to start
    looking else where.

28. NRCS should be proportionally diverse as the Civilian Workforce.

29. As an \"old fart\" with the agency (I started while it was SCS)
    I\'ve seen what we do from being in the \"field\" with a survey rod
    to now when our field work is done in front of a computer. This is
    not necessarily bad (not my call) but the advent of many IT related
    applications is changing how this agency does its core business as
    compared to how it was done in the days of SCS. I\'m not saying this
    is a negative influence, I think it is a factor reflecting the world
    we live in. NRCS\'s vision/mission should reflect the way we choose
    to do business, if management does not want a broad understanding of
    how the \"field\" works we go one direction, if management does want
    a employees to have a \"big picture\" view of the field, then it
    moves another direction. I believe that automation is here to stay,
    but I\'ve seen automated tools developed that almost remove the need
    for experienced judgement - this may be by choice. Again I see that
    how the agency chooses to use automation will have a major influence
    in how manages its people and the type of people it hires in the
    future.

30. Since I\'ve been a 14 I\'ve seen and worked with many people. I\'ve
    not worked directly with field folks for several years, now it\'s
    more with NHQ, Beltsvile and SO\'s. I think the field knew their
    job, and most of them seemed motivated to do it and do it right. My
    experience with others has been considerably different, depending on
    location. Some of the folks in NHQ & Beltsville are great, but many
    seem to be in the system for the pay check and little else.

31. The term \"human capital\" is offensive, I feel like you are
    inventorying property. we no longer have identies,just things to be
    counted. I don\'t believe employee satisfaction is important. Race
    is still an issue and will always be. The good old boys are alive
    and in control. This survey is something created to give the
    illusion that you are thinking about the future the organization is
    top heavy not many worker bees. You hav mangers doing clerical work,
    you have systems that are a pain to use. I don\'t know what the
    future holds for the usda, but I don\'t see any changes that will
    happen before I retire.

32. Question 43 should provide for widowed.

33. Question 48 needs an optional N/A answer. Single people do not have
    a choice as to where there non-existent spouse works. Leads to false
    data representation.

34. Questions on retirement should not all be financially oriented. What
    about job satisfaction, burnout, agency\'s loss of focus &
    redirection from quality TA to quantity FA

35. each question should have a remarks block. On a few question NONE of
    the available answers fit and in order to complete the survey
    something had to be selected so you have a skewed survey from the
    beginning.

36. In the marital status, where is \"widowed\"? By default, I had to
    check married, but separated, which is not accurate. Also #48
    assumes you have a spouse\....

37. I do think helping spouse with employment is beneficial, but not a
    requirement.

38. Telecommuting is in the future and should be discussed.

39. I feel there is such a disconnect between NHQ and field offices. We
    are program oriented. I am concerned that our best younger employees
    are not going to put up with the stress and tension of being over
    worked. We do not have enough employees to properly administrate all
    of our programs.We have hired technical skilled employees and expect
    them to be computer experts and contract administrators.

40. I feel strongly about educating our newer employees. One area we are
    lacking in is farm background. Developing training for our non-farm
    newer employees, I feel is very important!

41. To capture better feedback run a survey based on job title, all
    Cons. technicians, Soil/Resource Conservationist, engineers,
    management type positions, etc.

42. Telecomutting or remote locations should be available for jobs that
    are primarily achieved using telephone and computer communications

43. You must think we are brilliant. In the last few years, with barely
    time to catch on, I have become a contract specialist, a real estate
    specialist, a program technician, and a computer specialist. My
    field skills and knowledge of biology and conservation seem less and
    less relevent to the agency. I think too much is being tossed down
    to the Field Level, and the cumulative effect is to increase errors,
    frustration, and job dissatisfaction. It is sad to watch a proud
    agency with a long history of technical knowledge and specialization
    be reduced to a group of reporting drones feeding data to the
    computer. I feel like a dinosaur. I am very glad to have worked when
    we were encouraged to be proficient in field work and practical
    knowledge. I think we are losing the very things that made us
    valuable, and I know too many great employees who will retire as
    soon as possible because of the direction this agency is headed in.

44. Some of the questions are to broad - define agency vs state

45. Follow FDIC\'s lead relative to pay and benefits!

46. the hiring process should not rely so heavily on the veteran\'s
    preference status. I agree vets should be given the chance - but not
    to the extent of turning away a BETTER QUALIFIED potential employee.

47. Since the early 1980\'s this agency has not promoted those
    individuals that have the technical or professional skills to
    perform at the next level. Understanding that an agency goal is to
    have an ethnically and culturally diverse workforce, the agency has
    seen this as a higher priority than promoting those that are truly
    qualified. As an individual who has made numerous hires over my
    career, I have always suscribed to the principal that if a minority
    was almost as equally qualified as a non-minority, I would select
    the minority so it is not a race bias issue in my mind. However, I
    have been denied promotion, since the early 80\'s due to the fact
    that I did not meet a targeted RSNO. In my view this is reverse
    discrimination that does nothing to improve morale.

48. Some Questions in this survey do not accurately reflect the
    demographics of the workforce and current civil rights policy. For
    example, Question 43 and Question 48 do not accurately represent the
    Gay & Lesbian Employees in this agency, as the choices for answers
    are not appropriate

49. 1\) Develop a National Recruiting Strategy; currently we have states
    fighting each other for limited applicants (so much for synergy) 2)
    If NRCS wants to move to Tech Service Providers for God\'s sake,
    give training to Field Offices on how/when/why, etc on Delegation of
    Authority. We basically are asking our people to do something and
    have given them absolutely no tools or incentive to do it. 3) Set
    Performance Goals and Standards against where we want to be, not
    where we have been. An analogy of this agency is we\'re motoring
    forward by looking through the rear view mirror. 4) Standardize
    duties/reporting chain across all the states. What a Resource
    Planner or Asst State Con (Prgm, Ops, etc) does in one state should
    be the same in others, with maybe slightly different program
    emphasis (WRP, WHIP, EQIP, RC&D, etc). 5) Force Consolidation on
    some of our Field Offices from solo offices to tri-county/burroughs,
    etc. With automation, computers, cell-phones, PDAs, etc the need for
    representative at each county becomes less and less each day.

50. The agencies mission and direction does not seem to be understood or
    accepted at the state to field office level. More program
    responsibility is given states with less funding to staff positions
    responsible for implementing them. Field office staff that were
    hired to implement conservation practices on the land are being
    strapped to a computer and asked to become more of a manager, yet
    someone has to go out in the field to sell the program, plan and
    implement the plan. TSP\'s are an alternative, but viewed by staff
    as taking away their job, not trained in our standards and not
    uniformily available to do the quantity of work we have. Diversity
    is generally viewed by staff as a good thing, but when abused by
    hiring/and or promoting unqualified or underqualified people, the
    system and the agency gets viewed as not working.

51. Let\'s get realistic in terms of viewing this angency\'s problems
    and addressing them effectively before it\'s too late.

52. The areas are too independent with little direction from the state
    office. Our engineering department receives no (zero) requests for
    assistance from the areas for any of the hydrology, hydraulics or
    other engineering they perform. This has resulted in a poor
    reputation and strained relationship between the engineering dept.
    at the SO and the area offices. There appears to be a systematic
    effort to not do PL-566 work through a zero budget for planning
    starts. It doesn\'t appear to be consistant between states. There is
    still much watershed work out there as is evident due to requests
    from municipalities. We tell them that they have to get
    congressional approval for a budget line item for us to be able to
    put time into planning.

53. Under the category for future expertise, having worked as a
    contracting officer perfecting conservation easements under WRP and
    GRP, I feel one area that our field staff is untrained in is
    enforcement. The WRP program is already creating enforcement type
    issues for our field staff and they are really not prepared to
    handle it. These easements restrict landowners use for 10 years, 30
    years or forever and the DC\'s need to be able to properly deal with
    landowners who violate conditions of their easements.

54. Women should get some kind of maternity leave rather then using up
    their annual or sick leave.

55. I think that the idea of paying employess and getting part time work
    is a good one, but why only \$11.00 since we can work anywhere after
    retirment for more than that. I am not sure what the reduction in
    retirement would be for limited amount of work at this point. I know
    there are limitations in social security I don\'t know how that
    would effect the supplemental social security benefit of FERS.

56. The agency should have a stronger international outreach program to
    learn how other countries saving their natural resources.

57. The agency needs to have a well designed and supported Leadership
    Development Program. We need to identify the skills and qualities
    needed in future leaders and incorporate them into a curriculum for
    agency-wide use.

58. The TSP is a fiasco. We are throwing away good funding that could be
    used by NRCS employees to put good conservation on the ground to the
    private sector that performs inferior work that reflects bad on us,
    or that we have to go back and clean up. Forget the outsourcing
    card, it is bad for the agency and the public. Penny wise and tons
    foolish. Put this funding back into CTA, SOILS or some other fund
    that allows us to use our expertise to help people use the land in
    an environmentally positive direction. Get away from the program
    driven culture. We are too absorbed in turning out widgets and are
    losing our ties to the people who need our services. Too top heavy,
    and dedicate too much of our financial resources to meetings and
    conferences that are not directly tied to agency goals. Use the
    regional tech centers better. Be smart and use them as the national
    tech centers were used in the past before the 1995 reorganization.
    I\'ll stop now!! Thanks for asking.

59. would appreciate a little more emphasis on administrative staff
    especially financial management - would like more training offered
    on financial management functions, would like national conferences
    for financial management staff. It seems the agency is doing
    everything it can to treat administrative staff (especially
    financial management staff) like second-class employees

60. I\'m sick of being told by management that agency needs to do more
    with less staff. I am so unhappy with the agency and my position
    that I am planning on retiring in five years rather than seven, when
    I become eligible. This management attitude of \"do more with less\"
    is BS and needs to end.

61. One of the previous questions gives the impression that you may be
    discriminated against because of ethnicity/race. What is happening
    at the management level with NRCS is discrimination against white.
    Promotions should be based on best qualified and not a quota for
    certain ethnic groups.

62. I have only been with the agency less than a year. This is
    reflective in some of my answers being neutral or no opinion.

63. The current state of NRCS \'business tools\' and technology in
    general appears to have hamstrung the agency in pursuit of it\'s
    mission. I embrace the use of technology but am dismayed at NRCS\'s
    continual re-deployment of exceedingly inefficient software
    programs. I would like to appeal to our managers and leaders for an
    honest appraisal of our use of technology by consulting with the
    end-users.

64. Due to an accident - the process to apply or not apply for
    disability has been an ongoing conflict, due to differences of
    information. It is unclear about applying for disability through the
    agency or having to go throught Social Services and the legalities.
    Can the agnecy provide disability assistance without being clasified
    by Social Services? I appreciate the little ways my supervisor has
    assisted, flexability in time and items to assist in being more
    comfortable to do my job.

65. I am a temporary NRCS employee and a lot of these questions I don\'t
    feel I answered correctly because I haven\'t been here long enough.
    Questions 24 and 25 don\'t apply to me because I\'m nowhere near the
    retirement age.

66. These last questions #43-# 47: No wife-marriage annulled through the
    state-\"never been married\". Son: Died 2003 at 20.5 years of age.
    Would\'ve been 23 if still alive. Both parents have past: 1998
    and 2000. Provided adult care directly to my mother for 3 plus years
    untill her passing. I am aware of the needs and expenses of the last
    set of questions.

67. When I joined this agency the vast majority of the employees I met
    really loved their job. Things have evolved to the point now where
    most field people are electronic paper pushers, and are expected to
    encourage clients to hire less qualified private sector people to
    perform all the field work that gave them the high job satisfaction
    they used to have. It is illogical to take a workforce trained and
    groomed to be skilled technical specialists to carry out the unique
    mission of this agency, and reduce them to paper pushers, while
    giving the skilled technical part of our jobs to the private sector,
    who are often not truly qualified to do the work to the level we
    once could. It looks to me as if, in my 15 years with SCS/NRCS, the
    whole system has broken and I, like the vast majority of employees I
    work with, cannot wait to retire. There is no satisfaction in this
    job any more, just frustration. Had the agency consciously set out
    to destroy what was the best and strongest part of it, it could not
    have done a better job.

68. This survey should have included a space for \"significant other\"
    for this last group of questions!!! Just because some of us are not
    married does not mean our relationships are less important! I find
    these last questions very insensitive and discriminatory.

69. This part of the survey seems to be awefully focused on the nuclear
    family and an employees ability to be mobile. There are people that
    have significant others and are in committed long term
    relationships.

70. great survey!

71. Reduce Stress for NRCS employees as possible. Increase the Workforce
    to Match the increased Workloads. Allow TQM to work with greater
    freedoms. Match workforce with proper Technical staffings. Do not
    count on Private sector / TSP to provide a large portion of needs,
    but target where best such as large Engineering work and Pest/Nut
    Mgt. at times. Keep working on the main Partnership with SWCDs to
    help NRCS meet our goals and needs. Let DCs have the Leadership with
    SWCD and not ACs in gettig work done. Have Area Offices Serve the
    Field , not the otherway around.

72. I very strongly feel that the agency does not give enough
    consideration to employees circumstances when promoting individuals.
    I think the agency puts to much emphasis on moving in order to be
    promoted. With working spouses, children in school, elderly parents
    and being involved in your community - moving is often not realistic
    for everyone. This is especially true considering that moving for a
    promotion often results in a minimal pay increase (at least in the
    short term). Frequent moves also make it very difficult for a spouse
    to become well established in a career.

73. The re-classification of the 457 series should not effect those
    employees in active federal service at the time of the change. We
    were hired under specific circumstances and qualifications and they
    should be honored. Under the current classifications I can be a GS-7
    Soil Conservation Technician but not a GS-5 Soil Conservationist
    because I don\'t have a Bachelor\'s Degree. Even worse, a 20 year
    GS-12 District Conservationist isn\'t qualified to be a GS-5 Soil
    Conservationist if they don\'t have completed Bachelor\'s. Does that
    make any sense? As for mobility, I don\'t think it should be pushed
    one way or the other. There will always be those employees who will
    move half a dozen times to climb the ladder just as there are those
    who would like to set some roots and become part of a community,
    should they be penalized for this? If you are a new employee who has
    signed a mobility agreement and will be moving in a year or two,
    what incentive is there go the extra mile for a farmer? Regarding
    promotion, if workforce moral is an issue, it does not help to
    promote certain people to positions over more qualified people just
    because they came from another Field Office. It is disheartening to
    hear \"You could have that postion tomorrow if you would move to
    another Field Office for it. If we could just level a few inequities
    and promote the best qualified in each situation this truly would be
    a great agency. Thank you sincerely for this opportunity to comment.

74. The new hires do not have the \"land skills\" that were once needed
    in this agency when I started. I have seen folks promoted because
    they have good computer skills and can meet the rigors of \"data
    management for programs\" yet are incapable of making good
    descisions or even knowing how to make descisions about \"THE LAND\"
    BECAUSE THEY DON\'T UNDERSTAND THE LAND. If the future is office
    jockeys who can manipulate data to show success in pushinig
    programs, then the agency will fail. Our historical reputation is
    based on our ability to come up with creative solutions to land
    based problems, and we were respected for that. If we continue on
    the same path we will be able to print and create pretty maps and
    reports, but won\'t know diddly damn about what to do out on the
    land in the real world!

75. I\'d like to see these questions added: If you have a disability are
    you made to feel your currant position is in jeopardy? By your
    supervisor? By your administration staff?

76. We need to offer better alternative work arrangements such as
    telecommuting either from home or other offices, especially in
    winter when most of the work is desk anyway and roads are bad! This
    agency relies too much on asking people to move around. It is hard
    on families and creates stress.

77. Computers have ruined the job, not at all an efficient tool.

78. surveys could be conducted at regular intervals. Does anyone really
    pay attention to these things?

79. Not much info regarding urban or tribal conservation work

80. More formal training should be provided to TSPs and District Staff
    and Partners in regards to their responsibilities under contribution
    agreements or program contracts.

81. I truly am enjoying working for NRCS in New York, I have a wonderful
    work environment and supervisor, however I would like to see more
    diversity in the New York area, it was very surprising to me
    especially after leaving the metropolitan area (DC).

82. I recently relocated with the agency and found it frustrating. I did
    not feel I had significant enough time to find a place to move to
    (since I could look until after year end and was starting October
    31st). Noone should be moved in October or early Novemeber unless
    given permissions to househunt out of the previous fiscal year. I
    have many frustrations with the promotion of people to avoid EEO
    complaints - and think we need to promote only those poeple who
    truly deserve it. I don\'t feel we need a diverse work force as long
    as the most qualified person gets the job. We need to have greater
    concern for promoting our current staff, than hiring a \"diverse
    workforce\". The agency should promote new ideas instead of trying
    to shush the outspoken people with ideas. The \"good ole boys club\"
    needs to be removed.

83. It sometimes seems that the management at the national level is much
    more concerned about looking good to there superiors rather then
    looking out for there employees. I am sure this is not really the
    case but years ago we took on all the programs that were taken from
    FSA and didn\'t demand more staff. Now more recently we are having
    to administer contracts and make payments while still not bringing
    in more people. Most experienced District Conservationists that I
    talk to don\'t like there job anymore, but they enjoyed it very much
    years ago.

84. We need to address the lack of new employees the agency has brought
    on as we have continuously taken on more and more work. This is
    creating serious morale issues for the future success of the NRCS.

85. n/a

86. I think the human resources needs to be more flexible when hiring
    soil scientist. Some have recieved the proper credits in school to
    get a \"soil scientist degree\" but that doesn\'t satisfy the NRCS
    curriculm.

87. When I was hired as an intern I had the threat of being relocated
    held over my head constantly. If I were told to relocate I would
    resign that day. There seems to be a mindset in this agency that to
    be successful you need to move every two years. What about building
    a rapport with the clients? Can you do that in two months and then
    hand that client over to a stranger after 18 months? Put yourself in
    the client\'s shoes instead of concentrating on being upwardly
    mobile.

88. Jobs are becoming more specialized. We need to move to
    regional/multi county offices in NY to better use the staff we have
    or hire more specialists. ie. agronomy, technicians

89. NRCS should invest in employees for now & in the future with the
    understanding that TSPs are NOT the answer. Outsourcing studies
    prove that NRCS technicians & soil conservationist can do the job as
    effectively and cheaper than the private sector. Landowners deserve
    more affordable conservation, not what a TSP shoves down their
    throat as a result of program requirements.

90. ADEQUATE FIELD OFFICE STAFFING, INCLUDING FINANCIAL MGT. ASSISTANTS
    & ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS ARE A MUST!

91. Think there should be a program set up for retirees to work
    part-time for NRCS, but wage needs to be over \$11/hour. NRCS does
    not have to pay for annual leave, retirement, holidays, sick time,
    etc so should be able to pay more. They would be getting experienced
    people that may be able to help with training newer people. There
    are non NRCS jobs for retirees that pay much more.

92. Conditions of mobility are a thing of the past. Individuals should
    not be required to move after a year in one area. Potential new
    hires are not necessarily willing to move after a year and that
    seriously deters them from applying.

93. Workplace diversity should include different specialties and
    abilities, NOT just cultural diversity. A culturally diverse
    workforce dominated by soil conservationists and soil scientists
    still isn\'t truly diverse. New ideas, different skills and
    different viewpoints\--regardless of the race or gender of the
    person they come from\--are going to be vital to the survival and
    usefulness of this agency in the future.

94. A family member provides child care, that decreases my desire to
    move.

95. I will be relocated in January to another field office into the same
    position. I will be getting married in July, and yes my spouse will
    have a full time job in regards to question 48.

96. I plan on moving into a position of leadership within the agency,
    but I fear that I will not be able to because of geographic
    restrictions. My wife and I are both in careers and when does one
    spouseÆs career take precedence over the other? My career path many
    be stifled because of my desire to maintain geographic stability
    both for me and my family. I know I have the stills that would be
    beneficial to the success of the NRCS and its mission.

97. answers to some of these questions will vary due to the responders\'
    level of confidence in anonymity. how can you assure privacy if i am
    responding from a cce machine?

98. Better care should be taken in selecting people for managerial
    roles. A person might have great knowledge of the job itself,
    however can be a terrible manager causing employees to want to leave
    federal service.

99. I feel that supervisors with poor management skills and overbearing
    obsessively controlling personality traits are the main reason I
    have never advanced further in the agency. I have felt uncomfortable
    with the work environment for much of my career and still feel
    uncomfortable working with some of my supervisors. I feel anxious,
    apprehensive, fearful, intimated, and nervous a great deal of the
    time. These feelings have had a significant effect on my work
    performance aand career development.

100. Some questions would be nice to have a comment box to further
     clarify. You might agree or disagree with a few exceptions.

101. It seems the work load and goals continue to increase and the work
     force is shrinking, placing more pressure on the remaining staff.
     Another issue rising with NRCS, is we keep adopting new farm bill
     programs, which are confusing the clients and costing the agency
     valuable staff time understanding and administering the programs.
     If the programs could be reduced or stream lined, so we could spend
     more time with the clients working on conservation plans and
     implementation of the plans to get conservation on the ground and
     less time understanding and implemeting programs. Not that the
     programs are not important, but it seems we are spending more time
     with the programs and computers and less time with the clients
     educating and implementing conservation practices to be placed on
     the ground. I\'m proud to work for the federal work force and
     believe we are offering a great service to the community.

102. Times have changed in that both people in a marriage have careers
     making moving very difficult and sometimes not an option. The
     agency needs to recognize this change in culture.

103. Trust and empower employees with their work. An experienced
     employee should not have to have every thing he completes approved
     or signed off by his supervisor. A small percentage could be
     reviewed to prove he is doing his job correctly. When every
     conservation plan, 862, design, bill, survey note, and field slope
     you complete has to be signed off on or approved by a supervisor,
     not only does this bog down this agency but it discourages
     inovation.

104. my career with SCS/NRCS has been fulfilling and satisfying.
     Although eligible for retirement, enjoy the work and challenge and
     have no immediate plans to retire.

105. It is essential that hiring practices lead to the hiring of
     qualified individuals. Our standards must not be lowered to meet
     diversification goals. Time is short; we cannot afford to hire
     \"marginally\" qualified people to staff the future workforce. A
     diverse workforce is highly necessary, but a skilled workforce is
     even more important. Careful scrutiny and recruiting of new
     employees done correctly will ensure a compentent NRCS of the
     future; and diversity will take care of itself.

106. I think the NRCS should focus more on hiring competant personnel
     rather than fulfilling quotas and minority/disabled hiring

107. I feel the evaluation process is not adequate. There is so much I
     do for my job that needs to be done that is not included in the
     evaluation. We are mostly evaluated by the acres we report in
     mapping: however, we also provide technical soil services, NASIS
     database work, public outreach, soils education, and so forth. All
     of this is important. Also, I would like to learn more on how our
     soil survey data is used and what data is most important to acquire
     or put into NASIS. This kind of information comes in such piecemeal
     form it is EXTREMELY frustrating to try to keep up with it and it
     is all labeled as IMPORTANT. I think the NSSC could do more to give
     field people clear, achievable guidance on exactly what soils data
     is most important, how to collect it, how to enter it into the
     database. Maybe this needs to be done more at a state level. This
     job is very daunting for the new soil scientist because there is SO
     much to learn between the basics of reading the landscape and being
     able to map soils AND understanding how the data is used and being
     able to help people use it.

108. I think that the agency is doing great and I really enjoy working
     for NRCS. I am afraid though that as people retire we are losing a
     great deal of valuable field experience and expertise that will not
     be met by the incoming hirees.

109. I think that in todays world, it makes it much more difficult to be
     moved around b/c most of us have wives/girlfriends/significant
     others that are also employed and it becomes very difficult when
     you are moved around. In todays world, with the present technology,
     I do not find it necessary to be moved around.

110. It is extremely difficult/impossible to locate and retain competent
     & qualified new minority employees in rural areas with no
     supporting population.

111. NRCS is poised to lose most of its technical credibility over the
     next five years due to downsizing personnel management strategies
     followed the last 15 years. A huge technical gap now exists in the
     workforce between employees approaching retirement age and
     employees hired within the last five years. The more recent
     employees are seriously lacking in conservation planning and the
     practical application of soil and water conservation practices
     because of the shift of the agency to computer planning and program
     delivery.

112. NRCS is at a crossroads. We have invested too much time and
     treasurer in computer systems that in reality do little in terms of
     getting conservation on the ground. If we don\'t soon get our
     people out from behind screens and back in the field we will lose
     the one on one relationships we have traditionally had with the
     farming community and others. Reporting of numbers does not reflect
     the true value our presence and activism has on the conservation
     effort. Protracs is a good tool. GIS is a good tool. The rest is us
     servicing ourselves. Move positions out of Washington so we can
     start getting the best and brightest to take mid to high level
     jobs. With communications being as good as they are today there is
     no reason that many positions could be worked from locations which
     are more inhabitable for a family.

113. We need more people who understand hydrology and soils and have
     upper level degrees. The CCE software approval process is very
     cumbersome and limits the ability of our agency to stay current and
     get out timely products. We need more regional long term offices
     where people can advance their careers without having to relocate
     all the time. We need to become more efficient by cooperating
     across state lines for things such as administrative support and
     soils and other technical expertise.

114. continue making new hires. Increase the number of technicians
     hired. strengthen the capability to handle federal money through
     contracts.

115. I feel that many of our upper management level people lack the
     field knowledge (real word expriece) they need have to be good
     managers and problem solvers. By putting them in high discision
     making jobs without proper field exprience, this has a negative
     effect the field. It\'s getting back to hiring people with
     \"Conservation in the Blood - Believeing in the Cause\" and that
     can do the job, not just looking for the next promotion.

116. I believe we\'re losing our one-on-one contact with the landowners
     and farmers to doing computer work in the office. It seems like
     many man hours are spent entering data into computers and
     conservation plans have become standardized and to keep farmers in
     compliance. I belive the Agency could benifit from hiring Soil
     Conservation Technicians and allow them to be in the field more to
     educate landowners and make them more aware of NRCS and the
     benifits of conservation.

117. I indicated that I am not willing to move mainly becasue I am close
     to retirement. However I did move quite a bit during my early
     career. At the time I did not like it but felt it was necessary to
     advance my career and accepted it. Looking back it was a good way
     to develop as an employee, to get more exposure and experience. I
     would limit the moving to the first 5-7 years of persons career.
     After getting married and starting a family it becomes more
     difficult. However I feel those first few years can still have the
     desired affect. Second, I feel the agency needs to get back to its
     \"techncial\" strengths in delivering assistance to landowners. We
     are hiriing techncial and committed people who are intereted in
     doing conservation work and making them do too much business type
     work with programs and accountability. My suggestions is hire
     professionals to do the conservation work and let them do it. Then
     hire business professionals to run the programs, document the work
     and give the agency the accountablity it needs. Then both groups
     would be doing the work they appied to do. Making conservationsists
     progam assitants and business graduates field people makes them
     both unhappy. Thanks for the opportunity to comment.

118. Thank You For Your Participation!

119. If someone is dead weight in the agency, FIRE THEM\...don\'t move
     them, demote them, and especially promote them into a management
     position where they can wreck other people\'s working
     environment(it happens).

120. Overall job satisfaction is fine, most of the time. Frustration at
     performing certain aspects of the job happen. However, the
     frustration seems to always come from unclear directions, time
     constraints or not enough communication on what offices NEED to do,
     versus what we are SUPPOSED to do.

121. NRCS is behind the times in lack of flexibility for employees work
     hours and work location. Management is operating as if every
     employee was the primary support for the family with a full time
     stay at home spouse.

122. Retirement in 15 days. It has been a wonderful career. I believe we
     need to concentrate more on field work rather than administrative
     paperwork and complicated GIS arc-view computer stuff that does not
     generate on the ground conservation practices.

123. The computer is taking away from our core mission. We need to find
     a way to reduce so we can spend more time in the field.

124. I moved 4 times with the agency from volunteer \--\> soil con, but
     was not forced by the gov\'t to move. I was glad they were willing
     to allow me to go on LWOP while I completed another degree. I would
     like if there were opportunities to use outside skills within the
     agency. by inventoring skills of its employees, NRCS would be able
     to pick appropiate people to form committee, conduct research, and
     improve the way we do things at NRCS!

125. Agency is getting too detached from the farmer in doing everything
     from within the office. It is important to go to the field to talk
     with the farmer about goals and gather information for planning
     first hand. Good agency/producer relationship is critical and we
     are beginning to lose this.

126. Our agencies emphasis should be to work one on one with landowners.
     The personal touch. The agency is so technically oriented that it
     is sterile, and landowners are voicing that opinion.

127. I believe moving and learning in another state was the best for my
     career. I believe everybody should experience working in another
     state to see how things are done elsewhere, for better or worse. It
     made me more well rounded and grounded as an employee. It would
     have been more difficult if I had a family. Also, promotions to
     supervisor positions should be made on the basis of agency
     knowledge, technical knowledge and supervisory skills. All three
     need to be there. To many times it is judged on just one of those
     factors. I\'ve seen real nice people that are well liked, that
     can\'t do there job effectively. That means the staff underneath
     them has to double the work. It creates a stressful environment
     that chases people away from the agency and limits the amount of
     knowledge they will receive from that supervisor. It kind of
     creates a snowball effect for the future.

128. I am glad to see that the mobility of NRCS employees has been
     addressed. I do agree that working in different field offices may
     provide a wide range of experiences, but it hinders the ability of
     employees to make strong and lasting connections to the customers
     we are serving. Working with in the agricultural community requires
     NRCS employees, especially young and/or female employees, to work
     hard to build a trusting relationship with our customers. Moving
     regularly jeopardizes these relations and can make promoting
     programs more difficult. Frequent moves can also make employees
     less responsible and attentive whem dealing with customer relations
     and contracts.

129. I feel that relocating people is not a good idea. Maybe just for
     short trainings but not permanent.

130. I am curious about the topic of course requirements for various job
     series. I did not see any mention of that issue in your survey.

131. To many bureaucrats.

132. I think it is important to look at the individual situation when
     deciding to move employees. I feel that having an Ag background can
     be the most beneficial aspect you can bring to this job, especially
     when you are trying to convince farmers to become more conservation
     minded. If you can give them your personal senarios from your farm,
     they really respect that. However, employees with an Ag background
     may still be on the farm and and active employee of that as well,
     making it impossible to move. Even though they love their job and
     would considering moving if they did not have farm
     responsibilities. I just think this is something important to take
     into consideration.

133. I believe in and am proud to work for this Agency. What appears to
     be the most discouraging aspect is the uneccessary complexity of
     implementing programs. Also, the amount of repetitiveness, side
     records, etc., needed to maitain adequate documentation. Note:
     question 48 had to be answered to continue. I have no spouse, but
     checked NO to continue.

134. Mobiltiy is the key to getting good training and it the most
     difficult aspect that new employees need to understand. Moving
     every year for the first three years is critical.

135. None

136. Mobility: My impression is that I will be moved in the near future.
     I feel as if there is still plenty for me to learn in this location
     that is not available in many other locations. I understand moving
     in order to get a promotion as well-rounded experience is important
     as managerial and supervisory workloads increase. I have the
     opinion that the agency (possibly in dealing with the aging
     workforce) is \"grooming\" managers at the sacrifice of technically
     sound personnel. They do not seem interested in whether the
     employee\'s career goals include management and supervision in the
     short term.

137. Permotions should be made on merit not on time in grade. Positions
     should also be hired by a panel outside of the state instead of
     giving special treatment to people. Qualifications are overlooked
     for who you know!

138. The key to our reputation and technical proficiency was getting out
     on the land working with farmers. Steady, long term soil cons,
     dc\'s and soil con techs was the key to stability in a county and
     in teaching new recruits. We are rapidly losing that.

139. Employees at the field office level are not meaningfully involved
     in human resource needs assessments

140. I am very frustrated in my job. I have seen an agency that was the
     best in it\'s field to one which is mediocre at best. The paperwork
     and complexity of things has diffused our ability to get our job
     done. We have moved away from a simple and successful technical
     agency which helped agricultural producers fix environmental
     problems one problem at a time to an agency that is so bogged down
     with paperwork and complicated programs which are cost prohibitive
     to an average producer and many times forces them out of business.
     This total farm plan of addressing every single environmental
     concern on a watershed basis with a longterm contract just isn\'t
     working. The local field offices can not get the contracts
     implemented because of the lack of qualified and technically
     proficient employees. We need more indians and less chiefs. The
     field people don\'t need managers trying to make us perform better
     by making us take the time to fill out reports on a monthly or
     bi-weekly basis so they can keep track of the beans. If they have
     so much time to be counting beans and making ludicrous demands then
     maybe they should come out and help implement these ridiculous
     programs so they can understand exactly how time consuming they
     really are to implement. The emphasis should be on helping people
     with the problem they deem as most concerning not everything that
     the agency and rules and regulations have dictated are the most
     important. I have found that agricultural producers are and have
     always been good stewards of the land. They will handle any problem
     which they have but don\'t like to do it all at once. They have us
     come out and fix one thing at a time when they have the financial
     resources to do so. We are forcing them to fix every problem at one
     time and things have gotten so complicated and out of control. I
     also am very frustrated with the reward system which is in place.
     People are getting cash awards for what really is just part of
     their job and other employees get no recognition for going above
     and beyond the normal work boundaries. It seems that some employees
     are recognized annually because their supervisor puts them in for
     it and others are never recognized because their supervisor has a
     different perspective on what is above the normal scope. Goals for
     counties are not uniform or fair either. Our cluster group was
     actually reprimanded because we did not meet 100% of our goals in
     some areas yet we were overall 4th or 5th in the state! So you have
     some counties which exceeded their goals because they accomplished
     125% yet they didn\'t do half of the total acreage that we did.
     Makes a lot of sense doesn\'t it?!

141. No sour grapes. It was a great agency which has lost its direction,
     become too politically motivated, too bent on achieving inflated
     goals at any cost, and fogetting that our customers are the farmers
     (not congress).

142. SCS was a very rewarding job. People accepted this job and
     typically remained untill retirement regardless of grade because
     they enjoyed and felt rewarded (not in dollars) for the work they
     did. This has ALL changed after the Farm Bill and computers.
     Farmers used to call us out to help on a project, now they know we
     can\'t help them financially with what THEY want and typically we
     can\'t help them technically due to time or regulations also they
     are concerned with non compliance. Compliance brings up another
     issue, we lost many farmer contacts because of early non-comliance
     violations which were not upheld \"higher UP\" making us look like
     a fool, so no one is out of compliance any more. The new employees
     are usually good at computers but aren\'t getting field experiance
     since we don\'t work in the field much. Unfortunately many new
     employees are hired out of political correctness and will probably
     leave or remain as substandard employees but will be \"protected\"
     in their jobs.

143. I know I am biased towards obtaining permanent employment with
     NRCS, as a biologist - but I think the agency really needs to look
     at some of their temporary employees, evaluate their service, and
     try to find a way to make them permanent. Too often we lose good
     employees because of missing college credits - even though they
     have a lot of field experience, and knowledge that a class could
     not provide. And again, I want to emphasize that quality needs to
     be just as high as quantity with performance review.

144. I left SCS when my spouse changed job locations. There were no
     positions in this area available for me, so I separated from SCS.
     NRCS has become more family friendly, and that is good to see.
     After many years, I was fortunate that I could be rehired in the
     neighboring county and transferred to my own.

145. Our agency needs more Soil conservation Technicians to maintain a
     high level of conservation that is being put on the ground. The
     skills of a technician are not being passed on to new employees.
     Technicians are required to have many of the skills that a Soil
     Conservationist does, but the Technicians do not receive the same
     amount of pay. We need more help with biology, perhaps two
     biologists that cover the state rather than one. Having the budget
     in a state hinge on the performance is a good one, however
     employees are getting burnt out. Once money is obligated for a
     contract the money has been spent and it needs to be remembered
     that it may be a couple of years before everything is completed for
     a contract and at the same time there is a push to continue to
     allocate money for more contracts. I feel the quality of our work
     is slipping because of the added work of making payments and
     chasing down the paperwork. We are writing conservation plans for
     ourselves not our clients. Many of the older employees are dis
     gruntled about how we need to use the new technology when it
     doesn\'t really change what the bottomline is on the ground for
     conseration practices. We need to go back to what our agency is
     known for, our partners and local groups need what we can offer,
     the basics.

146. I think the agancy needs to step back and decide what direction it
     wants to go in: field work or program administration. Field staff
     cannot do both the field work they were hired for AND
     administrative duties effectively. I also feel that the agency puts
     a lot of money into training employees, but on a daily basis we do
     not get to use that training effectively b/c we have too many irons
     in the fire. In my opinion that is a waste of money. I feel that
     the agency is becoming more and more image oriented rather than
     getting good, quality conservation implemented. Conservation is
     more than pretty GIS maps and paperwork. Finally, I\'m skeptical
     about the rate at which new hires are moving up the career ladder.
     Because people move from one office to another or go to Boot Camp
     does not mean that they are as qualified as another employee that
     is not mobile for whatever reason. I don\'t understand how the
     shoes of retiring employees, often w/great ag & technical
     background can be replaced by a new employee with little
     experience. I do not think this does any favors for the producers.

147. NRCS needs to start hiring NOW, and not wait until the 40%+ retire
     before replacing them. We need to tap into the experience of the
     retiring workforce to be able to train the new people. Once they
     retire, their expertise will be lost. It takes several years to
     develop a new employee with no experience into a fully productive
     individual. Two-year assignments are not beneficial to the agency
     because the two years are spent in training, then the employee
     leaves. NRCS needs to offer long term positions to attract a more
     permanent work force.

148. NRCS is relying of TSP\'s too much! Private engineers(TSP) do not
     care how much a project costs when they are designing and they do
     not provide the quality control that SCS/NRCS employees
     traditionally did! Quantity yes, quality NO!

149. We need to get back to the Technical aspect of NRCS and away from
     all the Bean Counting.

150. Respect - As I said earlier, the agency has gotten away from the
     line and staff organization concept. Communication does not happen
     up and down the line. State office and National Office staff
     frequently contact my staff directly and tell them to do work,
     without talking to me about it. That\'s wrong!

151. We need more minorities because diversity is important in the work
     force. But find qualified minorities. Promote based on mertit, not
     for other reasons. Listen to the field, they are implementing our
     mission and have some good ideas.

152. Hire qualified employees with a passion for conservation with the
     knowledge, skills, and abilities for the job regardless of
     ethnicity/race/sex. People are people.

153. Value of older employees

154. None

155. Young people coming on need to be computer literate, but the agency
     needs to give them good solid FIELD EXPERIENCE upon which to base
     their future expertise.

156. The Agency needs to move more towards technical expertise in
     conservation and less towards speding money and bean counting
     conservation

157. Many \'scary\' suggestions about budget cuts and funding issues are
     causing people to begin to consider the idea that our jobs are not
     as secure as we would like to think. A sense of job security and
     decent benefits goes a long way towards balancing non-competitive
     wages. Without the security and benefits, one cannot easily justify
     staying in a position that doesn\'t pay the bills

158. I appreciate the opportunity to comment. I would like to ask that
     someone initiate the opportunity for field level employees to voice
     concerns that get beyond the individual state administrators to
     those who are setting policy at the national level. Our agency
     needs to listen to our people, we need to do all we can to keep our
     experienced personnel as long as we can. Right now, it appears that
     the agency has no interest in doing what is needed to retain
     experienced people. Proper compensation and flexible working
     conditions is greatly needed.

159. Allow skilled experienced field staff to determine client needs and
     resource concerns without excessive inventories. The payment
     process is cumbersome and micromanaged to the extreme.

160. As a field office employee I find it difficult to administer a
     program that the rules have not been written for. For the past few
     years we have been asked to do just that. We waste more time
     rewriting plans and contracts because of rule changes made mid
     stream. We penilize co-operators for our lack of direction and
     general disorganization. Here in Vermont NRCS is the laughing stock
     of all government agencies. It\'s time to put the land owner first
     and stop force feeding conservation.

161. Every effort needs to be made to pass on the knowledge held by
     those of us close to retirement. My successor should spend 2 months
     with me, and/or I should be hired part time to help them and impart
     some of my long experience.

162. Didn\'t particularly care for the ethnic question.

163. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

164. I strongly recommend that more attention be given to supporting the
     Field Office staff with full time, permanent administrative
     assistance. The workload associated with the newly acquired
     adminintration of the EQIP program, along with the introduction of
     managing contracts through the ProTracts system has put a very
     large administrative burden in the Field. It is unfortunate that
     technically trained, high grade level employees are spending the
     bulk of their workday entering data into a computer system. This
     work could largely be done by an administrative support person,
     such as program assistants. I believe that the agency\'s future is
     greatly dependent on how our technically trained employees are
     utilized. If they are spending more than half their time in front
     of the computer, that is time away from conservation planning and
     putting conservation on the ground.

165. I feel that the 50 mile (unwritten, i.e. not stated in
     telecommuting policy)limit for telecommuting is extremely unfair if
     that employee (who would be eligible otherwise), that lives more
     than 50 miles away from their duty station, is commuting everyday
     to their workplace. Not only is it not energy efficient but is the
     cause of employees leaving the agency.

166. Questins on new administrative burdens on field office staffs and
     necessary training and/or specialties to deal with that. Stress
     management

167. There is a perception that the computerized tools being provided to
     the field are making administrative duties more effecient and
     allowing field personnel more time in the field. Nothing is further
     from the truth. The field has had to absorb duties that used to be
     done by others and other agencies and the tool upon tools involve
     learning curves, have to be de-bugged and are constantly changing.
     The field has less time to spend on conservation planning, yet more
     and more programs are coming on line and more responsibility falls
     in their lap.

168. I have worked in the federal government for quite a while now and I
     think there are some big issues in terms of work culture that need
     to change in terms of accepting women in the workforce. USDA would
     benefit from having more women and people of color in management
     positions. On the question about who gets promoted I have seen
     people who are very poor supervisors get promoted. It is often done
     on the basis of longevity not on skill. There needs to be more
     emphasis on people skills and outreach to the public. We need a
     better public image - we do great work but few know we exist or
     what we do.

169. If you really want to know what is going on, interview people
     instead of making some things multiple choice. We have plenty of
     expertise, we are no longer allowing people to get \"widgets\"
     built because of reporting requirements and computer programs that
     are not useful to anyone except bean counters. NRCS has been taking
     on more of FSA\'s programs and workload without any appreciable
     increase in staff, trained in dealing with the administrative side
     of the programs. Training seems poorly timed as it interferes with
     construction season. Training is also poorly timed as programs are
     rolled out without thought to the effect on the field office staffs
     and how the process is to work.

170. New people coming into the agency should be explained all aspects
     of becoming a federal employee, i.e. if there is any lengthy
     training such as Boot Camp that they are expected to take, the
     possibility that they may have to move to advance their career,
     state the mission clearly, etc.

171. If I can make anything clear to you, it is that the field offices
     are understaffed and that morale is at dangerously low levels. I am
     a new employee, though I have worked with the NRCS before while
     working for Conservation Districts and also while working for the
     National Park Service. I have a Masters degree and a wide range of
     natural resources field work, research, and project administrative
     experience. I am only 28 years old, I am passionately committed to
     the conservation work that I do, and I am the kind of employee that
     you want to retain. After six months with the NRCS, I must admit
     that I have been surprised and saddened by the low levels of morale
     in the field offices. I have worked jobs fighting fire or logging,
     where your life depends on trust in your co-workers and on the
     overall morale of your crew. I know the joys of good morale and the
     dangers of low morale. As a new employee I have constantly had
     older employees recommend that I find some other job because the
     agency is going down the tubes and that they are overworked and
     understaffed. Or that they aren\'t doing what they signed up to do.
     I understand a bit of disgruntlement as things change, but this is
     at a whole other and unhealthy level. And it isn\'t just in
     Vermont, but with my friends in NRCS North Carolina too. (And
     likely nationwide). Either we commit to being a superior technical
     agency or we commit to being a superior administrative pass-through
     agency that contracts out all of its work. At the field office
     level, without adequate staffing, it is impossible to do both.
     Hierarchy issues: What is the motivation of a State Office employee
     to take a concern of the Field Office and bring it to the National
     Office? Likely none. We are a heavily top down agency with many
     policies that do not make sense on the ground while working with
     landowners. For example, farmers change fields that they rent (and
     apply manure too) frequently. According to the General Manual, we
     are required to modify a contract that involves nutrient management
     to account for all changes in land use where nutrients are applied.
     How are we supposed to know when a farmer changes his/her landbase?
     How much staff time will this take for each field office to
     maintain this information? How will we get all of our other work
     done, when we are spending copious amounts of time on this task?
     The field office is where conservation on the ground happens and
     the heart of the agencies work is accomplished. All of the higher
     levels in the hierarchy should exist to support the field. Instead,
     the feeling is that agency polcies are created in a vacuum in
     Washington (including goals in programs, or the highly subjective
     and likely legally undefensible new 5-tiered employee evaluation
     format), then the State office exists to make sure that the field
     office carries out the National Office mandate. Things flow down
     the chain of command, but an atmosphere of fear, general apathy, or
     a recognization that one\'s voice won\'t be heard if you make a
     suggestion pervades the field office level and prevents good
     suggestions from making their way back up through the chain of
     command. The Farm Service Agency should be in charge of payments.
     Our agency did not benefit by taking over this task. Soil
     Conservationists are not accountants! Technical Service Providers:
     This concept sounds like a good idea and fits into certain \"small
     government, more private industry\" economic models. However, I
     believe that it is an inappropriate model for the mission of our
     agency. Consulting firms are businesses that seek to maximize
     profits and minimize costs. They are not interested in spending any
     more time with our farmers than is neccessary for them to meet the
     minimum requirements of the agency. They have little to no
     motivation to give quality amounts of time and service to our
     landowners. Tragically, the NRCS has handed over one of our most
     critical roles (Nutrient Management Planning) to TSPs. I believe
     that this is an economic, ecologic, and social mistake. Proper
     nutrient management planning requires that the farmer and planner
     have a relationship of trust between each other, that the planner
     can assist the farmer with questions (without the farmer having to
     pay them for every question), the planner should be geographically
     close to the farm, and in the end with a good working relationship,
     the planner can assure that the NMP is followed, that nutrients
     stay out of the surface and ground water, and this benefits the
     farmer both economically (with lower fertilizer bills) and allows
     them to maintain environmental compliance. The NRCS is perfectly
     organized to be at the forefront of providing quality nutrient
     management planning to farmers. However, instead of hiring and
     training more Soil Conservationists or specialists to do this work,
     we have adopted the TSP-consultant business model to deliver these
     services. I strongly feel that we will not see the environmental
     benefits of NMPs under the TSP model, because the TSPs will not
     spend enough time with the farmer to help them to properly
     understand and implement their plan. This model needs to change if
     we want to keep our water clean! Progress measurement. The agency
     seems obsessed with being able to quantify everything. Having goals
     at the field office level makes sense, however, the new plans to
     assign specific goals to each employee is misguided. Field work is
     a collaborative effort. If employees are to be rated on the
     specific things that they work on, then they may be inspired to
     focus on quantity, not quality of their work. Also, competitive
     situations could arise over projects, so that people can meet their
     target numbers and keep their job. Pull the plug on this bad idea
     before you put it in place. We want people working together, not
     being paranoid about not having installed enough fence or whatever
     to keep their job. Also, a five tiered employee evaluation system
     may seem like a means of making things more quanitifiable. However,
     unless extremely specific criteria are used to define what each
     category means and how to rank accordingly, then it is just a
     highly subjective system that will not give accurate results. (And
     may open the agency up to legal action if someone was to challenge
     their ranking). Pass-fail works, and their are other ways (like on
     the spot-awards) to inspire good workers and also inspire
     low-performers to work harder. Computer software. Don\'t launch
     software to the 10,000 NRCS employees until it has been thoroughly
     tested. Toolkit, Protracts, etc. Get the bugs out before you give
     it to employees. That would do wonders for morale. I think that one
     would be better off in missing some mandated software-launch
     deadline, then disgruntling 10,000 employees. We need to fund
     transition to organic practices. The organic agricultural movement
     is a major social and economic force in agriculture and we need to
     support citizen/consumer desires for organic farm products and
     support the producers that create them, while addressing their
     environmental resource concerns. Final comment: I want to continue
     to work for the NRCS and I want to know that the agency is going to
     work to actually improve things, and soon. If things don\'t improve
     then I will take my knowledge and talent elsewhere. Let\'s make
     things better so that we can accomplish the truly wonderful mission
     of the NRCS. And thank you for offering up this anonymous survey.
     It has offered me a ray of hope and will help to keep me around for
     awhile longer. Will you be sharing survey results with us? It would
     be great to know what the plans are for processing and responding
     to this feedback. Perhaps Chief Knight could address this on the My
     NRCS website?

172. Field offices are responsible for too much paperwork. The purpose
     of a field office should be to get out in the field and work
     directly with the farmers, rather than going through all these
     ridiculous administrative steps. Programs/contract rules are
     constantly changing and the field office staff is constantly faced
     with having to tell the farmers about all these changes and the
     farmers easily lose confidence in the government programs. Getting
     a contract with the government should be a straightforward process
     and once the farmer has signed the contract and the
     conservationists have made the plans, they should not be subject to
     so much change. Also, direct charge is a waste of time and is
     always innaccurate in terms of the hours that are allotted to each
     employee.

173. The area needing is improvement the most is top management of the
     agency. These folks are not dealing with reality. NRCS payment
     process is a terrible mess. Morale is low in the field and state
     offices. Agency cannot run multiple complicated programs with
     insufficient staffing. Technology can help, but current technology
     is atrocious (e.g, Protracts, Toolkit, PRS). Vast improvement
     needed in this area. Our reputation with landowners is suffering
     due to these glaring faults. Need people in the field. Most
     processes we use are ridiculously overcomplicated. Streamline,
     streamline, streamline. Newer employees are appalled by these
     problems, which will affect retention over time. Too many layers
     above field level interfere with service delivery instead of
     helping with same.

174. I think mobility is the greatest obsticle to retaining good career
     employees. Many highly skilled people have firm ties to a
     community, and if forced, choose community over career.

175. Accommodation for \"hidden\" disabilities was quite weak at first
     and disability retirement suggested. But through mediation and
     learning more about my disabilities, it became more apparent to
     others that I COULD be helped, WANTED to do a really good job, and
     COULD do a really good job. I think a couple higher level
     individuals learned quite a bit and are now more aware that
     \"hidden disabilities\" are not an indication of character
     weakness.

176. it is vial that the agency works to retain employees because of the
     amount of money and time spent on training, etc. by offering pay
     incentives, etc.

177. Email is beginning a breakdown in signifcant ways to communicate.
     People should go back to using the phone more often. It should be
     mandated that any NRCS employee, that means at all levels, spend a
     minimum of 205 (preferably 50% of their time out of the office on
     issues related to custumre service. It should be mandated that for
     every hour in a meeting or training session thire is minimum of .5
     hrs to follow up on tarining and action items discussed. thjis is
     rarely figurted in in the time costs of meetings and training. I
     really do beleive this survey is annonymous but it is a good step
     in your management plan. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

178. Officeless work environment desirable by employees?

179. Earlier question on whether technical skills or administrative
     skills are more important in getting promotion - should\'ve
     included \'willingness to move\' as option - it often seems to be
     the prime determinant.

180. allow receipt of full annutiy in addition to full salary earned in
     another position /hire by fedgov\'t \"second career\" since retire
     age at 55 planned\....existing , no incentive to work with fed
     gov\'t as annuity is subtracted\...opportunities in private sector
     or self employment would be greater than 44% of existing salary
     \$11/hr doesn\'t do it

181. We need to get back to grass roots- we used to be the best in the
     business- we even wrote the book on it - now we seem to be an arm
     of all the regulatory agencies and we have lost a lot in the
     transition. We are no longer a friend of the farmer as we once
     were. Now we serve to bring the regulations right to the farmers
     doorstep; wanted or not. We need the old timers to train people the
     old fashioned way before (in the field on the land) we lose them
     all. You can not learn the art of conservation planning in six
     weeks. It has taken some; the first half of their career to learn
     this from others that have spent a life time doing it. The fast
     track is taking it\'s toll on the quality of the job and our lives.

182. my last promotion was result of a desk audit, and my next promotion
     will be, too

183. None of this has happened to me but I have observed it in our
     agency. Quit jerking people around. For example; hiring a bunch of
     people as CIP\'s then try to lay them off with one weeks notice and
     then tell them they have to move even before they have permanent
     positions. Another example; encourage people to take college
     classes for upward mobility then change the rules and say the
     classes you took do not count. These are not employee retention
     strategies. Finally, I know you can never hit 100 percent, but give
     HR people training to emphasize that they not only work for the
     agency but are there to help the employees not to have a nasty
     attitude and put up roadblocks for everything.

184. I think that in part, promotions based on performance reviews and
     KSA\'s are not effective enough to determine if a person has the
     needed qualifications. And I also believe that the qualifications
     to get into some series are not being evaluated equally between
     states. The result is that really well qualified people are not
     able to get into the agency in certain series.

185. This is an excellent method of getting feedback and it would be
     productive for employees to see the results and especially any
     action taken as a result of the survey.

186. Management skills are needed to address disabilities and treatment
     of employees.

187. Please continue to improve training and improve benefits for
     employees.

188. Promote based on merit not just based on sex or minority status.

189. The agency needs to do a better job of providing support to its
     employees. Supervisors need to be selected because of their people
     skills and abilities to lead, not just their technical skills.
     Supervision/management education and policies need to be more
     people oriented. There needs to be more consistancy in all programs
     and policies.

190. Agency needs to streamline costshare program administration to get
     more conservation on the ground

191. This agency really needs to get its priorities straight. Too many
     changes hinder our ability to deliver the conservation programs to
     our country\'s farmers. Simplify our system, programs, etc. or this
     agency will collapse under the weight of red tape and far too
     complex procedures. I really hate to say this but our agency\'s
     best years may be behind us. We were once above the rest of federal
     agencies in our ability to deliver meaningful services. We have
     been hamstrung at the field level to be able to deliver and we have
     only our national NRCS leadership to blame. Only you can change
     this\...

192. It should be the decision of the individual to move for a
     promotion; not mandatory. Also, it seems as though NRCS will have
     to decide if it wants to be a technical agency or just a planning
     agency. If we continue to be a combination the workforce will have
     to increase to apply the conservation programs at the local level
     that have received funding.

193. I really want to drive home that we need program assistants to help
     us with the management of cost share programs. We are expected to
     do more and more with less recources. DCs in particular have had a
     lot of additional duties placed upon them in the last few years. We
     have not had adequate training for the financial and documentation
     aspect of programs. Techinical training, on the other hand, has
     been great. NRCS Maine seems very committed to that. Credit leave
     and flex time is WONDERUFL! And by and large I think we have a
     committed and excellent staff here in Maine. I am, however,
     concerned that we are headed for a time when our techinical duties
     will be farmed out to TSPs and we will be left as program
     administrators. That is not what I came to this agency for, and I
     would hope to remain in a primarily technical capacity. Many of
     these questions were a little hard to answer because it depended on
     what perspective you were looking at. For example: the training
     part of the survey\...As I said, the technical training has been
     excellent, but the administrative training and oversight has been
     lacking and that is something I need to do the job as it has
     evolved. Therefore, I was unsure what to put down for answering the
     question about how our training has been. Would have been nice to
     have a comment box by each set of questions on a topic. Then we
     could better explain our answers. And some of the multiple choice
     questions did not have a write in box for \"other\" where I would
     have wanted it. Finally, I do worry a little about where we are
     headed as an agency and hope that we can think seriously about
     being \"production\" oriented as well as motivated by natural
     resource concerns, because it makes no sense to me to be doing
     production practices that do not serve an environmental and public
     benefit. I suppose I wasn\'t finished! The next thing I wanted to
     mention was the 457 series thing. I do not understand why current
     NRCS employees who have been getting good reviews and working with
     the agency for years should suddenly be \"unqualified\" for the
     position they are in. I understand that they were grandfathered in
     that they did not lose their jobs. But they can not move even
     laterally. This does not seem right, especially since many of them
     have sat on panels for promotions and so forth. If they are already
     in the 457 series and have been doing a good job and attending all
     available training through NRCS and other avenues over the years,
     why is that discounted? They are obviously already serving as
     prodcutive members of the agency in the 457 series. It doesn\'t
     make ANY sense to me that they would not be treated, then, as
     eligible like all the other 457 folks. It makes sense to impose
     this upon NEW employees, as I assume the reasoning behind this is
     that we want qualified and highly productive and professional
     employees with a solid resource base. BUT if the newly
     \"unqualified\" 457 folks have already proven themselves to be
     valuable resource professionals, why would we penalize them now?? I
     am NOT one who is caught in this problem, but as FWPM, I feel very,
     very strongly that this policy should be re-examined and that the
     agency should allow those already in the system who are performing
     at optimal levels to keep their 457 series priveledges, including
     promotion potentials. Thank you for the opportunity to provide my
     thoughts. I want to see NRCS continue as a viable and professional
     natural resources agency with top-notch employees for many, many
     years to come.

194. !

195. I believe we need to be careful that the remaining people do not
     get overwhelmed during the transition period over the next several
     years when all of these baby boomers begin to retire. I have seen
     where this has already become a problem with working with Federal
     agency partners. They have had people retire and this has created
     voids and made it difficult to get certain program work completed.
     We can\'t keep doing more with less. We are getting maxed out in
     the field. With our new administrative workload, progress numbers
     have got to go down. A lot of our work requires us spending one on
     one time with landowners and we are losing our ability to do that.
     The process seems to be more important than the outcome. We need to
     get back to spending time with people and less time on computers.
     If not, we need support from those hire up in our agency, to
     explain to partners and landowners that we are a different agency
     than what we use to be and they will have to except that fact. I
     wish we could spend less time worrying about spending program
     dollars to pay for our salaries, and just concentrate on helping
     people with their resource problems. I\'m afraid Toolkit, Arcmap,
     Protracts etc are not going away, but these things take up our time
     and keep us out of the field, it\'s the simple truth.

196. Thank you for the opportunity to have an input into the agencies
     future.

197. What is your goal with this agency? My goal is to become one day a
     State Conservationist.

198. I think this agency needs to look at itself from the TOP down. Look
     at the success of the past for answers.

199. I would like to hear more about the prospect of part-time NRCS
     employment as a transition to retirement; I think it is a great
     idea!

200. Because of the personal questions at the end, I know of others who
     chose note to submit their honest opinions. Unfortunately, they
     have had bad experiences with being honest on questionnaires. For
     real honesty these should be anonymous.

201. It is important to have a diverse work force, however promotions
     should be based on merit and not concern for retention.

202. Why not ask how employees feel about the performance of our
     supervisors or the management staff in the office/state? This also
     has a huge impact on employee happiness and job satisfaction. I
     personally have left three jobs/positions because of this factor
     and I know of many employees in my area that are now considering
     leaving because of this factor.

203. The service center/field office employeee will be harder to hire
     and retain in the future because the amount of computer
     time/paperwork doing Toolkit, PRS, SKIMS, PRo-Tracts, EQIP, AMA,
     CSP, WHIP, etc takes up 80 percent of the time. There is little
     time for the field person to actually do quality in-the-field
     resource inventory, planning, and implementation. There are too
     many farm programs with different rules, dates, requirements, and
     it makes for a very frustrated and overwhelmed field staff. There
     should just be ONE USDA farm program, and the line items in the
     contract could be coded to the different program funds, ie EQIP,
     AMA, CSP, WHIP, WRP etc etc. Young people hired to the field
     quickly find that the job is not at all what they thought it would
     be based on NRCS marketing propaganda.

204. I thought the survey was very good. In reference to #47: I\'ve
     never been moved; however I was directly reassigned twice: once my
     position was abolished and I had to apply for another position
     which I could have been lateralled into and the second time I chose
     to take an early retirement rather than move. I was fortunate to be
     able to return and earn my full retirement a year later when my
     original position was reestablished\... interesting to say the
     least. NRCS really needs some improvement in the people management
     area. Promoting technical specialists to management positions
     without regard to their ability to lead and manage people is the
     crux of, I think, many of our problems. Our agency has never
     understood this.

205. none

206. Field office moral is the worst I have ever seen it in my 30 years
     of service

207. I really shouldn\'t participate in this survey because by NRCS
     standards I\'m not qualified anymore, in fact I don\'t feel I\'m
     part of this agency anymore.

208. Other question that should have been asked: Are you stuck in grade
     with a glass ceiling above, due to the agency only allowing one
     (example) GS 9 or 7. Budget cuts with some programs; effects
     performance and effectiveness of employees. How available is new
     equipment or technology, how much does this effect your
     performance.

209. i don\'t know if i really believe the answers are confidential;
     i\'m sure you could figure out exactly who i am by the
     location/age, etc. questions and that concerns me.

210. I believe the questions on this page to be inappropriate. I would
     not be required to answer them on a job application

211. The Background Information question section doesn\'t leave much
     doubt about who filled out these surveys.

212. If NRCS continues to use more Technical Service Providers for our
     work, it will accelerate the decline in our technical capabilities.
     People learn by best by planning, designing, and building. With
     knowledge gained by actual construction, a designer is then more
     knowledgeable and prepared to do better, additional design work on
     similar jobs. A person does not get this training by reviewing some
     TSP\'s design drawings. In fact, an employee who only reviews TSP
     designs, will not gain sufficent technical knowledge to design or
     to review. Private companies are going towards a design/build
     structure, so why should NRCS out source the design/build style we
     used so effectively in the past. In fact if we rebuild the
     technical capability and organizational structure we had with
     things like the National Technical Centers and well organized
     design guides, we will find we can put conservation work on the
     ground more cost effectively than the private sector.

213. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the survey, and
     hope that the information collected from the survey can be used in
     a productive manner.

214. I don\'t recall questions on incentive rewards, employee
     satisfaction, teamwork, feeling a part of an organization. Did I
     miss something or was it subtle and I\'m stupid?

215. I feel that the awards system IS NOT based on performance but
     instead based on the fact that the money is there to just give out.
     The SAO of NJ feels that the money should be sent out before
     Christmas. Also, if we are required to do mandatory on-line
     training for ethics and civil rights nationally, why does NJ
     require us to do it again at a two day \"training\" event at
     Atlantic City, NJ. This seems like a waste of money to me. The time
     could be better spent doing our job of applying Conservation to the
     ground.

216. The engineering staff in NJ should be supervised by the state
     engineer, not the asst. state con (who is currently the engineering
     staff supervisor). The asst. state con has no idea what the
     engineering staff does and cannot meet their technical needs. Some
     employees in this state have received promotions and grade
     increases in their first year of service(regardless of merit or
     ability) while the engineer technical staff wait years to receive
     grade increases, eventho they have much more technical ability and
     are training those employees getting the grade increases! Many
     employees here feel the higher level managers/supervisors are out
     of touch with the needs of the field personnel.

217. In almost each section, the survey bounced between my job
     satisfaction and how I felt about the agency in general. You should
     split these two topics, because my job satisfaction is not always
     related to how I feel about how the agency in general is operating.

218. Notify personnel on results of the survey and what you intend to do
     with the information!!!

219. The present job apprasial system is flawed. It needs to be changed,
     so that a persons real skills and abilities can be measured. Thank
     You.

220. This survey is a good idea!

221. Communication from the State Office administration (both giving and
     receiving) would make a huge difference in employee moral and work
     efficiency.

222. I hope the 40% of agency that is going to retire hurries up and
     does so. I feel the \"Old Guard\" is holding back some of the more
     talented people and discouraging innovative approaches and thinking
     out of the box.

223. the agency should expect a more diverse workforce in terms of
     ethnicity, culture, and professional experience and have the
     ability to use these assets. This is a paradigm shift from the Boot
     Camp - produce cookie cutter Soil Cons. to be groomed for upper
     levels. Diversity of experience can be a great asset and
     communication between field offices should be encouraged.

     1.  Question 48 needs to have a \"not applicable\" answer for
         unmarried employees. I had to answer \"no\" to submit the
         survey, but that is a misleading answer, since I\'m
         divorced. 2) NRCS needs to take training more seriously and not
         put those funds in jeopardy by underfunding a state on a
         regular basis!

224. I am new to Massachusetts and feel that the lack of a training
     budget here is unacceptable. We must offer training to stay
     relevant as professionals in our field.

225. Many supervisors and managers within the state seem to be holding
     onto their position and are waiting for their respective time for
     retirement therefore having little or no impact within their
     respective job.

226. 1.) Got to provide much more soil conservation technician positions
     nationwide as the NRCS agency lacks greatly these lower-skilled
     support staff. On the USAJOBS website, the GS-0458 series, Soil
     Conservation Technicians, the number of positions available on a
     daily basis in the U.S. are way too few to the point of
     frustration. 2.) Also, make offers for early-out retirement plans
     now and on-going and attractive enough to promote, as it had been
     too long since the last one was offered. 3.) Keep up the Civil
     Rights and keep enforcing in hiring the disabled ones and keep
     accommodating to their needs at the workplaces such as sign
     language interpreters, captioned films. Thank you for this
     opportunity to be heard and be considered.

227. It\'s discouraging to those who have a strong work ethic to see
     others promoted and praised due to fraternization (nevermind their
     poor job performance). It seems like a majority of those retirement
     age are just hanging around as long as possible to up their
     benefits, with LACKING JOB PERFORMANCE. This dead weight PROHIBITS
     THE AGENCY FROM HIRING NEW, QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO STRENGTHEN THE
     AGENCY. This is a serious issue and disgusts a lot of us in the
     agency. Thank you for allowing us employees to express our thoughts
     truthfully as it is imperative that these issues be known and
     hopefully addressed. Happy Holidays!

228. Question 5:Please rate what you think is the basis for why
     employees are promoted\... does not offer the correct answer! Those
     are the theoretical choices. It would be great if promotions were
     based on either technical or managerial skills. Promotions, I
     think, are based on moving, and who you know or a lack of
     applicants, so weak canidates are promoted.

229. Employee mobility and advancement is a problem to young families
     when both partners are working. Local advancement needs to be
     considreed to keep good employees.

230. Teleworking or approval for alternative work stations (such as a
     different field office) should be encouraged for employees with
     very long commutes where computers are networked and the work can
     be performed from any station.

231. you may want to ask how many times employees have moved voluntarily
     vs forceably. And how many employees have been forcibly reassigned
     as part of some reorganization. I believe that knowing how the
     agency does not seem to appreciate technical specialists at high
     levels results in the agency not getting the best qualified
     employees into the high level tech jobs for fear of yet another
     reorganization.

232. I am glad that NRCS is doing this. I am concerned about our ability
     as an agency to achieve our mission as we become more and more
     driven by program mandates and less on conservationn planning. I am
     concerned that NRCS has never had an adequate image or marketing
     program. I am excited about the prospect to being able to work
     part-time as an annuitant, or postponing retirement given the
     opportunities I have listed.

233. Try to simplify everything.

234. It appears at the state & district levels that female hires
     dominate all positions - many with no schooling or training in the
     fundamentals of agronomy, construction/design, surveying, etc. They
     want to move up fast, without making a career in a field office, or
     would rather work part-time, if possible. Most of these women would
     rather work in the office than do field work - many of our
     producers (who are 95% male)have little confidence in these woman
     to effectively plan conservation programs for their property.

235. Please take into consideration the learning curve for field staff
     when introducing new computer programs. It seems they\'re always
     released when the field needs to concentrate on field work. As a
     result, we are not able to work as efficiently as we should which
     greatly elevates the stress level when dealing with deadlines.
     Also, it appears in many cases that top management at the state
     level are only out for what\'s in it for them - they need people
     management training.

236. In question 48, do not assume that there is a spouse!

237. Please place top value on People, computers have become a means to
     an end. Way too much confusion exists with Programs as we now know
     them. We are not viewed as the friend we used to be.

238. It would be nice if the \"end of the year\" money could be used for
     training. It is such a waste - not only does it make it hard for us
     to become more efficient at our jobs, it makes us frustrated too
     (because we see this waste!).

239. I realize we can not turn back the clock but we have advanced to a
     point where we can no longer efficiently administer, deliver, or
     install programs on private or public land due to our own
     bureaucracy. If Protracts breaks, we can not make payments. We
     have, and continue to alieniate long-time friends and partners in a
     struggle for who administers what for how much instead of working
     together to get the job done. We reward our new employees by
     removing them from their friends and family for 6 weeks of \"boot
     camp\". This is a hardship for single parents and working couples
     with young children or other dependent family members. This should
     be voluntary not mandatory.

240. Mobility is not practical for middle class families that require
     both spouses to work to make ends meet, this leads to unnecessary
     stress for families. Mandatory boot camp is a hardship for
     employees and a waste of tax payer\'s money, pay should be higher
     for new employees with school loans to pay, etc or they should be
     hired as soil con\'s and not technicians.

241. Mobility should not be a criteria for promotion. There are many
     reasons for this many of us have responsibilities outside of NRCS.
     We may have a spouse that is attending school or that has a really
     good job. We may want to buy a home but the is complicatied by the
     unknown of where you next job increase will be. We may be looking
     to start a family but the idea of not being permenant makes this
     decision more difficult. Or we may have family or even a family
     farm we do not want to leave behind. I think that skills, success
     with land owners, and a job well done should be the basis for
     promotion. I feel that cultural diversity is important in the
     workforce. However a person that is culturally diverse should not
     take presedence over someone with a greater skills set. Race should
     not play a role in the highering process, neither should gender for
     that matter.

242. Agency should be run by a career employee as Chief; too much
     emphasis on accountability and less time to do our jobs with
     landowners.

243. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career with NRCS for nearly 30 years
     and, although 60 and eligible to retire for some time, still am
     here and still believe I have good work to do. Also, because of my
     age and lack of formal training, I sometimes find all the computer
     tasks troublesome and frustrating. All the ideas mentioned in this
     survey to increase retention, bonus, reduced schedule for reduced
     pay, employment as an annuitant seem great to me and would be
     welcome. Thanks for asking!

244. Sometimes is difficult to move when there no accomodations for the
     spouse that also work for the agency.

245. Having worked at the field office, area office, and state office
     levels, I have experienced a great disconnect between the field
     offices and upper management. State Office personnel are not
     transferring information on national issues to the local level.
     Additionally, decisions are being made by the State Office without
     input from specialists and field office personnel. This top down,
     dictatorship approach is doomed to fail. Employees become
     disgruntled when they are asked to implement nonsensical policies
     (ie. not working on AMA projects when there are existing legal
     contracts) or State Office is not open and forthright about
     decisions that are being made (ie. office closures, employee
     relocations). Periodic details for field staff to the state office
     and vice versa may alleviate this issue. Additionally, the vast
     majority of decisions cannot be made by a select few. State Offices
     need to utilize their own specialists to help make decisions.
     Individuals that feel that their work is appreciated and that their
     talents/skills are best utilized will be dedicated, hardworking
     NRCS employees.

246. The federal government has been fair with me both in the mil- itary
     service and with my present job with NRCS.

247. A leadership development program should be created for
     underrepresented groups focusing on those skills needed to make
     employees eligible for SES positions.

248. I feel in some instances people are promoted based on sex and race
     instead of technical merit and managerial skills to meet
     \"numbers\" instead of who is the most qualified.

249. Federal health plans should have an option for better dental and
     eye care, or a better option for separate purchase.

250. I think KSA writing is an essential training that should be
     available more broadly within the agency and on a regular basis. It
     would also be nice to have a network of \"advisors\" that an
     employee could take advantage of when deciding on their next career
     move if no one in their office is available to advise them.
     Nationwide and International details should have separate
     assignments that can be used as training for employees in lower
     grades that do not qualify with their skills for the general detail
     work that is currently available.

251. Training is arbitrary and inconsistant. A training budget should be
     allocated to each employee.

252. I don\'t have a spouse (see question 48!)

253. The agency seems to be assuming many of the administrative/clerical
     duties of the Farm Service Agency and the burden of performing many
     of these tasks has fallen on the field office personnel. This has
     caused personal disappointment in my job. If the agency is going to
     continue in this direction, it would be important for new hires if
     the amount of time spent doing computer/paperwork in the office is
     stressed at the interview. It almost seems that instead of having
     several credits in soils, plants, agronomy and biology I should
     have rather has accounting, finance and management included to be
     prepared for this job.

254. If we can\'t get new employees on a regular basis. At least give
     those that we do have a better salary to keep them with our agency.

255. More people are needed in the filed to provide quality technical
     assistance to landowners, less convoluted computer programs and
     shifting the bean counting back to the people who are trained for
     that.

256. Spouse was former NRCS employee but left the agency to follow me
     when I took a promotion. It is very hard for an NRCS couple to both
     remain in the agency and have career advancement. Although, I do
     think the agency does provide a family friendly agency for its
     employees.

257. In the marital status section there was no area included for
     widowed. My husband is deceased. I\'m not divorced or separated.

258. My career has been a wonderful ride. Close friendships with co
     wokers and farm families across the state. Very caring to the needs
     of my family. NRCS needs a future work force who has a through
     knowledge of what the typical farm family and agr. enterprise is
     faced with daily. Need for livestock knowledge. I firmly feel our
     producers are first concerned with the own family needs and the
     needs of their livestock. Once these needs are met, our producers
     will take on the their soil and water stewardship responsibilities.
     Cost sharing My career has been a great ride. NRCS has looked out
     for my and my families needs for 35 yrs. Great friendships with co
     workers and farm families across the state. Knowing that my efforts
     have kept some families together and still in their ag. business.
     Future staff needs an awareness of normal farm enterprises.
     Producers are great stewards and will address their soil and water
     needs AFTER their families and livestock needs are met. Far too
     many producers are farming the govt. and not the land!!! Give our
     producers the slack they need to farm. Supply and demand principles
     need to be implemented. Why are we rewarding poor managers to over
     produce commodities?? I fear for our agr. future in the US, and I
     fear future employees will have the computer knowledge but not be
     able to relate to the producers! This new \"boot camp\" is a great
     idea and needs to be a continual process. Thank you for the
     opportunity to serve NRCS. D.

259. Note about bootcamp \-- Should the states be investing (\$7500?) in
     every new-hire before the first-year probationary year is complete?
     Seems an expensive gamble when both the service and the new
     employee are still \"trying each out\". Just a thought.

260. The agency needs to get and stay techical. Concentrate on getting
     conservation on the ground. We seem to have more talkers and
     watchers and fewer doers.

261. I belive that this is a waste of time. I don\'t see there being any
     changes made because of this survey. This agency will not be able
     to keep young quailfied workers. There is absoultly no incentive
     for young quilifed people to want to work for us. Rewards are not
     based on merit, but on seniority and job titles. All in all this is
     a very dishaertening agency to work for.

262. THE OLDER WORKERS WERE RAISED BEING ON THE FARM AND WORKING WITH
     THE FARMERS, NOW WE JUST IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS, SIT AT COMPUTERS AND
     TRY TO GET SOMETHING REPORTED SO THE UPPER MANAGEMENT LOOKS GOOD,
     AND WE DONT HURT OUR LAST FEW YEARS.

263. how many vets does the service employ and give N/A on spouse info
     not everyone is married and can answer Q48

264. I am an unqualified 457 D.C. Please truly grandfather us as our
     careers are now stonewalled.

265. The computer programs we have to use to administer programs are a
     disgrace. They never work properly and keep us from providing the
     high level of service we are known to provide. This happens nation
     wide, when one state should be testing the program, provided the
     support to work out the problems,BEFORE it goes to all states.

266. The technical expertise of the agency has been deminished by the
     hiring of individuals from outside of the agency who are not fully
     trained. We have not trained quality employees within the agency to
     replace those that are retiring.

267. Flextime is a very nice benefit.

268. Staff according to workload

269. More Soil Conservationists need to be hired at this point while we
     still have senior DC\'s who have the technical experience and who
     can train very effectively through OJT. This would reduce the huge
     expense it is going to cost our agency to send new employees (many
     withouth ag backgrounds) to a 6 week bootcamp (\$7500
     registration), as well as many other trainings. Additionally, very
     few students at the college level know what the NRCS is nor what we
     do. No real effort is being made to work with Colleges\' to let
     them know what our criteria are and what classes students should be
     taking if they are looking for a career with NRCS. Luckily a state
     con spoke at one of my classes and after class she recommended some
     cources for me to take if I was interested.

270. PLEASE, don\'t refer to me as CAPITAL!!!!

271. Several of the questions could use expounding. The agency does have
     the ability to provide technical training but some years lacks the
     finances to send employees. The pay scale for Technicians seems
     illogical. To equate a GS-7 Technician to a Bachelor of Science.
     Perhaps the pay scale should be skewed.

272. Should have asked about if I feel we have adequate staff to acheive
     the agency goals, which we don\'t. We need to hire new staff NOW,
     before all of the skills and knowledge retire and can\'t be
     transfered to the recruits! TSP ARE NOT THE ANSWER! INCREASED
     PROGRAM DOLLARS WITHOUT STAFF TO DELIVER IT is a major problem. Too
     much stress from workload has forced some people out of the agency.
     Expecting staff to be mobile is less realistic these days with it
     taking 2 incomes to survive. It would be very hard for my spouse to
     find a job in his field. Moving children from their friends and
     school is tough. Training budgets have been cut, therefore adequate
     training to keep my skills current hasn\'t been made available.

273. Leadership needs to be more consistant regarding NRCS goals and
     tools used to reach those goals.Our work should not depend on how
     much federal cost share program funding is received.Leadership
     needs to do what is necessary to hire the number of employees
     needed to carry out our mission and allow field office
     responsibilities to be reduced if sufficient employees and support
     staff are not employed.

274. I think recruitment for the agency can be improved greatly. I also
     believe the agency has a problem with diversity. There is diversity
     but very little. And this is where recruitment comes in play. The
     it\'s hard to get people to go to a lot of locations, improve the
     wages or have some knid of incentives for moving to places in the
     middle of nowhere. Thank you

275. Overall NRCS is a good place to work when it comes to salaries,
     benifits etc. One of the down sides I have seen in my limited years
     working for the agency, is the agency has changed from a hands on
     out in the field agency to a program administration agency. I know
     change is good, but I sometimes think we accomplish more for the
     agency (how much program dollars we can spend) than we do for the
     cooperator(helping with their conservation needs). It seems we get
     more and more people coming in the door wanting to know how they
     can get their free money instead of cooperators coming in and
     asking for help to solve a conservation problem.

276. The agency needs to do a much better job in providing guidance and
     support to supervisors dealing with performance issues and personel
     issues. Not Happy with questions 44 - 46, 48; what is the need.

277. No

278. presently, none.

279. none

280. I appreciate this survey!!! I will raise one issue not covered. It
     is about the current effort by NRCS to dictate top-down management
     upon the 375 RC&D Councils by forcing them to meet narrowly,
     defined performance goals set in Washington, DC. The beauty of
     RC&Ds are that they are locally driven, nonprofits who think
     \"regionally\". They don\'t spit out widgets for government
     programs, but instead respond to local issues with innovative
     approaches. RC&D is a jewel for NRCS. I\'m afraid they are
     unintentionally going to destroy that jewel if their proposed
     performance measures get approved in 2006 for the RC&D program. I
     would hope that our NRCS sociologists are familiar with \"Is it My
     Backyard or Our Watershed?: Challenges to Resource Conservation and
     Development in the U.S.\" prepared by Gregory Peter et al. They
     presented it to the Rural Sociological Society meetings in
     Sacramento, CA in 2004. They state the case very well that RC&D is
     a vehicle for dealing with regional conservation issues, better
     than state or federal government programs, because the local people
     are connected through the RC&Ds and empowered.

281. NRCS appears to be moving away from being a technically oriented
     agency: not good in the long-term.

282. FERS employees should be able to apply unused sick leave toward
     retirement time. FERS employees use sick leave more freely than CRS
     employees. They are needed on the job!!! If FERS did not feel that
     unused sick date are a lost asset, then they would not use them as
     freely.

283. Employees who worked in private industry for 10 to 20 years before
     accepting an government employment appointment under CSRS should
     not have their social security benefit reduced under the windfall
     elimination provision of social security reform act.

284. Once again, I think that an employee should be made to feel that
     his or her career is vibrant and progressive and moving in a
     positive direction no matter how long they have been working.

285. Balancing technical changes, program changes, computer changes,
     with demand driven by expanding cost share opportunites is
     extremely challenging.

286. Good Survey!!! I hope you really do something with the results

287. Some of the questions did not provide adequate answers.

288. I see no benefit to this, because I feel certain that nothing will
     change.

289. Do not forget that the quality of field personel is directly
     proportional to the true long term support of the agency.

290. I don\'t agree with a lot of the sggested answers. There needs to
     be more abbility to give something other than a multiple choise
     answer.

291. Questions I think should be included in this survey are the
     following; what the age were you when you became federal employee
     and for what reason did you return to work. Are you offered the
     option of telecommuting and how far is your commute? Does your
     office(conservation) care about recycling?

292. I feel the government is a good agency to work for but we need
     improvement in West Virginia.

293. Moving because of a job change is tough enough alone/single but
     when families are involved suddenly many stresses and strains
     emerge. The spouse of the promoted employee is forced to locate new
     employment, locate daycares and schools for children, housing -
     rented or purchased properties, ect.. If the family is unable to
     remain together - spouse and/or children with the \"promoted
     employee\" - during this \"fretful\" period then it can destroy the
     family unit. Staying in a hotel for 30-60 days is unacceptable
     especially with small children. When an employee is hired or
     promoted, the office (state or area) should immediately put
     together a package of rental properties and real estate properties
     along with local telephone numbers for utilities (trash, electric,
     water, ect.), local daycares and schools, and 2 contact mentors
     (who can be reached anytime for assistance) to help orient the
     new/promoted employee or employee\'s spouse to his/her new area.

294. I feel that the agency needs to pay closer attention to the workers
     that produce and crack down on those who don\'t. The current system
     has few repercussions for slackers.

295. We need to secure the national sponsors for conservation we need on
     capitol hill. Conservation on farms does not provide a huge
     uprising of numbers of the electorate demanding programs and
     assistance. Those who crafted the urban congressmans votes for
     rural programs arrangements tied to food stamps and conservation
     were visionaries. We need that kind of leadership and committment
     to rural conservation needs.

296. I don\'t know about the other states\.... but when it comes to IT
     people NRCS needs to hire people that went to computer schools and
     come to the work force with software and hardward understanding and
     not hiring or promoting workers that have just been fiddling with
     computers and have a little more understanding of computers than
     the average worker.

297. the use of the term \"human capital\" in this survey to me is a
     clear indicator as to how the administration truly views
     employees - a tad bit \"de-humanizing\", don\'t you think?

298. I believe that job placement and promotion is based not on skills
     but on race and gender. It seems that the \"move to become
     promoted\" policy does not apply to women. I know of some woman
     that have been catered to, while the men are left out in the cold.
     The men don\'t have an option. But for the woman, they can choose
     where they want, and how long they can stay. I think that a persons
     race and gender should never be looked at. It should be a persons
     job skills that fill quota\'s, not their race or gender.

299. I checked disability because I have been dianosed as Bi-polar.
     According to the disability info page mental health is considered a
     disability.

300. No additional comments.

301. Too many protections are afforded to employees, and too few to
     supervisors. This results in retention or even promotion (away) of
     poor employees, which is devastating to the morale of all involved.
     Steps should be taken to expedite administrative authority to deal
     with underperforming/poor conduct employees. No one in their right
     mind wants to supervise (at the GS-11 to 13 level) in the present
     environment. Tony Jenkins, MLRA PL 304 469 9738

302. question #48 does not apply to me and yet I am forced to submit an
     answer\...

303. I don\'t feel that promotions should be based on moving. Moving to
     different offices to gain experience can be beneficial, but I feel
     that the employees interests should be considered.

304. Training for most employees in agency looks to be excellent, but I
     think if you talk our younger engineers, you will find that to
     acheive true engineering competence, we need more OJT and time
     working with a senior engineer, and we need more formal training or
     our jobs will start to be outsourced as we lose technical
     capabilities, and if it looks like that might happen you will lose
     us, and once the private sector takes over, engineering will cost
     you much more than training us would have, and quality of work will
     suffer.

305. It is bad when someone with a BS in civil engineering can not get
     hired as an engineer because the state administrative officer who
     is a GS 13 and only has a high school degree feels that technology
     degrees are worth nothing here in West Virginia.

306. I feel that if a spouse gets moved to another state or another area
     that NRCS should be able to cooperate and move an employee that
     wants to stay with NRCS. Once NRCS has the knowledge base it would
     be sad to lose that knowledge base just because they employee could
     not be placed somewhere else.

307. While I appreciate the mission of the NRCS and it\'s work, I feel
     we\'re inefficient as an agency in accomplishing real improvement
     to the environment due to the administrative demands of our jobs.
     Our external clients need comprehensive assistance in natural
     resource management. We need to meet them \"where they are\" and
     listen more to their needs. USDA conservation programs provide
     piecemeal technical and financial assistance that perpetuates the
     cycle of producers only improving their land if they are paid to do
     so. NRCS field employees need more time in the field with these
     external clients so that incremental improvements in their
     management can be shown to improve their overall operation. The
     cornerstone of accomplishing the application of conservation
     practices on the land is the relationship the individual
     conservationist has with that producer. When trust is built by
     effective communication and understanding, the producer will be
     more likely to depart from some management practices and pardagms
     that must be changed.

308. I feel that are technical expertise is sometimes wasted when we
     have so much red tape and paper work to contend with. My question
     to you is do you think the landowner really cares about how much
     paper work we do? No they just care about how much money we can get
     to them and how quick. Valuable time is wasted with landowners
     because the information we have to generate to keep them in
     compliance.

309. I think you are trying too hard for \"culturally diversified\"
     workplaces and are willing to bump out excellent potential
     employees for a minority. I think you will find you will be losing
     a lot of people under the age of 30 because it always seems like
     the people that complain the most and do the least amount of work
     get preferential treatment. I know there are at least 4 of us in
     this state ready to move on because of that reason. If it keeps
     happening your agency will fall apart due to being filled with
     employees that are inadequate in their field. I hope that doesn\'t
     happen but I see NRCS heading that way and being a joke agency in
     less than 10 years if it stays the course it is currently on. Again
     let me remind you that it is amazing that someone in NHQ decided to
     start checking transcripts for hours that had already been verified
     by State office staff before employees were hired. It is currently
     affecting people that have been promoted, transferred and have
     sacrificed something to work for NRCS. Now, those people are
     treated like they lied on their applications. We are not Mr. Brown
     and FEMA. The transcripts were VERIFIED in the STATE OFFICE. Not by
     the employee. I think it is amazingly ironic that dead weight gets
     pushed up and hard workers get pushed around.

310. continually find it amazing that the state office has no problem
     promoting people there while my position as a GS-4 must remain that
     way due to budget constraints. Given the workload I maintain in the
     3 field offices in which I work, I seriously doubt they have a clue
     what\'s going on outside of their own environment.

311. none

312. You expect an awful lot from your field people with low pay and
     little real chance for advancement. this agency is like a club, and
     if you are not a club member, you are not going to advance.

313. Morale is very low in our agency. Employees feel management does as
     they please when it comes to promotions and hiring. It is not who
     is most qualified for a job but who management wants where.

314. Job satifaction and morale is less do to continue change in job
     requirement(protract, planning, farm bill programs, etc.)and not
     receiving good advice and management on how to deal with these mass
     changes. New ideas and program are develope but not ready for field
     use. By the time the new program are workable, it is changed once
     more. It seem to be a shaped like oval race track.

315. I feel I have been discriminated against because I do not have a
     formal education. I have performed duties beyond my job description
     and with the on job training I have received over the years I feel
     I can perform most of the duties required at the field office level
     yet I cannot apply for supervisory positions that I may be
     interested in. I have reached the higest step level in my grade and
     will no longer receive a promotion no matter how long I continue to
     work or my job performance.

316. I am very pleased with my current supervisor. However, I have
     personally been on the receiving end of the repercussions following
     a supervisor\'s departure (promotions for incompetance). 2 times no
     less, plus repercussions following the term of and extremely
     inactive acting supervisor. Each time the repercussions were for
     situations over which I had or was given no control - things which
     were the supervisor\'s responsibility. Some of these repercussions
     were quite serious, such as being passed over for hiring when I
     made the panel. I have also experienced bigotted and inept
     supervision. For example, training requests not being submitted up
     the ladder and justified with these statements: \"Men need to stick
     together and fight reverse discrimination\". \"I know about
     women\'s lib and all that stuff, but I still believe a woman\'s
     place is in the home, and that is where I keep mine.\" \"Working
     women are just taking jobs away from good men.\"

317. As people retire, it is really important to give the new employees
     the training and job skills they need to carry the workload. There
     doesn\'t seem to be enough money budgeted to train employees in
     job-specific skills. Web-based training is great, but more is
     needed. As long as salaries keep pace with the general marketplace,
     they should not be a problem.

318. I don\'t feel that management should be allowed to \"volunteer\"
     the lower-graded employees for \"committee assignments,\" or as a
     \"special emphasis manager,\" or to promote the CFC Campaign (which
     I am against anyway because they don\'t spend your money the way
     they tell you they will\--and I am NOT a sales person), or to
     \"decorate the office for holidays,\" etc. because no one else has
     the time or wants to. I believe that should be the individuals
     choice\--if they want to do it. That\'s what VOLUNTEERING means,
     isn\'t it? Many lower-graded employees feel unqualified/inadequate
     to handle \"committee\" assignments, or \"facilitate\" training.
     And no one should be \"required\" to make the office
     festive-looking for the employees and public whether they believe
     in the holiday or not. I won\'t put up and decorate my Christmas
     tree at home because I end up doing it here at work! And, even
     though they say no one is made to do this\--that\'s a lie! We are
     \"pressured\" into doing it. They say, \"I would think you would
     enjoy being paid for a couple of hours to put up decorations.\"
     What has that got to do with the work I am here to do? Some people
     are more \"sociable\" than others. I am courteous and volunteer to
     help anyone I can, but I am more concentrated on the work and do
     not feel that comfortable trying to \"socialize\" with everyone
     (introvert). I feel more comfortable doing what my job description
     says I am supposed to do; without the \"and anything else we want
     you to do!\" That is the part of the job that I REALLY HATE!!

319. Eight years ago in a principle staff meeting in Nevada it was
     mentioned \"that in 5 years 50% of the current NRCS employees could
     retire.\" Only 2 of us in the room did not meet that criteria. That
     theme is still with us and no more relevant. People are working
     longer because of debt, having children later in life, FERS
     increasing the eligible age of retirement and the decrease in
     available retire funds, and those at the top still think they are
     \"invaluable\" to the NRCS and we can\'t survivie without them.
     Another theme that isn\'t being seriously explored is the NRCS
     policies and procedures that shackle the field staff and dicourages
     conservation being applied to the land. WE, the NRCS, are our own
     worse enemies. NHQ wants us to improve our efficienies per work
     product. Then get rid of the stupidity YOU (NHQ) put on us. The
     Chief keeps saying someone like me is part of the \"YOU\". Wrong. I
     implement the shackling policies of NHQ not make them. And YOU are
     not interested in implementing the solutions of people outside the
     beltway.

320. 1\. The agency needs to do a better job of communicating (internal
     and external.) The best thing we\'ve done in a long time is the
     Backyard Conservation campaign. If we don\'t let people know who we
     are and why they should care, we lose effectiveness. 2. We also
     need more funding for Conservation Technical Assistance. 3. The
     current trend of national priorities trumping local priorities also
     has an adverse affect. Many people joined because they (1) like the
     mission, (2) like to see their efforts written on the landscape,
     and (3) like helping people. Instead more and more time is being
     taken to feed information into the computer and less working with
     people on the land. 4. Our agency encourages employees to become
     certified in conservation planning and nutrient management, but not
     erosion control (which used to be the hallmark of our agency) 5.
     The agency needs to provide more support to the Earth Team. It
     seldom receives the recognition that it deserves. The Earth Team
     provides valuable assistance which has been increasing every year,
     but the Chief and other leaders seldom mention it in their speeches
     or other communications. If it would receive more support, we would
     benefit even more. I personnally believe that every state should
     have a full-time Earth Team Coordinator (who should double as the
     outreach coordinator). Instead, we no longer have part-time
     regional coordinators. The Earh Team has proven value and has shown
     that our return on investment is extremely good. Why aren\'t we
     supporting it? 6. While I believe that diversity is good, I believe
     that we sometimes give it a higher priority than our mission.
     Examples: We pay for annual Native American Month Posters but
     didn\'t have farm bill brochures for nearly a year after we began
     implementing the 2002 Farm Bill. It would make more sense to create
     a multi-year Native American Poster and divert some of the funds to
     mission-based printing needs. We have mandated annual EEO/CR
     training, but no mandated technical training.

321. Question 48 - no spouse

322. RE question 47 I have worked at several locations in two states,
     but have never been moved by the federal government.

323. Retirement has and will claim the NRCS experience and knowledge
     base. Those of us entering new jobs and assuming leadership roles
     need training to be effective in these roles. Compliance
     requirements for laws, regulations, policy and procedures is
     difficult to learn on one\'s own. Relavent training opportunities
     must be provided in order for employees to perform and be able to
     meet the agency\'s goals and objectives. Help me to be able to do
     my job more effectively and most of my frustration will go away.
     Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinions.

324. Areas needed to improve the agency- Managers need better managment
     training, the GIS and ARC View should involve and be used by all
     disciplines and engineering should be utilizing current
     technologies. Get rid of the saying \"Ties talk to ties\", and
     promote a more teamlike work force. Provide beginning training at a
     regional level and require upper management to work at the field
     with their equipement and programs, to gain a firm grasp of the
     hangups. Provide more funding for training,upfront planning,
     inviestigation, technical design and assistance and provide it be
     completed before any contracts are signed.

325. NRCS would benefit from better management and accountability.

326. The change to a program driven agency has cut down our one on one
     contacts and the high demand of computer work slows and intimidates
     employees not comfortable with all the \"new and improved\" ways we
     do business

327. My career moves have been primarily due to my husband moving with
     his job; my move to where I am located now was for my career, and
     my husband is now unemployed.

328. I think more information should be sought out on the topic of
     awards and recognition. I realize that we are currently going
     through another change in the way this is carried out, but your
     employees would have strong recommendations and probably some good
     ideas. Thanks for the opportunity to participate.

329. the agency should take a role in assisting employees locating to a
     more expensive area.

330. We need more federal employees hired by skill. Not by minority. We
     need to maintain and build our workforce in the field. Quit
     outsourcing our jobs that we are good at. Use TSp\'s for things
     that make since like Nutrient Management Plans and Pest Management.
     Reward the field for doing good. Hold supervisors responsible to
     giving spot awards and performance awards yearly.

331. Relationships with supervisor and other employees. Relationships
     with partnership agencies.

332. Soil Conservation Intern program selection should be based on
     technical competence and education background not \"who you know\"
     or your ethnicity. NRCS\'s strength is technical knowledge and
     services not administrative. NRCS should have done the outsource
     study on conservationists not on engineers, technician and soil
     scientists. A private group could definitely handle PRMS and
     Protracts input. After Outsourcing and reorganization (downsizing)
     agency morale is low. Should replace NRCS leadership with agency
     folks not polictical cronies, people who have more of a
     understanding of the inner workings of the agency.

333. no

334. I especially think managers should be periodically moved (3-5 yrs).
     In this state especially it appears that kingdoms (or
     dicatatorships)are established. It\'s not fair that some
     individuals have to be moved but the select few can go from new
     hires to GS-12s in their hometown with little or no competition.

335. I believe we are in a period where fild personnel feel that they
     cannot make a difference. It is not complaining to say that we are
     making a wrong move in direction of the agency. There was a time
     when our concerns were met with care and the willingness to fix the
     problem.

336. I think the agency shoul concentrate on putting conservation on the
     land rather than being \"boggled down\" in the office with computer
     programs that are too complicated and normally don\'t work like
     they\'re supposed to. We\'re constantly having to \"feed the
     beast\" which takes up most of our time.

337. My job has changed tremendously in the last 20 years with many new
     programs and respondsibilities but my GS grade and position
     describtion has not been changed. The technician I supervise does
     far more work than similar grade USDA employees in the service
     center but NRCS will not consider raising the technicians grade
     scale.

338. I would encourage NRCS to offer employees to stay on with 25%
     salary increase or \$11.00 pay with their retiremant. I believe
     many retires would stay with the agency longer and to provide
     training for new employees.

339. Being a white male sometimes I feel that I am being discriminated
     upon when it comes to hiring for positions. I had been trying to
     get on with NRCS for 10 years. Is succeeded a year ago. Equal
     rights is needed but it seems that the NRCS goes above and beyond
     to cater to minorities. That is my only gripe with the agency
     otherwise I love working for NRCS and I strongly believe in the
     mission that we are trying to carry ott.

340. We in the field are told to deal with our workload, while at our
     state office level they are hiring more help to deal with theirs,
     yet at the same time we are under a budget crunch. Also, is it not
     counterproductive to hire tsp providers to do our work, if we have
     capable persons on staff to handle our current needs?

341. timelines and deadlines are tight. Surely new programs can be
     started giving more time to emplement the new program. Management
     seems more concerned in providing information for itself rather
     that working for and with the public.

342. none at this time

343. Questions or concerns about working part time or retiring should be
     addressed before retirement time.

344. As far as promotions to a different series, more focus should be
     placed on actual knowledge/skills and less focus on how much
     college you have had.

345. I am a widow is should be a category as we have special needs too.
     I can not exit this survey without completing it!

346. We are loosing the greatest strength we have as an agency, the soil
     conservation technician and civil engineering technician.

347. 1\. We need to increase our ability to assist in putting
     conservation on the land and ono-on-one contact with the
     landowners. We do that by hiring technicians (SCT\'s). We also need
     to support those SCT\'s and all other field office personnel,
     including all other state and district employees with experienced
     Area Technicians who directly work for the Area Engineer\'s. An
     field office experienced technician is an invaluable resource for
     assisting field office personnel in putting conservation on the
     land. No engineer can touch their ability to convey field
     experiences and teaching abilities. Yes, they are usually crusty
     and rough hone but invaluable to this agency if you want to
     maintain technical expertise in the field. 2. Focus on employee job
     satisfaction and support and available training. Find out what
     makes an employee happy to come to work in the morning. Do a good
     job of Human Resources support, meaning adequate answers to
     questions, flexible work schedules, and adequate spot awards
     (without the red tape) for things employees do right. Supervisors
     need good supervisory skills in honoring the above and in
     allocating work to be done so that each employee knows each month
     what they are to accomplish. 3. Shore up technical expertise so
     that our needs for technical assistance to internal customers is
     available and each employee knows who to call for the expertise
     required. We need a central command of expertise and we do NOT have
     it. KW

348. None.

349. Question 43 - Marital Status - what about those of us whose spouse
     is deceased? You don\'t consider that a category?

350. There has to be a better system in place the employees that are
     simply taking up space or actually hindering our production in the
     field.

351. I am not part of a retirement program but had to choose one in the
     survey.

352. Sent in separate message from the \"Feedback\" button

353. NRCS needs to be more involved with landowners to get conservation
     on the land. Natural resource issues are so inter-related that it
     often takes a team of specialists to work with the
     landowner/landuser to make an informed and responsible decision for
     their operation. Contracting work for programs taken on by our
     agency is taking time away from the work that NRCS has previously
     been able to provide to our customers. The contracting work is not
     what most of our employees went to college for and what they were
     originally hired by the agency to accomplish. Question #48 should
     have an N/A response also, since No does not necessarily relate to
     my response to Question #43 on Marital Satus, but I was not allowed
     not to answer.

354. Under question 5, I do not believe promotion is based on either
     technical or managerial expertise, but the survey required that I
     pick one in order to proceed. I believe people are promoted based
     on length of service and perceived cost-savings by propmoting from
     within, rather than as a result of demonstrated competence.

355. I like working for this agency. The only problem I see is that the
     STCs in each state have too much power in the matters of hiring. I
     have seen 2 instances where people were hired that were not the
     \"best\" qualified. They were blatently selected one a daughter of
     an ASTC and another by a STC because they wanted to give a
     promotion and the person was selected for a position with minimal
     qualifications. Also, salaries should not be part of the
     discretionary budget.

356. No comments

357. The \'in with the in-crowd\' is a real morale problem in the
     agency. It hurts promotion possibilities, which hurts retention. It
     disgusts some people which hurts retention. If you ask the big
     wheels in Washington they will deny it exists because they are the
     in-crowd.

358. This agency is notorious for manipulating/mistreating personnel to
     accomodate bureaucracy.

359. None

360. I feel as though I have received high quality training through NEDC
     during my \"formative\" years with SCS. I do not see the same for
     newer employees. I think most of the training opportunities are
     present, but severely limited discretionary state budgets prevent
     us from achieving a meaningful training plan for the state. The
     idea of the Boot Camp is philisophically good, in that new
     employees are immersed into what the agency does. However, it can
     be better implemented, both in the commitment of time (6 weeks all
     at once), and fiscally (states mandated to pay tuition and travel).
     Budgets for Boot Camp should come \"off the top\" before states get
     their budget. Boot camp takes a large share of an already limited
     training budget.

361. Great mission.

362. Re: Management decisions; my perception is too many employment and
     management decisions are made to expand domains, protect
     territories and keep up with the Jones\'s. Too few are made within
     the best interest of protecting and improving natural resources,
     program funding integrity and the most effective use of tax
     payers\' dollars. Re: question 5, basis for promotion; for every
     example of a vacancy being filled based on unbiased decisions
     centered on best achieving the agency\'s mission, there are those
     based on saving transfer funds, filling diversity goals and blatant
     favoritism. Re question 13: due in large part to the mismanagement
     of budget allocations, training is typically the first item to be
     cut. This, after significant human resources are spent to determine
     training needs and decide allocations. Question 15: in my
     experience, not much training has been provided in this manner so
     it\'s difficult to answer the question as worded. On-line training
     has certainly made it easy for the agency to provide lip service to
     addressing it\'s civil rights and diversity training obligations.
     Question 16 - IDP\'s - It takes a committed supervisor working with
     the employee to develop effective plans and implement them. It\'s
     fair to say in the last 10 years I have not spent more than a total
     of about 20 minutes discussing my plan with my supervisor. Question
     46: A \"significant relative\"? How would you define an
     insignificant relative? Re: Leadership; for this agency to be
     effective and for employees to be enthused about it\'s mission, we
     need leaders at every level who display integrity, do what they say
     they will do, provide the full truth and make decisions that are in
     the best interest of the programs for which they are responsible,
     and treat people fairly and in accordance with established
     standards.

363. This survey should not be used to statistically justify the
     Competitive Sourcing efforts in the USDA to continue reducing our
     staff and sending jobs to private industry.

364. not very anonymous survey when ask for grade, state and location,
     have worked for serveral agencies and the main issue with NRCS is
     the lack of communication with employees and an outdated management
     style. This ties in with a lack of information (the laws and
     regulations) to do the job. And there is no equitable method to
     resolve issues. The moral in this state (and I have heard others
     also) is less than desirable. Another issue is training is cut
     every year due to budget so how can some employees gain the
     necessary skills to do the job when technology is advancing rapidly
     and NRCS is not. The NEDC training process is a problem- why not
     have a schedule in place then ask people to sign up instead of the
     current method of maybe the class will happen - take a chance. I
     guess that is enough. Enjoy the season. (Question 48 does not allow
     for no spouse.)

365. The agency may be below a critical level for technical capabilites:
     not enough knowledgeable trained staff to do a quality job. We are
     program driven. What made us a respected agency is rapidly falling
     apart. This survey should not have asked for what state you work
     in. Only what region. I doubt anything useful will come from this
     survey, so I challenge you to prove me wrong.

366. We must provide training in technical subjects and in awareness of
     cultural differences and sensitivities.

367. There has got to be a way to encourage those eligible to retire -
     to retire, when they have retired on the job.

368. none

369. There are many duties that have been created due to computer
     modernization that don\'t really fit in the standard job
     classifications. Webmaster, efotg, protracts, scims, toolkit, oip,
     these are all additional duties that someone has to take charge of,
     be responsible for in the state. The person(s) in responsible for
     these types of duties varies from state to state. I would like to
     see more come from the national level. Example, travel comp. We got
     the rules, but it would have been nice to get a standard form to
     use..instead of trying to make one up. I\'m sure every state has a
     different form. That shouldn\'t be.

370. I feel promotional opportunities are made for political reasons and
     not on merit.

371. I love working for the Federal Government. But I should have the
     opportunity to be promoted without moving. Soil scientists have
     very few career opportunities.

372. Is your spouse employed by the federal govt? Yes

373. The skills I have in my possion are unlimited. I am not mobile but
     I respect this agency\'s mission as my own. If himan capital is the
     true concern of this agency then please re-evaluate the sources
     already avaliable and begin to invest in us as a base (foundation)
     to continue to grow from. The road blocks are the closed minded
     individuals close to retirement and can only see one or two years
     ahead. This agency needs to start looking at least 10 years ahead
     to see the real future of NRCS.

374. Since we have not fully switched to the new rating system, I can\'t
     imagine that anyone feels their pass/fail performance rating
     adequately reflects their job duties or performance. There was a
     question where you could only select one, and I believe it was
     something about the one item that most affects the lack of getting
     new people? Anyway, I would rather have indicated my top three
     reasons. I think the questions relating to others performing some
     of your tasks was targeted more to our field people and didn\'t
     really fit specialist fields. This agency should not use the phrase
     \"family friendly workplace\" as I\'m not at all sure how it fits.
     Maybe some questions relating to this would have been worth looking
     into. I assume if I don\'t have a spouse that I need to answer
     question number 48 with a No.

375. I think that NRCS needs to expand it\'s Career Intern program. It
     is a great opportunity for all positions and helps eliminate the
     task of a slow and shaky transition when fillig positions. There is
     also a serious need for diversity within the state. All minorities
     are seriously outnumbered by white males.

376. Diversity should not be a basis for promotion. Promotions should be
     based on competence, not any other reason. Part of the present
     difficulties we are seeing with leadership is that people are given
     responsibilities based on gender or race rather than proven
     competence. I truly love this agency and want to see it accomplish
     the mission of putting conservation on the land. However, there
     seems to be a disconnect between the management goals and the
     practical application. Decisions are made that make the field work
     more burdensome and less useful.

377. Communication is poor. Things seem to be very secretive when it is
     not necessary. People are all not treated the same regarding
     promotion opportunities. Super employees are not given opportunity
     to move up with their increased knowledge and skills.

378. #10- Agency mission constantly changes ever couple of years; No
     sure if most employees are aware of agency performance, #11 In
     Management partner groups can help very little in carrying out my
     mgt function, #14 Need to offer more training for managers, it is
     usually sink or swim and what you pick up from your peers, #15
     computer training on ethics and CR are usually too long and
     detailed, #18 many people do not know how to find out about federal
     jobs or how to apply- best kept secret if you don\'t know someone,
     #21 preference lean to minorities in job selections when they are
     on the panel

379. We need more people to carry out the HUGE workload. Too much is
     expected of one person. Thank you.

380. This agency should expend it\'s resources on conservation rather
     than trying to hire every walk of life to satisfy some diversity
     quota. Also, State Conservationists should be hired on the basis of
     qualification, not simply to satisfy some diversity quota or having
     known someone \"at the top\".

381. FERS needs to be modified to pay for accumulated sick leave.

382. more questions about working relationship with regional and
     national offices and centers

383. Question #48 - Unmarried - Technical employees have to be on the
     job a long time to climb the pay scale.

384. In Question 48 - My wife is an at home mom and I didn\'t have a
     selection for that. My wife and I are expecting a second child and
     I had no selection for that.

385. Management needs to provide more backing and support to field
     personel. Consider hiring people based on skills and abilities to
     perform the job.

386. I strongly believe NRCS should be more flexible in work options,
     including job sharing, allowing people to work 3/4 time (or less)
     and let them pay for part of their own benefits if they want that
     option, and allowing them to work on federal holidays if they
     desire and earn credit hours that they can take at another time. It
     is crazy to force people to move to be promoted. People today
     generally have two working spouses. The days when one spouse,
     generally male, was the breadwinner and the wife picked up and
     moved wherever he went are gone. NRCS should try to realize the
     reality of today\'s society, especially if they want women and
     minorities to work for them.

387. I feel that new employees being hired on need intensive training,
     that applies to their job and they need to perform their job with
     quality and efficiency. Detail to other offices outside of the
     state and within is needed to those offices that may have good
     skills in specific areas to learn different styles and techniques
     from many different employees. this is very necessary to gain the
     confidence necessary and to keep employees in the agency. I also
     feel that sometimes more weight is given to people of a different
     nationality or race even if their skills may not equal those of
     other applicants. I do believe all people should have equal
     opportunity, but no one should be employed if their qualifications
     aren\'t equal to other applicants just because of their sex,
     nationality, race, etc.

388. The NHQ is disconnected with the field offices as far as mandated
     goals and the time it takes to achieve those goals. Too much
     reliance on the computer - programs too complicated and change too
     often!

389. Will congress or anyone pay any attenion to the results.

390. Employees should be promoted based on demonstrated ability to
     perform the job regardless of college degrees. If an employee was
     hired at a technician level, but has demonstrated the ability to
     perform at a soil conservationist level, then he/she should not be
     held back due to the lack of a formal degree. Demonstrated on the
     job performance over a period of years should qualify these
     individuals to move up within the organization to help train and
     teach the next generation coming in. Willingness to move around
     should also not hinder employees from moving upward within the
     organization. Just think of the capital resource you could save by
     not paying for all of the moving around.

391. Field office employees do not see the State\'s short or long term
     staffing plan to see where they forsee themselves fitting in this
     plan in the short, middle and long term. Additionally, we do not
     have input into such a staffing plan, but it directly relates to
     our workload and our futures. Soil scientists in particular are
     currently in the dark with regards to how the reorganization of the
     Soil Survey Program is going to work for them and how our State
     Conservationists receive this plan, buying into it or not. We have
     no idea how we will be managed in the future, and whether we will
     be supported locally or resented in this reorganization. As it is
     currently, there is little understanding or support for us from the
     State Conservationist level because they do not understand how we
     fit into their Farm Bill related goals, despite the fact that we
     too have a Congressional mandate to do the soil survey and to bring
     this information rapidly into the digital age.

392. Look at the Training Policy of the 70\'s and 80\'s. It worked.

393. Agency is hiring to have a diverse workforce without regard to
     \"KSA\" resulting in the ability to communicate with people though
     we do not have the ability to complete parctices after we talk to
     them. Question 48 is required to be answered, though it does not
     pretain to single or divorsed employees.

394. Worried about a reduction in current Federal retirement package
     including talk of going to a High-5. Some of the questions needed a
     \"None of the above\" category such as the question on basis for
     why employees are promoted \-- sometimes it is neither technical or
     managerial but simply because it is their turn, or they paid their
     dues (I\'m not joking). Some people are promoted so the agency can
     gain balance in ethnicity/race (sometimes this is good, but
     sometimes is really isn\'t). Management doesn\'t care about any
     personal issues that may affect work.

395. We as an agency need to promote ourselves to the public in some
     fashion. People know what the USDA is, however, NRCS is not widely
     known, and to have the support of NON-producers (Urban settings)
     may need work. The Natural Resource Conservation Service needs to
     help conserve not just farmlands, but to help the public with the
     knowledge of how they themselves can help. We have many pamphlets
     and brochures, however, they usually end up in the hands of the
     people who already try to conserve our natural resources instead of
     those who are not educated. I believe that monies need to be
     available to correctly educate the rural, urban, and suburban
     public. Just as an example, water quality is affected greatly by
     fertilizers the public uses on their new lawns. The construction
     activities these days have reduced the infiltration of the natural
     soils (if they still exists) so that there is a much higher runoff
     during a rainstorm.

396. I am not married, why not provide na for question 48. My mother is
     not in elder care, but she does require help in her own house.

397. EEO has created a very negative attitude toward ability. It seems
     to be more improtant to hire \"diversity\" instead a dedicated
     conservationist.

398. Question 43 - what if you are widowed? Question 48 - what if you
     have no spouse?

399. I hope the results will be published when compiled. I am very
     disappointed that results from the survey sent out to all employees
     from the Chief this past March have not been released. That was a
     very good survey. Please post those results on mynrcs.

400. Or agency should not be making program payments. We are very
     inefficient at making payment and are not very good at it. We are
     technical agency and if we are going to be the next FSA we either
     need to hire the people to make payments/contracting or give some
     serious thought about retraining our staff.

401. I really enjoy my job. I sometimes feel that I have to spend to
     much time reporting how I do my job than actually doing it. It
     seems that I have to report what I do in so many categories that I
     am no longer trying to conserve natural resources but trying to
     make it fit into a column on a spreadsheet. At a recent planning
     meeting for our area goals, the resource base and needs were not
     even the concern. We started determining how and what we need to do
     to make sure all the columns were filled in. I think all the ones
     making these decision need to be detailed to the field for 6 months
     to a year so they can see just how ridiculous this method of
     maddness is. This is what we have to do , so we do it with a smile.

402. The Agency here in VA should consider hiring more technicians.

403. I love working for NRCS and I believe that the work that we do has
     a positive impact on our economy and society.

404. You have a lot of older employees who don\'t like computers for
     recreation. We don\'t deal with systems that are not intuitive ,
     don\'t work well, are a work in progress, constantly changing. Stop
     releasing soft ware to the field that doesn\'t work properly . I
     waste more time now on computer problems than the computer ever
     saves me. shoud be a tool that helps me spend more time with
     clients. question 45 won\'t let me out of this survey enen though I
     have answered it and it won\'t let me remove the incorrect answer (
     a case in point)

405. First and foremost you should have more comment section during this
     survey. The biggest issue I see with the agency is once people are
     promoted to a state office or specialist position they no longer
     are involved in day to day field work. They do not have any idea
     what is truly going on in the field on a day to day basis. I also
     feel the same way about field employees not understand what \"state
     office\" employees deal with on a day to day basis. (I have worked
     in both) I feel the agency should require each one to serve a solid
     week in the other shoe 1 time in a 5-7 year period. This would make
     both more understanding of the other and make all employees feel
     more accepted.

406. When I was in college I was a student trainee with NRCS. Two months
     before I graduated, I was promised a job with the Agency in my home
     state (not my current state of employement). I was told where my
     first duty station would be, what my starting salary would be, and
     when I was to start. One week after I graduated, I was told my job
     was put on hold awaiting Congress to set a budget. A month after
     Congress set a budget I was told due to low appropiations for the
     state, me getting the promised job wasn\'t looking good. I never
     recieved any notification that my job was terminated within the
     state. I had to move 640 miles from my home state to get a job with
     the agency. This was partly because I wanted to work for the
     agency, and partly because since I had been told I had a job, I
     hadn\'t looked for any other possibilities for employement. This
     happened to myself and three other individuals. I know of only
     myself and one other of the four who moved far from home & went to
     work for the agency. I know we both are very dis-satisfied with our
     home state. I also know that the agency lost two good employees for
     the cost of 5 new work trucks. Some type of national funding should
     be provided to states to bring on employees that they train. And
     some type of training should be provided to state office staff to
     not guarentee jobs that don\'t exsist. I am very satisfied with my
     job, but am not very satisfied with the way I was treated at that
     time. Had the people in my next two states of employeement not made
     me feel so welcomed and vauled, I would think the agency could care
     less if I was an employee or not, and that is not a very good
     working environment to have people in. I say again, I am very
     satisfied with my job. I would just hate to see this happen to
     anyone else if it could be avoided. Thank you for your time and
     consideration.

407. NRCS is a great agency lets fine a way to hire good people and then
     keep them!

408. On the topic of training: Training needs to be more specific to
     individual employee needs so that very busy people do not have to
     sit through presentations that are worthless to them. On the topic
     of elder care: I don\'t have parents in elder care now, but I
     purposely moved closer to them with hopes that such a situation can
     be avoided as long as possible. NRCS gave me the flexibility of
     transferring my job for which I am very grateful.

409. I think it is extremely necessary to work with supporting femal
     staff and others who have children or eldersto care for. To be
     forced to go to a training away from home for a week at a time when
     your spouse works and you are breastfeeding a new baby is really
     inefficient and unsupportive. We need to kke women in VA; most
     women have left because of the lack of concern. Also, why is it
     that men have all the top graded jobs and women, who have graduate
     degrees that the men do not, can\'t seem to get ahead? Also, the VA
     State Conservationist is totally ineffective and disrespected by
     employees because of her lack of knowledge and concern for the
     agency\'s goals.

410. The agency has become too impersonal, immersed in program
     requirements and contracts. We are tied to our computers!

411. An explanation of mobility or not, I find the \"personal\" data
     questions offense; it shouldn\'t matter where I live, what color my
     skin or my gender. Just to let you know, this used to be the best
     job in the world. Now I spend so much time trying to make
     thecomputer programs that I\'m required to use, actually workm,
     that I rarely get to the field anymore.

412. NRCS is an excellent agency to work for. I have enjoyed it very
     much.

413. none

414. Question 5-I did not agree with any of the answers I had to choose.
     While many promotions are well deserved, many are based on quota,
     or political reasons. Mobility-moving should be a choice of the
     employee. If an employee is in a training position, the agency and
     employee should have a clear understanding that mobility is a
     requirement. This rule should be equally applied. I think surveys
     that limit responses from respondants have very low value. A survey
     with more open questions would provide more useable information.

415. We need to address problems, instead of blaming them on hurricanes
     and other \"excuses.\"

416. Give us feed back on this survey

417. I am glad based on this survey, that NRCS is apparently considering
     a retiree coming back and working part time as a NRCS employee. I
     would definitely do this.

418. NRCS is a good agency to work for, overall. It is lacking somewhat
     in pay in comparison to other Federal Agencies that in my opinion
     have less responsibility. Not only are we technically sound, we are
     called upon to take on more including managing funds. With all of
     the additional responsibility, GS-12 should be the norm rather than
     the exception.

419. I have enjoyed my career working with landowners, but now the
     programs and paperwork is reducing the accomplishments that I can
     acheve with landowners. We are drifting off task, and the programs
     and computer are hurting our efforts.

420. Don\'t let red tape on ethics issues stop you from reaching out to
     the community in regards to promoting the agency and recruiting.
     There are quite a few people in range of retirment in the next few
     years. If they retire before new people are brought on, who is
     going to give the appopriate training? On the job training is far
     more critical than what you learn in a class room in college. Not
     enough high school students know about the agaency or more
     importantly the scholarships that are available to assist witht
     their education.

421. Our agency has been charged with providing technical assistance to
     our clients to best protect our natural resources. Do all things
     possible to stream line the efforts of field folks to accomplish
     that mission. Out sourcing hasn\'t worked in the areas I\'m
     familiar with. Most cases it would or did cost NRCS more money.
     Without technical folks in the field, how would you know if TSP\'s
     were doing the work by NRCS standards? Please remember, without the
     field employees there wouldn\'t be a need for the rest of those
     employed in NRCS. There is always room for imporvement, but mesh
     the new with the good elements of the past.

422. hire hire hire hire hire hire

423. I speak with all sincerity for I\'ve seen the computer take it\'s
     toll on this agency, that is in the field where the corn grows.

424. Experience should be used to paromote a person not just education

425. Technicians should be able to advance to GS-9 grade level.

426. I used to enjoy working for NRCS. I can not say that I do now, due
     to computers and contracting(ProTracts), there is little time to do
     good conservation work with landowners. We are computer and program
     driven.

427. 1.Asking questions about if field people need to cover more areas
     or less. Cover certain jobs and/or doing it all. Need fo specialist
     in the field and not high dollar state spcialists 2. Is less
     supervision needed to get the job done and would this decrease
     salaries paid out by the agency, etc.

428. We must hire and train our employees BEFORE they are placed in
     responsible positions! Don\'t hire people off the street to
     represent our agency that are not trained. Training normally takes
     two or three years. Get started now.

429. I love my job.

430. NRCS is a great agency to work for. Managing a 2-career family,
     pay, and mobility require a lot of effort and consideration.

431. The ethnicity of someone should not be a factor in this surey. The
     focus on keeping good employees around needs to be focused on where
     do the employees need to be. I do not understand why the NRCS feels
     being a good employee should involve moving hundreds of miles from
     your home, and spending weeks away from family. A great employee is
     both happy at home and work, because both encompass all your energy
     and thought.

432. Again I say that people need to paid for what they can do and not
     what some institution says that they can do.

433. It is a shame to see an agency once respected for its technical
     expertise and hands-on assistance going to \"e\" service and
     administrative computer data entrants.

434. 48\. Spouse not currently employed, but attending college
     full-time.

435. This idea of NRCS as an \"enabler\" not a \"doer\" is awful - just
     the opposite of the reason I came to work here. It puts us in the
     category of every other complicated, public-unfriendly bureaucracy
     in the federal government. We were always different - there to help
     and be a positive force for change toward environmental
     responsilibity for private rural landowners. I\'m now predominantly
     a clerk - a slave to the computer and all the record-keeping
     requirements and the Farm Bill contracts. I don\'t have time to
     spend with people planning and evaluating like I used to, so I
     don\'t help them or our resources as much as I did. These computer
     systems are terrible. They take more of my time than anything else
     I do.

436. A section for District Conservationist should be developed to
     identify roles and responsibilities between the District
     Conservationist and the Conservation Districts. There are some
     DC\'s that are the department head for the SWCD/partners and others
     that are not and yet the pay will be the same but the diversity of
     work will be vastly different. When the DC is a department head,
     there is an extra amount of administrative work placed on the DC by
     the county. Therefore a section strictly for district
     conservationists would help to identify the additional stresses and
     workload placed upon the district conservationist that is not
     accounted for through the human capital survey. However, through
     cooperative agreements the district conservationist is responsible
     to comply and provide this task to the partners.

437. I think I\'ve already mentioned I have enjoyed my career. I can
     think of know better way to serve my Lord than to help protect the
     natural resources of this great United States of America. I and
     many others at the field level are frustrated with the Farm
     Programs and the many frequent sinceless changes made in these
     programs. Several years ago I was given the opportunity to comment
     on training in this organization and I recommended that we have a
     boot camp, so to speak, for new employees and use some of the old
     military facilities for the training. The reason I suggested this
     was because it was something done long before I came to work
     according to the old technician that I worked and trained under.
     Hands on training was provided for a 6 to 8 week period. I thought
     this was great especially now for the many new employees we hire
     that lack any farm background. A Boot Camp program was set up and
     sounds like it is very beneficial, not sure my suggestion had any
     impact, but one never knows. I also recommended years ago that the
     financial side of the farm programs stay with FSA and we, NRCS,
     continue to do what we do best, technical work. Dealing one on one
     with individuals in the field. That apparently fail on deaf ears.
     If we leave the one on one contact out of our work then you might
     as well hire all clerical people with exceptional computer skills.
     Thanks for the opportunity to comment. Tommy Stone proud
     Conservation Technician in Lexington, SC

438. You got to be kidding about a paid annuitant being \$11 per hour.
     If you want to keep experience you will need to pay for it. We are
     not hiring soil cons that have the backgound to make a significant
     contribution to the agency for some time.

439. Meeting goals is NOT the only factor in determining good job
     performance. Meeting our customers needs should come first. Our
     customers do not care how many \"widgets\" we produce, they want
     good service with as little \"red tape\" as possible. We spend far
     too much time on \"agency\" business and not enough time on our
     \"customer\'s\" business.

440. I came to work here to help the farmer and work out side but that
     has changed. The only people you need to hire now is computer
     people.

441. at a grade level of 9 or better i would make more than my wife and
     my salary put together but because i have an associates degree and
     lack a bachelors degree i will never reach higher than a 7 even
     though the skills that can be learned on the job and through
     training could give me the knowledge to be fit for a position up to
     a 12.

442. It is obvious that white employees do not enjoy the benefits of
     promotion, awards, etc. that others enjoy. I could not recommend
     that a white person work for this agency in the current
     environment. I can work with anyone regardless of color or sex if
     they are competent and will come to work and do their job, but I am
     tired of having to do the work of those that I am referring to.

443. If the folks in Washington listen to what folks in the field are
     saying things would go better. Thank you for allowing us to have
     some imput. I feel it would be very beneficial for those in the
     national office to have to return to the field for 2 or 3 months
     every 2 to 3 years.

444. The federal cost share programs have become so complex that the
     field people can not keep up with them.

445. This survey was very complete and practical. I think it covered
     most future aspects of the agency-with employee concerns and also
     employer concerns.

446. Employee moral seems to be at an all time low. Customer
     dissatifaction with \"program\" based responses to problems is
     growing. It is broke and needs to be fixed.

447. Overall I enjoy my job very much. However, I would like to see
     awards presented by peers in addition to management. Your peers are
     the ones who knows who does the quality work and is willing to go
     beyond the call of duty. It is disappointing to see an employee who
     puts out 110% for their job and then not recognized for a job well
     done. It is even more disappointing to see employees get awards who
     maybe don\'t deserve them. You asked for my input now you have it.

448. Now that I have finished this I fear retaliation because of our
     management.

449. Leadership and accountability, the personnel in the field need
     leadership and they need to know there is accountability. If you
     are doing a good job it should be rewarded and if you are doing a
     bad job there should be consequences. The agency needs to hire new,
     young and talented people to replace our retiring work force and do
     so in manner that the retiring generation has the time to pass on
     those years of experience. Hiring should also be done on merit
     alone. The Agency should also strive to keep work in-house. Out
     sourcing and TSPs are demoralizing to the work force. If we wanted
     to work for private contractors we would be private sector
     employees. I have worked for both, private sector gets more pay but
     we get more benefits and in general I believe we do a better job.

450. There needs to be better management training. Both training of
     existing management and training of potential managers.

451. Employees in a supervisory capacity should be tested for that
     skill!

452. You can\'t tie all the hours and all the \$ down when it is a
     voluntary program with the public. You are suffering from the top
     down socialist or communist approach that failed when used in other
     areas of the world. Why change our model? You still have time to
     reverse course.

453. Diversity in the workforce is good but NRCS needs to hire a greater
     percent of field personnel that have a agricultural background.
     Field personnel are stretched to thin when they are required to
     fill in counties with vacancies for a year or more. Vacancies
     should be filled promptly with qualified personnel. I currently
     know four recent graduates that have been trying to obtain a job
     with NRCS for one to three years to no avail. I believe that Soil
     Conservation Technicians would be a valuable asset for heavy
     workload field offices or closed counties since the pay would be
     good and individuals would be more likely to stay at one location.
     NRCS has a lot of ethics training but ethics should be enforced in
     the workplace and violators should be deal with sternly.

454. It is very flustrating to sit at the computer working when we could
     be out in the field getting more conservation on the ground. It
     seems that our leadership in higher places have forgotten that we
     work for the public. We are so busy getting reports and other
     information in the computer that we are neglecting many of our
     customers. I still love coming to work each day\...I feel that I am
     making a difference in the lives of the people I come in contact
     with\...I work with 3 separate Soil Conservation District Boards, 2
     separate RC&D councils and 2 different time Zones. This job is my
     career, to many people it is a job\....I work late, come in early,
     give leave away so I won\'t lose it to try to get the job done\...I
     feel that there are allot of engineering practices that we can
     design and install in the field without having to run everything
     through a engineer who is covering so much territory that they
     can\'t get to our request for 6 months to a year. That is
     dis-heartening, to the landowner and us as we try to make up
     excuses for not being able to get them a finish product. We
     (D.C.\'s and some technicians) have the knowledge and ablity to do
     much of this work if higher ranking staff of NRCS would give us the
     permission!!!!!

455. Our agency should look at a realistic workload analysis. Offices
     that are actively promoting conservation are not staffed adequately
     to implement our programs due to new program administrative
     requirements (we spend all of our time managing payments and
     contracts). Some states do not provide adequate assistance in terms
     of staffing offices to implement all of the programs available. We
     need to increase or field staffing, eliminate some programs, or the
     national office should pressure all states to pull their weight in
     terms of providing local districts and NRCS offices with staffing
     or budgets to hire assistants. The TSP program (Technical Service
     Provider) is a joke. It is absolutely a joke, total failure and
     loss of taxpayer dollars. What idiot came up with this concept in
     an agency that implements and certifies the wide array of practices
     and programs that the NRCS is responsible for. We need experienced
     staff trained specifically for our jobs to be able to provide the
     services that the public expects. The only TSP\'s who can perform
     at this level are retiree\'s from SCS/NRCS. All other work
     performed by TSP\'s has to be re-done by NRCS or takes so much time
     to review that it is a waste. We have to ultimately certify it
     meeting our technical requirements anyway. Eliminating TSP\'s
     should be a no-brainer even for the most inexperienced program
     manager/Washington Bureaucrat. Stop playing politics with agronomic
     management companies trying to line politicians pockets. Hire some
     honest, hardworking, permanent full-time employees.

456. Too many promotions based on politics and not with the necessary
     skills and qualities needed to effectively supervise, employees not
     properly trained and put into positions, fail and nothing done to
     correct the problem. Computer training given from the trainers
     field (ex. GIS person)perspective and not from the users
     perspective. GIS person interested in the bells and whistles and
     the field interested in the items that will help them in their job.

457. .

458. you could help retain experienced employees by allowing them to
     work part time.

459. NRCS HAS BEEN A GREAT CAREER WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS THAT I WILL NOT
     DIVULGE AT THIS TIME OF MY CAREER

460. We need to shift focus. A computer should be a tool to help us help
     landusers apply more conservation more efficiently. We have become
     more concerned with and work more for the computer than local
     landusers. Most of the \"time saving\" programs tend to add
     workload. Trainng tends to be rushed and carried out prior to
     programs being fully implemented or fully functional. What works in
     a county with 200 farms or 200 clients may not be very effective or
     efficient in a county with 3000 farms and 600 actual clients. We
     need to step back and slow down. Change is ok and can be good but
     let\'s make sure it benfits the landuser first. Employees get a
     feeling of accomlishment from assisting the client on the ground,
     \"foot prints on the land\". That gets and keeps good employees.
     NRCS is great place to work if we don\'t lose focus.

461. My job is the same as the last person that done the job I do and he
     was a GS9 but when you upgrade a GS job you relist the job and the
     current person could lose their job this is not right. NRCS IS A
     GOOD AGENCY. I just don\'t make the money that I should. Not a
     single person or company bid on my job on outsourcing this should
     tell someone something.

462. Our agency has taken on to many jobs without having the employees
     to do the job adaquately. We do not have the time to really do the
     quality of work that I would like to do.

463. We continue to be asked to do more and more. the agency has some
     counties that are GS-12 and they don\'t acomplish half the goals
     that some of the GS-11 counties accomplish. I feel like the agency
     really needs to look at up grading some of the current GS-11
     positions.

464. THANKS FOR ASKING

465. The agency has gotten to far away from it\'s original mission as
     defined by Hugh H. Bennett. The agency probably has employee\'s who
     do not know who Hugh H. Bennett is!! The agnecy is program driven,
     tangled in a web of what\'s ethically/culturally correct, promoting
     people for reasons other than merit, and making few demands for
     improved performance for those who are content just drawing their
     breath and pay. I plan to spend part of my retiement years trying
     to make a few key Congressmen aware of some of these problems.

466. I have very much enjoyed my career with NRCS as a Soil
     Scientist,however I am concerned about our future as Soil Surveys
     are finishing up.

467. I think NRCS has a great mission. NRCS is the strongest agency in
     getting work put on the ground instead of just talking about it.
     NRCS doesn\'t treat there employees as good as other federal
     agencies I\'ve been exposed to. The pay is generally lower and
     responsibilities higher. Yeah NRCS is doing more than some other
     agencies with a smaller work force, but at what price. NRCS will
     start to lose valuable employees b/c they failed to provide them
     with adequate pay, training, and man power. Alot of us love NRCS
     b/c we believe in what we are doing, but eventually that can change
     with complacement and fatique due to stress and overload. Let\'s
     keep our agency strong and invest in human capital we\'ll be
     stronger and more efficient b/c of it.

468. One problem is getting the best qualified person in a position is
     the personnel may not be willing to move to the new location; many
     family consideration are involved in accepting a new position.

469. Employees at any time should be given the opportunity to take
     training and perform other job-positions within the agency and
     within their state.

470. Hiring policies should concentrate of qualifications. If the job
     requires a college degree, then require that the person has a
     college degree in the relevant field before they are hired. Don\'t
     hire people on the basis that they will attain a degree in the
     future, and then substitute time-in-service for that degree. There
     are plenty of people who have college degrees that can fill that
     job immediately.

471. Question #18: This should allow 3 selections in order to give a
     better view of geographical differences as well as personal
     opportunites reflected in the USA.

472. Some good training offered, but budget constraints hinder. Need to
     concentrate on teaching new managers how to supervise people.
     Repeatedly fighting for funding undermines job security, job
     performance, and personal health.

473. This survey is too rigid and could be used to manipulate a desired
     response by leaving out certain items. Each question should allow
     for a write in response.

474. As this agency shifts toward stabilizing the farm economy (FSA),
     future employees should have office type skills, not technical
     skills. Over the past three years, the USDA priorities have
     resulted in poor relationships with local conservation districts, a
     wasteful use of financial and technical resources because of the
     focus on the amount of money spent rather than the local
     conservation needs. I enjoy working with computers. I use them
     daily for design and calculation needs, but our systems work
     poorly, and require and extreme amount of wasted time. I estimate
     that I spend at least 4 dollars for every dollar I use to put
     conservation on the land due to wasted time and bureauracy.

475. Equal chances for jobs do not always happen. With relocating,
     families suffer financially until your spouse can find a decent
     paying job. FEMA can pay displaced homeowners but NRCS moves
     employees and forgets about them and their families. Promoting an
     employee who is already familiar with an area is not always bad.

476. The best qualified people should be chosen to fill vacant posiions.
     We need leaders with vision, forethought, and people skills. They
     also should be technically competent and not afraid to make good
     decisions.

477. N/A

478. We seem to becoming more administrative (i.e. administering
     programs rather than implementing) FSA seems to be going to the
     field more. What was wrong with NRCS doing field work, and FSA
     doing the payments and such? It was a good system that maximized
     resources. If NRCS is going to do more program administration we
     need more admin staff, the field folks and other support staff are
     doing less technical work.

479. none

480. Moving an employee for training purposes still needs to be
     discussed with the employee before telling them that they have 6
     weeks to move. Personally, I wouldn\'t have minded my move at all
     if I had been a little more involved. Instead it looked like to me
     and others in the agency that there was some type of problem
     between my supervisor and myself.

481. My wife is retired.

482. #43 should include \"widowed\"\....the \# 48 should include
     N/A\...not everyone has a spouse!

483. Tennessee has a significant management problem. People who do not
     come to work or take government vehicles home, without permission,
     are not reprimanded. One person I worked with 12 years and who
     seldom worked over 15 hrs a week and keep the government car at
     home over weekends. This person was reported to the supervisor and
     SAO, and I was told that that person\'s behavior was reported to
     NHQ, but actually that person has been temporarily promoted instead
     of reprimanded. This is known across the state and is only one (of
     many) reasons that morale is so bad in TN.

484. The position I currently supervise is vacant and have not been told
     if it will be filled or not. If I had the opportunity for promotion
     that would require moving, I would have to have reasonable
     assurance my wife could find comperable work to her current
     position with a comperable salary. Basically, make it worth
     uprooting and moving again.

485. I think that if an office has to rely on PR to have something to do
     over 10% of the time, if should be closed.

486. We should be hired/promoted because of our abilities and not by
     anything else.

487. none

488. I think NRCS is spread to thin with to much paper and computor
     work. Busy work.

489. 1\. I strongly disagree with the way individual field office
     personnel are having to keep and manage their hourly work day
     performance as per what program was worked on during that period of
     time charge, (i.e.; 1 hour on this, one half hour on this, etc.). I
     think we (Agency) are creating a bad situation for our Customers
     because if we are ask to help with a particular conservation
     practice and we have to put them off until we get funds for that
     exact situation, that is not in my opinion aiding our Mission. It
     appears in some cases that we get the \"cart before the horse\".
     Field personnel should not have to be \"micro managers\" of
     important field work time needed just to justify a daily time sheet
     charge. Top Agency Managers and/or Supervisors should be the
     managers of our programs and budgets. I personally think this
     should be reviewed and re-evaluated. 2. For years I have heard that
     our budget is in a mess and over spent. I am sure this is true.
     However, when we (our Agency) let construction contracts apparently
     we never consider our budget as far as work hours. We let contracts
     that are based on twelve (12) hour work days plus travel time and
     contracts that allow the contractor to work on some holidays (FAR)
     and most holidays (CLO). We also allow the contractor to work on
     every Saturday, should they choose to do that? If a Government
     Inspector is on the \"Staffing Plan\" for construction and is
     needed during that time, then there\'s not much alternate except to
     go. I realize that all these hours of time are only a small faction
     of a budget. However if some, most, or all of this extra time and
     overtime is put together, then every penny counts. And let us not
     forget to mention the government transportation during those extra
     hours. This is just one person\'s thought on how to try to save a
     little money.

490. I believe that most of our computer needs would be better served by
     providers outside of government and that we need to spend more time
     providing direct assistance to our constituents/clients and be
     provided with better more job related training. I also feel that
     when new high tech equipment or information comes out, an adequate
     amount of training and familiarization of our applications should
     be addressed more effectively.

491. Let us do conservation. We are not accountants and bankers.

492. The problem with low moral is directly related to the lack of
     leadership at the state level. No amount of training or first-rate
     equipment can overcome that.

493. People should not be promoted, because of their status, or sex .

494. get rid of the excess paperwork. This agency is drowing in
     paperwork.

495. When students are reruited for interns, a good understanding of our
     work needs to be communicated to them. Often times they come in
     without a good understanding of the expectations of field work,
     dealing with the public, and the redtape that is part of
     government.

496. We need more programs that operate like RC&D has in the past as a
     true public/private partnership.

497. #47 I have been assigned in 9 counties and from those counties I
     did extensive work in 5 additional counties. In one of the five
     additional counties I was on commuting detail to twice. From one
     location I was assigned, I worked, on a detail team, in 4
     additional counties.

498. I love my job and wouldn\'t trade it for anything, but lack of
     support staff to implement goals is frustrating. Often times there
     is only 1 federal employee implementing most conservation programs
     and help is provided by the local conservation district staff only
     if they are willing and or able to do so.

499. I was very mobile during early years when kids were young and wife
     was sporadically employed but never was chosen for job (18 tries).
     Was promoted in place. Then in mid 40\'s had the opportunity for
     promotion but could not move\...wife had job with equivalent
     income, she was mayor of home town, kids in college (need money to
     go to education, not move and more inflated value home), kids close
     to high school graduation. Spouse/family is major\...spouses can
     easily earn as much income as a government employee. My son is 3
     years out of college with a BA in Communications and already
     earning \> 65,000 per year. I could concievably consider a move due
     to wife\'s potential to earn significantly more than I. Federal
     salaries did not keep up during the inflationary 80\'s and now I
     need to stay for retirement (the best benefit I have - Civil
     Service).

500. There needs to be a better method to promote those that receive on
     the job training but lack the educational requirements for
     promotion.

501. You should not force the answering of questions. This will lead to
     people entering false information regardless of promises of
     confidentiality

502. No comment

503. Being new to the agency, I feel NRCS does provide ample opportunity
     for everyone to receive a good job. I feel apart of a unique group
     that truely cares for the landowners and the agency. I am in the
     minority, being a younger woman in this position, but I am treated
     just like everyone else which feels good. I love this job and plan
     to stay with NRCS for a long time.

504. REGARDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING\< THE SOIL CONS AND
     CONSERVATIONIST REALLY KNOW THEIR SCIENCE\< BUT THEY AND ANY FUTURE
     HIRES NEED TO HAVE COMPUTER SCIENCE AS PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM\>

505. I believe all postions should be open to non-status candidates and
     it should be the decision of the hiring authority to accept the
     status or nonstatus candidate because the agency is losing
     qualified potential employees.

506. The agency really needs to improve AT THE HIRING LEVEL, NOT IN
     WASHINGTON!!!, fair consideration of individuals experience
     obtained outside of NRCS. I had 8+ years of Natural Resource
     experience, a bachelor\'s in AG Extension and a Master\'s in
     Environmental Science, and had to start at a GS-7 in the 457
     series. The hiring practices are quite \"clannish\" and there is a
     great reluctance to bring people in from the outside as soil cons
     or DCs, despite what official policy is the Area conservationists
     hire people that they know, period.

507. Nrcs needs to clearly define its objective. In many cases we are
     not providing clear services to landowners\--simply handing out
     money. We can not continue to define our success by how much money
     we hand out. We need to revisit our relationship with Soil and
     Water Conservation Districts. Conflicts develop when there is no
     clearly defined person in charge. Stress and conflict is the
     result. Nrcs needs to have a clearly defined objective and it
     should be more than just to be a DIVERSE agency. If the general
     public and Congress knew how much money and time we waste, NRCS
     would be abolished.

508. In summary, I would consider staying on in my current job if I
     would receive a in place grade increase, which by the way has been
     done in Tennessee almost as blanket policy. My job has so much more
     complexity now than just 3 years ago, but I am expected to do more,
     have more responsibility, at the same grade as before. I do not
     think this is fair to ask this to be done. Also, there are new
     hires being paid the same grade I am from outside the agency,
     people with no experience. If I am going to stay, my pay needs to
     be increased. If not I will retire and go to the private sector and
     make the same or more income. Federal pay has fallen so far behind
     private pay it is not even comparable.

509. Will changes be made, or is this just another survey that in the
     end, does nothing?

510. The Chief mentioned a desire to make sure that the lack of black
     women in the agency was addressed. i am of the opinion that a way
     to recruit and retain black female employees is to active start an
     funded Cooperative Agreement with the 1890 Land Grants with
     Agriculture Programs to recruit black females in all disciplines.
     Develop a methods to target,track progress and finally nuture these
     employees. I think the folks within the Nation Organization of
     Professional Black employees (particularly the retirees) would
     welcome an opportunity to coordinate all aspects of this effort.

511. I think long term employess who could retire but are willing to
     keep working should be looked at as real assests and should be
     compensated well and/or promoted when the chance arises. The older
     employees are the ones with the collective memory and have a more
     encompassing idea of what the agency is and could be.

512. NRCS needs to do a better job of reviewing positions based on
     workload.

513. I would like to know why technician have all ways been held back.
     This agency treat tech\'s like 2nd class citizen,s. wal mart is
     better to its door greeters than this treats a tech !

514. My job responsibilities have changed drastically over the years. I
     now spend more time in front of the computer than I do dealing with
     resource problems in the field.

515. Childcare assistance needs to be addressed by the agency!

516. The agency needs to focus on saving our natual resoures. Also the
     retirement system needs to be 30yrs regardless of your age to
     compete with the private sector 0r offer ealy out for 30yr
     employees.

517. NRCS is a terrific agency to work for however like many gov\'t
     agencies people work long hard hours and the work never seems to
     get finished. We need to reduce paperwork as much as possible.

518. Clearly define our mission. In the past 2 years our highly
     technically trained staff have been given the duties that a counter
     person with a high school degree was doing with no additional pay.

519. a need for more leaders and less managers, realistic visionaries
     who would have begun addressing what this survey is addressing 10
     years ago.

520. these surveys are filled out and then we never hear anything from
     them and nothing changes! I think some of the questions should not
     have been in the survey such as martial status, children,
     race,spouse,etc. That has nothing to do with the job and how it is
     performed.

521. Government has very few leaders today, but many managers. Managers
     typically try to drive people, instead of leading them. Managers
     who climb the ladder rapidly are typically self-serving. These
     managers tend to mentor and promote subordinates who are very much
     like themselves. This is pathetic and sends general morale into
     reverse. The TSP program, except for very specific niches, is a
     dismal failure AND has greatly harmed employee morale and job
     satisfaction. From experience and observation, it is apparent that
     agency employees could generally perform the work farmed out to
     TSPs faster and more accurately - FAR TOO MUCH time is required of
     agency staff to review the work of TSPs. Of the TSP work I have
     seen, I would be embarrassed to turn work like this in to any
     client, much less get GOOD PAY to do it. The private sector is
     often times not set up, nor does it have the specific
     multi-disciplinary skills to perform the types of TSP work the
     agency tries to contract with them to do. The entire TSP concept
     needs to be rethought and overhauled, or the program needs to be
     dropped in its entirety.

522. It is a disgrace that technical employees are not constderes for
     promotion into higher grade jobs(professional grade jobs because of
     having worked as tech.)If companies ran HR business like NRCS does
     there would be no jobs in the entire country. The technical people
     who work for this agency have a vast amount of ability that in many
     cases is not being used due to the policy that does not allow
     advancement into profosiional positions. HOW WRONG IS THIS? We are
     and have been faithful to this agency and are treated as second
     hand employees. Had I known this was the case when I went to work
     there is a good possibility I would have sought other employement.
     Management has treated some very poorly. NRCs is not an equal
     opertunity employer as it tries to seem. I see unquilified
     applicants from outside NRCS getting DC jobs when thecnical
     employees with identical educational qualificatiions and much
     greater job experance are shunned and overlooked, and then made to
     feel inferion in public at meetings. I see new employees in
     training whi lack even basic skills needed to be successful at any
     job in this agency while technicians labor away at keeping many
     offices running while earning much lower pay. Where is the justice
     in this?

523. I see upper level supervisers coercing lower level ones to
     hire/promote who national regional offices want rather tan allowing
     the superviser to chose who he/she thinks is best for the job. That
     kills incentive of the better employees.

524. Marital status, children questions should not be needed for this
     survey.

525. I am concerned about the way we are treeting our trainees in
     relation to new hires with no agency experience and the impact this
     may have on retaining these trainees. I am also concerned about the
     decline in our technical capabilities at the field level and feel
     this may reduce our customers need for our services in the future.

526. Employees with NRCS are not given the opportunity to advance based
     on experience. We can not get an answer as to what the
     qualifications for advancement are. Being told you are working
     outside your job description, when the job requires this to be
     completed, is not a answer. Someone needs to look in to upgrading
     employees, SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT SKILLS ARE REQUIRED TO DO THE
     JOB. My last chance at a upgrade was denied. The lady doing the
     review made the comment \"all we do is carry the rod for the DC\"!

527. I think that being truthful and direct and keeping employees
     updated with information is important. Employees should be given
     answers instead of the run around.

528. I am a college graduate with a B.S. in Natural Resources
     Management. However, advancement from a Soil Technician position
     has been extremely difficult. I perform District Conservationist
     duties daily and have done so for eight years. I feel that the
     hiring process for this agency has some major flaws in it. It
     appears that the agency\'s policy is to hire for the benefit of the
     individual instead of for the benefit of the agency. This must
     change in the future if we want to maintain a successful program to
     our clients. Also, NRCS has lost touch with who it is. We are
     supposed to be the technical experts in soil conservation. I feel
     that we have lost that identity in this state and moving towards a
     more management type agency. This places more burden on the tax
     payer to receive technical guidance. This agency was created to
     provide technical gudance and expertise to it\'s clients, the
     American people. I feel that we are moving away from that.

529. Our agency\'s problem is NOT with the quality and technical
     knowledge of our employees. I also see no problem with the
     benefits, ect. associated with government employment. The problem
     is\...and has been for over 10 years, that we DON\'T hire badly
     needed employees. The excuse has always been the same. No money in
     the budget. Year after year, we lose employees through retirement
     or other job opportunities, but very, very few of these positions
     are replaced. The extra workload falls on the few of us who remain.
     We are now well past the point of falling behind. Projects that
     were suppose to have been finished 4-5 years ago are still being
     worked on. Another problem is that most employees in our agency
     hired on as field people. We are quickly become nothing but office
     managers and slaves to needless paperwork and computer databases.
     While we are doing all this paper work to justify some pencil
     pushers job in Washington, our clients are not being served. Our
     clients don\'t care how many hours this past week we spent on this
     program or that. What they DO care about is that it took us over a
     week to answer a request or visit their farm. As for recruiting,
     hiring and retaining a diverse work group, how about just simply
     hire the BEST QUALIFIED person requardless of race, sex, etc. I
     have absolutely no problem with hiring or promoting any minority
     individual if they are the most qualified person for the job.
     However, hiring or promoting a minority to a position just to meet
     some statistical requirement set up by another pencil pusher is
     just plan wrong! And this DOES happen.

530. I would have liked to see more questions regarding satisfaction of
     employees with their work/life balance. I think you might have been
     getting at it in the end but there were no questions. Particularly
     in regards to ability to care for children or elderly relatives,
     the impact of moving and lack of telecommuting opportunities on
     families, and the total lack of accomodation for a breastfeeding
     mother.

531. I thought for years that I would work past 55 but with all that is
     changing and the agency going away from the technical work that
     made us great\...I\'m gone on my 55th birthday. I don\'t like the
     direction the agency is going.

532. Assistant State Conservationists for Field Operations in this state
     have too many counties to supervise to do an effective job.

533. Employees should be able to advance in their job based on what they
     are able to do, not just because they have had a certain college
     course. That is the largest problem I see with NRCS.

534. In my state, some DC\'s are 12\'s and some are 11\'s. Some 11\'s
     have more active program than 12\'s. Desk audits not taken
     seriously. Staffing not where the workload is. Should not have
     multi-county offices with one employee. Need leadership changes at
     area and state level.

535. I personally feel that an employee should be allowed to promotions
     within the same field office if there is a position available and
     if that individual is qualiified for that higher grade position. I
     feel that it is a dis-service to the agency, tax payers, & that
     present employee within that field office to hire an individual
     from another location instead of hiring the present qualified
     employee within that field office. Typically the agency has all
     these expenses moving the mobile employee that are not necessary
     costs. Also the present qualified employee within the hiring
     location has already established a working relationship with his
     customers.

536. None

537. There is pay inequality for GS12 vs GS11 district conservationists.
     Pay the same when the job is the same.

538. workload is not distributed evenly across field offices\--we are
     often asked to do more and more with no increase in staff

539. thank you for the survey. I hope the survey\'s are read

540. none

541. NRCS has made some mistakes hiring unqualified people for important
     jobs in Georgia. Several technicians, mostly females, have been
     hired as technicians but really should be clerical. Mistakes have
     been made in hiring professional employees also. Recruitment occurs
     in the SO and it has been pitiful. Diversity has over-ruled
     quality.

542. qualified people are hired to do the job insist they do the job and
     let them do the job, select people who are not educated above there
     intelligence,we have good people use them, stop managing for
     management, stop being a wimpy agency, we have a good service to
     provide stop letting other agencies push us around

543. Employees need adequate skills to accomplish the job, information
     in the agency should flow more smoothly, and more detail
     opportunities.

544. Management needs to communicate with the people that put these
     programs on the ground. You do not gain experience by sitting on
     your butt punching computer buttons.

545. The agency is straying way too far from its roots. We need more
     employees with farm backgrounds, common sense, and a real
     dedication to helping landowners help the land, not employees that
     are just as comfortable in administrative positions in other
     agencies as they are in NRCS, and who are only focused on their
     next promotion a year or two down the road. When NRCS can not
     provide satisfactory assistance to a landowner,(who farms over 3000
     acres and whose grandfather, father, and he have been named
     \"Conservationist of the Year\" by the local district), because of
     inflexible standards and decisions by agency employees above the
     field office level, then their is no doubt that the system is
     broken!

546. Don\'t be surprised if the results of this survey are not what you
     expect. There are an awful lot of black and white answers to choose
     from to answer a lot of gray questions. Many of these opinion
     questions would be better understood if there were a chance to
     explain the answers at the questions. A lot of the \"agree or
     disagree\" answers shouls be accompanied by \"sometimes,or not
     always\". If this is such a confidential survey and nobody knows
     who the participants are (and it shouldn\'t matter - in a way) why
     were those last few questions on there. Is this really
     confidential? also, people should be allowed to skip some questions
     if they want to.

547. I enjoy working with the agency. I have broaden my horizons and
     look forward to the challenge to lies ahead.

548. Believe NRCS should be flexible on mobility issue, if majority of
     district conservationist in a state are GS-12\'s, soil
     conservationist\'s should be able to attain GS-11 without being a
     DC if work justifies it.

549. An Employee who has become part of an office/community should not
     be required to move in order to be promoted or for a title change.

550. Only the employees that are willing to move are promoted and these
     employees are usually only seeking promotion - not doing a good
     job. Hence leadership in state offices is degraded. Also job hiring
     should be based on merit not the color of your skin - that\'s
     \"high school\".

551. I feel that this agency is going in the wrong direction at the
     present time. We are a technical agency, needing to work with
     landowners to use every acre according to its best use and treat
     every acre according to its needs. Right now, all we do is program
     and deadline driven, EQIP signups, WHIP signups, WRP. When we
     (NRCS) took on payment responsibilities we are becoming no
     different than FSA. We are getting away from the land. Supervisors
     are more interested in numbers in the computer and less about what
     is going on the ground. We have cut personnel to the point that all
     we are becoming is an information agency, not a hands on technical
     agency putting conservation on the ground. Let FSA do the paying;
     they have been doing it for years and years. We need to get back to
     putting practices on the ground. Our workforce should have a
     farming or at least a rural background so they can relate to
     landowners. I have worked 38 years (in Jan. 2006) with this agency
     and it has gone from a career that I looked forward to going to
     work each day to one where because of the burecratic BS, I now
     dread going to work more often than looking forward to it. Enough
     said.

552. Promotion in place should not be a \"rule\" but it should be an
     equal option.

553. Soil Conservation Technicians should get more recognition.

554. Opportunities for advancement/pay increases are severly limited
     within the agency for senior employees with limited mobility due to
     financial constraints.

555. I think people should be hired because of there ability to do the
     job, not for any other reason. I also think the questions 43-49,
     have nothing to do with the survey.

556. As a soil Conservationist in the NRCS there is no way a family can
     sustain them selves with out the wife going out to get a job. I had
     to move half way across the US to get a job with the agency and pay
     the expense of moving and my wife had to get a job so that we could
     pay off debt of moving and to suport the higher cost of living in
     Georgia. there is no chance of me geting my 11 in place so I will
     have to move again to get my grade but I will have to move out of
     state and my wife will have to find anothe job once i am accepted
     in a 11 position. I would much rather get grade in place and set
     down roots for a while so that we can have more children and my
     wife not have to work. I enjoy the office that I work in and do not
     want to leave but there is a gap in Georgias Cons and DC that I
     will not be able to fill with out leaving the state, but if I leave
     the state I would much rather go back home.

557. Georgia has created a gap between Soil Cons and DC positions and
     made it imposible for a soil con to get promoted in state but
     requiring them to move out of state to get nessary experince as
     an 11. This is a subject that needs to be addressed or soil cons
     need to be promoted to 11 statues and act as DC for part of the
     year or another means to aleviate the gap in the hiring ladder

558. Instead of donating Annual Leave to colleague, we should be able to
     donate Sick Leave if the person is sick and need of leave. Too many
     program and activity codes when completing timesheet (320).

559. I do not feel that promotion should come only with a move. However,
     I do feel that promotion-in-place shouldn\'t alway occur. I feel
     that promotion should be merit-based.

560. Training is limited by funds. As an agency, we need to do a better
     job of communicating to Congress about what we do and how much
     money it takes to train our employees and deliver our services. We
     need to look into alternative means of funding. We need to network
     with, cooperate with, and utilize our partners more. We need to put
     more emphasis on public information and education so the public
     will recognize our agency and see the benefits of our service. When
     the public sees how they can benefit from our agency, they will
     begin to influence the politicians who control our funding. The
     demand for our services will automatically increase our need and
     the need will automatically increase our presence in the public and
     political realms. Employees should be encouraged to be innovative
     in their strategies and thinking, and they should be supported in
     their forward-thinking when it proves to be more efficient and to
     benefit the mission of the agency. Employees should be used to
     their fullest potential. If an employee has an affinity for
     specific skills, then utilize that employee to benefit the whole by
     allowing him/her the time and money to develop those skills and/or
     teach those skills to others. When hiring new employees and/or
     interns/trainees, the potential employees should meet with not only
     human resources people, but the individuals with whom they will be
     working. Many times I have found that interns and trainees,
     especially, do not know what to expect from the job because human
     resources cannot communicate that to them. Many times, they are not
     well-suited to the field and should never have been placed in that
     location. Not only is their life miserable, but that of the trainer
     will be as well. Students and new employees need to know what to
     expect BEFORE we hire them. As an agency we also need to do a
     better job of promoting ourselves as a career opportunity. We need
     more people in positions of public affairs, technical resources,
     and educational resources. Diversity should be encouraged in the
     workforce; however, diversity should not take precedence over KSAs
     and merit when it comes to hiring and/or promotion. In fact, it
     should not even come into the picture at all. Promotions should be
     allowed in same location as high as is allowed for that job in that
     location with the stipulation that it is merit-based and deserved,
     of course. It is acceptable to ask someone to move if the work in
     the area is complete OR if the promotion they are seeking does not
     exist in that location. I do believe it is important for an
     employee to be able to settle in a location and become a part of a
     community. This cannot happen if asked to move often or if
     promotion in same location is inhibited. I think that further
     training/explanation of retirement options, federal benefits, etc.
     would be extremely useful to employees so that they can make more
     educated decisions in career planning, retirement planning, and in
     choosing the best care for themselves and their families. These
     complicated options are many times glossed over once and then
     forgotten. I would like to have a better understanding of these
     things and am having a hard time understanding it on my own. I
     would like to see the agency take initiative in helping employees
     better understand these benefits.

561. thanks for asking the workforce opinion\...\...

562. I\'m very willing to work and train for advancement. There is no
     spouse regarding Question #48.

563. There needs to be a system in place for employees to let upper
     management know when middle & lower management is failing to meet
     the needs of the lower level employees.

564. I answered \"disagree\" to question 21, but, actually it should be
     \"agree\" because you do a good job at hiring culturally/ethnically
     diverse people. That seems to be the only thing you are concerned
     with doing. You should be more concerned with hiring
     qualified/competent people.

565. Widow and Widower box need to be added for the marital status. Iam
     a widower, I checked married but separated.

566. NO

567. Race appears to be the primary factor involved in hiring and
     promotions in Georgia.

568. none

569. none

570. the agency needs to actively recruit at all ag schools not just
     one. maintain an active pool of good students for new hires.
     Mobility changes with family situations. I started very mobile, am
     less mobile now and plan to be more mobile in about 5 years.
     Remember family comes first

571. When a employee knows the area and has a good repore with the
     landowners in that area why move that employee. The landowner has
     to get used to a new person and the new person has to learn the
     area and the landowner. This refers to the Soil Con positions.

572. I believe that the pay level of district conservationist with NRCS
     who supervise in multiple counties should be on the same level as
     FSA CED\'s who are in what they consider shared management, we do
     more with less clerical staff and have levels of responsibility
     that have not been matched with salary increases, we are
     continuously ask to do more with the same or less folks, this has
     added to the increased levels of stress and depression related
     illnesses in our agency. Upper management says they understand our
     pain but we are still ask to provide the same level of service.

573. Overall the job is good. The feature I like the most is the
     flexibility I have to deal with my family\'s everyday undergoings
     (flexing the schedule). The aspect that I dislike the most about my
     job is that it is highly dependent on land owner\'s prerogative to
     allow me to do my job (mapping soils). Despite it being a
     necessity, it is a source of stress when I am working in the field,
     and sometimes it \"knocks the wind out of my sail,\" and at times
     becomes an all time consuming endeavour finding access.

574. Agency needs maximum hiring flexibility to get solid employees, and
     may need to look at broader job series (401 vs 457)to hire good
     local employees and improve workforce diversity. Everybody else
     wants these same employees!

575. I would like to see us be able to work out on the lands more, and
     less in the office with paperwork.

576. Other agencies such as the Dpt. of Interior, U.S. Army Corps of
     Engineers, provide better promotional opportunities and pay. USDA
     seems to keep people on pins and needles about office relocations
     and closings. This goes on for months and people become stressed
     out not knowing the future. It is difficult to work under these
     conditions.

577. I want to become a Govnment employee someday.

578. None

579. Some questions are intrusive but this survey would not let me skip
     them. I was tempted to just not turn in the survey!

580. I am a GS-11 District Conservationist for a 3 county field office.
     Within my work area there are 3 GS-12 County Executive Directors
     with the Farm Service Agency, 3 County Extension Service
     Coordinators, and 3 Young Farmer Advisors with the Georgia
     Department of Education, all with considerably higher salaries than
     I have. This suggests to me that NRCS needs to look at its
     guidelines for grading postions to make them more in line with the
     other Agricultural agencies.

581. As long as we continue to focus on being politically correct
     instead of accomplishing our stated mission, this agency will
     continue to loose valuable experience people such as myself. Almost
     everyone I know inside and outside the agency are for equal
     opportunity. At the same time, we are not for affirmative action,
     that is promoting people just so we can have a diverse workfore.
     That is what we have now which has given us a whole host of
     employess all the way from the field to Washington that are not
     qualified to do the job. As a results, we have lost the
     creditibility that we enjoyed 10 years ago.

582. It appears that this agency puts more emphasis on diversity than on
     technical competence. Also the use of TSPs and technical assistance
     through the A&E process is costing the tax payer more money, longer
     time to complete projects and a product of less value than the
     agency could produce by hiring the people needed to provide the
     technical assistance.

583. How much incentive is there to leave a rural job setting to work in
     a office located in a large metropolitan area? 2. To what extent do
     you feel management is \"in-touch\" with issues facing the
     field? 3. How well is managment doing its overall job?

584. None.

585. I feel strongly that the Office Assistant (series 303) position
     should be upgraded to the GS-8 level. I have requested a desk audit
     to hopefully confirm my assessment of my job and the added
     responsibilities. Thanks for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

586. A lot of time was devoted to TQM training a number of years ago but
     I do not see any commitment to that philosophy. I don\'t
     necessarily agree with TQM but I do believe that there needs to be
     a commitment to some type of management-employee philosophy. I do
     not see this at all and it leaves me feeling very frustrated. Thank
     you for the opportunity to share.

587. With so many retiring in the next few years, training should be
     made a high priority activity.

588. Our biggest problem is softwear. Too information hungry. Most of
     the time this a large waste of time.Ineffienct programs.

589. Locality pay for many of the rural areas in Florida needs to be
     considered because of local growth preasure and the fact that in a
     lower pay grade one cannot really afford to live here.

590. Our younger hires need to be capable to communicate with ranchers
     and farmers.

591. The agency should hire the most qualified person for the position
     irregardless any other characteristic.

592. I formerly worked for the Department of the Interior and was on
     permanent travel status. My job here has me traveling and working
     with a lot of offices. So personally I do not want to move anymore.
     Though I do think it is very valuable experience to see how others
     work. I think to be a good DC that soil cons and techs need to work
     with at least three DC\'s. I think that the agency should consider
     experience, or experience and education for advancement. I think
     relying on education to heavily is denying the agency the
     opportunity to advance some very good and capable employees. I know
     that on a personal level I like this agency, but am at a dead end
     cause college did not challenge me enough and I quit. Now that I am
     doing something I might want to advance in I have no chance. There
     are a number of others I see being very discouraged who have
     degrees but not in a qualifying field.

593. Less red tape is required for individuals to perform their job
     duties

594. A concerted effort needs to be made by NRCS to capture the
     experience that will be retiring very soon. New hires should be
     brought on board and trained before it is too late.

595. Please provide a means to help the professionals in the 457 series
     who are in limbo with meeting the education requirements. Some
     individuals have been with the agency for 15 or more years and do
     not have a university locally available to them to go back to
     school. Some individuals have a degree, but not in a field deemed
     as \"meeting the specific major\" our agency is looking for.
     Several states have very few agricultural related degrees available
     and some universities do not offer anything applicable at all to
     meet NRCS\' standards. This is an important issue and I have
     already encountered a lowered level of morale among current
     employees who feel they are being penalized at this point in their
     career.

596. The amount of work that we do for the agency with unrealistic
     deadlines keeps us from helping people put conservation on the
     ground.

597. NRCS should spend more energy on the ground and less energy on the
     computer, More enery on practices, concepts, conservation systems .
     Records and reports should be able to be preformed faster so more
     time could be spent assisting customers to implement conservation
     system and practice and to adopt conservation concepts. Although
     finance is an important part of implementing conservation, NRCS
     should focus more on promoting the conservation concept rather than
     the available funds. NRCS should maintain a larger staff in field.
     NRCS Computer software should be smarter, faster, more user
     friendly and maintain more capacity.

598. calvin,calvin

599. You did not include water quality as expertise needed for our
     agency. We need that to carry out our platitudes about water
     quality. Wa also need to keep political statements out of our
     management of the agency and personel. The President\'s Management
     Agenda are being misinterpreted and abused at every level in this
     agency. The effect of this will have a chilling result in morale
     and retention of employees. It will also have bad effects on how
     programs are administered to the public. One size does not fit all
     and management bureaucrats will strive to make his five level
     scheme fit their own agenda without moral accountablilty and
     complete immunity, as long as it \"gets the job done\".

600. We need to simplify all Farm Bill programs across the board.
     Currently the ranking criteria and elgibility issues are too
     complex. We need to get away from the exclusive requirement that
     program benefits are only made available to agricultural producers.
     Today we have many resource concerns that are not being addressed
     due to this mindset. For example, we have many landowners who own
     tracts of land with erosion problems and invasive and noxious plant
     issues who are not \"producers\" and they do not qualify for any
     assistance. We need to hire more technicians to work with customers
     who would like to get things done.

601. Your diversity is nothing more than reverse discrimination against
     white people. This is what divides the agency workforce. We are
     sick of seeing anyone that can classify themselves as some type
     minority get special priviledges that others don\'t get.

602. I believe that moving to get promoted is an outdated idea that
     needs to be changed. Both spouses work in most families and their
     should be no reason to disrupt the whole family so that one spouse
     can make an extra \$5,000 to \$10,000 a year. This quite possibly
     makes for a disgruntled employee, as well as most likely causes
     family problems. I believe it is also better for the customers to
     be able to deal with someone they know and trust. Most of the
     people we serve in agriculture have been around for a long time and
     like to see a familiar face when they walk into our place of
     business.

603. I have been with the agency for 20 years. I started as a
     technician, and in 2000 converted to a Soil Conservationist. I
     completed the courses neccessary, as instructed by the state\'s
     personell dept., and was promoted. Since that time, I have recieved
     many awards for the worked I had performed. But this year I applied
     for a promotion and was rejected due to lack of education. I was
     informed that the agency had made a mistake in the education
     requirements when they promoted me and now I am no longer qualified
     for promotion. I know education is the foundation, but it does not
     always come from formal education. Job experience is just as, if
     not more, important as formal eduction. The agency has numerous
     employees that can and have been doing a excellent job that are
     being held back because of a policy about how much formal education
     a person has completed. This survey asked questions about training,
     but the training accounts for nothing in the education requirements
     for various job series. I feel that this needs to be addressed.

604. A decision needs to be made about the eligibility criteria for the
     457 series. The agency has many good employees with years of
     experience that are in a holding pattern and missing current
     opportunities to advance. There are also employees in the 458
     series that are educated and highly capable and wanting to advance
     that are currently unsure of what the qualifications are. The
     agency should make efforts to recruit new employees but should also
     make equal efforts to promote current employees. The lerning curve
     is much more difficult for someone totally new to the agency and
     our way of doing things.

605. Workforce diversity is a good thing but when we recruit only
     minorities for our student trainee slots (as we did in Florida this
     past summer) I can\'t help but feel we may be missing out on some
     of the best QUALIFIED people this agency so desperately needs.
     Diversity, in my opinion, has usurped excellence because we assume
     that just having people of differing race or ethnicity produces
     quality, this is a grave mistake and our agency will reap a
     negative harvest as a result. Don\'t mistake my intent, we must
     continue reaching out to all people to have an effective workforce
     so long as we include ALL PEOPLE not just protected classes.

606. Care more about the employees needs not state office needs.

607. I believe that the gap between the field offices and state
     offices/NHQ etc. is growing. I don\'t believe some employees at
     upper management positions can relate to the present environment in
     a field office today. We also have a lot of employees in state
     office/NHQ positions who have never spent much time if any in a
     field office yet they continually put demands on the field offices
     without knowing the impact on the field office.

608. To up-root a family for the reason of agency gain shows no
     consideration for his/her family and all that it effects. Who would
     want to work or respect an agency like that? No one likes a bully.

609. The survey needs to cover what we don\'t like about our jobs. NRCS
     took over processing Farm Bill payments and dumped it on the field
     offices with no increase in FO staff and little training. We now
     have to do our previous jobs plus the job of a FSA PA. We also have
     an increased liability with no support.

610. performance appraisal doesn\'t reflect job performance - too vague
     (pass Fail), this is changing however and should provide a real
     picture of job performance. #48 needs N/A

611. Consideration of pay and housing in rapidly increasing housing
     markets must be considered. I live in an area of the rest of the US
     and our housing market has increased where the median priced home
     is over \$250,000 or roughly 60% in the last three years. The cost
     of living areas need to be realined.

612. I see job promotion and awards as a popularity contest. Those who
     drink, fish and play golf with the boss get promoted and get all
     the awards. A person who does his job well should be promoted in
     place and not forced to move. I like what I do and where I live and
     don\'t particularly want to go somewhere else.

613. We need more entry level positions for on-the-job training

614. Need to provide better on the job training to new people.

615. It should be required that ALL NRCS employees work at the field
     office level before advancing in order to develop an understanding
     of dealing with the public and real conservation issues\...

616. NRCS has become more about numbers instead of what is really
     needing to be done, helping the landowners. We need to go back to
     being a technical agency and training our employees so they will
     have the skills to carry out this task. Not only new employees but
     refresher courses for older employees.

617. none

618. I feel the current personnel are not trained adiuqately before they
     are advanced to higher positions. Due to a shortage of personnel,
     many training needs go lacking because there is not enough time to
     do your local work and help another employee one-on-one. The type
     of work we do can not be easily learned in the classroom, you need
     to get out and do it. I feel that a majority of the employees are
     capable of doing their jobs if they were properly trained and in
     some cases made to work instead of letting them slide. Too many of
     our programs come to us with problems not solved before we receive
     them or we are trained long before we get the new programs so we
     forget what we did learn by the time the programs get to us. Most
     of our computer programs are totally NOT user friendly and take way
     too much time for field office personnel to use.

619. I did not care for the personal nature of questions \# 43, 44, 45,
     46, & 48. My answers to those questions may or may not be accurate.

620. I would like the agency to always hire and promote the best
     employees available. Race should be completely left out of any
     decisions.

621. None

622. I want to work for NRCS, I love my job, but I want to have my
     family, too. It seems to me, in this day in age, I shouldn\'t have
     to choose. NRCS should be willing to be flexible and understanding
     with employees, with young families.

623. Commuting is one thing but commuting to another state for over
     eight years is a bit much. I am fully committed to NRCS and I
     should hope this agency would work just as hard to accomadate its
     employees.

624. The agency should be consistent in waiving the educational
     requirement for the professional series. People that do not meet
     the educational requirements should not remain in that position. If
     the educational requirements would have been waived for me, I would
     have 6 additional years of service ( bachelors and masters degrees)
     credited to my retirement. This type of inconsistency in policy
     does little for morale of the agency.

625. I answered the \"Background Information\" section honestly despite
     the fact that it could be easily used to identify me. I assumed
     when I began the survey that it was anonymous.

626. Nothing

627. We need to either gee or haw as to regulatory nature of our agency.
     Being stuck in a quasi-regulatory capacity is what is hurting us
     most right now. (I think we need to strictly adhere to our
     voluntary roots!) We need to expand our understanding of ecology in
     order to encourage biodiversity, soil quality and ecosystem
     productivity on the farms and other tracts we help. We need a
     strong base of practical knowledge to ensure as little failure as
     possible in the practices we recommend and to give exemplary help
     on their installation. We need to match our current level of
     financial assistance (good job!) with superlative technical
     assistance. The TSP idea is wrong. You need a reserve of people
     with experience and training to be ready to respond. The uncertain
     nature of TSP funding makes for a constantly shifting work-force
     that does not have the continuity necessary.

628. Diversity is a good thing however people should be hired based on
     whether they are qualified and capable of performing a given job
     not just based on their ethnic background. Promotions should be
     based on their abilities and not ethnic origins.

629. Some series do not have a career path; it is possible to work 15-20
     years with no supervisory experience and compete for a job where
     you would suddenly be supervising a large staff. We do not have
     systems in place to quickly bring new employees up to speed. With
     such a huge turnover, and institutional knowledge disappearing, how
     will we maintain continuity of service? Boot Camp is a visionary
     and necessary tool to move us in the right direction, but it needs
     sufficient personnel resouces to do it justice. Job-sharing/role
     reversal\--so to speak\--lot of confusion about who does what in
     other words.

630. I would like to see more opportunities for black females in Top
     Leadership positions. Including SES positions NRCS has not fully
     supported the development of black females into top leaders.

631. Question #48 is not appropriate for single or divorced employees

632. Some of my disillusionment reflected in this survey stems from the
     direction the agency is going \-- from a technical service to a
     financial cow for the farmers, TSPer\'s, partners, and others to
     milk for all they can get!

633. n/a

634. None

635. n/a

636. Questions regarding Age, Location, Grade, and job function also
     narrow the survey down to one person. Many of my colleagues are
     frustrated with the overwhelming workload. Everyone wants to do a
     good job, but are forced to take short cuts in order to accomplish
     the mission. Please help us with the manpower issues. Chief Knights
     letter \"Human Capital Strategic Plan\" addresses a plan in several
     areas including replacing retirees with capable employees. I\'m not
     trying to be funny, some are offended. Topics that should have been
     covered: Do you have sufficient resources to accomplish your job?
     Is your staffing level sufficient for accomplishing the mission?
     What percentage of your time do you spend training others in order
     to accomplish the mission in a more efficient manner?

637. I am enrolled in the Federal Financial Managment Certificate
     Program and you are not able to complete the elective courses
     within the time frame due to budget restratint. Courses are
     disapproved or put on hold. No promises can be made, therefore you
     have to begin the process over again. Employees who enrolled
     voluntarily should be allowed and obligated to complete the
     program, without constraint put on training. Not to mention yiour
     accomplishment are not aligned with your merits.

638. Answer that would allow new employees a way to say \"unkown at
     present\"

639. There is too much favoritism in promotions! Locations where you
     have to move to get a promotion are undesirable.

640. I want to be proud of my career choice. I feel that I have the
     desire and education to be a good employee. I need more on the job
     training from people who want me to learn and grow as a
     conservationist. I went to college to learn the basics of
     agriculture and business. I did not come to this job with built in
     knowledge of conservation planning or application.

641. Hire new employees based on character and good work ethnics.

642. I think NRCS provides a very important service to each local
     community. I think that NRCS has done an outstanding job with the
     new responsibilities taken on in this last Farm Bill. I think as a
     minimum, workforce, training, and competitive salary should be
     considered when new responsibilities are taken on so that the
     services and products offered by the agency are second to none.

643. I believe before looking to hire more people, we should take care
     and reward those who have proven themselves. I think most will give
     extra effort when properly compensated.

644. n/a

645. I would be willing to \"stick around\" for a year at a time for the
     right financial incentive; however, I would seriously consider
     retirement at full benefits, if I could come as a paid part-time
     worker; I think my expertise and experience would be a \"good buy\"
     for NRCS at \$11.00/hour.

646. The Soil Conservationist-457 series grade levels should be
     examined. Pay rates need to be increased to the GS-12 level due to
     the change in workload and increase in administration type work.
     Currently in Mississippi all CED\'s with FSA are GS-12 employees.
     Many DC\'s are only GS-11\'s.

647. My biggest gripe is that DC\'s should be payed the same as their
     FSA counterpart. The reason I heared FSA, CED\'s get payed the
     extra is because they are responsible for making payment to
     landowners. The DC\'s are doing the same thing making payments on
     EQIP and WHIP. The DC\'s are having to work harder day in and day
     out than the FSA CED that has 3 or 4 employees working for him or
     her.

648. I feel that new employees should be put in a two year probation
     period and if they can not cut it should sent home. We are not
     hiring competant people to handle the complex work we do now with
     the computer. The math skills with young people needs to be
     improved.

649. Conservation District Employees should be subject to Direct
     Supervision of NRCS Supervisors. Conservation Districts often times
     have different agendas and priorities ( ex. field days) than NRCS.
     This makes it very difficult to manage an office when you are
     responsible for different goals/objectives.

650. Goal level needs to be clarified.

651. The agency should assist individuals who have extreme hardships
     without forcing them to quit their jobs.

652. field offices need more personal to fill work load.

653. Go back to WAE\'s so that trained people will be ready to take
     place of retirees. Get people that will go to field and not just
     set in office. We need good people. Not what we are getting today.
     People who will not train, and who want to sleep on the job all the
     time. People who are not scared of animals, dogs, cows, horses,
     etc. These people cannot do the field work that is needed to be
     done by the Field Office.

654. There are VERY FEW young potential or existing employees that have
     farming or agricultural backgrounds. These employees are having a
     difficult time relating to our client base and have serious
     credibility issues. We need to do a better job of informing our new
     recruits the details of the job and exactly what is expected of
     them during their career development. I see a lot of employees who
     have worked from 3 to 5 years or more that are not interested or
     really qualified to accept positions of more responsibility and
     difficulty.

655. Need to look at getting field office employees back in the field
     more. Over run with expecting every employee being tied down with
     tremendous computer responsibilities.

656. Helping spouses find a job after relocation would really help.

657. Thanks for the opportunity to share my thaughts & concerns with
     you. I really appreciate all that NRCS has allowed me to learn over
     the past two years.

658. Thanks for the opportunity to voice my opinion through the survey.

659. In some areas of some states women are treated shamefully lesser
     than and certainly not as equal employees. In some areas of some
     states, it seems to be the rule and not the exception that the
     \"gang mentality\" is the preferred method of doing business and to
     work against a female employee rather than with a female employee.
     I\'m ashamed of my agency for the way they treat some employees. I
     would quit if I could, even though, I love my job and what I do and
     I am very good at what I do. I am rarely ever give a chance or the
     resources I need to do my job as well as it could be done. However,
     my hope is in God and not in man. I can do all things through Him
     who strenghtens me.

660. Why is it that person that hired in as a 458 series will not
     qualify for a 457 series position even though they have all the
     requirements (education, experance, ect).

661. Two of our sister agencies, Farm Service Agencey and Rural
     Development, have the potential for an employee to start off in an
     entry level position and be promoted to managerial positions. NRCS
     does not allow for this, I think a great deal of talented people
     are held back because of this. A degree is wonderful, but it should
     not be the limiting factor in awarding positions. TGM

662. This is a good survey, I just hope it gets to the people who can
     make the needed changes. To move this agency forward hire people
     who care for the farmers and landowners then train them to
     adiminister the programs. We need enough people in the Field
     Offices so that we can give the public the needed personel time to
     truley help landowners understand all programs.

663. Someone from D.C. dwon needs to lear what an individual needs to do
     to be eligible for a position. When they call a local university
     and have a professor there tell them what an employee needs to do
     for eligibility, that really tells a lot about the weakness of the
     agency. I would think that the Chief would want to correct that!

664. Until this agency takes care of their people and the customers
     fairly as a top priority. They will continue to lose the better
     ones. The computer does not make things work on the ground.

665. None

666. I feel that if I\'m expected to perform at certain level then the
     agency should be responsible for putting competent and motivated
     people in place to help me with my job. (State staff and IT staff)
     I\'m lucky to have a good area staff and a direct supervisor.

667. none

668. Our Agency needs to grow with the urban population that is
     demanding more from our natural resources and yet know the least
     about our natural resource concerns now and in the future.

669. I hope to see changes from the surveys we have been encouraged to
     fill out. More pay would be the leading one. Mobility could stay if
     people made more money because you end up losing money in a move
     just to get promoted. seems backward but you need a few years to
     realize the cost before the salary increase begins to make a
     difference. Cost of living in areas varries so much. My house was
     more than twice the price in my last move but the house is only 100
     square feet bigger. More money would help.

670. None

671. None

672. you said this was confidentisl but you could look up the
     information that I have provided (if it was the truth) and know
     exactaly who I am. This is another form of harassment in my opion.
     To have a survey like this the last six questions should be left
     off of all of these surveys.

673. We pay to many employees that do not produce. This places a burden
     on the producers.We do not punish wrong doers.

674. none, thank you.

675. If you want the best employees YOU MUST PAY THEM.

676. Start recruiting in all races. 2 wrongs don\'t make it right.

677. none

678. Question regarding \"Reason for promotion\" (Question 5)did not
     allow an \"other\" or \"none of above\" and only listed those merit
     qualifications on which a promotion should be based - if \"other\"
     had been option - response would have been \"supervisor
     partiality\" and not performance.

679. I believe that moving at least within a state is one of the most
     beneficial thing that happened for my career. I saw different
     managent skills and different geography. I would not be as good of
     a DC as I am now without this experience. Also I believe you would
     be short changing anyone by allowing them to quickly become a DC by
     leaving them in one place and promoting them.

680. NRCS needs to give , within one year of service, intensive training
     about job expectations and agency expectations and show an employee
     how they fit in the agency and what their contribution will be. In
     the \"ONE\" (orientation for new employees) course we do not spend
     enough time on agency expectations and what it takes to succeed in
     this agency. We need to show people that we are a service
     organization athat helps people, and to do that we must be people
     orientated, especially at the field level. We can develope some of
     that in training, however some has to be brought with the employee
     when they are hired.

681. I like my job very much as well as the people I work with. More
     importantly, I like working with the public and providing a service
     to our clients. I think the most important aspect of our work is to
     provide a valuable service to our clients in a professional manner.

682. Creation of jobs for people because of political, family
     connections should NEVER BE ALLOWED in the Government workplace,
     yet it happens everyday. Two have been made in my office GS-9/11
     and GS-12 husband and wife. No job announcements or applications
     filled out and submitted were done for these jobs. This DOES NOT
     help the morale of other employees in this office. But we are
     expected to say nothing about matters such as these. Just do your
     job. More questions should have been asked about morale and why we
     feel like we do - good or bad.

683. question 5 had to be answered, even though I did not agree with any
     of the responses. Questions like that are built to provide
     management answers they want to hear.

684. I treasure my job, not only because it is what I enjoy doing but
     also because I help people do a better job at what they love doing.
     I am sold on the mission NRCS wants to accomplish, but also feel
     like I am not reaching my full potential.

685. Veterans should be given the highest priority in agency hiring.

686. The agency needs to concentrate on hiring individuals from a farm
     background. We are having Soil Conservationist being hired that
     have never worked on a farm and are not familar with farming
     practices. If we lose out technical expertise as an agency, we will
     be no better than any other administrative agency.

687. none

688. thanks for asking!

689. N/A

690. waste of time for survey

691. Mobility is the Key complant. I have been called on a monday
     morning and told I would report to another county in two weeks if I
     want to keep my job. No consiteration given to me that my wife has
     a fulltime job that she now has to quit.It makes it hard to do long
     range planning when you dont know when you will be moved next or if
     your spose will find work in another county.

692. mobility is a big problem. Also,Promotions are given to friends,not
     to qualified people(in this state).

693. Emphasis: establish pay grades according to accomplishments -
     CONDUCT DESK AUDITS IMMEDIATELY.

694. In today\'s age it is increasingly difficult for families to manage
     financially without two full-time incomes. It is hard enough for a
     person to find a well paying and rewarding job, much less find this
     type of employement every couple of years and in various locations.
     NRCS offices are not typically located in areas that have
     competitive career opportunities for spouses. Yet this is never
     taken into cosideration when personel decisions are made.
     Futhermore employees goals are never asked for or acknowledged in
     planning personel moves. I feel that family is the backbone of this
     country and vital to the happiness of any person. It would be nice
     to have the well being of one\'s family at least considered before
     relocations are mandated. As an individual I my work performance is
     at its peek when I am satisfied and happy in my personal life.

695. Soil Technician job needs to be moved up in payscale closer to
     other classifician .Fed.jobs are not keeping up with privite jobs.

696. Need more pay, living from paycheck to paycheck with no ability to
     save for emergencies, son\'s education, etc.

697. Needs to get poltice out of agences.

698. The \"training needs are often offered - but the funds are absent.
     I have never had new employees training. My first three years,
     funds were cut. My 4th year - I was passed over - but the MAIL
     CLERK was sent to Neb, for 3 weeks\.... 8 years later I am still
     finding out new things abo9ut this agency. I think it is beeter to
     have an NRCS employee be chief - not a political apptmt. I have
     worked in several statge agencie - some with political apptmts and
     some with leaders that have come thru the ranks. Operations are
     coordinated better and much smootother transitioin with propmotion
     in place. I guess becuase we don\'t feel jerked around with all new
     issues - dropping those we had been pursuing for years - with each
     new Presidential administration or apptmt.

699. race-based employee groups are counterproductive to the mission and
     moral of the agency.

700. UNFAIR AWARD AND PROMOTION PRACTICES PERFORMED BY SUPERVISORS (good
     ole boy system). EXAMPLE: YOU CAN WORK 5 OR 10 years AND EXCEEDS
     ALL ELEMENTS TO PERFORM YOUR JOB AND STILL NOT RECEIVE AN AWARD OR
     PROMOTION. WHEREAS, ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IS EMPLOYED AND WORKED LESS
     THAN ONE YEAR AND RECEIVE A PROMOTION AND AN AWARD FREQUENTLY.

701. In my opinion, surveys of this type will not impact the human
     capital issues confronting the agency unless there is follow
     through to give the issue the attention it requires for change.

702. If our people are to be mobile, then there must be some type of
     assistance to assist in job searches for the non-NRCS spouse and
     the transfer package needs to be better.

703. I feel NRCS training locations should be evaluated. Do we really
     have quality trainers in these locations. Also, as vacancies occur
     if a location is a training location it should be specified on
     announcement. Therefore, applicant is well informed of agency
     expectations.

704. I feel as though the pay that the government agencies offer is
     getting behind the private sector. I realize that I am a Soil
     Conservation Technician, but how much is the government saying that
     they care about me, when my pay scale is that or even lower of a
     common labor job.

705. no comment.

706. Does the agency have the means to hire and train new employees in
     the next 5 years to repalce the one that will be leaving or will
     present employee have to do more with less and effect the quality
     and time they need to spend with landowners.

707. NONE

708. I would like to see the agency promote it\'s good employees to go
     back to school and move up with the agency. I know that I and many
     people like me have the knowledge and entergy to make a great
     professional NRCS employee but are lacking in the credits needed
     for the position.

709. Technical employees that have proved themselfs and seek advancement
     to professional jobs should be helped by the agency.

710. I thank God for helping me to get this wonderful job with NRCS and
     I hope this job will have a future for my family.

711. The amount of assistance we are being tasked to provide to the
     general public is tremendous, however, we are consistently being
     asked to do more with less employees. My position is becoming
     increasingly paper oriented and less time is available to get out
     and put conservation on the ground.

712. In number 48, note that some of us do not have a spouse (poor
     question). I can not begin to tell you how frustrated NRCS
     employees are at the field level. So much information can be
     generated now via the internet. So much is asked of us with such
     short deadlines, many are generating from the national level. So
     much is being asked of us, and we always some how get it done. You
     have no idea how may of us work late and on weekends just to get
     the job done, but we never seem to get a reprieve. Just when you
     think you\'ve gone the extra mile and accomplished the huge task at
     your personal expense, time and stress wise, you get hit with
     another or shorter deadline. We are often asked to implement
     programs before we are even given all the information we need to
     run the program, many times this starts at the national level.
     Often programs are sent to the field before the bugs are out, we
     then waste time trying to fix or correct something that was broken
     to start with (ArcGIS and Protracts). At some point you just get to
     the point of saturation and that is what kills moral. Too much
     being asked of too few people. Its not the technology or the plan
     or the survey we need, it\'s more people at the field level to do
     the work. At the very least have the computer programs up to speed
     before you send them to the field. I have never been so stresses in
     my career as I have been this past year.

713. field office technicians are expected to know all aspects from
     planning to installation but are left out in pay

714. Questions 43 through 48 is none of your business. This has no
     relevence to how I view my job. There should have been a selection
     \"Prefer not to answer\" option for questions 43-48. There should
     have been a section on how we rate our supervisior and upper
     management on their ability to provide personnel with adaquate
     information, eqipment and program support.

715. None.

716. Promte the most Qulified person for the job.

717. N/A

718. Again, all Area, State and National office personel should spend at
     least 25% of their time working in the field at the local level
     with real customers, so to better understand the needs and
     objectives of the customers and how better to write the programs
     and standards to accomplish the objectives of the customers and
     maintain the integrity of the agency. This would save a tremendous
     amount of the tax payers money and would teach every agency
     employee that it is not necessary to swallow an elephant and choke
     on a knat as this agency does so much. Make what we say mean
     something and not have to say over and over again that I am sorry,
     but they changed that after I told you this, so we can not do what
     we were going to do. Be REAL for a change, not beurocratic.

719. Spouse is handicapped from a stroke that occured 15 years ago
     Sometimes I think recognition and promotion is rewarded on the
     basis of what they say instead of what they know

720. A pay increase would be nice!!!

721. NRCS needs to take a very close look and hire new people and place
     them where they are needed. Also consider combining field offices
     where there are very light workloads. NRCS needs to stop taking on
     new responsibilities without removing some responsiblities if it
     won\'t hire more people where they are really needed. Let TSP\'s
     handle CSP without NRCS having to handle this program at the field
     office level. CSP is a very good program for NRCS to handle at the
     field office level if it has a light workload in that office. Need
     to remove a lot of the excessive \"baggage\" from NRCS and the
     participants that comes with most of the programs. Too many places
     to report and/or document. If NRCS gets too lenient with CSP the
     way I see it headed this could get NRCS to lose some of its\'
     credablity and integrity.

722. If the NRCS keeps increasing the workload, they should increase the
     number of people hired in order to assure quality work is done
     rather than quantity.

723. For marital status, you left out widowed.

724. None

725. None

726. thank you for your interest. By the way, question 48. will give you
     a bias because I do not have a spouse but it will tell you that I
     do, and he works outside the home. (there is no option to say \'not
     applicable\' so any answers are going to be weighted heavy towards
     a \'no\' answer. A few other questions re: children aRE THAT WAY
     TOO AND YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF THIS SURVEY WITHOUT CLICKING A BOX ON
     IRRELEVANT QUESTION. (OOPS, SORRY i WENT TO CAPS\...)

727. High workload offices should be upgraded. Offices that are doing
     the most work should have a higher grade and higher pay than
     offices with smaller workloads. Employees in high workload offices
     put in much more time to get the job done and should be
     compensated. All field offices should be re-valuated as to
     workload. There are many low workload offices that have equal or
     higher grades than high workload offices.

728. Our agency should strive to develop human capital that is properly
     trained and well balanced with a technical background, a thorough
     understanding of ecology, and a thorough understanding of applied
     contemporary agriculture production practices! Salesmanship skills
     are also important with our jobs!

729. It is very hard for employees to move when both he/she and the
     spouse are working. During my last move, I had to drive an extra 60
     miles one way the do the same job that I was during at my old
     location and with the same pay. I did not apply for the new
     location and the decision already before I was ever contacted. I
     was told that I was the best person for the position. The fact that
     my wife work and I had three kids in school was not considered.

730. This agency is expecting employees to work what ever hours it takes
     with no overtime and credit and comp time limited or hindered. We
     are just expected to do what it takes on our own. Assistance is
     hard to come by because engineers, technicians and others are all
     covered up with work and there are several road blocks put up to
     hindered getting assistance both by hiring and TSP\'s.

731. Should have had widow or widowed as choice in marital status. My
     spouse is deceased.

732. My job has become to complicated and has too much red tape for the
     number of full-time employees to complete the workload.

733. Programs have become to complicated and too much red tape is needed
     to carryout these programs for the current staffing levels.

734. Question 47 - Moved two times because of job change that was not
     paid by Federal Government.

735. In the 2.5 years that I have been working with NRCS I have been
     reassigned 4 times and have covered or been detailed to 7 other
     counties. I feel that there should be a limit on the amount of
     times that a person is to be moved and I also feel that the agency
     should weigh each move on the cost to the employee wheather it be
     family related or finacial related. Thank you.

736. \# 20, I feel the agency has technical abilities, need to make sure
     we train new employees beyond the computer and cons. programs.
     Before alot of our sound technical people retire, we need to make
     sure we take advantage of that knowledge base and perhaps set up
     mentor programs and/or utilize OJT for our new hires. #48 I do not
     have a spouse.

737. WHY DIVERSITY DOES NOT BENEFIT EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

738. If the long term goal of NRCS is to provide quality planning and
     technical assistance to landusers at the field office level,we need
     to instill in our young employees a conservation ethic that they
     can share with landusers as well as hopefully an enhanced technical
     capability.These 2 criteria do not come from a career of arc-view
     and toolkits.

739. All NRCS Programs should be given equal value based on preformance
     and objectives met not just funds recieved.

740. It seems like a waste that we have a different version of
     enfineering programs for each state when Mannings formula is the
     same here as it is in China or anywhere else. We may be headed in
     the right direction with some of the programs coming out but they
     should all be standardized.

741. The agency seems to be moving away from an \"on the ground\" to a
     data gathering agency. I don\'t know if this is good or bad. I do
     like the move toward more wildlife type of conservation (i.e. WRP)
     Communication at all levels is bad and Washington seems totally
     disconnected from reality at times. The job benefits are good, but
     job satisfaction is very rare.

742. Question \# 48 needs N/A as an option

743. I am generally proud to work for and represent NRCS. There are
     times when training is not adequate when the training comes before
     the bugs are worked out of the system or you don\'t have the
     program in your field office. This brings much frustration.
     However, overall the agency does a pretty good job. I currently do
     not have a parents in elder care, but plan on maintaining them in
     my own home as long as I physically can.

744. My most appreciated benefit of Federal government employment is the
     opportunity to work on the Maxi-flex schedule which allows me to
     make schedule ajustments to accomodate such activities as leaving
     to pick up a sick child at school, taking a child for a doctor or
     dental appointment, etc. while still putting in 40 hours of work
     each week.

745. When we force people to move in this day we force them to decide
     which spouses career we screw up and it is causing us to lose too
     many good young people who leave for other opportunities favorable
     to their family situation. The we had to move so you should too
     requirement doesn\'t cut any ice with this generation of 2 career
     spouses. We have too many people that got where they are by moving
     to keep ahead of their mistakes and we are payhing the price for
     their managerial skills. Many of us would like to keep working but
     also want some time to travel and do things we have put off in our
     dedication to the job. We are forced to pick one or the other. The
     paid annuant sounds good but it is going to have to be more than
     \$11 per hour\...I can get that flipping burgers at mcDonalds and
     it doesn\'t require mey skills. If I could draw my retirement and
     cut back to half time with no benefits needed to be paid\...salary
     only at somewhat close to my old rate it seems with my experience
     the agency would be getting a bargin. I would probably give them
     much more htan half time equivalent because i would be rested and
     not burnt out. I have a lot to give yet but not at the pace the job
     demands now. And I have skills that others want so it is pretty
     easy to take the retirement and go elsewhere if we don\'t change
     the way we are doing things.

746. Our agency needs to get serious about hiring people to fill the
     gaps in staff we have and support our existing employees.

747. new employees need more field training

748. Each time I have accepted a new position I have moved myself at my
     own expense because the offices were less than the required 50
     miles. This is not appealing to new employees if you always have to
     move for a promotion.

749. Let\'s get back to the basics and do more real conservation on the
     land and less paperwork in the office. These days, it seems to me
     that NRCS is just about giving money to farmers in the name of
     conservation. I would like to do more practices on the land and
     less pencil-pushing. Thanks for your time.

750. There are lg. disparities in housing costs throughout the U.S.
     Incentives for real estate may need to be looked at in the near
     future

751. I do not believe that mobility is needed to be a good NRCS
     employee. I feel that any information that we need can be provided
     with trianing either formal, or online. Also, when someone moves to
     a different location in my experience help is only a phone call
     away.

752. In general, I think NRCS is moving in the right direction. We need
     to try harder at attracting young farm kids towards employment with
     NRCS. Offer them moving opportunities that allow them to work in
     neighboring counties and not clear across the state. These kids
     traditionally make great DCs etc., but they also want to farm part
     time and stay close to family. We need to find ways to attract and
     keep these type of individuals. In my location we service a lot of
     smaller farmers. We need to make sure that we continue to serve
     small farmers and that will require us to be knowledgable of things
     such as organic farming, sustainable agriculture, management
     intensive grazing, etc.

753. I strongly feel that mobility should be each worker\'s choice to
     make for him or herself. A State Office or National Office employee
     shouldn\'t be making that decision for me, becuase they won\'t know
     my whole situation or why moving is or isn\'t a problem for me.
     Also, I feel that our agency has too many employees who haven\'t
     been fired simply because their race or gender happens to be a
     minority. It\'s discouraging for a new employee like myself to know
     that one could be doing practically nothing, getting poor
     performance reviews, and literally making many many mistakes in
     his/her job that hurt NRCS\'s image to the public, and get paid the
     same amount that I make while I\'m going above and beyond the call
     of duty. Something needs to be done about that.

754. As a soil scientist, I know there are a number of potential changes
     in the soils area of NRCS. I really like the MLRA idea and feel
     like soils should be reviewed on a multi state basis. Because soils
     go across state and county lines, soil scientists should be able to
     work across different (including state) boundaries. I think we
     would work better and accomplish more using teams who are comprised
     of multi state people and have work assignments across state lines.
     I realize we have been improving on this area, but all states would
     benefit by data sharing and maps that join across state lines. I
     think these soil scientists should be supervised and funded through
     regional (MO) offices and not state offices. However, I think MO
     Leaders (most of them are also state soil scientists) should be MO
     Leaders only and not State Soil Scientists as well. Soils
     information that is similar across state lines is also important in
     our conservation programs such as CSP.

755. We have one of the best workforces around. We need to realize you
     can only do so much, we keep doing more with less. Earth Team is
     nice where it works (around a college or if you have the right
     situation) but it doesn\'t replace having adequate staff. Also, in
     attempting to build relationships with new partners, we need to
     make sure and maintain our partnerhship with the districts.

756. NO COMMENT

757. in the recent position fillings they have ALL been out of state and
     minority groups. I find this difficult to accept when there are
     MANY qualified individuals with in the state and I know that they
     did indeed apply. it makes many of us feel that we have no chance
     of advancement because caucasions are the NEW minority. i find
     myself not liking my job any more and it is very depressing that i
     have nearly 30 years before i reach minimum retirement age, i will
     have over 47 years in the agency by that time. I think we should be
     able to work and retire with full benefits after 30 years and
     reduced benefits at 25 years.

758. it is very hard to have mobility these days with both husband and
     wife working full time. it is not easy any more to just pick up and
     move.

759. Keep people in the field, our greatest asset is that fact that
     there is a real person for our customers (taxpayers) to talk with
     about conservation and landuse issues. Conservation technical
     assistance (CTA) should be funded as a service.

760. Merry X-mas

761. Every question should have a space for comments. Your answers do
     not always apply

762. Agency relocation and reorganizations really have an adverse on
     newer, younger employees where both spouses work. We either err on
     the side of not telling them anything until the last minute or we
     push out preliminary information that does nothing but cause
     anxiety and tension. Many supervisors are so far removed from the
     new hires that they can understand their needs and what will keep
     them excited about staying with the agency for 30+ years. The
     rigidity in the system and the lack of vision of some of our
     managers only frustrates new hires. The needs of the field are so
     very different from those of our state office level managers that
     there is always a natural tension between the two. Budget
     constraints make it hard to hire new hires in certain fields
     because the money isn\'t there when a quality individual is
     graduating. We need to do a better job of preparing older employees
     for future technologies. Many aren\'t going to pick up the newer
     computer technologies ie GIS without more formalized and structured
     training in these areas. Many older employees are hands on instead
     of being intuitive like newer employees. Many training courses just
     dance across the surface of topics instead of giving time to get a
     real hands on feeling for what is involved. We may get training at
     a NEDC course but agency duties and priorities keep us busy for the
     next 6 months and we\'ve lost most of the skills that we received
     at the training

763. Communication or lack of communication is a large problem. We have
     lost and will lose more good young employees that we are informing
     that they must move to get a promotion on the basis that they need
     the experience of another loaction. Experience at another location
     is good, but lets not have supervisor\'s threaten employees that if
     they don\'t have to move their home they have not moved far enough.
     We have employees that are willing to commute 1 to 1-1/2 hours for
     a job. More than 25% of the field offices in the state can be
     reached within 1-1/2 hours. Lets allow the employees even in lower
     grade level positions be invloved in those choices, mostly so that
     they remain informed, not just 3 administators in the state office
     rolling the dice to figure out who goes where, and then have HR
     mess things up more by sending moving packets before the employee
     is advised that they will have to move in 6 weeks. We will probably
     lose an excellent employee that I spent 3 years training because of
     communication screwups.

764. Please be open to the request of us new younger employees. Many of
     us are intimidated about losing our mentors to retirement.

765. When the baby boomers leave so goes the experience with a 50% loss
     in 5 yrs you may want to bring some back as paid retirees to soften
     the blow, TSP\'s won\'t fill the gap.

766. The biggest problem I see NRCS has is the additional workload
     created by us having to make payments. This has killed my ability
     to prmote our programs. USDA has the staff and money to have a very
     powerfull conservation program. What needs to happen is to tie CSP
     to FSA program benifits and allow FSA to issue payments. Also EQIP,
     WRP, WHIP, CRP and our other conservation programs need to be
     combined under the CSP umbrella. The incentives and staff are here
     we just need to work together for the sake of our customers and
     their land.

767. I think that USDA NRCS now needs to look at the team concept to
     accomplish the work goals that are related with all of the programs
     that we now have. I believe that the workload is overwhelming for
     one or two persons to complete on a professional basis. There is
     one person in most offices and too much work to get everything
     completed accurate and in a timely manner. Washington is trying to
     make the District Conservationist stay in the office and on the
     computer for goals, gis, and toolkit. Therefore there is no time to
     complete the surveys (design and construction checks), site
     investigation, and the cultural resources review. That need to be
     done in the field. We are more worried about our numbers and goals
     then we are worried about helping the environment and the farmers
     that really need the field time.

768. I have just moved to a new position (5 weeks)so I am unsure about
     the training plan at this time. I prefere class room or on the job
     training to computer training. I think new employees have in
     general a better conservation ethic than older employees. I think
     training money is well spent.

769. The question about what expertise will be neede is difficult to
     anser because of a lack of clear understanding where we are headed
     as an agency. As more administration is place in the field, such as
     contracting and cost-share payment processing, less time is left to
     keep up with technical aspects of the job. Will the agency continue
     to increase in administrative responsibility and move technical
     aspects to other service providers. Most field employees are
     working at this job because they have been educated/trained to be
     technical employees but that part of the job seems to take on less
     emphasis. A large part of any job dissatisfaction stems from this.

770. The student trainee program is our best strngth for obtaining new
     hires. The agency needs to be more attentive to those new hire
     needs and move promotins along without personnel opinions. New
     hires need to see their future outlined with th agency, not in
     question.

771. None

772. I think the work environment within the agency is task overloaded;
     reducing our ability to provide efficent and timely service to our
     customers.

773. The pressure many young people and new people hired into the agency
     feel to move from place to place to get a promotion is
     overwhelming. Most young people are trying to start families and
     have a permanent home for the first time in many years. The threat
     to be moved is stressful and creates low morale for these
     employees. The agency as a whole needs to listen to these types of
     people more because they are the future of the agency. NRCS should
     invest more money in training for these people to prepare them for
     the huge workload they are going to be faced with when 40% of the
     agency retires. Communication should be open at all times between a
     supervisor and their supervisee. Federal Government benefits for
     their employees should be more desirable than any private or local
     government benefits.

774. Hire, retain, and promote based on actual qualifications required
     to do the job. If job description is technical based, people skills
     included, such as with a soil conservationist, then hire and
     promote based on those qualifications - put very little weight on
     race. Cultural diversity programs can and have turned focus away
     from doing the job that Hugh Bennett and Congress deemed necessary
     to conserve America\'s environmental and cultural resources. Stay
     focussed on the natural resource issues and the agricultural
     community. Don\'t forget our roots!

775. Technology is changing fast and that is ok, if training keeps up
     with technology, which it does not. We have some great tools and
     great people, but we need the best training available to keep the
     best people and to provide the best services.

776. better training

777. Health Care Benefits that are provided for employees.

778. promotions should be based on merit.

779. The agency and current administration says they value federal
     employees, while they work to reduce our numbers through efforts to
     \"outsource\" work to TSPs. This has only limited success in my
     experience, but I expect this effort to continue. I believe the
     administration\'s ideology drives this effort, to the detriment of
     our mission and the public interest.

780. I appreciate your trying to address the mobility issue. I feel this
     is the biggest deterent to hiring and retaining goo personel. In
     today\'s two income family, it is much more difficult to be mobile.

781. I\'m thankful to be employed as a Federal employee within the NRCS
     agency. Thank You!

782. Salary is important, and job security. But many of us are tired of
     hearing that \"You have to learn to do more with less!\" That\'s
     baloney! It\'s true that some of our employees don\'t even have
     enough to keep them busy. But the majority have more on their plate
     than they can accomplish in a 40 hour work week (and most don\'t
     seem to want to work more than that). You can have quality work, or
     quantity, but with increasing workloads it\'s difficult to get
     both.Many field office folks tell me they feel as if they are
     drowning. Some tell me they do what they can, and what they don\'t
     get done will have to wait. Part of our problem in Ohio is that
     some SWCD\'s are going their own direction. They are emphasizing
     urban assistyance, and they give us little assistance in the rural
     areas. Many of the things that used to be done in the state office
     have been pushed down to the area or field offices. In February
     2006 I will have 43 years of federal service. This is a radically
     different agency than I started to work for. And that\'s not all
     bad. But we seldon get to do real \"conservation planning.\" We
     administer programs. I\'n not resistant to change, I just don\'t
     agree with the direction this agency is going, so it\'s time to
     step aside. I also disagree with the emphasis on hiring/promoting
     minorities. Too many people in NRCS have been promoted because they
     are black, and not because they were the best person for the job.
     And an NRCS Black Employees Association. I\'d probably be fired if
     I tried to start a \"NRCS White Employees Association.\" Why not a
     \"NRCS Female Employees Association?\" These types of organizations
     don\'t foster unity, they breed distrust and anger. Thank you for
     the opportunity to vent!

783. Morale of many employees is low because conservation program
     workload has steadily increased. NRCS did not hire and train enough
     new employees in the past to be ready to handle this increased
     workload. Fortunately most of the folks working for NRCS are very
     dedicated and have \"hung in there\", but sooner or later our folks
     won\'t be able to get it all done. The quality of our work will
     also suffer.

784. Mobility for promotion has proven to benificial. The different
     resource concerns and culturals I have encountered has made me a
     stonger employee.

785. Too much emphasis given to recruiting and hiring minority employees
     who may or may not be suited/qualified to work in a predominately
     rural, predominately white community, then not training or
     retaining them in the agency when qualified farm kids are not hired
     because they are white.

786. I was hired to work with landowners to get conservation on the
     land, now your success is based upon how many dollars you get spend
     thru the program and spend the bulk of your time inputing data into
     a computer

787. we must focus and maximize of strengths, we cannot succeed, being
     all things to all people. I would rather we do 5 things extremely
     well then 20 things poorly.

788. wife makes a lot more than me- her job more important to family
     than mine. It took a long time for me to reach this pay scale which
     I now deem as good. Qota\'s to me = white males cant move on no
     matter what.

789. Some individuals in our agency like the fast track and others like
     working very closely as a public servant. It is important for
     supervisors to understand where their employees stand on this
     issue. Job security is important to everyone, and even though maybe
     not fair, some wait for close to home upgrades, and would like to
     be considered highly and placed in those positions based on
     personal situations that may not allow a move.

790. We need more people in the field and a lot less in mangagement. The
     ratio is stubid.

791. The answer for question \# 5 is not listed. Most promotions I see
     in this agency is minority or affirmitive action based or who you
     are buddies with. Training and equipment available to work with is
     not fairly distributed giving those who don\'t have the
     equip./training a disadvantage when applying for a higher grade
     level job. Many of the people hired from about 5 to 10 years ago
     have no working knowledge of our clients operations and can not
     effectively communicate. I hope this is only in my area. Lately it
     seems that new employees are better.

792. We need more highly qualified new employees to assist with the
     heavy workload at the field level. These new employees need to have
     a solid educational background so that they are prepared for the
     work that the agency hires them to do; then, they need to be
     trained to do their specific job shortly after they are hired. The
     agency needs to hire student trainees each year so that there is a
     pool of highly qualified individuals to apply for full time
     employment and so that there are employees moving up the ladder to
     fill vacancies due to upward mobility and retirement.

793. Question number 5 did not contain all of the pertanent options for
     answers. I feel that hiring and promotions, particularly at the
     grade 11 and above range are done in accordance with the old boys
     network. We have very qualified people not being promoted so long
     time frielnds can be brought up, and there is too much fast
     tracking of people, particularly minorities, to get them into the
     higher positions. These fast tracked people do not have a firm
     grasp on what happens at the field level, where the work is really
     being done. Too much red tape. Let our very qualified field
     personnel do their jobs without so much garbage to go along with
     it. We need to get some new blood in the agency before the
     experience retires and walks out the door.

794. Desk audits should be updated to reflect changing and increasing
     complexity of the job. Many DCs like myself feel we should be GS-12
     and politics plays into who is a 12 and who is not. I should not
     have to request a desk audit to prove I should be a 12.

795. Persons with disabilities are not given the same opportunities as
     minorities. Most State\'s affirmative action plans do not include
     persons with disabilities, because they do not know how many are
     employed and have no tracking system. Supervisors do not encourage
     persons with disabilities for advancement in the same light as
     other minorities.

796. STANDARD FORM 256 NEEDS TO BE REVISED!

797. The field office is becoming too administrative, loosing its
     technical expertise, data entry is cumberson when you need to be
     out in the field, the new hires soil conservationist have been
     trained so well in data entry are moved around in high workload
     program counties to do toolkit entry, CSP entry, protracts entry,
     they are not given the proper training on what the entries mean
     actual field experience on the job with the landowner and what to
     look for in the field is no longer adequate. It is like we are
     becoming FSA administration and the technical work is for TSPs,
     only there are not too many TSP out there certified to do the work,
     so we are trying to get the technical work and administrative work
     both done. The Districts are picking up the biggest share of the
     technical at least in the county I work in but the partnership
     efforst with the districts seems to be diminishing. Instead of
     going after program dollars to get program dollars, we need to be
     looking at the resource concerns of the state and counties and look
     at what technical needs are there, this can only be done with
     trained people in the field and more than one to again walk the
     farms and listen and look at what is needed on the ground, and not
     from some aerial on the CLU layer.

798. Our agency needs to remain technicialy grounded in providing
     conservation services to private landowners or users, which they
     otherwise could not afford. Becoming more of a financial
     dispersment organization inherently increases political oversite,
     thus decreasing organizational stability or worse.

799. N/A

800. I thought the survey was quite fair and informative.

801. 40 percent of our employees are going to be retiring in the next
     2-5 years\....WE NEED a plan and a vision for the new
     employees\...agency NEEDS to catch up with the generation
     differance\...need to establish training locations\...establish in
     the field trainers\...your first year - second year will determine
     if these new employees stay or leave\....need an aggresive
     plan\...need a career plan\...once created we need to recruit those
     people who fit this vision\...mobile..aggresive\...show them how
     they will be rewarded with career adancement or location
     preferances when they join\...if you want some ideas\...and
     suggestions o changes that i beleive will work\...give me a call
     1-740-374-7291

802. Question five did not allow for a negative answer there are people
     who are promoted that do not deserve the promotion, a high
     percentage of the same people (state office) get awards every year

803. Question no. 5 should have given an opportunity to choose none of
     the listed choices

804. I appreciate you asking these questions. I also would like to see
     the results, and know if or what is being done to address some of
     these issues. Again thanks for asking

805. It is my opion that generally NRCS employees are underpaid on the
     field level. Employees in the administrative levels at national
     headquarters are extremely overpaid. NRCS computer training is
     completely inadequate. Employee length of service is basically
     neglected by the agency. The agency does an extremely poor job of
     adequately recognizing employees for their length of service. The
     agency \"caters\" to minorities to meet EEO quotas, rather than
     hire the best qualified applicant. Why should it matter what the
     \"face\" of the agency looks like? Shouldn\'t it be more important
     that the workforce be competent and profecient, regardless of what
     it looks like? Incompetent minorities, and probably nonminorities,
     get promoted to get them \"out of the way\".

806. NRCS is a wonderful place to work and I\'ve enjoyed my career. In
     recruiting young people to work for the agency I was once told by a
     young woman that she wanted to work for us because she got to work
     outside. I think this can be extended to say work outside, directly
     with customers and provide a meaningful service. I have heard older
     employees say that the thing they currently miss about their job is
     that our programs now take away from the opportunities to work one
     on one with customers in the field. I think to the extent we can
     continue to provide a one on one service in the field to our
     customers we will have a high level of satisfaction among our
     employees.

807. I would like to see the results of this survey: a report, and a
     management action plan. Some questions forced an answer, especially
     the one about promotion. I have seen people promoted to get them
     out of a place. I have seen people receive awards, even
     \"Outstanding\", when they were the bane of their coworkers.
     Mostly, the agency staff spend too much time doing process work
     (such as this survey, civil rights, online training, time
     accounting, travel accounting, travel arrangements) and not enough
     time doing conservation work. We don\'t have time to read technical
     journals, we don\'t have time to meet with customers, we are on
     computers going through email and cruising my.NRCS for stuff.

808. #5. This question should have included willingness to move. Many
     well qualified employees are unwilling to move so at times lesser
     qualified, but willing to move, are advanced. #15. My answer
     referred to the annual training on diversity and IT. #18 Agency has
     done a poor job of consistenty hiring which has left us with too
     few lower grade employees. We therefore have to hire too many from
     outside the agency for higher grade positions. Also unknown factor
     and lack of competitive pay scale for certain disciplines plays a
     factor. #21 part D. Strong disagree from the standpoint that we
     have reverse discrimination occuring.

809. perhaps could have addressed alternative work arrangements
     (telecommuting, etc) and how effective employees feel these could
     be

810. This survey is invasive and collects information that has no
     bearing on agency needs or concerns. In addition, most of the
     information pertaining to age, grade, gender, status, etc. is
     already on file with the agency, and duplicating it in this survey
     is a waste of time and effort.

811. It is my humble opinion that we are missing the \"mark\" as an
     agency. I do not believe that we should throw money at our resource
     problems. Money should be used to offest the \"risk\" of trying a
     new technology. For example: Going from conventional till to
     no-till system. This change in mgmt. takes risk! Farmers want good
     sound non-biased technical information! I think in the future we
     will loose more NRCS people because of the overwhelming fustration
     with programs!! Unless we can go with just one program!! We could
     shove all the existing programs into one program CSP!! But I
     understand the political realities\... this will not happen anytime
     soon!

812. Should grade technicians higher. They are very importion in getting
     the work done.

813. Ask the qestions: How much to you feel responsible for your own
     career? What do you do for your own career advancment? Do you
     become disgrunteled with the agency when your personal decisions
     inhibit your own career advancment? Should the agency place more
     interest in you or in its mission? Does the high cost of housing in
     some locations discourage you from seeking employment in those
     locations?

814. My wife is currently unemployed largely due to the many moves and a
     perfunctory spousal placement program. Resume writing help and the
     other limited stuff is not an agressive \"we\'ll find you a job\"
     program. Right now there is a big dichotomy of finding a job in a
     new town for a NRCS spouse versus a non-NRCS spouse. Why should a
     NRCS spouse be given a job with NRCS just because the other NRCS
     employee got transferred if you will not do the same for a non-NRCS
     employee?

815. The survey could have included more opportunity to add a comment
     after a question as some answers weren\'t available.

816. If and employee could get a one time withdrawal from the TSP for
     home morgage payoff without payback or penalities, I think
     employees would consider working longer.

817. No correct answer for Q48 for a non-married respondent.

818. I believe it was about Question #5, concerning the reason for most
     promotions being based on technical competence or managerial
     competence. It appears to me that most promotions within the agency
     are made to achieve diversity goals rather than for specific
     competence required for the positions.

819. I feel like the Agency moves employees into supervisory positions
     that are not qualified to be a supervisor. The person could be
     qualified for the job but not a supervisor. THis hurt the employees
     they supervise and makes morale low as this causes tention between
     employees and supervisors. Supervisors should supervise more than
     one employee. Promotions and hiring should be based only on
     qualifications and not on any ethic issue.

820. none

821. Work in the field office has changed, but we still have a 60 year
     old model - offices in every county, no dedicated clerical support,
     one or two persons offices, very inefficient. The job has become
     more managerial with many programs to administer, yet we have
     eliminated technician positions and expect the DC to be an expert
     at everything, and worse, a data input person. We are burning our
     people out and work quality is suffering at the expense of meeting
     goals with an inadequately staffed workforce At the state office
     level, we are forced to shift resources away from funded programs
     to cover programs with fund shortages. This results in shortages in
     staff needed to get the intended work done. And why in the world do
     we pay GS-12 and 13 salaries to people who are required to copy,
     mail, file! We are outsourcing our enigneering services at the
     expense of the budget. It costs us 2 times to contract with private
     engineers than we can do ourselves, but due to the TSP goal, we
     have to get rid of two people to expend those funds. This makes no
     sense and is destroying our technical capability. And once we
     contract out conservation planning, we will become what FSA once
     was, administrators of programs instead of implementers/enablers.
     We don\'t feel the folks at NHQ are in tune with the challenges and
     needs at the field level, only interested in accomplishing goals
     and seeking the answer they want to hear. There are allot of
     chanllenges to meeting those goals, and believe it or not, some of
     us have answers, just nobody asks or wants to listen, after all,
     you already have your answer. After 25 years of experience at
     several levels in the agency, I may not know it all, but I do have
     some insight into the barriers we face to getting the job done.

822. None.

823. None.

824. The only major problem with the current system for career
     advancement is the lack of a spousal job placement program. My wife
     is a degreed counselor and it takes her two to three years to
     recover her salary and it is up to us to find her a job. I am
     considering a lateral transfer but the only thing holding me back
     is her potenetial lose of income. I hope everyone in NRCS
     management realizes that performance apprasials are something that
     managers do as an after thought. There is no item by item review or
     indepth discussion. In 12 years I have had 5 supervisors and all
     took this approach. I have never in 12 years had a individual
     development plan. It seems that as technical people rise to
     management they forget their employees.

825. Health insurance for dependent children should continue beyond age
     22 if they are still in college and not married.

826. Good Survey

827. Human Capital is a degrading concept. A more uplifting description
     would be appropriate. Although NRCS employees can be considered
     assets, they are hard working family oriented individuals that
     provide the conservation foundation for rural community
     development. The term human capital does not honor the job they do.

828. Item 43 you either need to change single to just single or add
     another status of widowed. Also Item 48 add n/a for those of us
     that don\'t have a spouse.

829. The survey was well planned and designed. Most people would agree
     that working relationship with fellow employees is very important,
     no specific questions were asked about this. Some people in this
     agency have copped a \"I, ME, MY\" attitude. Not good.

830. The term is the most arrogant, insensitive term I ever heard used
     to describe our hardworking employees. You put people in the same
     category as cattle or tractors when you refer to them as capital.
     Surely the government does not have to succumb to the word
     wizards\' fad terms of the day. It would seem common sense and
     courtesy would prevail in the highest levels of our bureaucracy
     when referencing our most valuable asset\--our employees.

831. work space and storage greatly reduced, work load adjusted to more
     program oriented and less on-the-ground conservation

832. I believe the agency does not promote fairly within its ranks. Any
     professional on a given staff should be able to advance to the
     position of supervisor of that staff. Instead, an engineer or
     biologist would not be given the same consideration a person with
     the title of resource conservationist or soil conservationist. This
     is blatant discrimination, but since it is not race or gender
     related it is ignored. The Corps of Engineer, EPA, DOTD, and many
     other federal and state agencies have a policy where if you have
     the experience on a staff you can compete for the supervisor
     position. THat is why we are losing employees once they reach about
     15 yrs experience. They are capped here, and the other agencies are
     actively recruiting them for their expertise.

833. The agency needs to do a better job of outreach to the underserved.
     A lot of the minority/limited resource population is not aware of
     many of the programs that NRCS administer.

834. I would have been promoted more often had I been a female

835. I think I incorrectly answered the question regarding disability. I
     was badly injured in a farm accident (not work related) this past
     year but have no permanent disability.

836. This is a great agency to work for. However, we must pay attention
     to the stress our employees face today. We expect a lot from them.
     The job of our field employees is getting tougher by the day. I
     know that the additional responsibilities have earned us respect in
     USDA. But there comes a time when we must say that this is all we
     can do with the number of employees we have. Our employees have
     worked hard and will continue to do so in the future; however, as
     soon as they are eligible for retirement they are leaving. Many of
     them are counting the years, days and months that they have left. I
     see burnout in our employees and we try to find creative ways to
     assist them but sometimes that\'s not enough. We need more people
     in the field to assist them and we need new positions at the local
     level. So many of our good employees have co-lateral duties. This
     takes them away form the orginal jobs they were hired to do. But,
     we do what we have to in order to keep the boat from sinking.

837. Health insurance coverage should be extended to full time college
     students up to age 24

838. The younger workforce that I previously worked with in private
     sector (which included engineers, architects, planners, etc)
     typically do not consider federal employment, as most are not aware
     of opportunities which may exist, as many were suprised by my
     switch to federal employment, with several asking \"How did you
     find out about that position?\".

839. Leadership Development is one of the keys for our agency success.
     Feed back from the field is another. Their are no little i\'s and
     big U\'s to obtain success!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

840. \# 48 - I don\'t have a spouse.

841. None

842. A few questions were too limiting in the responses i.e. #5 should
     have had one more option (no comment)

843. Hiring student trainees is vital to the agency. The overall
     workforce is aging fast, which means a lot of organizational
     knowledge is beginning to and will be retiring in the next few
     years. Bringing on a younger workforce now will help in the
     transfer of this knowledge, knowledge that is not provided in
     schools.

844. First let me state, I love my job and the people I work with. The
     dissatisfaction with my job occurs because of the overwhelming
     aspect of learning new programs and software, new job
     responsibilities, coupled with having to do other employees duties
     due to retirement or moving (spread to thin). This makes me feel
     like I cannot do a good job at anything. The software program USDA
     choose for contracting is not user friendly and it takes up much
     value time trying to figure out how it works in order to complete a
     contract. Training on this software is not given often and the
     manual to \"self\" train was poorly written and not organized
     effectively to be efficient at self training. There is a lack of
     training dollars available so that training is a choice of what is
     most important and not what is necessary. This is where the
     dissatisfaction comes in to play, because I feel good about my job
     when I am doing a good job and I feel at this point that I am not
     being efficient and good at my job; again spread to thin. I also
     feel overwhelmed because I am working with Grants & Agreements,
     Real Property Leasing, Contracting and now procurement and this is
     too much for any one employee. My supervisor is good about trying
     to explain and teach me everything she can, however, she is as busy
     as I am and sometimes it feels as if I am being trained in bits and
     pieces; there is no continuity of training. This is not a complaint
     about my job it is to point out the fact that cutting necessary
     positions in order to save money is not always a good management
     tool. Another area that needs to be addressed is mandated
     regulations and policies that do not allow for efficieny or cost
     saving measures. Sometimes what works for one State doesn\'t always
     work for another because of the difference in geography, culture,
     and politics of each state. We are mandated by Congress to comply
     with what they feel is a cost saving measure, when in fact it may
     be costing the government more because of those mandates. There are
     always exceptions to mandates; however, the red tape involved to
     accomplish this exception is time consuming both in the aspect of
     following the guidelines as well as receiving the approval. I
     understand the need for regulating how business is conducted,
     however, there needs to be more communication between the levels of
     government prior to implementing regulations and policy.

845. I have worked in 4 different Federal Agencies. NRCS is the most
     frustrating with which to work. The software systems that are
     constantly changing are not always for the better. Example: IAS for
     procurements is difficult to impossible to work with. There seems
     to be no cross communication from one area to the other. Written
     communications from NHQ don\'t seem to come out of the right area.
     Examples: Memeo 190-15 dated 11-10-05 Memo talks about ways to use
     Personnel alternatives to save energy. Seems like it should have
     come out from HR shop. A while back a financial memo put a hiring
     freeze in place. Either communications that effect other areas need
     to come from other areas also, so the right staff are aware of the
     changes. Lack of guidance when any new activity is implemented.
     Look at what timeliness and the communication that comes from FSA
     compared to what comes from NRCS. Directives are lacking and do not
     always flow well. Try a more structured writing format. In general,
     Too many hoops to jump through constantly.

846. Although I understand the rationale behind the questions and
     available answers, many times the available answers do not allow
     for any explanation.

847. These surveys are a waste of time. The only purpose that they serve
     is to justify the existence of the social sciences bureaucrats.

848. The only way employees will ever be allowed to telecommute is if it
     is mandatory. Such rigidity is a real shame. I CAN\'T WAIT TO
     LEAVE.

849. Question 43 & 48 accurately - I am a widow.

850. We need to go to team management to accomplish program
     implementation. The county system is antiquated and redundant.

851. As a Plant Materials Specialist, our agency needs to invest in the
     National Plant Materials Program which is recognized by Congress.
     The Plant Materials Program covers all disiplines that deal with
     plants, Agronomy, Forestry, Range, Wildlife. All these disiplines
     should be in the umbrella of tht National Plant Materials Program
     and carrying out their work through scientific study plans that are
     inclusive of the the Plant Materials Program. By doing this then
     our agencies FTOG will be science based, it will provide continuity
     to our agency and firmly place us on a science/technical footing
     that will is or should be the foundation of our agency.

852. need more student interns and coops. Need to have those students
     have lots of experience. Need to decrease the emphasis on computers
     doing everything. Need to get people out to the field and do real
     planning not computer generated plans. get rid of tracking every
     minute of your time. Get professional personnel managers in place
     not technical people promoted based on their technical abilities.
     Let the employees work and have a say in their jobs. Get the damn
     political emphasis out of the work.

853. #48 I do not currently have a spouse, which may be due to my
     mobility, It may be wise to start the values based approach of
     management; meaning we will work with employees on a case by case
     basis understanding that the family comes first then the occupation
     second, and maybe involve family members in activities such as
     employee family days. This is being said understanding that this is
     not a perfect world.

854. Field level staffing needs to be increased. When the office manager
     is also the one who must do the field/technical work, it is
     difficult to adequately provide technical assistance on the land
     and also complete all management activities, reports, etc.
     Unfortunately, it is usually the management activities that is
     given priority by higher levels so the technical assistance is
     sacrificed.

855. Due to the constant increase in mandatory new computer programs
     each office should have a trained computer person to input required
     information where the regular field office staff could go back to
     getting conservation practices implemented that have so positively
     and effectively benefited our enviroment as in years past.

856. I have moved my family 5 times in my career path and I am nearing
     the time I will be eligible for retirement. Over the years, there
     have been other employees that have been promoted from a GS-7 up to
     a GS-12 without ever having to move. Seems very unfair to me.

857. This survey has the potential to significantly impact the future of
     NRCS. It is my belief that the maturity and prior experience\' of
     an individual should bear significant weight in the hiring
     procedure and that training in the classroom that parallels the
     field OJT is extremely important. I also feel that since it is
     necessary to become \'certified\' as a conservation planner, this
     certification should occur NLT than the 24th month of employment.

858. Working spouse is a big deal. We need to realize that most
     employee\'s spouses work outside the home. Accomidations/help
     finding or transfering jobs should be a priority.

859. Awareness training is NOT training in a technical position.
     Training is our downfall, the agency should invest in detailed
     training.

860. NONE

861. You have program managers at the state and area office levels with
     higher pay. I find it a little unbalanced when the field is
     required to know everything about every program at a lower pay
     scale.

862. NRCS has been a good place to work!

863. I just feel that Historically over the last 15 years, training to
     field employees has reduced and has not equaled or been at the
     level it should be. I feel that training was better during the
     first 10 years of my career. I don\'t feel that a 3 hour meeting
     that requires employees to drive 3 or 4 hours to attend is not a
     good way to provide training on a subject that the trainer may have
     taken several days to attend. It seems like this is becoming the
     norm instead of the exception due to budget cuts and we need to
     have a better training budget.

864. question 48 should include a N/A column for those of us who don\'t
     have a spouse.

865. The biggest frustration I have at this time is the inability to
     remove a district clerk that is disruptive to customer service and
     that creates a hostile work environment. NRCS should have the say
     over district employees because we pay the rent and are responsible
     for the reputation of the agency. Spending numerous hours a week
     fixing problems caused by a clerk is not exceptable.

866. Equality in hiring. For soil conservationist positions, those hired
     in June 2003 came in at GS-5, while those hired in December 2003
     came in at GS-7. All had similar education and job experience!

867. Would like to see the technicans promoted to GS-8 and 9

868. there is too much on the job/self training, with insufficient
     tools. for example i am fairly new in this position and i would
     like to feel more confident of my skills to perform this job.

869. District Conservationist used to be one of the best jobs in NRCS,
     now it is one of the worst. They are responsible for just about
     every thing. Engineering teams could be developed to design
     practices and supervise installation. That would take a huge burden
     from the DC. They could then focus their efforts on Planning and
     progress. Their would be no question about practices not meeting
     specifications because the engineering staff would do them all. I
     know a lot of DC\'s who would want to permanently be on that staff!

870. Too much focus is being directed toward the promotion and hiring of
     people based on ethinic origin, instead of hiring people based on
     job skills. This has left us with an agency that is weak and
     unexperienced or not able to perform in critical areas. Employees
     should be hired or promoted based on skills an abilities!

871. Need to fire unqualified people and not just promote them into
     management.

872. Management seems to have lost touch with conditions at the field
     level. We have a huge \"new\" workload in addition to traditional
     roles. With Protracts we now have finanical management roles that
     FSA typically handled that we as DC\'s are not getting credit for.
     With the emphasis on long term contracts in EQIP DC\'s are also
     contract specialist. Employee\'s at the field level do not get the
     support and recognition from the agency we deserve. Without the
     field there is no need for Area offices, State offices, National
     offices or any other office.

873. We need Tech. personnel in the field in order to complete goals.

874. I feel that the pendulum has moved too far the other way, in that
     the white male is now being discriminated against.

875. hire people based on skills

876. would like to have information pertaining to programs and job
     duties in a more timely manner.

877. I have answered these things over the years and have yet to see any
     difference. Question five made me give an answer I did not feel
     like applies. A high percentage of promotions in my state are from
     incompentenance in the current position and lack of management
     skill. They just promote people up away from the public and put
     them in a spot so they are out of site but the problem still
     exists.

878. Mobility should not be an issue if the employee is performing to
     recieve a promotion. Management should know which employees are
     doing exeptional work and reward them. This is why we have a
     PREFORMANCE RESULTS MEASUREMENT SYSTEM?

879. A big stress trigger for staff is when we change software programs;
     the agency needs to stick with one for long term rather than
     institute another just when the field gets comfortable with the
     old; Pay is an issue with many staff members; current pay doesnt
     reflect the amount of responsibility when compared to private
     sector. The agency needs to create additional staff positions at
     the field or Area level to alleviate some (majority) of the
     computer related tasks required of the DC. Especially contracting;
     if the planner assembles the data from on-site visits w/landowner,
     he should have someone to turn it to or work with to get the data
     input and a contract prepared. The local planner needs to be in the
     field not stuck at his desk.

880. The lack of knowledge about your future carrer path, namely
     location, is repressive and counter-productive to beginning
     employees. For an agency that is based on planning little or no
     collaboration or foresight appears to enter into this equation.

881. Question 48 should include a choice of N/A for those of us that do
     not have a spouse. In regards to reasonable accomodation, I have
     had trouble in the past with being taken seriously about my
     disability because it is an illness that is not visible. My current
     supervisor and coworkers have been accomodating and supportive.

882. There should be a better system of giving NRCS employees who have
     experience in doing a good job, to be able to promote these
     individuals. We have seen where people have been hired off the
     street at the gs 12 level, and no prior NRCS experience. There have
     also been several instances where a new employee with less than 2
     part time years of experience working , with only 3 days per month
     of any kind of training and work with the Tech Team. This employee
     was immediately hired on as a GS 9 Civil Engineering Technician,
     and at the same time , we have employees with 20 & 30 years of
     experience, and with excellent work skills, and they are still GS 7
     Soil Conservation Technicians. There are so many inconsistencies
     within the Agency that is unreal. Under the recently new
     re-organization, everyone was supposed to be treated fairly and
     equal, as to moves, job locations, etc. Well, those involved on the
     State Office Staff, AND Area Office Staff operate under a different
     set of rules. Some very good employees were somewhat forced to
     retire, because they didn\'t want to drive the distance to the Area
     Office, and or Tech Team Office, or whatever. Then we find out,
     depending on who you are that many were given authorization to stay
     at their location, and not drive at all. When they do drive, they
     use the Govt. vehicle. Others are not given this choice at all.
     Most of these times, this happens to the lower GS grade employees
     who suffer the lonf drives, and extra expense, and the higher GS
     employees use Govt. vehicles, and Govt. gas. There also instances
     where Govt. vehicles are placed close to the location of where Area
     & State Office employees live, therefore making it easy for these
     employees to be able to drive Govt. vehicle, where the other
     employees in the same County has to drive their own vehicle, and
     travel across 3 Counties to get to work. If the general public
     someday finds out how rotten the LEADERSHIP is in Indiana, it will
     not look good for the Service.

883. Location is very inportant due to travel expence and also spousal
     employment.

884. It costs too much to move. It costs too much to drive long
     distance. Both husband and wife work. These items affect each move.
     It is about time you consider the family.

885. No comment.

886. There needs to be less of an emphasis on programs and more on real
     soil and water conservation.

887. I am enjoying a very satisfying career with SCS/NRCS. Although we
     have made huge strides here in SW Michigan to protect natural
     resources on working lands, we are losing the environmental battle
     to rampant urban development. Altough it may be beyond the scope of
     NRCS to fully address this issue, we must find a better way to
     educate the general public and partner within our communities on
     natural resource conservation issues.

888. There are some state and area employees who want to HELP the field
     get the job done. However, there are some employees on the upper
     levels that think their job is to look over our shoulder,
     criticize, and not convey the technical information that is
     expected from them in their current position. I still like working
     for this agency and give as good of service and information as
     possible. Sometimes the many changes that come so often creates an
     increased burden on the field to half to constantly have to relearn
     procedures every new sign up.

889. The survey should have more questions about supervision. Rate our
     supervisors and rate ourselves as supervisors. Supervision is an
     important skill with my position. I think that our agency should
     place more emphasis on supervisory training.

890. I have a permanent part time position. It is very hard for me to
     apply for a promotion without losing my part time status. I think
     the agency should look into filling some positions with part time
     assistance. I am a mother of 4 children. Before I converted to part
     time, the upper management told me that my position could not be
     done part time. I have been preforming my duties part time for 8
     years now. I have received awards for my preformance. I would like
     to apply for higher paid positions within my agency without risking
     losing my part time status. I feel like I have hit a glass ceiling.
     I know I have make concessions because I have a family, but I think
     the agency could look into promoting part time employees.

891. I don\'t believe it is wise or good business to hire people because
     they meet a certain race, religion, culture, sex, or ethnicity
     diversity that the agency needs to fill a hole. The agency needs to
     hire the people that can do the job and let diversity take care of
     itself. Hiring an idividual to fill a hole in statistics is counter
     productive and demeans the agency as a whole.

892. Question 20 did not have enough options. Contracting and Financial
     management are areas we are deficit in, but not listed. Biggest
     problem is the budget and as people retire we are unable to hire
     positions to fill those spots. For example we are expecting to
     reduce our FTEs by 10-15 this year. Makes it hard to fill new
     training positions for the people we have retiring this year.

893. 43 does NOT have enough options to cover all situations. Also:
     Grandchildren are a consideration (maybe a bigger one) in addition
     to children with respect to why people may or may not be mobile. I
     would also note that sometimes the \"children\" over 22 need mroe
     assistance from parents than those under 22, especially as they
     start up families of their own. ALSO: A topic not covered was
     \"good-old-boyism\" issues: Although the Agency has made great
     efforts to comply with civil rights, in some parts of the country
     there is still a percieved prejudice against those who are not
     white males.

894. My thoughts on the moving to be promoted should be changed issue
     are that once an employee has established themselve in an area,
     typically that person has become an accepted memeber of that
     community and has built a trust and a good repoire with those
     landowners, producers, and other customers and members of that
     community which naturally creates a good working relationship which
     in turn makes it easier to implement conservation on the ground. As
     far as the importance of the agency to have a cultural/ethnically
     diverse workforce, the agency should be more focused on hiring the
     most competent person for the position.

895. In the area of recruitment, with job lay-offs and pension
     fiasco\'s, hitting the private sector, the goverment is an
     excellent place to work. We should really hit that point when
     recruiting for future employees.

896. I feel that the current national goals do not sufficiently reflect
     actual workload and accomplishments in the field. There are
     practices not accounted for by national goals that happen to be the
     fields most time consuming practices such as Pest Management,
     Nutrient Management & waste storage facilities. These are also very
     popular practices and contribute to a good portion of our workload.

897. Morale of the field employees is not an evident concern of NRCS
     management and it shows through the expectations and treatment
     placed on them. NRCS policy expects a certain level of planning and
     technical expertise from all employees. Some states have taken
     these national expectations and has allowed each specialist taking
     their discipline and created a specific certification expectation
     of field employees. These certifications are greater than national
     expectations and require the employees to obtain recertification on
     their own effort. It is taking one year to become a certified CNMP
     plan writer based on the product defined by Michigan specialists.
     Also each employee, regardless of grade, is required to obtain a
     state commercial pesticide permit and a CNMP certification
     regardless if they have CNMPs to service in their county. Combine
     the time taken to go above national expectations and their day to
     day workload and we have overburdened the people who accomplish
     NRCS\'s goals on the land. We can a much better job of streamlining
     work if line supervisors were allowed to control the certification
     expectations and job assignements of their employees. The chief
     needs to remove the mandate that every employee will become a CNMP
     writer. Let us manage the workload, and it will get done.

898. Finding work fro my wife is difficult when we move, any help in
     this area would be most helpful.

899. Need to add more steps to the pay scale.

900. Boot Camp is too basic for employees that have been with the agency
     more than a year.

901. We tend to spend more time dotting i\'s and crossing t\'s than
     actually trying to get our job done.

902. please keep it simple and get the agency back to basics - things
     are getting too complicated and less on the ground work is the
     result

903. I have enjoyed my employement with the NRCS, but recently the major
     project I was working on has been completed. I received a letter of
     reassignment to an area that is 500+ miles away from my family
     here. I was not consulted about this possibility until a few weeks
     before the letter came. I would have appreciated a straight
     foreward approach as to what the agencies plans with me and my
     employment at least 6 months in advance. I have chosen not to
     accept the reassignment and to find work else where, some where I
     want to live and not somewhere I am told to go. I am not the only
     employee I know who feels this way. The agency risks losing some
     quality employees by forcing them to move somewhere they might not
     want to go. This is the biggest problem I can see with this agency,
     that they feel employees need to be moved around the state to
     \"help\" them become well rounded. That should be an option rather
     than mandatory to keep your job or to advance within this agency.

904. I have made some applications without ever hearing a response on
     whether or not I was even considered. I know there is policy
     regarding this, its just not followed all the time.

905. I think that it should be addressed whether people feel that they
     get adequate training when being moved continuously with the
     organization when not in a supervisory position. It appears that
     the agency believes that working in more locations provides good
     training, however, I feel that an employee in a good training
     location should remain there for more than one yeat in order to get
     adequately trained. The first year of employment is usually getting
     to know the area since you have probably moved, and the agency, and
     what is expected of you from your supervisor. The second year is
     where you really learn the job. And with being moved yearly until
     you are in a supervisory position, employees must start over
     socially and in regards to work. When people are comdortable at
     home, they are able to be more productive at work. But if employees
     have not interaction outside of work, it can affect seriously their
     job performance.

906. There should have been questions about alternative work schedules,
     the agency says it is family-friendly, but it seems like people are
     forced to put their families after work.

907. In 1999, NRCS Michigan received approx \$3 million in cost share
     for EQIP. The past 2 years we received 15 mill and have few
     problems finding resource concerns to spend it on. We have the same
     number of staff. We are spending enough money on A&E\'s and TSP\'s
     to hire sufficient staff. We have the expertise and can do the job
     5-10 times cheaper with our own engineering staff. THIS is a DAN
     RATHER \"Fleecing of America\" story. Has anyone tried to educate
     the media and the American people on the great resource we have in
     the people of NRCS? How about a study of the TSP and A&E costs
     versus NRCS?

908. we are killing our field employees. Get rid of Protracts or fix it.
     It is putting the agency at extreme risk. It does fuzzy math, I, as
     agency rep on 1200s, cannot understand how protracts does the math,
     nor can I view a history of the contract (when doing a modification
     I cannot see the original contract, only what the result of the
     modification will be). Actually, using protracts is like driving
     into a blizzard blindfolded. We have turned our technical staff,
     trained in soils and engineering, into GIS and computer data entry
     staff. We could do those jobs cheaper and have the higher graded
     staff doing the technical jobs they hired on to do.

909. increase the pay to keep a diverse and professional job force

910. There needs to be more cultural diversity in the field in regards
     to the workforce. The face of the world\'s workforce is changing
     and we need to keep up to include minorities in this, especially as
     managers in the field, state office, and national office if we are
     to keep good employees working for NRCS and be compatible with the
     private sector. There also needs to be more opportunity for
     advancement.

911. Spousal placement should be a definite consideration if the spouse
     is highly qualified in a field that NRCS supports.

912. I am fully capable of taking on the next level job in my field, but
     that would necessitate a move to a State Office. My wife has a job
     that pays equal to mine, so I would never recover financially if I
     were to apply for a job at a higher level. I feel NRCS must do
     something to help out people who are not able to move to accept
     promotions or you will continue to not get the best talent in the
     upper management positions.

913. In the past, many folks hired on with SCS/NRCS because of the mix
     of field and office work, because the agency work benefits the
     environment, and maybe to be associated with agriculture. Field
     office staff once had a very active hand in performing design and
     installation of engineering conservation practices. A lot of things
     have sucked the enjoyment out of the job over the more recent
     years. Contracting paperwork, appeals, PRS and the resulting
     \"transparency\" of NRCS to many who like to nitpick at us and want
     to see us fail, seemingly constant change with the associated
     snowstorm of bulletins, inadequate area/field level work force to
     perform traditional engineering activities while still handling the
     more recently added contracting activities. Of course, we are not
     paid to have fun, and dealing with the problems is why we get paid
     the \"big bucks\". I think the pay and benefits are fine. You can
     pay more to get people to apply, but it may not be the kind you
     want. From my perspective, I think the level of job satisfaction is
     important, and the level of bullshit associated with the job has
     already started to outweight any satisfaction. I think that if you
     want to attract and retain new employees, you will need to focus on
     improving job satisfaction at the field level. Keeping,
     maintaining, increasing and utilizing in-house technical expertise,
     capability and production capacity helps maintain job satisfaction.
     Competitive Outsourcing Studies, A&E Contracting, TSPs as an
     alternative to hiring NRCS staff lowers employee satisfaction,
     results in a loss of technical expertise, and will eventually turn
     us all into a bunch of contract specialists with no technical
     capabilies. Hopefully I will not live to see that happen.

914. I enjoy my work and career with the agency however I do not agree
     that being moved around provides better experience than years of
     good experience in a single location. Most highly qualified
     employees are such because they are self motivated and have
     personal goals. It is this same personality that can make loyal
     dedicated employees who strive to improve this agency because they
     are allowed to make career decisions for themselves. If forced into
     undesirable directions the agency will in fact loose self motivated
     creative employees resulting in high turnover and high training
     costs for new employees. Most Young people today want to make their
     own life decisions whether that involves moving around or not, but
     having the personal choice is vital to employee retention,
     satisfaction and productivity.

915. NRCS has some fantastic employees with a lot of technical
     expertise. The agency just needs to work on keeping them. The
     salary is lower than private industry, but benefits and stability
     are usually better. People tend to stay with NRCS because they are
     excited about the work they\'re doing. Forced relocation is a major
     deterrent to staying with the agency. Policies on promotions and
     mobility vary greatly by state. Some states would do well to learn
     from others. If a state has a lot of turnover, it\'s employees are
     dissatisfied for some reason. Sometimes the management staff can be
     closed minded about listening to individual employee\'s needs. NRCS
     does a good job training staff and hiring qualified technical
     staff; it is a shame to see that time and money go to another
     agency or private industry simply because management refused to
     deal with individual employee development needs. We shouldn\'t do
     things simply because they\'ve always been done a certain way, we
     should do things because that is the BEST way to do them.

916. NRCs is a great agency. Allowing the people to fulfil the mission
     is what will keep it great.

917. none

918. Subsidized benefits including vision and dental would significantly
     improve the federal benefits package help compete with the private
     sector. Performance based awards are often not large enough for the
     employees to feel they are truely valued for exceptional
     performance especially compared to private sector performance
     bonuses.

919. The agency needs more flexibility to accept people as qualified for
     a job series. The series concept is an antique in the current job
     market. We need to push managers to accept alternative schedules,
     telecommuting, and alternate work locations and teach the managers
     how to manage these situations. We need to reduce the constant
     pressure on employees, particularly on field staff.

920. Currently engaged to a dairy farmer and mobility will be limited.

921. Consideration of phasing into retiremnt by changing work schedules
     to part time for a while before separation from service.

922. I dislike the term \"human capital\" as dehumanizing. Capital is
     something to buy sell use up depreciate. People should not be
     called capital. It smacks of old industrial era thinking.

923. No comments at this time.

924. The process for firing people should be less intimidating because
     it seems as though a manager would rather keep an employee that is
     routinely absent and/or does not perform his job than go through
     the paperwork to fire him. This happens quite often. And at the
     same time, good, hard-working employees are getting treated poorly.
     There needs to be some appreciation for regular, everyday good
     performance. It seems as though people who misbehave are promoted
     just so that the supervisor doesn\'t have to deal with them. If the
     federal government was a private business, it would have gone
     bankrupt long ago because of poor handling with personnel and the
     purchasing of items that are not necessary. The agency needs to
     remember that it has to take care of the employees it has in
     addition to getting new ones.

925. none

926. age discrimination for those reentering federal service and looking
     to lateral to new series

927. The skills I use in my temp (NTE 4years)job will be needed after my
     term expires (2007/8), but work plans (and potential
     re-organization) are not yet pepared, so I cannot prepare myself.

928. good luck

929. NRCS is the best agency to work for.

930. The agency is spending an adequate amount of resources on training,
     but we are not being effective. Training must be delivered as close
     to the field as possible. OJT is the most effective followed by
     formal training at the local, then area, then state, then national
     level. State training programs that have been developed based on
     this model (and the effectiveness of the program has come to
     fruition) are being decimated by training programs run from the
     national level. The national level should be responsible for course
     development, but let the states deliver and tailor to their needs
     \-- reference the effectiveness of the Conservation Planning
     Course.

931. I think it would be a good idea to \"contract\" for a couple of
     weeks with a current employee who is planning to retire to assist
     the new hire with orientation if it is deemed desirable by the
     supervisor. NRCS has many highly specialized discipline specialists
     who might benefit from an overview by an experienced employee, but
     not someone who will instruct on \"this is the way it must be
     done.\" We do need new ideas and new perspectives, but an
     introduction to how it has been done could prove beneficial.

932. I am currently a part time permanent employee and feel this is a
     very valuable option for a work schedule. It would be very
     encouraging to see more opportunities where people could work part
     time while still accomplishing the duties of their position.

933. Personnal questions such as if you married or single, race, etc.
     This questionnaire is already starting wrong. I have not problem
     identifying who I am, but what exactly is this going to show. This
     agency has been doing these things for a long time. How is this
     information going to be any different. Headquarters knows who are
     in the states and what is going on. Is this survey really
     beneficial?

934. There should be a website for retired persons to seek work
     opportunities with NRCS by state. Thank you!

935. The agency should pay more attention to employees family
     situations.

936. Thank you for conducting this survey.

937. Agency changes in the last 12 years have dramatically increased the
     type of work the local field office must deal with. Being hired
     because of your technical ability and performing the role of a
     District Conservationist by assisting landowners technically is not
     as important today as the number and amount of program contracts
     you can administer. Most field offices have seen exponential
     increases in workload without additional assistance to complete the
     work. This has resulted in less service to the public and less
     quality of service that NRCS provides. Until NRCS will do a
     qualified study of the real time it takes to do the job we are
     being asked to do NRCS will continue to underachieve it\'s full
     potential. We need to simplify processes and enable our employees
     to utilize their technically skills and deliver high quality
     services that assist producers in making intelligent natural
     resource decisions. Until some of these time consuming business
     process are simplified and consolidated, we will never accomplish
     our mission!

938. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this survey. I
     believe NRCS management is genuinely interested in good human
     capital management. My only real concern at this time is the lack
     of assistance I\'ve received with developing an individual
     development plan.

939. I have been required to more more, while unmarried, than married
     personel. As a white male, I feel that it is harder to get
     promotionn(reversed discrimination)

940. One of the biggest problems I have seen in this agency is to try
     and make technical personnel into managers. Many technical
     employees are forced into managerial duties due to changes in
     agency priorities, workload, etc. Many of these people who are
     technically superior lose ambition for their job and often fail at
     their duties because they were pushed into an area they either were
     not ready for or did not want in the first place.

941. Natural Resource Conservation Service. Primary Customer: Congress
     (budget allocation). Primary Obligation: Contract Management.
     Primary Focus: Farm Bill Implimentation. Most field staff will
     agree that the agency is no longer driven by the goal of providing
     service to landowners based on resource concerns. Activities now
     are geared toward spending farm bill dollars and ensuring that
     personal liability is minimized, as support from upper levels is
     non-existant.

942. Technical service providers should be used in emergency situations
     only. We had one provider that was calling us to get advice and a
     design to install a practice because they didn\'t know how. I had
     to tell them sorry, we can\'t help you. We have the expertise, not
     them. Having some extra NRCS engineers and eliminating the TSP\'s
     would be a big help.

943. The term Human Capital to refer to employees is telling and the
     term is offensive. I have noticed a change in the view towards
     employees over the years. Employees were more highly valued and
     treated with greater respect in the past. The tenor of the agency
     has changed over time. There is much less trust and more \"CYA\". I
     am very concerned about the direction NRCS is heading. We need to
     maintain and use our technical expertise and get our people back in
     the field. \"Bean Counting\" has taken over we need to focus on
     field work.

944. THe agency needs to consider the staff and the things we are being
     asked to perform. Right now I am unable to keep up with all the
     daily demands and there is no change in the forseeabel future. Look
     at what the private sector is asked to do for the salary we are
     being paid and you will see a big diaparity. We are a jack of all
     traids. We need to cut the fat so to speak and streamline our
     duties. We have turned planting grass into rocket science. We need
     to simplify things for customers to understand and make them
     simpler for them to understand. This would aid in accptance by the
     public. Not to complain but we are being over tasked in many
     locations where additional staff is not offered. Contract files
     have gotten way out of hand. Contracts should not be the size they
     are when we are done. We have a 14 page contract just to get
     started then we have to add all the resource information and
     supoirting documentation. What ever happened to paperwork
     reduction. there are too many computer programs out there. It is
     difficult to stay proficient in all the programs we must know to
     perform our jobs on a daily basis. We need to really look inward
     and see what can be done to cut down on the overload in the field
     and allow the staff the opportunity to do what we are good at, that
     is working with customers on the land and solving resource
     problems. This is difficult to do from a desk and a computer. One
     last thought Email! Everyone with a half thought out idea sends out
     email and looks for instant results. at least the old mail system
     gave the office a few days to work on other projects between a
     request and a response. We get far too much email because is is
     easy to use. Thanks for the chance to sound off and I hopw you find
     some usable information in the survey data.

945. none.

946. Pay has not kept pace with private industry for the last 30 years.
     Most benefits are good EXCEPT HEALTH INSURANCE.

947. The NRCS is a great agency.

948. EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN PUSH TO THE LIMIT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
     SOFTWARE HAS TOO MANY BUGS. PAPERWORK IS OVERWHELMING. TIME FRAMES
     ARE TOO SHORT. GOOD TRAINING IS AVAILABLE, BUT OFTEN WORK LOAD
     DOESN\'T ALLOW US TO ATTEND.

949. I have a hispanic supervisor who can\'t communicate verbally, or
     written, doesn\'t pass on information, she doesn\'t know her job,
     and as a DC, she won\'t go out to the field ever, doesn\'t want to
     go to meetings, do outreach, and just doesn\'t know how to be a
     supervisor. Nobody will do anything about her, the landowners in
     the area are greatly disappointed in her. Jerry Thompson the AO
     doesn\'t deal with complaints, he only lied, about me, discredited
     my work, threatened me and retaliated against me when I brought an
     grievance to his attention. He called me old, and slandered me.

950. I truly hope that this process of evaluating NRCS future needs for
     personnel involves \"active\" participation from \"true field
     office staff\" that have seen this agency\'s transition in the
     lasts 30 plus years. Otherwise our mission is going to be lost.

951. I think we have to make our sure our young people get thourly
     trained and plenty of OJT to do the technical job in the field. I
     see alot of our young soil conservationists that are very good with
     computers put have poor technical skills because they have to spend
     so much of their time on farmbill programs. We seem to be trying to
     do to many things with number of employees that we actually have in
     the field. If we are to be Conservation Enablers I think this is
     when we need to ask ourselves if we should get out of the job. This
     frustrates all Field employees. The reason we are employed is to
     work with producers providing them a service.

952. Need more field staff for the associated workload. Don\'t think
     moving to different offices for new employees should be such a
     priority.

953. The difficulty in being able to find and hire new employees with
     the background, knowledge, and skills to relate with the customers
     we work with is of major concern to me.

954. Performance rating should be based on \'actual\' performance - no
     way to reward good employees in comparison to mediocre employees.

955. I worked in the private sector for many years before my career with
     NRCS. I am satisfied with my decision to work in government. I
     believe young people would be more interested in NRCS if the \"move
     to get promoted\" culture were eliminated. Also, there seems to be
     connection with the military when phrases such as \"tour of duty\"
     are used. For people with kids, more opportunity for part-time work
     schedules would be a huge benefit.

956. In the field offices I think that the DC position should be a soil
     conservationist position and have a technician position. Both
     positions could be equal at about a 9 position, the soil con
     position would be supervised by the Asst State Cons. FO, and the
     technical position be under the supervision of the Area Engineer.
     That way there wouldn\'t be a DC getting supervisory pay when all
     that they are supervising is one employee, which in my view is
     waste of money considering how many DC\'s we have nation wide. With
     computer technology we have today it is very easy to stay in touch
     with supervisors that are not co-located.

957. This agency has really gone down hill under the Bush
     administration. I hate the agency and hate my job. CSP is a poor
     program, poorly delivered. Toolkit, protracts and PRS are
     disgustingly poor, and have really hurt the agency. The agency
     seems so politically weak. We have good people here that just roll
     over and allow very poor policies to occur. I\'m just trying to
     hang in there until retirement. I care deeply about our natural
     resources, and I mostly like working with the people on the land,
     but I try not to care just to survive.

958. It does make it harder for people starting to plan for the future
     when they don\'t know where they will be.

959. NRCS needs to begin looking at the social and economic aspects of
     conservation to sell it to the public in order to survive.

960. You should not have to keep moving to be promoted. It is very
     difficult on families. There should be more GS12 District
     Conservationists at the field level and you should not have to move
     to be one. The CNMPs that are being pushed from the National Level
     are hard to sell because of the cost and there is no incentive to
     actually do the recommendations. The Conservation Security Program
     is great! Keep it and Keep it Simple!

961. Overall the agency is doing a great job. Continued improvement and
     listening to the workforces suggestions is always needed.

962. I feel it would be more beneficial for this agency to hire pepole
     with a farming background. They are hiring to many people based on
     education and not field experience. Also District Conservationists
     job description gets broader every day ex making payments, tracking
     direct deposits, etc. I feel we are becoming more of an accountant
     than a natural resource professional.

963. Computer programs used to provide our services are not the
     greatest. The idea is ok but it does not work, as it should. Some
     times, it takes to much time just to do a map or to pay a contract.
     There are many \"bugs\".

964. We desperately need additional clerical/data entry clerks at the FO
     level w/ current programs/software/job duties.

965. I think there should be more help at the local level. The days of
     the D.C. wearing many hats are gone due to the fact that it is hard
     to get in the field b/c of so many deadlines and computer programs
     which are continuously being updated. All major counties should
     have a computer entry specialist in addition to a soil con. and/or
     technician.

966. now is the time to hire people so they are trained before the mass
     retirements take place. Budget cuts are hurting us for the future.

967. We need to get our agency\'s name out to community colleges and
     universities. Each state needs like a person in responsible of
     recruiting and public relations. Those people must have the proper
     people skills and personality to be effective!!

968. I think we would need to give some kind of surveys to our
     customers, partners, etc to get their feedbacks about NRCS

969. I think the moving requirement is ok when you are starting out but
     once you get married and have children your job location should be
     stable. Pick and average. I think the Agency bends overbackwards
     for minorities and new hires to keep them happy. Then when you get
     mid-career they treat you bad, like they will not leave they have a
     morgage and a family now. I think NRCS as some obligation make an
     effort to preserve families. If employees are happy in there life
     they will be productive and easier to work with. Than kyou so much
     for asking

970. Taking Office Automation people out of the offices was a BIG
     mistake..much of the everyday office procedures are done by the
     them. Do you want Soil Cons. and Dist. Cons. in the office or in
     the field? We make the least amount of money, cut back where it
     would do the most good\-\--higher up the chain.

971. One of the most important and rewarding functions of NRCS is the
     time spent working with landowners/producers in the field, in the
     planning and application of conservation systems. The current
     program policies and rules does not provide the necessary field
     contact to work directly in the field. We need to be out on the
     land to evaluate the resource oncerns, before providing the
     alternatives to address to the resource concerns of each and every
     producer.

972. Question #5 there wasn\'t an answer that could be chosen for \"none
     of the above\". I didn\'t feel that I could answer that question
     accurately with the given answers. I feel the agency does not hire
     on managerial skills or technical skills. I believe they consider
     it but I think that they look more at who would be willing to move
     from one end of the state to the other without regards to family
     situations or ethnic background.

973. The support we need from our agency to do our job well is not being
     included in our staffing needs. We still have to keep data in
     multiple locations instead of having a complete service electronic
     file for each customer. We have no time to really reach out to the
     community and virtually no time to review, discuss or develop new
     approaches to our work. I\'ve avocated a central web site that
     would allow for regional and national posting of ideas and
     discussions. Even just a bullitin board. We do have something like
     that for Soil Cons in our state.

974. NRCS needs to focus on hiring people with experience on the farm,
     making a living on natural resources, not people whose parents made
     a living on the industrial complex and then they wanted to get back
     to the environment and nature. We need to focus on getting on-farm
     experience either through the boot-straps program, mentoring, or
     hiring people who come from a farm background, whether or not they
     are of the proper diversity background we would like. Otherwise, we
     will start losing our trust with the public.

975. I strongly promote the concept of diversity for our staff, however
     the idea of recruiting folks to areas other than where they want to
     be just for training is an unwise use of existing staff, training
     an employee is a lot of work and to continue to see new hires
     return to their home areas becomes discouraging. We need to take a
     serious look at the process that we have in place.

976. Field offices need more staff. Many people are experiencing severe
     anxiety. Then at meetings they tell us..\" If you think it\'s bad
     now, it will only get worse.\" This is one comment I have no
     problem believing. The past 5 years or so have been a personal
     nightmare for me because of no assistance. We are overwhelmed with
     complex programs and numbers of participants. Field office spirits
     are low\...many are afraid to express these feelings out of fear of
     their supervisor.

977. This survey does not(in most areas) address my job level.

978. no comment

979. Please reconsider the value of your technical staff. Most of us
     have bachelors degrees and deserve to be paid more for the work
     that we do.

980. Grade levels need to be based on the work performed and not on
     arbitrary caps

981. People don\'t come to work for NRCS because they think they will
     make a lot of money or become famous, they work for NRCS because
     they are committed to helping the environment by putting
     conservation on the land. To retain this type of person we must be
     sure that our agency maintains a strong focus on doing what we do
     best and not get diluted with many side activities. The Field
     Office is where the rubber meets the road and what those folks do
     best is connect with landowners and apply conservation. We need to
     do everything in our power to let them do that.

982. Love the fact that you consider \"Marital Status\" as married,
     seperated, divorsed or single never married. I happen to be widowed
     and don\'t appreciate the choice or lack there of.

983. This obviously isn\'t an anonymous survey. You can easily determine
     who answered the questions by examining the personal information. I
     think this may deter some employees from participating in the
     survey.

984. The work we do is not for everyone. We should not sugar coat or
     gloss over the difficulty of some of our positions both physically
     or mentally. We deal with many different types of weather
     conditions and much of the work we do is not glamorous. I love it,
     but some will not. I feel some employees have been shocked by what
     is expected of them when they begin work with NRCS. We should have
     a realistic screening process that asks perspective employees a
     series of questions relating to the real work we do and only after
     anwering all of them in a satisfactory way should they be
     considered.

985. Air Quality/Global Warming was not listed as one of the areas this
     agency needs to strengthen its expertise on. I feel this should be
     the number one area this agency needs to be the lead in.

986. Air quality was not mentioned as a technical area with expertise
     needed in the future.

987. NRCS is a great agency, just too much work for the the hours in a
     day. Too many programs to manage to the quality expected.

988. Overall, the agency is not doing to bad. However, I would like to
     see people get the job for their common scence rather than a
     college degree.

989. The 1st 20 years of this job was very rewarding and
     self-satisfying; the last 15 years has been degrading, no feeling
     of personal accomplishments because it has been totally overpowered
     by \"Top Down\" direction without inputs or opinions from those who
     do the damn work, just from an administrative/political
     perspective.

990. most of the job promotions I see aren\'t necessarily based on
     knowledge, but on relationships and just moving people out of where
     they are. Upper management usually is promoted too fast to gain a
     full knowledge of the workings of the NRCS. Many management don\'t
     understand all the programs, they just keep climbing the ladder.

991. Quit forcing the older experienced employes out by changing their
     work location.

992. Pay system should be changed to reward people for amount of work
     completed and level of competency achieved rather than paying
     people more as they accrue years of service.

993. None

994. Job retention of older employees not likely in Indiana. All the
     older engineers are being run out this year because of
     reorganization. STC has made comments continously about wanting new
     blood and telling people at most of the meetings she attends they
     can fill out an SF-52 if they don\'t like it.

995. hiring and promotions is based too often on peoples connections
     instead of abilities and skills.

996. I feel mobility is a key component of advancement within the
     agency. The experience I gained in my 4 different offices in 2
     states is invaluable.

997. I have enjoyed my career with NRCS and feel that I have made a
     difference in working with both our external and internal
     customers. I feel that our agency has missed the boat in not
     beefing up our old system of having a strong student trainee
     program in finding good, qualified individuals to enter into our
     workforce. I also feel like we have abandoned our responsibilities
     to a strong conservation program with the urban population. These
     are people that sometimes appreciate our assistance more than the
     rural population.

998. Gov. employees need to have some self motivation to become the best
     they can be at the job they hold. We need to hire enthusiastic
     employees regardless of ethinic backgrounds.

999. As far as hiring practices go and the diversity issue. I am a firm
     believer that it dosn\'t matter if you are black, white, purple,
     green, male, female or some one in between. If you have an sincere
     interest in the job and want to do a good job and work hard at it
     you will be an asset to the team you are a part of. If you are not
     interested in anything other than getting a pay check based on
     \"what\" you are then I don\'t need you. Sorry, find something else
     to do.

1000. Important benefit to retain in retirement is cost of living
      increases. With new hiring of employees, qualifications and
      interest in job should exceed other factors.

1001. Our agency should be about getting conservation on the land.
      However, we are more centered on spending program dollars to
      leaverage TA dollars. We make the job so difficult for the field
      offices with program rules, red tape & bureaucracy that we are
      losing our technical expertise. We can manage contracts, toolkit &
      Protracts, but at the expense of getting real conservation on the
      land. Someone needs to stop & take a real hard look at how we are
      operating & what toll it is taking on our people.

1002. I am currently spending 40% - 50% of my time on program management
      and program payments. Other office work occupies most of my time.
      I would like to be able to visit farmers on their land once again.

1003. Need to reduce workload and stress on job

1004. Re-organization every 5 to 10 years is a significant waste of
      resources, both monitary and human. Stop re-organizing and give us
      more staff.

1005. Job stresses

1006. I\'d like to see USDA / NRCS provide an end of year \"bonus
      check\" for unused annual leave. Our goals are increasing, quality
      expectations are increasing, and field staff seem to be
      decreasing. This idea would make a nice Christmas bonus. Perhaps
      not to exceed 80 hours??

1007. I enjoy the technical aspects of my job and working with
      landowners to solve their resource problems. I do not like the
      stress of finacial management, constarnt re-scheduling of contract
      items, and verifying finacial eligibility of applicants. These
      issues are taking more time than the conservation planning which
      is the end product. I woukld prefer to affer assistance to all
      landusers whom request it, not just those whom are willing to
      complete a financial interview first.

1008. NRCS has been a great place to work so far. With the right
      leadership in place it can be even better. It appears that
      politics, red tape, political correctness and favoratism sometimes
      get in the way of our agency excelling.

1009. Another thing that would help retain young people is health care
      with visual and dental at a little cheaper cost.

1010. The government takes too long to process and notify candidates
      who\'ve applied for a federal position. Most need a job now and
      cannot wait 60-90 days to be offered a job! Too many incompetent
      people keep getting promoted and transferred instead of properly
      trained or removed from duty! Getting promoted depends on who you
      know and how well you are liked, NOT always on your skill or
      performance levels. The agency is trying to do too much work
      without enough employees. The agency isn\'t prepared for the
      pending mass retirement crisis. They are not getting enough new
      people in or getting them trained soon enough. You can\'t take
      internal agency training because there isn\'t any time or money.
      You can\'t get external training assistance because they want you
      to go through internal training first. We don\'t have enough good
      quality, up to date employees and equipment to perform our duties.

1011. Computer software must be made more trouble free before release to
      reduce employee time waste.

1012. Half of our office is unmarried. Question #48 is pretty
      presumptuous. The agency should focus more on working with people
      to keep them geographically in an area that works for them,
      instead of making them move or quit. I know that this is probably
      difficiult, but it\'s a shame to lose good people for an
      inflexible system. Engineering standards should be more
      consistent, both at the state level and at all of the lower
      levels. Bioengineering is not used in Indiana because the
      engineers don\'t understand it or it\'s just easier to do what
      they\'ve always done (riprap and concrete everywhere!). Water
      quality should be one of our major concerns and it isn\'t.
      Engineering practices are very myopically developed, they only
      seem to address erosion, not the aesthetic or overall
      envioronmental quality of a practice. This is ridiculous. It\'s
      time that Indiana come out of the dark ages and stop doing what
      they\'ve always done because it\'s easier or because the good old
      boy farmers and contractors don\'t want to think outside of their
      narrow boxes. State engineers should push new technologies and not
      reward laziness and not give into what contractors \"want to do\",
      and require them to do the best practices for the overall
      environmental quality of a project. Thanks for the opportunity to
      put my two cents worth in\...

1013. Question 48 is a question about a spouse but does not give you and
      option to say \"not applicable\"

1014. Question 47: I had two other opportunities to move but deceided to
      commute for personal reasons.

1015. In regards to moving for promotion, I do not object but feel the
      state should take into account each employee\'s situation. The
      statement is \"we have to be fair\" but I have seen too many
      people with the \"right connections\" get whatever they want. It
      is the rest of us who have to be fair.

1016. The agency needs to realize that every new software package that
      comes out does\'nt necessarily mean higher productivity for
      employees when accounting for learning curves and potential lack
      of training or periodically overloaded computer servers

1017. closing of local offices, or moving technical personel to one
      location without additional pay.

1018. i believe that the majority of people who leave the agency do so
      because of lack of mobility. Spouses jobs often limit peoples
      ability to move to new locations.

1019. Leadership encourage moving for career development but most of the
      leadership (ASTC) I know never left their state. I feel that what
      I have learned from outside my present state has not viewed as
      useful. You advance faster if you never leave a state that way
      people know you. 2. I believe that promotions or vacancies should
      be viewed by a pool of peers (experts) racially and gender mixed
      and not left to a single selecting official. 3. There was no
      incentive to furthering my education while employed with NRCS. I
      wish someone came up with one. You do not need a M.S. to be a soil
      conservationist but I am glad to have one.

1020. To retain good employees you must make sure they know they are
      appreciated. I have only been at my position 3 weeks, so I am not
      aware of all the awards/merits available. I feel the agency needs
      to develop a system for demotion or firing for the employees that
      are not doing their job. When you have one person who causes
      conflict and does not do their job to the best of their ability,
      it slows down the agency as a whole. We have a limited amount of
      resources to conserve our natural resources, so it is crucial that
      everyone works hard and cooperates with each other.

1021. Question 50. Do you anticipate retiring from this agency? If not,
      how long will you continue to work for an agency with personnel
      that are continually promoted and recognized despite their lack of
      competency and performance.

1022. I believe that Congress and our agency has been so influenced by
      the wildlife political lobbyist that it is making it hard for me
      to want to stay with NRCS. This agency is pouring millions of
      dollars into paying producers to install and maintain wildlife
      habitat that I find it that my ethics and morals are being
      challenged. Our society cares more about feeding and sheltering a
      bird than we are about feeding and sheltering the hungry and the
      homeless of this country. The majority of farmers would rather
      raise crops to feed the poor and get a good price for their crop,
      than they would to take a free handout for having a field border
      to provide food/shelter for a bird. I believe our agency needs to
      get a backbone. Inform our congressmen that there are ways to
      improve precision conservation on the land by giving grants to
      farmers to buy needed precision equipment. How many employees know
      what it costs to buy a new John Deere combine? I would say less
      than ten percent. Let us help the farmers do a good job by
      providing them the cost share to get the job done. Let us put our
      priorities in order, feed the human hungry before we feed the wild
      animals. I blieve the continous personal and location change that
      has occurred in this state has influenced some very experienced
      and qualified individuals to retire that would not have left at
      this time. Our engineering staff has been hit extremely hard and
      will have a very huge impact on the field delivery system.

1023. the state office is loaded with high grade people, while field
      positions are lower graded and get filled less often when ranked
      by workload. Without field people, you wouldn\'t need state
      offices. should concentrate people in the field.

1024. NRCS is a great agency to work for, but they are currently doing a
      poor job of balancing workload for people of equal grade and
      position.

1025. Personal interviews should be used in the job selection process in
      order to: better assess peoples character, ask pertinent
      background questions and generally assertain qualifications that
      might not be transmitted in a comprehensive fashion on paper.

1026. I am about to retire and have alot of experience to offer. So far
      no takers with the goverment, including F.E.M.A.(I have 35 years
      experience). I was offered a positon in the private sector on the
      spot with higher pay which I accepted. The goverment is losing a
      great amount of pratical, real life experience from it\'s
      retirees.

1027. We should be able to hire retired NRCS staff to help with the
      workload if they are willing. More work needs to be done to
      recruit and retain minorities and women. Agency should supply up
      to date technology to staff if they are willing to use (ex. pda
      for soil cons).

1028. NRCS is at a cross-roads. I thing the DC position has become two
      separate jobs that require different skills one more technical the
      other managerial/administrative.

1029. Moving by choice for a job change is one thing, but forcing an
      employee to move to be promoted is not likely to retain quality
      employees. If NRCS were to have employees work in surrounding
      counties to get different experiences rather than physically move
      them (unless, of course, it was by choice)then I believe we\'d
      retain more employees. NRCS lost a highly trained soil con from
      this office because she was going to have to move again. (Of
      course, to become a DC somewhere, it\'s highly likely they\'d have
      to move for that position)

1030. Having programs such as CSP where there is a lot of stress makes
      it hard on employees. With CSP, things are ever changing and
      deadlines are short, which makes it hard on employees, espcially
      those who have several (3 or more) watersheds covered by their
      field offices. The fact that you have to, over the course of a
      number of years, deal with relearning CSP for that year\'s signup
      and administering the existing CSP contracts at the same time is a
      real pain not to mention really confusing dealing with multiple
      years CSP contracts when each year has different rules.

1031. I feel NRCS should hire the most qualified workers, it seems
      currently that diversity in the workforce has taken a front seet
      to hiring qualified employees. While is is beneficial to have a
      balanced workforce, it should not be done at the expense of a
      qualified workforce.

1032. There will be a huge amount of \"institutional\" knowledge leaving
      the Agency in the next few years. I son\'t see alot of social
      skills in the new hires that will allow them to enter their
      communities and to gleen the needed knowledge about that
      communities needs/wants concerning environmental problems. Allot
      of the new hires work the prescribed hours but are not involved
      internally in the community after hours. I serve on two community
      foundations, the County Planning Commission, write a weekly
      newspaper column, volunteer teach a course at the the local
      college and for years was a president of a rather large skating
      club. Those kinds of contacts, plus years in the community allow
      you to make the needed contacts to address
      conservation/environmental concerns.

1033. We should not compromise our integrity to look more diverse or
      politically correct. We don\'t need specialists. We need well
      rounded generalists dedicated to our vision.

1034. Promote the best not based on culture or political correctness.

1035. I worry by the people we are bringing into the agency that we are
      losing the purpose of our job.

1036. Questions number 5, I feel that none of the answers were the way I
      feel. Should of had no comment. I think the agency is so worried
      about moving people up that the people themselves are not capable
      nor will they ever be of manageing an office. Do desk audits, find
      out who is doing the work and pay accordingly.

1037. NRCS has become extremely program driven, against all promises to
      the contrary. This has made crisis common and meaningless because
      it effects primarilly the program managers with only minor impact
      on the conservation customers who are actually managing the
      nations resources. They have become cynical as programs have come
      and gone. Rules changes, red tape, and complex eligibility
      regulations have discouraged customer participation.

1038. none

1039. Frustration and stress are big facts I thing that discourages new
      employees. Starting out at a GS4 and the two factors mentioned
      before and trying to to pay bills while having a family it is not
      enough to keep them on when here in Iowa they can make more money
      per hour in a factory. I don\'t know if you know but we work hard
      to get the job done. With down sizing employees and increasing
      work job loads: means longer hours that don\'t show up on the
      timesheet to get the job done. Which then cuts into family time
      and then with no or low appreciation means potentally employees
      looking for other opportunities.

1040. I feel the government puts too much emphasis on the number of
      women and minorities hired instead of hiring the best qualified
      people for the job. I also feel that local people should be
      considered as an asset as an employee. Moving should NOT be
      required for advancement because this upsets family life and
      stability.

1041. My husband and I are newly married (just over one year) and we are
      living over 150 miles apart due to our careers in Natural
      Resources; We are trying to figure out how we can move closer
      together while trying to maintain job status and promotion
      ability.

1042. I see too many times where the agency goes to recruit new
      employees from outside the state, spends a lot of money to train
      them, only to see them leave the state because they want to be
      closer to home. I believe the agency needs to do a better job of
      recruiting folks within state in order to retain these people. I
      think some mobility is good for employees. I think they need to
      gain experiences in other parts of the state but I don\'t think it
      needs to be mandatory. I like the idea of detailing folks to other
      areas of the state for periods of time to gain experience. Some
      sort of stategy for this type of detailing needs to be thought
      through. As a manager of a field office, there needs to be some
      sort of continuity for workload purposes. With CSP, EQIP, and all
      the other programs we work with, there is a high administrative
      burden on the field office manager. This needs to be taken into
      account when detailing employees for what ever reason.

1043. More telecommuting options should be offered. Then someone such as
      myself who really can\'t move, would be eligible to hold positions
      (H.R., contracting, etc.) that are currently located in the state
      office. These type of positions should be able to be located
      anywhere in the state.

1044. My biggest concern is the incompetent supervision and the poor
      example that is shown from a supervisor who gets paid generously.
      It affects all the employees\' moral in this office.

1045. Questions about \"tacit\" knowledge and how it will be transferred
      from one generation of employees to the next.

1046. There should be changes made in how we evaluate our employees. The
      american dream of working hard and getting rewarded for your
      efforts is long dead in this system. Our paperwork has grown and
      devoured our staff time taking away our technical expertise in the
      field. Without that, our purpose will fade away and we will become
      just another bureacratic dinosaur that should be extinct. We need
      to allow employees to use good common sense while providing
      meaningful one-on-one assistance to the american farmer.

1047. Technicians know as much if not more then their supervisors. Many
      supervisors only have 2 or 3 years of service but due to the fact
      they will move they get promoted very fast. Then they start making
      \$15,000 to \$20,000 thousand more then the technicians that have
      been there for years. The pay differences between supervisors and
      techs was not that far apart years ago. Due to the maximum grade
      level of only 7 for techs and the yearly cola it has really grow
      to be a large difference. Good quality techs that know the county
      and everyone in it, that have the trust of the producers should be
      rewarded for STAYING, not being punished for not moving. To keep
      the outstanding technical personal with the Government and not
      leaving to work for the TSPs, technicians must be paid fairly
      compared to the rest of the personel in the office

1048. This Agency places too much emphasis on so-called minority hiring.
      Good candidates are passed over so that we can hire females and
      non-white persons. We should be hiring the best candidates, not
      trying to meet quotas. Awards are pretty much on a buddy system,
      not merit. This causes dissatisfaction among the ranks. This has
      been a complaint for years and still hs not changed. I doubut if
      the results of this survey will cause any changes either.

1049. I am not very mobile due to my husbands occupation but to be a
      Soil Conservationist with the NRCS is very gratifying. However,
      the issue of mobility is a problem when I look into future
      promotions. Splitting the career paths of Soil conservationists
      into two tracts, those who stay in the place and those who pace
      through trainings to become a District conservationist, would
      provide job security. Having job security increases performance
      and raises moral in the workplace.

1050. There needs to be many changes made in terms of managing staff. In
      my travels I have met an abundance of staff who do next to nothing
      but yet draw a paycheck. There is no reason for this other than
      management within the agency is so poor and full of red tape that
      they find it easier to overlook these individuals instead of deal
      with them. There is nothing that frustrates me more than working
      side by side with people who don\'t work and have made a career
      out of it. I love this agency and love my job, but the
      discouragement can be overwhelming. This problem is breeding as we
      speak, because younger employees are being promoted without having
      achieved the skills and abilities required. When these younger
      employees are at the helm, then what will the agency do? I am a
      younger employee and it bothers me to think of the future in this
      agency.

1051. If paid annuitant were a few dollars higher, 12-14, I would jump
      at it.

1052. I believe we need to hire people because they can do the
      job\...irregardless of who they are or where they come from. We
      should be recruiting those people. I am a very versatile,
      conscientious, hard working employee but I am not always rewarded
      for that. I do my job very well but cannot advance because of
      restrictions placed on my job title. I believe someone should be
      paid according to ability and performance NOT just because you sit
      behind your desk for eight hours. Encouraging employee growth and
      the learning of new skills or improvement of the old ones, only
      improves your workforce and your agency. If you encourage
      mediocrity, then your agency will never be more than that. Why
      should someone work hard for the company when doing an average job
      gets them the same pay and no advancement?

1053. It is very important to get the NRCS name out to the general
      public and to tell them what we simply do.

1054. Our potential for getting conservation on the land would be
      greatly increased with adequate staffing. We have the potential
      customers out there we just need staff to work with them.

1055. The agency all and all is doing a good job. The only thing I would
      like to see that everybody is treated equal no matter what race or
      gender you are. Also all agency need to work together and not
      against each other. We are here for the producer and we all need
      to know that, not just NRCS also FSA.

1056. Question 48 should have a reply for \"no spouse\".

1057. NRCS has been a good agency to work for. We need to maintain a
      good work force in order to try and acomplish the work load we
      have and to serve our clients. Hopefully our retirement and health
      care will be generous to reward the employees for their years of
      dedicated service.

1058. I feel that if the agency wants to be successfull and get the
      quality people we will need in the next five years to replace to
      baby boomers we need to: 1) Be sure our compensation package is
      equivalent to the private sector, otherwise they will hire to
      above average college grads and we will get what is left over. And
      be more aggressive in recruiting at the college level. Make it
      know that the NRCS has a great compensation package, room to
      advance and make \$100,000 if they so choose. 2)Be sure to hire
      people based on merit, not ethnicity issues. Hire whomever is
      qualified not matter what their race. Some people are not very
      trainable, so if they are not very trainable, they need to have
      the skills when they come on board. 3) Try to make sure people
      have an agricultural background or know ag very well. If they
      cannot relate to what landowner does day to day, they will never
      gain the trust of the landowner, and that is so important!

1059. #43: Why did survey eliminated widow/widower as a selection
      answer? I am not married anymore when my spoused died but the
      Computer would not submit survey with out an answer in question
      #43. Not a good question.

1060. none

1061. The stress levels at the Field Level are at an all time high in
      our Agency mainly du to the added job responsibilities added
      without any addiditonal employees. Employees spend more time in
      front of a computer reporting conservation than working with our
      farmer clients in the field. Working with farmers is the reason
      most people want to work for us.

1062. We should take a very close look at new hires. Weed out those who
      do not have a committment to do our job well.

1063. I believe that we would have much happier employees if you let
      them stay in an area if they like it there. I farm a family farm
      along with working fulltime for the agency. Being mobile is
      difficult for me and my wife.

1064. You do not have a catagory for single/widower in this survey.

1065. Agency should consider interviewing when hiring.

1066. I fully believe in hiring diversity but not to the point that we
      hire people with absolutely no agricultural background. We should
      not be hiring folks to work with farmers/ranchers that were born
      and raised in the city and have no personal history, experience,
      or connection with agriculture. IE: The agency looses credibility
      with new employees that don\'t know how a tractor works, what a
      silo is used for, or what a soybean plant looks like.

1067. The questions on mobility: My comment is that there could be some
      SC positions that could be permanent. I have noticed that there
      are talented soil cons that do great work as a soil con but do not
      have capabilities of becoming a DC. I think that there should be
      flexibility, within reason, to maximize the talent of those
      persons by being able to place them in permanent soil con
      positions instead of forcing a person to become a DC in which they
      may fail. The benefits to NRCS by saving \$ would be very high.
      Also, once a person is identified as not performing to the level
      they are supposed to, it is almost impossible to fire that person.
      Too many times they get \"demoted\" into a position that is
      basically a \"dead weight\" position. This is not wise use of tax
      payer money at all. People that are in supervisory positions need
      to be trained more properly on how to supervise. I see this as a
      lack of proper training in our agency. I still see some areas
      where women are being discriminated against. Stronger Federal
      womens program would be helpful. Overall, I am happy to be working
      for NRCS and want to play a positive role in making this agency
      even more successful\...so my comments and my survey answers are
      sincere.

1068. Try to keep program administration and delivery uniform from
      county to county and state to state as much as possible.

1069. Sometimes I feel as if the agency puts people of ethnic or
      cultural diversity in positions to meet quotas for diversity. I
      think the best canidate should be chosen regardless of race or
      sex. Training: I get frustrated at all the training. A lot of it
      is worth while, but for heavens sake some of the training material
      is the same material covered in college courses which were
      required for employment with the agency. Why require certain
      background courses and then teach us what you want us to know
      anyway. It makes the education seem less useful.

1070. What would make you retire sooner than you planned? I am very much
      interested in the concept of questions #28 and #31. I would also
      like the idea of retirement and still working a few days a week
      now and then. Is that what #31 is talking about?

1071. I think supervisors aren\'t always supportive of employees but
      their own careers to get ahead.

1072. We need to figure out what our job is and do it, instead of trying
      to be all things to all people.

1073. On mobility: I am restricted by my spouse. Due to benefits,
      pension and disability reasons she is not mobile. She is in
      private health industry and benefits don\'t transfer. She would
      lose seniority, vacation, pension, shift scheduling, and might
      even lose her speciality if forced to move. Plus, SHE MAKES MORE
      WORKING PART TIME THAN I MAKE WORKING FULL TIME!! Also I have 2
      children with disabilities that make mobility dificult. If it were
      just me mobility would be a minor issue. YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT
      MOBILITY ISN\'T JUST LIMITED TO THE EMPLOYEE. YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER
      THE FAMILY SITUATION. THIS ISSUE HAS RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF
      SEVERAL VERY GOOD SOIL CONSERVATIONISTS IN IOWA OVER A \"FORCED\"
      PROMOTION TO DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST POSITION THAT WOULD HAVE
      DISRUPTED FAMILIES. IN THAT CASE THEY TOLD THE AGENCY THAT FAMILY
      WAS MORE IMPORTANT, MANAGEMENT WOULDN\'T GIVE IN, AND THE AGENCY
      AND EMPLOYEES BOTH ENDED UP LOSING. There were other qualified
      people who could have taken the position (it was in probably the
      slowest work office in the state) but management insisted that
      they had to start with the best, most senior employees and try to
      force them to move. Very early in my career, I was told that I had
      to move to take the position of a retiring technician who was 2
      grades above me, with no promotion. I refused to go, and I am here
      only because management backed down. At that point, I would not
      have accepted the forced move and I am very glad that I resisted.

1074. We should have to move offices, but within a driving distance. My
      husband is and engineer and if I were to move our home I would
      need a step 12 to get to the same level we are at now, assuming he
      gets a lower paying job. Also people should be promoted if they
      deserve it and are ready for it. Everyone should be set up for
      success with a promotion, not put in a place where it is known
      they will likely fail. Everyone is entitled to be listened to and
      to get respect until proven otherwise. People in high places
      should not be able to get their friends and relatives (excluding
      spouses)hired when and where the person wants to be. Did I say you
      need to deserve your promotion!

1075. Some of our training isn\'t useful, because after the training, we
      don\'t have the opportunity to use it. Future office managers need
      opportunity for trainings on how to run an office. NRCS work is
      evolving towards so much computer work, that we don\'t actually go
      out to the field much anymore. Assistance on organizing and
      improving on Farm folder filing system-updating farm folders has
      not been kept up to date in many offices, which leads to
      frustration of new emplpoyees.

1076. My main concern is how important technical jobs as they are now,
      will be in the future,and how do you keep these lower paying jobs
      of interest to new employees?

1077. There is a problem with question #20. It requires 5 answers;
      however, there is no place to indicate \"Other\" answers. So even
      if you don\'t think five of the answers listed are areas the
      agency needs to strengthen, you are forced to select them.
      Therefore, my answers to #20 do NOT reflect my opinion. Instead, I
      believe the agency needs to focus on increasing our abilities in:
      1.) Farm Bill Program administration; 2.) Leadership development
      and management, especially better use of staff; 3.) Alliance
      building, especially with new nontraditional partners; 4.)
      Enlisting, training and overseeing TSPs; 5.) Performance reporting
      and accountability\--devising a better reporting system that
      captures all of our accomplishements. I would also like to
      emphasize that there are many talented people working for NRCS
      however, the work they do, or their potential to do critical work
      is not being recognized and utilized to best advantage. The
      problem with lack of interdisciplinary team work I mentioned
      earlier is exacerbated by the reporting system. Because the system
      does not allow for capturing all the accomplishements of NRCS, if
      you are not doing something that is reportable, you are overlooked
      and given less support. Yet these staff are not moved into core
      work activities or relocated out of offices that are not doing
      core work. It seems people can become marginalized, especially
      people who cannot relocate out of their jobs. So there is very low
      morale among some people who feel under utilized, less supported
      and stagnant in their careers. A better approach might be to
      develop alternative ways of capturing and acknowledging NRCS
      activities that contribute to our mission and to provide
      recognition and support to people doing that work; while at the
      same time actively redirect people away from work that is no
      longer consistent with our mission or is otherwise not a priority.

1078. I enjoy working for the agency. I have been very lucky to be
      selected for 2 advancement opportunities without moving. It would
      be a significant pay reduction for my family to have my spouse, a
      school teacher) look for a new position in a different area. Also,
      this reduces the time-frame for which we can move because she is
      signing a contract to teach for an entire year, leaving us about
      two months open for a relocation move.

1079. The benifit package with USDA is great .I think they need to hire
      the best qualified person not just one that is qualified.

1080. My biggest concern is the only way to be promoted is you have to
      move and that mean you have to up root everybody to get a
      promotion and many people I know are hesitant about applying for a
      promotion because of that.

1081. We have a good supply of qualified applicants for technical
      postions. The problem is getting them hired to receive on the job
      training under experienced personel before they retire.

1082. Most of the training and opportunities have been good, but Iowa
      does a poor job of promoting the lower grade employees especially
      the technical personnel.

1083. In order to retain highly capable employees we should consider a
      hiring system that interviews candidates face to face. Requiring
      employees to be mobile limits the number of highly qualified
      candidates that apply for jobs.

1084. Family life is number one.

1085. The agency should look at signing bonuses to fill some potitions
      in the ageny, That bonis would allow the financial stability for
      families with two incomes to allow the spouse time to find a new
      job at the new location and not cause a finacial hardship on the
      family during the move. Most promotions do not offer enough \$ to
      cover lost second income.

1086. Allow any employee to work out of the home. With today\'s
      technology, we don\'t need office space.

1087. It is a shame that such surveys are only results that are curious
      but about which nothing can be done because of folks who do not
      know what is going on and because of politics. I strongly believe
      TSP\'s would further the conservation movement due to them not
      being politically shackled. They can also give direct feedback to
      politicians regarding how bad some programs are. I believe, no, I
      KNOW our agency has parted with its conservation values and, thus,
      its identity if favor of playing politics. Field staffs are not
      supported when tough but correct decisions are made that
      negatively affect producers. There are too many programs to
      administer and too many demands to SPEND the money in these
      programs. Field offices. District Conservationst are given all the
      responsibililty but no power in managing their staff. This is a
      great stress builder and leads back to being politically driven
      not pragmatically. Area managers should be critiqued by the ones
      they are managing. State staff should be critiqed by the field
      staff. Randomly chosed and willing field staff from various states
      should be used to investigate the operations, managment, etc. of
      the states. Who better can ask the salient questions but those in
      similar positions. Then, upper level managment MUST be made to
      make changes that are reasonable. When serving on state
      committees, historically the decisions are made by the committee
      head who is from the state office. Why bother wasting our time?
      Also, committee meetings should be done by phone NOT by having to
      drive long distances for a worthless meeting. In about the late
      70\'s or early 80\'s, there was an edict that mandated that WA DC
      folks had to get out into the field for so many weeks during the
      year. That lasted a few months AND it was decided that getting out
      into the field meant going to STATE offices. Again, a moral
      buster. Field staffs make the agency but few managers have their
      pulse on what is happening there. Too bad and an opportunity
      missed. I will leave my comments with some positives\.... Flexible
      working hours have been a blessing to me as I am a single dad.
      That alone has almost made it worthwhile working for the NRCS.
      Field staffs are great and for the most part, dedicated. In our
      state, the upper managment is apparently unconcerned re: field
      staffs moral, etc. For example, at an area meeting, there was
      little time for interaction (we are large in size and number and
      rarely see each other) which was needed in a big way because we
      had just gone through a very tough CSP signup period. Upper
      managment has no clue on what people need. Interaction, support,
      and knowing that others care is incredibly important NOT knowign
      the latest in what is happening in the state, etc. By the way,
      please check the questions regarding spouses. I am not married and
      should not have to answer number 48.

1088. still maintaining job classifications in some states to a certain
      degree causes rifting among the ranks don\'t understand why a
      resource conservationist system grading from 2-13 or whatever
      cannot be used. Your position in this system is based then purely
      on skills, education, longevity, willingness to accept added
      responsabilities etc.

1089. Need to hire good new employees with practical knowledge and skill
      to perform the job.

1090. Working spouses limit how many times you are willing to move or
      move at all. We don\'t make the wages that private industry is
      willing to pay.

1091. I live close to my mother who is in her 80\'s. I provide
      assistance to her when she needs it. I would not want to move to a
      more distant location but would prefer to be closer if that
      opportunity ever came up. I would prefer a 20 minute drive to the
      work place vs. a 45 minute drive. Increased cost for fuel etc.,
      and being able to provide help to an aging parent who wishes to
      stay in her own home would be the main objectives. We also manage
      the family farm which has been in the family for over a century.
      It is a small farm but it is important to keep it in the family.

1092. I feel employees need to give a days work for a days pay. We need
      more employees with common sense and a good work ethic and FARMING
      EXPERIENCE not college educated wildlife loving city kids looking
      for an easy job.

1093. I feel very strong about not ever having to move from my area but
      know that I will have to at some point, I hpoe that this will
      someday change.

1094. Over all my caree was very satifactory. Just the last few years
      wiith new farm bill changes things are changin here in Iowa.
      thanks for the opportunity to do this.

1095. Lose the Race questions. It doesent matter what race you are so
      stop the bean counting.

1096. None

1097. I believe that good people are overlooked for hiring because they
      do not have a degree. We need people with some common sense and
      not all theory and no experience. Working with farmers in
      particular with the average age going up puts the young kids
      (without any background) out of touch. The older land owners can
      see right through these kids. When they become comforable working
      with them, then we ship them to another office because they have
      to move to go up the ladder. These older farmers like a to see a
      face they know and someone that knows their farm. These farmers
      are the major land owners in the state. With the hiring practices
      that have been employed we end up with kids that want to work for
      the Dept of Natural Resources and cannot get a job there and they
      have a degree, so they apply with us and get a job. The problem is
      they do not care about soil conservation, just wildlife habitat. I
      believe that these people set back soil conservation way more than
      advance the cause. I have seen it and lived it on my own farm
      before I came to work for the agency. I believe the agency
      overlooks good people that would like to advance, but do not want
      to move or possibly be forced to move down the road.

1098. After watching what goes on in Washington I think our ethics
      training is a farce.

1099. The quality of Mgt. needs improvement

1100. I am so disappointed in my inability to get training, to get a
      performance appraisel completed and to get basic managerial needs
      met. It is thoroughly disgusting that the agency does not hold
      employees/supervisors accountable for policy and procedure.

1101. Somehow we have gotten to the point of offering too many programs.
      Too many rules and payment options.

1102. I enjoy my job, I really feel fortunate to be working for the
      NRCS.

1103. I think the communication in this agency is abysmal. No one knows
      what the hell is going on until the last minute. The training is
      ridiculous (if there is training at all). And the red tape with
      all the special interest groups makes serving the producer a joke.

1104. more consistancy in the programs that we delive would be greatly
      benificial while working with landowner. It is hard to explain to
      them that while today they will qualify for a program but tomorrow
      they will not.

1105. Lack of benefits and uncertainty of job security for temporary
      employees is not good. Maternity leave should be a benefit offered
      to permanent employees.

1106. I would like to see a more flexible working location for
      employees. I work 3 hours from my home where my spouse and child
      live, work and goes to school. I commute to the city during the
      week and rent a room to perform my work and return home on
      weekends. I am missing out so much of my child\'s life and with
      the work responsibilities that I have there is no reason I could
      not perform them from a federal office closer to my home. I have
      elderly parents also that I need to attend to and I would be
      willing to report once a week to the city for staff meetings or to
      meet with other staff or supervisor, but the agency does not
      support this. I know I am not the only employee in this case and
      with the greater responsiblities at home I need to look at other
      alternatives, but I hate to give up my retirement when I am so
      close and the federal jobs in a small community have gone away. I
      realize not all jobs can be performed from a remote location, but
      when they can I do feel that there should be more flexibility in
      working with the employee. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to
      express my feelings and I hope to see in the future a more
      flexible work location policy.

1107. Currently I believe that we are still the leader in private lands
      conservation. I am concerned that we will be loosing 40% of our
      senior employees in the next few years. If we are going to
      maintain our expertise in Agromony,Engineering, and Soils we need
      to be sure our newer employees are getting all the training and
      mentoring they can from these people before we loose them.
      Mobility - I have moved 5 times with the agency. Each time I
      learned new things. I also knew that I wanted to advance in that
      agency and that it would be good for me to move. I didn\'t always
      like it at first, but the moves have always turned out good for
      me. But, if we have good folks doing good work and are satisfied
      with being a GS-7/9 soil conservationist let them stay and
      continue to do the good work that they like to do. There is no
      sense in moving them for the sake of moving. Future employees - I
      bet if you asked our employees do you hunt or fish you would find
      a huge percentage of us that do these activities. Our employees
      are outdoors people. they want to work with people to help them
      conserve their resources. It seems to me that we should be
      recruiting people that have this passion to start with. If we do
      we will not have a problem with retaining employees.

1108. no comments

1109. Information needs to be more stable and quicker, cut the red tape.
      I won\'t move to advance in this organization, I have a house,
      family and friends here, I could find another job.

1110. I think this survey was a good idea. Hopefully we will gain useful
      knowledge from it and implement a successful strategy.

1111. We need to protect our reputation as an technical agency and get
      out of the political games

1112. none

1113. Quality employees are need to continue the overall mission this
      can be accomplished by having good training!

1114. I think there should be more career ladder positions within
      agencies. It is so hard to cross over from a GS-7 to a 8, 8, 10 or
      11.

1115. None

1116. This agency should develop a National Strategic Plan for hiring a
      diverse workforce (meaning people of color) and whole management
      accounable for their actions.

1117. if you want to retain the older employees longer because of their
      knowledge and experience, you will need to take into account their
      pay - many are probably maxed out at their current grade

1118. It is important that we hire and promote people based on technical
      and managerial experience not on other preferences (race, sex,
      etc\...). And if we\'re going to move people based on being
      consistent then we need to be consistent in all activities. If I
      had another job with similar pay and benefits lines up I\'d be out
      of here tomorrow. It\'s only because of loss of retirement, time
      in service, pay and benefits that I don\'t leave.

1119. Thank you for the survey.

1120. It is dissapointing to me that I have little room for upward
      mobility without moving. This is difficult for working parents who
      have support systems for raising their family where they currently
      live.

1121. Too much blatant favoritism for friends and relatives

1122. Fully implement the Locality Pay as originally intended, without
      the \"Rest of the US\" category.

1123. None

1124. More training on the systems and culture of USDA for mid-career
      entrants into USDA would be very helpful.

1125. Would it be a hardship for you or your family to move? Related
      questions.

1126. Keep us informed about matters and give us an opportunity to to
      give feedback/ideas

1127. The issue of constant changing program requirements without clear
      direction and communication is creating major stress on staff. Our
      clients look to us for information and when it is constantly
      changing it is frustrating for our clients and undermines the
      working relationship that we have with our clients. When staff are
      continually forced to backup and correct previous guidance it
      creates tremendous stress. Eventually staff just leave or take the
      first opportunity to get out.

1128. Please advise staff if there are opportunities for working \< 40
      hours per week or working for \$11/hour with no affect on
      retirement. This sounds appealing.

1129. Just want to stress how important it is to have more GS-11
      non-supervisory positions available for those who deserve it so
      someone isn\'t stuck in a GS-9 position doing GS-11 work because
      the section is currently only allowed to have one GS-11 position.
      Sometimes awards aren\'t enough. I don\'t want to leave NRCS to
      get a GS-11 position, but I may have no other choice.

1130. I have a bad supervisor that does not provide training in a timely
      manner because they prefer to do the work alone without delegation
      yet my job description contains required items that I am
      responsible for but not allowed to do or not provided the training
      to do. I came to NRCS from industry and have never worked in such
      a strange job environment.

1131. Continue to have diversity for minorities that are of a different
      race and not because of gender.

1132. Less emphasis on cultural/diversity and MORE emphasis on getting
      the RIGHT people for the job at hand

1133. More employees are needed to accomplish the work load!

1134. I think interviewing should be brought back. Interviewing helps
      both the interviewer and interviewee get a feel for each other and
      whether the office atmosphere is a good match. Accepting a job
      blindly, without having an opportunity to see the office and meet
      the workers, is not the best scenerio. This is especially true if
      moving from one region of the country to another. I think people
      would feel more comfortable applying for and accepting jobs
      outside their region if they could visit during the interview
      process. Thank you for letting me voice my opinion.

1135. Moving to get paid more shouldn\'t be a mandate because ultimately
      ones goal is to go back home close to retiring.

1136. There is a tremendous amount of concern about keep our jobs
      because of the amount of out-sourcing evaluations taking place.
      Work with technical service providers has increased my work load
      in this area because of the amount of follow-up that I have to do
      with the agencies. Frustration is high at the field level because
      of instead of saving time, it has increased the amount of time it
      takes to complete a job.

1137. NRCS needs to maintain technical integrity. Our emphasis on farm
      bill program work seems to come at the expense of other programs
      and technical epertise. Management needs to stop taking on new
      jobs for the agencywithout us having the capability to do the
      work. Management needs to decide what the agency should do now and
      in the future. Special emphasis programs take a disproportionate
      amount of resources! I \'m disgusted and appalled with the
      Cultural Diversity training we were required to take this past
      fall. Who shoved this bunk down our throats?

1138. respondents should not be required to answer questions, this make
      the survey results invalid. If I am single, how can I have a
      spouse employed outside of the home?

1139. My wife is unemployed due to the fact that I have moved 3 times in
      the past five years. She gave up a \$50,000 a year job two moves
      ago. She has excellent skills that NRCS could utilize but feels
      pressured not to work for our agency due to my position in
      management.

1140. I believe that mobility is a big issue. Currently my spouse has a
      much better paying job than I do so to move would be a big
      consideration. I think that more options for advancement should be
      made without a major location change.

1141. n/a

1142. Don\'t wait too many years to offer the paid annuitant option

1143. In order to keep women in the agency, mobility should not be such
      an issue. It is extremely hard for women with young family or with
      a spouse in farming. Although we may be a small percentage, just
      because we have little mobility, we have much fewer opportunities
      for promotion.

1144. When my children are older, I may become more mobile. At this time
      I want them near family due to me being gone mnay nights for
      meetings.

1145. It seems every year budget cuts are needed training is the first
      to go. It is then frustrating to be told you do not have enough
      training for a promotion.

1146. Thanks for the opportunity to participate. I thought that this was
      an excellent survey.

1147. I would like to see the agency address all clients and not a
      select few. And spend more time applying and less time on a
      computor working with programs that are not complete and or are so
      complicated we can not use them.

1148. I have enjoyed my career despite the large number of hours I have
      given outside the regular 40 hrs. Benefits and the agenices
      mission are going to be important to new hires. The RC&D program
      gives the agency a tool for being flexible and serving the public
      and accomplishing its mission, but it strongly appears this
      administration is taking the program backwards, if not trying to
      eliminate it, through its new accounting system, etc. I would be
      interested in working as an annuitant if the pay was higher than
      \$11 per hour (as this survey quoted in one of its footnotes). Why
      would I want to work for \$11 per hour when I was making \$38 per
      hour? I can find a better paying job than \$11 per hour.

1149. I realize that there are many budget cuts everywhere in the
      government. However, to keep competent employees the government
      must keep advancement opportunities, pay, and benefits competitive
      with the private sector. The latest blow to the federal employee
      in NRCS is not being allowed to use the MAXI-FLEX work schedule.
      This was a huge benefit that kept several employees from switcing
      to the private sector.

1150. Finding spouse a job, especially if he/she is professional, is
      very important when moved.

1151. A more reliable budget situation would be a big help

1152. As I mentioned elseswhere in the survey, benefits (especially
      vacation and credit leave) are the main drawing cards for NRCS.
      Decisions, like the recent change from the Maxiflex work schedule
      to the Flexitour work schedule, that has virtually eliminated
      employees ability to accrue and use credit leave, will only hamper
      retainment efforts of younger employees like myself who are not
      near retirement.

1153. Credit leave and the maxi-flex tour of duty were the biggest
      factors in leaving by private sector job and taking this federal
      job. I enjoyed the flexibility it provided. Now that it has been
      taken away, my biggest reason for working for the federal
      government is gone. I could make more money in the private sector.

1154. I am not in favor of pay for performance in the government. This
      type of system will result in a \"good old boy\" system that would
      weaken the agency. Similar to businesses like Enron.

1155. Planning is not a service. The agency needs to be able to provide
      real skills and knowledge to survive.

1156. I feel that it is a great hardship to move employees for no
      apparent reason other than to see if they will move in a Training
      or Soil Conservationist Position. I understand that management
      wants to give trainees a rounded expereince in the field but
      uprooting them is not condusive to the work ethic and job
      satisfaction of the employee. You don\'t have to move some one
      accross the state to give them a rounded expereince sometimes the
      next county over is very different. If a person is married like
      myself and my wife wants to do her Master\'s in a specific
      location the management should work with good employees rather
      than make it impossible for spouses to achieve their goals or
      otherwise seperating the married couple. Choices like this
      shouldn\'t have to be made. You can\'t ask some one to choose
      between a job they love and need and a family they love and want.

1157. It\'s to bad our job descriptions can not be more oriented to the
      types of specific jobs that we do. Under the types of expertise
      section the agnecy needs, there should be a line item for other to
      add items. As an agency we should not forget or loose the skills
      that got us to this point over the last 70 years and that was
      working with the individual people/landowners. There is a need for
      group resource planning, however the RMS plans written on the
      individual farms has been the agencies strong point over the
      years. If we can\'t be available for the clients individual
      concerns how are they to support us in the future. WE need to keep
      our technical skill strong and have adaquate field staff to assist
      our clients!

1158. I like the idea of working for NRCS and recieving an annuity.
      However a retired engineer would be worth more than \$11 per hour.
      Suggest using retirees to be paid simular to a TSP which is based
      on productive units. IE number of jobs, acres or animal units.
      Good survey!

1159. There should be more flexibility with the \"50 mile\" rule. More
      people would transfer if USDA paid for their moves.

1160. Need Questions on local partnerships with local Conservation
      Districts and local partnerships with the local USDA-FSA. The
      Agency has way too much paperwork for the programs offered.
      Programs need to be altered to fit local needs, rather than it
      fitting a state need. Issues and concerns can vary too much
      with-in the length of a state. Federal Programs should have the
      same rules nation-wide and everyone should play by the same rules
      and ranking criteria. I see too many differences between states on
      how they offer a program\.....such as their ranking process, or
      their list of eligible practices etc. We should be allowed to go
      over the county lines or the state lines, to assist a client, if
      they are being administered by a local USDA-FSA office. WE NEED
      CONTINUITY.

1161. Mobility becomes an issue when there is a spouse with a full-time
      job as well. Since the federal government does not pay as well as
      many companies in the private sector - the spouse\'s job may
      \"trump\" the federal job in a forced move.

1162. Good survey.

1163. The agency\'s vision is to seek funding, which drives the workload
      objectives and reporting, which in turn clouds the best service to
      meet the needs of our historic clients. Your computer program
      failed to refer question 48 back to question 43!

1164. I believe that, overall, this is a wonderful agency to work for
      and many employees do an outstanding job of selling, educating,
      and providing technical assistance in conserving of our natural
      resources; however, there\'s always room for improvement. One very
      important suggestion I have for improvement is to require
      supervisors at the area and field office levels to take managerial
      courses. I haven\'t been with the agency for very long; however,
      I\'ve learned that poor managerial skills can create a lot of
      unnecessary havoc among employees within the agency.

1165. I feel that NRCS jobs do not pay enough to require relocation. As
      of right now I\'m looking for other employment due to the length I
      have to drive to get to my field office. I\'m have a strong
      engineering back ground, high job apporval, and have completed
      most all of by basic NRCS training and this agency is going to
      loose me as a employee due to the fact that NRCS requires
      mobility.

1166. cut out the red tape and beauracratic foolishness. let field
      office staff get conservation on the land and work with
      landowners. do not put people in upper management that have only 2
      or 3 years of field office experience or even specialized
      exerience. cut out the managers that are \"micro managers\". this
      slows down the whole process and kills employee moral.

1167. The rules for programs and employees should not diffur from area
      to area within the state.

1168. Rather than using directed reassignments, advertise the position
      first and get someone who wants to be in a particular location.
      Directed reassignments only cause the agency to lose valuable
      employees or have disgruntled employees. If a reassigned employee
      has a family that won\'t move, the employee may end up commuting
      long distances and times (80 miles & 1.5 hours one way) just to
      keep a job that pays the bills. This situation results in a major
      loss of pay by increasing personal vehicle wear and tear and gas
      expenses. Reassignments do not result in more pay. EEO Compliants
      must be handled in the same timely manner that the employee is
      expected to follow. 9 months and counting without an agency
      decision is unacceptable. There is no incentive to remain
      employeed with this agency. This agency also needs to get rid of
      the \"good ole boy\" way of doing business and hiring and
      promoting. One item mentioned performance rewards. You can\'t say
      awards are given fairly when they are only given to one person in
      each job category and then not all job categories are included.
      Some supervisors don\'t believe in rewarding their employees for a
      job well done. They shouldn\'t be supvisors if they can\'t even
      let their employees know what type of job they are doing.
      Sometimes, a sincere thank you is all that\'s needed. Some
      supervisors like to go overboard by always thanking their
      employees for the difference they make, even after they have just
      been told that they are not doing their job correctly.

1169. There is alot of frustration at the Field Office level due to lack
      of program and policy guidance from above and adequate training.

1170. I do like working for the NRCS. Some days are extremely rewarding,
      some are not, very few are bad. As I look back I would like to
      have done some things differently, some things I would not change.
      I think all employees should spend a couple years working in the
      field office and all employees should have the opportunity to work
      in a management office for a short time. I wish that there was a
      way that the NRCS would not have to be political. I wish that I
      could visit with the congessional staffs located in my field
      office area. I used to know them, but since these contacts have
      been removed from expected position responsibilities and most
      certainly restricted I don\'t know them.

1171. Look toward diversity, but justify hiring only those that are
      qualified!

1172. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

1173. I am a part of a ArcGIS-Toolkit Cadre. I am one of four. I have
      other responsibilities. I enjoy my work with the cadre. I believe
      that a better job of training can be provided if a person is
      dedicated to providing one of one training with ArcGIS. There are
      many employees that are struggling with this new technology. It is
      hard to give them the correct amount of training or guidesheets
      and still continue doing your actual job. I enjoy my job as a
      technician, but I believe a commitment to this new technology
      needs to be made at a higher level.

1174. I believe that a lot of money could be saved by not requiring that
      employees be moved all of the time. Getting familiar with an area
      and the people in that county make for a better relationship
      between the NRCS and the people. It is really hard for employees
      to make plans for the future like buying land, a house, having
      children when their job is being moved.

1175. We need to show congress the effects of the programs they gave us
      to work with. We should be out to work with as many people as we
      can to promote conservation. Rules are made to put roadblocks in
      the path of conservation. CSP pay the best is the way we should be
      doing business. KEEP the SOIL in place will set the pace.

1176. There should be more questions regarding TSP contributions. I feel
      we should matched up to a higher percentage than we are currently.
      Also, student loan repayment should be available.

1177. I hope they do not wait to long if they are going to offer
      incentives to stay an additional year or part time incentives!
      Good Survey

1178. Question #44 should read Number of Children,PERIOD!! Natural is
      discriminatory and should be removed. Are step, adopted etc.
      un-natural?. I find this question very offensive because it is
      insensitive to a person\'s most basic origins\-\-\--birth.

1179. Mobility continues to be an issue with some employees, in keeping
      them from moving up in the system.

1180. I feel that the agency is losing ground in the area of diversity
      across state lines at the upper levels. And need to do something
      to promote African American females into the upper management
      levels.

1181. Remember: not everyone is a ladder climber!!

1182. We seriously need to cut red tape to get the job done

1183. Some people have not been in the agency long enough to adequately
      answer all these questions.

1184. Recruitment is the key to human capital and agency diveristy

1185. It would have been nice to be able to choose more than 1 under
      question 18. Also, how many employees have spouses that are also
      Fed Employees. I would be very willing to relocate, but only if
      they could find her a job in the same grade as she is at present.
      Another question could have been how many are now pursuing a
      graduate degree (in hopes of further advancement)

1186. Extra accounting and adminstration processes detract from our
      technical service mission. The public is not tolerant of
      interagency squabbles and bureaucratic roadblocks. Keep the focus
      on service to the public as well as our own people and
      partners(internal customers).

1187. Program policies & computer requirements are crippling our ability
      to serve people. Moral has never been lower.

1188. we need to formally train on computers in a classroom setting then
      be able to apply it on our own units. I think we need additional
      help in the area of secretarial and orgainizing help. Training and
      assistance Area support staff are so busy they cant provide
      adequate advice

1189. I appreciate the questions ask it sems that experienced employees
      such as I can still provide training/information transfer to
      others and new employees.

1190. none

1191. I believe that it is neccessary for all employees to be mobile and
      to gain experience working in different offices. That being said I
      dont feel that special treatment should be given to any employees
      because they are married or have kids or for some other \"special
      treatment\" reason. I have moved four different times with the
      agency and have put other parts of my life on hold because I knew
      that I would have to move. So when ever someone gets placed in a
      position in their home area because they have special
      circumstances I feel that it is unfair and should not be
      happening.

1192. Sggestions to improve the agency overall: 1. Competive pay with
      private sector. 2. Although I under stand the current past
      thoughts of mobility/upgrades during the training period of an
      employee,to an experienced employee, mobility can be a hinderence
      depending on an individuals personal issues. Moving people to
      allow obtain a higher gradetraining opportunity via management
      directed transfer or other method can discourage people from
      wanting to hire on. If they are a good employee and they have a
      need or want to stay, and can receive the training through a
      details, etc. especially since there are no other incentives to
      move other than upgrades,training, why can\'t a person remain in a
      locations. It would make for a lot better reflection on the
      agency, the individual would be more likely to put forth an
      improved work effort, and overall be a better employee, rather
      than being forced to to move every fe years, etc.

1193. I don\'t particularly support the hiring of ethnic minorities at
      the Field level in the midwest for an agency that provides
      services primarily to white males \-- the offices and customers
      are rural. I also think we spend too much time and effort
      recruiting minorities. Moreover, minorities and females receive
      special treatment regarding job placement and length of service at
      a given location. In order for a white male to be promoted he must
      move \-- and if he doesn\'t look to move in 24 months \-- he gets
      stereotyped as lazy. Females and minorities seem to be able to
      stay at a location for a longer time period without the pressure
      to move. I also think our summer intern program is broke. I have
      provided leadership to a couple of interns and was told to make
      their summer \"fun!\" Nothing wrong with fun, but they should also
      see the reality of the job as well.

1194. Good supervisors are key to retaining experienced employees. If
      you bad supervisor you are more likely to take the 1st opportunity
      to retire that is abvailable to you. I have seen this personally.
      I think supervisory training needs to be continued after a person
      becomes a supervisor. A refresher course ever 4-5 years may be an
      effective way to do this.

1195. Spouse had to quit their goverment job so I could take this
      government job. They should have relocated Spouse when I took this
      job.

1196. Employees should be hired, promoted and/or made supervisors by
      being fully qualified.

1197. As a new employee, the messages I recieve from the Chief and my
      State Conservationist are at extreme odds with some of the new
      programs I am required to promote. Care should be taken,
      agency-wide, that all employees know who their \"customers\" are.
      The politics of political appointments being what they are, the
      NRCS field offices are recieving mixed messages from on high.

1198. Most new employees need a supervisor that care about their
      training.

1199. I think the agency is selling it\'s self short by requiring people
      to move. We currently have two new GS4 Technicians with Master
      Degrees. They would make excellent Soil Cons, they both have farm
      back grounds and are doing an excellent job but neither one are in
      a situation where they can move. As soon as another job comes open
      with another company we will loose two good employees.I have a
      similiar problem,I was a technicain for 14 years and finally went
      to a production soil con. knowing that in 3 to 5 years several in
      the area would be retiring. I have been in that position for 3
      years and now after 17 years in the service I have been told that
      I will probably have to move to the northern part of the state to
      be considered for a District Conservationist position. I have a
      husband who makes more money than I do and two children,who it
      would devistate to move. I also am the only sibling in the area to
      look after my aging parents.My husband is also near his parents.
      If it comes to a move I will have to gove up a career of 17 years.
      I have always been told I do a good job, and I look at it as
      punishment. So why as a agency do we punish people by making them
      move? I would love to see our two technicians go on to be soil
      cons but I don\'t see it happening, because of the mobility issue.
      We talk about diversity etc. but we don\'t take into consideration
      that workers have responsibilities outside of this agency to their
      families and communities.

1200. Need to relook at the job description of the District
      Conservationist, we seem to be going into
      Contracts/Supervisory/Management instead of being in the field
      doing our jobs. My job in 18 years has taken me from 90% in the
      field to 90% behind the computer doing items like Protracts,
      paying bills, writing plans that my SCT has seen in the field.
      Need to have Soil Conservationist in each office if this mode
      continues.

1201. The moving section is important. An employee may be very
      interested in moving to gain a promotion, but there are several
      other lives to consider with that decision, ie. spouse\'s career,
      aging parents, children with friends, churches, & other
      involvements with local organizations.

1202. Technical service provider needs to improve. (TSP) I feel that we
      need to provide training to some one that wants to do that job. It
      seems like every time that I recieve a task I have to do it 5
      times because something is wrong with the program or I don\'t have
      the software. Its always something that has been forgotten before
      I recieve the tasks.

1203. We need better support from our technical staff. They answer
      questions when asked but they are not providing field staff with
      the tools necessary to complete task as assigned. The agency needs
      to be more PRO active in providing tools to the field and less
      reactive. When assigning new task provide all forms and
      documentation necessary to accomplish that task with examples.
      i.e. A technical specialist could spend 4 hours in providing
      better guidenance and save the DC from waisting 4 hours each in
      trying to figure out how to accomplish the task.

1204. Hiring should be because you know what your doing and not what you
      are

1205. I think there is too much emphasis put on a persons race, gender,
      or relationships over a person\'s ability do actually do the job.
      This has led to a large number of people who are unqualified for
      the job that they have.

1206. I know that my comments on preference will be misunderstood by
      some. I believe in equal opportunity in its true sense. It is
      double-speak to have hiring preferences under the guise of
      equality. Those who are excluded from that preference are denied
      an \"equal opportunity\" because of their race and/or sex in order
      to provide a job for someone else. Two wrongs don\'t make a right.
      Employment in the UDSA should be \"without regard to race, color,
      gender\...\" like our posters advertise.

1207. I would like to thank you for allow me the opportunity to complete
      this survey. I think NRCS is an outstanding agency to work for, we
      just need to keep the searching for employees who want to make a
      difference and not just the one\'s looking for a job.

1208. I feel that the agency is loosing site of our real mission. We
      spend too much time on administation, this would be an opportunity
      for TSPs. We are technical people not computer operators. The
      whole agencys existence is supported by the field personnel and we
      are being strangled with so called better technology. We hire
      people based on race rather than ability. We are not doing justice
      to them or the Agency.

1209. consideration should be given to single parent families when it
      comes to transfers.

1210. The lack of a requirement for continuing education (like CEUs)
      cause the workforce to grow stagnant in their jobs and thoughts.
      Easier access to college courses, and the time to take them, would
      be the thing that I most desire!

1211. I believe mobility is the largest concern for most of the high
      school and college age kids that I give presentations to. The
      rural community I work in most the kids have strong ties with
      their families and the farms they grew up on.

1212. The relationship and relevance of SWCD\'s and NRCS has changed. We
      need to update our working relationship and roles. Poor employees
      are seldom removed. They bring down the overall effectiveness of
      the agency.

1213. A large source of employees discontent is the suspicion that a
      certain gender/ethnicity is hired to correct percieved problems on
      some manager\'s diversity report. That isn\'t fair for the person
      hired/promoted, and is due solely to the fact that the agency
      collects and reports the information. Discrimination should be
      based solely on aptitude, performance, and qualifications - things
      that the federal government doesn\'t rate or report very well.
      Racial/sexual discrimination will stop when the agency quits
      counting - tallying - asking that particular information of
      employees. Unfortunately this very survey couldn\'t help itself
      but ask.

1214. Mainly everything we are doing at the field level is measured in
      \"dollars of cost share spent\",why is that?

1215. The student trainee program needs to be funded consistently so
      administrative staff can do a good job of recruiting the best
      students. We need to get students interested and their job
      performance evaluated before the last semester of their senior
      year.

1216. Best people for the job - always the best route to take

1217. None at this time.

1218. Most young people are attracted to our agency because we work out
      in the field with farmers and the natural resources. Our agency is
      steadily getting weaker on the technical side and emphasizing more
      computer and office work. This, plus the tremendous workload, is
      causing very poor job moral and I have noticed poor attitudes in
      many new, young employees. If we loose out technical expertise and
      direct contacts with the landusers, we will destroy this agency.
      We need to get back to the basics and protect the natural
      resources with the farmer. That\'s why we were formed many years
      ago and most employees are proud of that part.

1219. no comment

1220. Many times it seems if you are a female or a person with a
      ethnic/cultural background it is easy to get promoted. Many times
      it appears that the best candidate for a position was a white male
      but a female or ethnic person got the job. Reverse descrimination
      is taking place a great deal. I have no doubt that in the past
      many women or others were descriminated against but discriminating
      against white males now does not make up for past problems. It
      only creates more of a hatred against certain types of people. I
      have been told that we can\'t hire anyone to refill positions
      unless they are really good candidates. This also means they have
      to be of the \"right kind\". The Agriculture industry is primarily
      white males. Hire folks to make our agency match the numbers in
      the ag. industry not the types of folks in the general population.
      I realize that there are laws governing some of these things but I
      truly believe it is something that we need to take a look at. Some
      of this may sound like I am predjudiced but I am not. I work with
      a female District Conservationist who is probably the best DC I
      have ever met. I know several females and minorities who are
      excellent employees. I just think we should hire the best person
      for the job reguardless of their sex or skin type.

1221. I feel that the diversity issue is warranted however managers have
      taken the diversity to a level that reverse discrimmination could
      easily be brought tot he fore-front. It would appear in this
      agency that if you are age 55 or older,white male that your
      chances of promotion are little or never unless you have a direct
      contact. Also, certain idividuals appear to get promotions even
      when they have messed up, \"Peters Priniciple\". For those of us
      that are hard workers and consistently out-perform these others it
      is very disheartening to remain with the agency. Additionally, we
      get supervised by these incompetent individuals.

1222. My husband is in the military which does not allow us much
      mobility.

1223. As in most jobs I think that who you know is more important than
      what you know; when it comes to promotions and at-a-boys. I think
      that reverse discrimination is rampant (and in your face) in the
      NRCS organization, in this state. It\'s a deep shame that race
      and/or sex become the driving factors for personnel placement; and
      being of any one race/sex becomes a factor to select or disregard
      an applicant. If we were a truly Nondiscriminatory organization;
      only applicants initials would be placed on job applications and
      there would be no indication of sex, race, etc.; and the applicant
      would be selected on their merits rather than their race or sex.
      How does an applicant truely know that he/she was the best
      qualified candidate these days; and was not selected because of
      their race or sex? Where is the integrity and honesty that we
      should all be aforded?

1224. No comment

1225. Very good survey. Thanks

1226. Unfortunately under qualified people are hired because of quotas.
      Don\'t tell me they don\'t exist. Our office suffered greatly
      because an underqualified individual was hired because of race.
      HIRE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB!!!!!!

1227. The inadequacy of time available to meet program deadlines with
      current staffing. The amount of time required to self train in
      computer software because agency training is pretty much non
      existant.

1228. Management is out of touch with the field office. Training is a
      sham. The Missouri FOSA (field office service area) system is a
      joke. Just another layer of needless management. Creates personnel
      strife and jealousy.

1229. I hope the agency would look into some improvements in the
      following areas: (1) Possible advancements in pay grades for
      lower-staff positions. Many of these positions are now performing
      beyond their job descriptions. (2) Improved budgets, especially
      for CTA-General. (3) Reduced required office work for Field Office
      personnel so we can respond to our clients\' requests for
      technical assitance in a more timely manner. (4) Better
      organization when it comes to offering programs to the public.
      Some program sign-ups and contract work are already proceeding
      before guidelines are finalized and released. Field Offices need
      some time to review program guidelines before the sign-ups begin.

1230. The agency has become much more employee friendly since I started
      working, however, supervisors generally have no idea how to
      supervise effectively. Employee evaluations are subjective not
      quantative \-- always have been. The line structure has been
      changed in Missouri without any change in managerial quality \--
      just another layer of management has been added (GS 12 level) with
      additional expense and no increase (rather a decrease) in
      effectiveness!

1231. I think our State Conservationist and AC\'s do an excellent job in
      Missouri in promoting agriculture and working with their
      employees, and I\'m honored to work for both of them. We also have
      many experts at my level and above that are always willing to
      share their expertise with other employees. I also believe that
      Missouri has a very effective working relationship with other
      state and federal agencies. The partnership we have created is
      critical to performing our day to day operations for our
      producer\'s.

1232. Retention and moral of employees would be improved if salaries
      were reflective of private sector. Reward employees that are
      actually doing the work with better pay.

1233. no comment

1234. none

1235. PLEASE do something about the Toolkit computer system. Too much of
      the time it takes way more time than it took the old way, (WITH A
      PENCIL AND PAPER). As I said before, the TOOLKIT Computer program
      does not fit our agency at the Field Office Level. We have several
      hundred land changes per county per year, and the Toolkit program
      does not allow changes to be made easily. PLEASE come up with a
      way to change Farm numbers easily like we could do before.

1236. need more administrative/clerical assitance at field office level.

1237. We need to promote our profession at the college level. There are
      fewer and fewer kids going into agriculture and science, probably
      because so few are being raised on an actual working farm. I think
      more might major in a field that would help them later in working
      for NRCS if they knew about the job enjoyment coupled with decent
      pay and benefits.

1238. promotions should be based on job performance not quotas

1239. I am very honored to be a employee of the USDA-NRCS. I have had
      several jobs since my career started. But this one give me a
      \"Kick\" every day I come to work. Its the folks that I serve that
      keeps me going even during the bad days.

1240. N?A

1241. we need to simplify our programs and concentrate on the resource,
      not program policies.

1242. job descriptions don\'t match skills needed,more computer skills
      needed than soils etc.

1243. One major hurdle for employee advancement is mobility due to
      working spouse. There is no easy fix to this, but it does keep
      quality employees from moving up the career ladder. Also, the
      advancements in technology (business tools) far exceed the
      capabilities of some staff, especially if the tools are flawed.
      Our state is in the process of hiring Business Technology
      Specialists which is a great first step in addressing this
      problem.

1244. Diversity should not be the driving influence for promotions

1245. Pay in other states for the same type of work seams to recieve
      different pay.

1246. If you don\'t know someone that works for the government than most
      likely you will not find out about job openings. I found out
      through a friend and have told other friends. While I was in
      college it was never mentioned about working for the US
      government. Might need more in college advertising for employees.

1247. I see a real need to bridge the gap between our regional technical
      offices and those individuals in the field planning and applying
      conservation practices.

1248. It is my observation that NRCS has become increasingly program
      oriented in order to get technical assistance funding to fulfill
      budget requirements. Our strong point has always been our personal
      relationships with producers and our ability to provide technical
      assistance which they desire. There is an increasing demand on our
      time to sit behind a computer and enter progress, contract info,
      etc. We will lose an invaluable amount of practical experience as
      people retire if that experience is not passed on to new hires
      within the agency. Possibly the easiest way to free up more time
      for field experience is to stop mandating deadlines before program
      rules are developed and make sure proper tools are inplace to
      provide smooth program delivery. This would allow employees not to
      have to repeat their work because the rules changed half way
      through a program signup. Improvements to program delivery could
      still be made between signup periods.

1249. It is obvious to the male workforce that minorities are promoted
      faster. All we have to do is look at who gets hired with what
      experience they have and reverse discrimination is definitly
      practices by NRCS.

1250. I recently completed college courses to qualify for a new series.
      For one course I was able to attend an 8:00 am class at a
      university located one hour away from my office and home. (The
      local community college did not offer courses in those subjects.)
      For the rest of my courses I enrolled in online distance education
      courses. I have to tell you honestly that it has been rough
      completing course work plus working my normal job. I have talked
      to several of my local university agriculture professors about the
      need to offer courses at an accessable time for persons in a like
      situation, and they have been very receptive and were surprised at
      the number of staff that our agency stands to lose in the next few
      years. Since many of our staff are located in areas quite distant
      from institutions of higher learning, the Agency might help by
      compiling a list of distance education courses that would fill
      educational requirements that would enable staff to advance. I\'m
      not sure how the agency could be more supportive of those who seek
      more education, but if there is a way, I recommend we move in that
      direction (how about encouraging land grant universities and ag
      schools to develop more online courses?). I have to tell you that
      my State Human Resources Specialist provides me with great advice
      and help determining whether certain coursework will qualify for
      the series which I am seeking. Overall, I am happy I studied these
      subjects, I enjoyed the learning process, and in the process I
      discovered additional subjects that I would like to study that
      would be helpful in both my current position and the series to
      which I hope to someday advance.

1251. This survey is an excellent start to understanding the wants,
      needs, and attitudes of the USDA workforce. If successful change
      is to be implemented it will be necessary to continue these types
      of exchanges of information for decision makers to obtain a grass
      roots prospective base in reality. If you would like clarification
      on any answers given in this survey contact me at 6606514466 and
      ask for David. Thanks!

1252. I would like to share some thoughts pertaining to cultural
      diversity. I feel it is a mistake for any agency to hire employees
      based on the cultural percentages of the country\'s total
      population. I would suggest we hire based on the cultural
      percentage of the applicants. Thus if 60% of our applicants are
      white females, the number of positions being filled by white
      females would be around 60%. I also feel we need to look at the
      cultural diversity of the potential clientel of a particular area
      when we seek to hire employees for that area. If an area has a
      high potential for Hispanic clients then the local Field Offices
      should have employees who by either race or experiance should be
      able to reach these landowners. We as an Agency must realize that
      the landowners we work with care little about quotas. They just
      want to be able to ask for and receive assistence and they are
      more likely to do that if they feel comfortable with the
      person/persons in the field office. We also need to be sure we
      place our new employees in areas where they have the best
      opportunity for success which will allow them to gain important
      knoledge and experience which should help them later if/when they
      may find themselves working with other cultures.

1253. We need more employees in local field offices and computer support
      centers as these are the heaviest workloads.

1254. Good communication and managment skills are inportant.

1255. Seems like the agency is so focused on moving up females and the
      \"supposed\" minorities other than caucasians that I think they
      sometimes lose focus of rewarding those that can put common sense
      with the job when all they are worried about is numbers they can
      show they have as minorities in the work force

1256. The agency has moved away from a lot of the technical work we have
      done in the past that has given us the expertise to do a
      compentant job. The new employees are not getting enough technical
      training and experience before being put into decision making
      situations that affect landowners. There are too many conservation
      plans that have been written that are not addressing what is
      needed or practical for landowners due to the lack of technical
      knowledge and expertise of the planners.

1257. 1\. Our current programs that are used for contracting are
      horrible. They are slow, in concise, non user friendly, and full
      of errors. In the future these programs need to be more fully
      tested at local levels nationwide and by individuals who actually
      will be using the programs. 2. On the same note program policy
      changes in mid stream of a signup or during contracting stages
      hurt efficiency of programs and employees and cause bad
      impressions to our customers. Continued rushing of implementing
      programs and then changing policies often leave customers the
      impression that new employees do not know what they are talking
      about and pushes them toward wanting to only work with the older
      employees, thus undermining new employees credibility. 3.
      Advancement often requires mobility and those who advance the
      quickest usually spend no more than 2 years in a position before
      moving on. I believe this has and will continue to hurt your
      management people because they have neither had the time to learn
      anything about the programs or rules they are working with. They
      also have no stable technical background to which they are usually
      still provided with the highest levels of engineering approval
      over technicians who have been working for 20 years. The other
      disadvantage is supervisors often overlook incompetenceÆs in the
      first couple years of an individuals work as learning so if they
      continue to move then you never truly know if the person is
      competent or if they can write a good KSA. 4. Ethnicity plays a
      big role in advancement. Often times I have seen individuals
      promoted because of them being of a non Caucasian background even
      when they did not have as much background or experience as another
      individual. I have also seen supervisors ignore these individuals
      poor performance and ask other employees to take up the slack. The
      fear created by minority rights has caused reverse discrimination
      and promotions of individuals otherwise undeserving. 5. Field
      office staff are told to make judgement decision on programs and
      when they do they are not supported. However they are not given
      any direction on what the correct decision should have been.

1258. Staffing requirements should be based upon realistic worker
      productivity rather adjusting it to show the existing saffing
      numbers are adequate to handle the workload. Quality verses
      quanity has long been a controversal issue. issue.

1259. Promotions should be available to employees whether mobile or not
      depending on the employees performance over a period of time.

1260. Thanks for the survey on human capital.

1261. Office consolidation and transfer of administrative functions has
      lowered morale.

1262. I retired from a state agency and get no recognition when applying
      for promotions within NRCS for supervisory and other experience.

1263. I feel that NRCS is a great place to work and the work I am doing
      is very rewarding to myself and my customers. Having been in one
      of the first CSP watershed I have seen the positive effects this
      program has had on both the land and operators. I beleve that
      programs like CSP in the future will be the life blood of our
      agency. This also means that our field offices as well as some of
      our top people both at the state level and national level must
      also change their way of thinking and adapt to make these programs
      a sucess.

1264. The only problem I think NRCS has is a lack of training
      opportunities.

1265. Some of the questions above should be made optional to complete
      the survey, otherwise you get bogus answers just so one can
      complete the survey.

1266. We need training at the field level - new employees need overall
      technical training and seasoned employees need training on
      computer programs like Protracts, ArcMap, Toolkit etc. Or we need
      postions in the field office dedicated to computer work and others
      dedicated to technical work. It is really hard to be good at
      everything.

1267. No comments

1268. Question #47..Fed. Govt. paid for 2 moves; but have worked in 11
      field offices/between 2 Midwest States.

1269. Computer programs! When you get one that works stick with it!!!!
      If you do have to get a new one make sure it works or all the bugs
      are out before you send it out to the fields. Their is nothing
      worse then having 3/4 of your workforce who don\'t know what is
      going on and the people who are suppose to be teaching you the new
      programs are only half trained because they were rushed on their
      traing because their is a deadline to be met!!!!!

1270. Too much emphasis is being place on promoting diversity of the
      workforce without proper consideration of ability and skill.
      Please don\'t assume this comment is just sour grapes from an
      old-white-male, which I am. I have supervised and trained many
      minorities with the most being excellent employees. The problem is
      in the change in attitude of some due to the ease of getting
      promotions. They perceive that their move up was mostly due to the
      need to meet quota or parity goals. This perception has affected
      their drive for excellence that impressed me when they were under
      my supervision. Now they feel able to perform at a lower level
      because they still get the promotion, especially if the selecting
      official is a minority.

1271. I feel that it not be so hard to get hired by the NRCS. There are
      highly qualified peiple in other agencies that would be interested
      in coming to work for us but are restricted due to lack of armed
      forces years.

1272. Need to hire ehtnicity based on demographics of a reqion and not
      on numbers.

1273. NRCS needs to do a better job recruiting ALL individuals, not just
      ethnic/cultural people. Recruiting activities should be happening
      at ALL colleges, and all agriculture majors should be made aware
      of the agency. Promotions and awards should be awarded based on
      job performance, not specific selected individuals that get awards
      year after year, and the awards shouldn\'t be based on individual
      program accomplishments rather than overall job performance. The
      field needs more training on new programs - computer and federal.
      We need training on federal program policies BEFORE the program is
      announced to the public so the bugs are all worked out before the
      deadlines rather than changing the program policies 4 times during
      the ranking period. We also need training on the computer programs
      and how they will HELP get the job done, not take more time than
      the \"old-fashioned\" manual methods. The federal programs should
      not run concurrently or should take into consideration the massive
      workload incurred at the time of year it is announced (a program
      signup during holidays when people want to take leave is not
      good). Deadlines for different programs should be more than a week
      apart (it takes longer than 1 week to wrap up on program and move
      on to the next).

1274. Changes Like toolkit,Protracts,EQIP,WHIP,CRP ARE COMMING TO FAST
      FOR OLDER EMPLOYEES TO MANAGE.

1275. The primary goal of the agency is to work with people to make
      their lives better and at the same time to protect the natural
      resources. The agency has hired some highly trained individuals
      who are so mobile that they are moving right through the agency.
      Hireing to just fill quotas cuts out many highly qualified
      individuals.The agency has now become highly program
      administration oriented with programs that come and go in a very
      short time with one years appropriation. Our customers do more
      long range planning and it takes time to become familiar with the
      program and the local individual who representates the government.
      The customers go more on the knowledge of the local representative
      than the printed information for the program. Direction comes from
      Washington D.C. in the form of an E-Mail with the implication that
      we will raise this flag and see who will salute. We need to quit
      argueing amoung agencies and all be supporting one goal. The
      existing sick leave policy encourages one to take sick leave or
      lose it. If it is used as a common leave it would be well to have
      common leave and reduce the total hours available.(this last item
      is just a pet peve)

1276. The questions about employees moving withing the agency were a
      little unclear. I just think field office personal need more time
      in the field for P.R., field experience and training, and time to
      get off the computer every once in a while.

1277. Overall, I am happy with my job. There have been a lot of changes
      this past 18 months. Some have been stressful, but I think we have
      worked through them.

1278. The number one frustration in our office is computer programs that
      are overly complicated, frequently change, and either don\'t work
      or don\'t do some of the basic things we need to do in the field
      office. An example being that we don\'t have a simple system for
      transfer of ownership of property. These days, farms are changing
      hands and being split on a regular basis in some cases a single
      transaction may involve over a hundred fields. We need a common
      sense system to move information from one landowner to another.

1279. We need to stop painting new faces and changing policies with or
      federal programs.It seems we just get good with one program and it
      completely changes the next fiscal year and we have to learn it
      all over again.

1280. Building our reputation as a technical agency will draw higher
      quality graduates. Allowing people to advance without having to
      move to a central location will insure the best employees are put
      into key positions, not just the most mobile.

1281. I see the agency lateraling white employees at a much higher rate
      than non-white employees. I have applied for jobs in three
      different states only to see white employees lateraled into the
      positions.

1282. Implement employee orientation and training for new hires, so that
      new employees can be more productive.

1283. Employee working under a cooperative agreement between the state
      agency and the federal agency should not be forced to move if the
      agreement ends, nor should the salary decrease or job be
      eliminated. NRCS needs to provide empoylee with stable jobs that
      is not contigent on moving in order to keep their job. Job
      stability is the number one reason that people seek federal
      empoyment. The federal government needs to maintain this
      integrity.

1284. Increased computer planning, contract management and progress
      requirements are taking a great deal of time at the field level.
      Working in a field office with no federal secretaries or compter
      data entry personnel, it is becoming difficult to meet goals in
      conservation planning and spending adequate time with landowner
      follow up. We need more time in the field and less time behind a
      computer.

1285. Race and/or gender should not be a consideration in hiring or
      promoting employees. Whenever a person is given priority based on
      those factors then discrimination has taken place. I see filling
      quotas and pushing to get certain numbers of people in different
      categories as a form of discrimination.

1286. I recently learned that if a position is posted with a status and
      non-status option, that a status employee can not have experience
      not attained while a federal employee considered. A non-status
      applicant can have all their experience considered when
      determining qualifications, not so for a federal employee applying
      for the same position.

1287. In the introduction letter from the Chief he states \"replacing
      retirees with capable employees\" I beg to differ. It is poorly
      worded.

1288. in regards to the promotion in the current position answer in the
      previous questions, I believe that it is difficult for an employee
      to develop a broad experience of the issues we deal with without
      working in various locations.

1289. Agency goals seem to come down from the national office and the
      local people to not have much say on what gets priority to work
      on. The local input is getting less attention and the grass roots
      support of our agency is wanning.

1290. I feel that less experienced employees are promoted too fast at
      times. At one time, you had to move to a higher grade job to move
      up. Now, it seems that when certain employees are unhappy with
      their pay, they are upgraded by the agency in order to keep them
      from leaving the agency.

1291. background info questions should come at beginning of survey.
      -More frequent opportunities to write-in comments (once for each
      page of the survey) might trigger a few really good suggestions or
      clarifications.

1292. Hire people because they can do their job

1293. There should have been spots where you could explain your answers.
      There are reasons I feel the way I do but there is no way for you
      to see what has caused that reason. If you just look at the answer
      you maybe skewed to think I think differently then I do based
      solely on the answer. For example, why I agree that the agency
      does not have to be ethnically/racially diverse: If you hire
      people that believe in the mission and look at how to achieve
      that, then it shouldn\'t matter if they\'re blue, purple or green
      because they will reach all people to meet that goal. Also if you
      look at my answer about promoting people and if it is done based
      on merit or on race you might think I think minorities are being
      shafted. I don\'t because I think it is slanted toward minorities
      which I don\'t think it should be. I believe all hires, awards and
      promotions should be based on merit which I don\'t believe they
      are. I believe they are based on whoever is doing final decision
      and what their goals are.

1294. I would be interested in more local training on topics that
      associate with job promotion opportunities.

1295. Have you ever been identified as unpromotable due to an OPM jor
      series reclassification change?

1296. We need to invest in leadership qualities that will lead us into
      the future. We have leaders throughout the agency that manage for
      2010 with 1990 views. The world is changing. We are not. We have
      few people in meaningful leadership positions that understand the
      potential technology can bring. We different people. The world is
      changing much more quickly that we can adapt. It is time for old
      folks like me to move on.

1297. Question 5 does not have any correct answers.

1298. Please make a greater effort to respect employees dignity and
      value. Please structure your plans/programs/initiatives so that
      employees get complete/concise/final information the first time
      around\--and that workloads are manageable. \"Human capital\" has
      no face\--but it is us.

1299. Supervisors/managers are too concerned with their own well-being
      to truly look out for their employees.

1300. Question #5 - None of the 5 choices really apply. I chose
      \"extreme managerial qualities\" only because \"extreme\" could
      mean good or bad, in this case I meant bad. Also, how can this be
      confidential when the answers to the last questions asked will
      absolutely identify us!

1301. The morale in Arkansas is extremely low because of the state
      leader. I would say more but those who speak up in Arkansas have
      major job problems.

1302. I don\'t see how this is a confidential survey when these last few
      questions can clearly identify an individual.

1303. To help with relocating/applying for positions- make the process
      less mysterious. Include contact information for individuals
      willing to share about the position, staff, city, etc. Private
      companies promote moving while NRCS makes you work and research on
      your own (especially critical for people moving out-of-state).

1304. I have seen people hire others without going through HR. I have
      seen where the STate Con has told HR to hire someone even though
      they weren\'t qualified. I have seen falsified time cards put in
      and brought it to the attention of upper management to no avail.

1305. no comments.

1306. Interest in part time/job sharing/work from home interest

1307. I believe to get promotions you should be mobile but there should
      be a job placement plan for spouses if not able to find job.

1308. I find some of your questions offensive. It should not matter what
      origin I am or where I work or if I\'m married etc. I didn\'t
      think questions like this could be asked, especially on the
      survey.

1309. While I was a manager (GS-13) I received no program manager
      training. After 4 years, encountered problems in managing my
      programs. While such training may not have prevented my problems,
      I believe there is a good probability that I may have dealt with
      them more productively. Program managers\' training should NOT
      have been cut due to budget or other issues.

1310. Diversity of workforce has been overemphasized; therefore, the
      agency has a high level of incompetent/poorly trained employees.

1311. I feel too much emphisis are put on promoting individuals that has
      out of state experience. If that person is qualified enough that
      should be the only thing that matters.

1312. Performance awards are minimal in relation to the volume of work
      and extra time put forward to even be considered for a cash award.
      Then, decisions on whom to recognize are too often based on quota
      limitations and whether or not you received an award recently vs.
      the volume of work completed during that year. This topic
      adversely affects morale.

1313. Move on from the race, gender,PC, stuff and get back to mission

1314. SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR THE SAME PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZED FOR AWARDS
      EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN\"T DONE ANYTHING OUT OF THE NORM OF THEIR
      JOB DUTIES WHILE OTHERS WHO DO OUT OF THE ORDINARY JOBS ARE NOT
      RECOGNIZED\> JUST DEPENDS IF YOUR LUCKY TO HAVE A MANAGER WHO
      LOVES TO GIVE ALL THE TIME OR NOT

1315. I feel our biggest impairment was turning the leadership of the
      agency over to political appointees.

1316. I would be more satisfied with my job if my performance rating
      actually meant something; I had more OTJ training oppportunities;
      my manager supported my attempts to innovate; and computer
      resources and decisions were not controlled by another agency!

1317. Why were no administrative positions included in the areas where
      training or expertise is needed? As usual, administrative
      positions are the \"step-children\" of the agency.

1318. Too much emphasis is placed on hiring and promoting minorities
      instead of securing the best-qualified worker

1319. Done

1320. Coming from another federal agency, they provided a clear sense of
      their business goals. We also had a performance plan that related
      specifically to our job performance. Metrics were used to measure
      if we were meeting our business goals. Since I have joined this
      agency, I do not know the business goals of our agency. I know we
      have programs and what they do, but I don\'t know what we are
      being measured against. How do we report our performance? I know
      this information is probably available, but training has not been
      provided so I know where to access this information. You may want
      to consider having specialized/short version training for staff
      that doesn\'t deal in that technical expertize, but so they have
      an understanding of the program and its goals. I have only worked
      here for a year and a half and I do not feel connected in my
      position to the overall organization. I understand what my job is,
      but not how I contribute to the overall product. Training on what
      is in the manuals and where to get agency specific information
      would be helpful. I do not know where to go to get some
      information. Some type of guide would be good. My prior agency had
      a book with everything included in it, but I do not see that so
      much here. It advised you where to go to get information.

1321. The answers were too narrow in scope for numerous questions.

1322. This survey is a good idea. Should be a regular exercise.

1323. The NRCS has not advanced its training courses in ten years and
      some other agencies have made far greater improvement. I think
      other agency training in gis and engineering should also be used
      and strongly supported until our own think tanks can deliver it
      more routinely.

1324. Hiring and promotion in the Agency is often based on sex, race &
      ethnicity in order to maintain minority statistics.

1325. I can honestly say that there is a major difference in working for
      the Federal Government or an outside business. Also, when outside
      firms realize that they are biding on services for the Federal
      Government the cost automatically goes up. I have noticed that
      many employees can sit around and appear to be busy but are not
      contributing much to getting the job done.Yet a small majority
      continually get tasks added to their position to pick up the load
      from the ones not performing. This really does not give employees
      much incentive to continue to do a good job.

1326. A summary of the results of this survey should be posted on
      my.nrcs for employees information.

1327. 1\. I don\'t like the sound of being called human \"capital\". It
      diminishes my individuality and worth. I\'m a one of a kind human
      being and employee. Call us people or employees. 2. NRCS-USDA need
      more employees with Ag backgrounds, were a agricultural/natural
      resources agency for goodness sake. 3. The cultural diversity and
      and equal rights programs have been over done to the extent of
      reverse discrimination. they waste time and money. We have
      suffered from \"EEO/civil rights hirees and promotions\". We have
      too many employees in upper positons based solely on their dark
      skin color, not their technical or managerial skills. I can name
      numerous ones off the top of my head, if everyone were honest they
      wold all admit that. BUT everyone cannot be honest for fear of
      reprisal and being called a racist and/or bigot. The attempt at
      gender orientation celebration (not just tolerance, which I can
      manage) is unacceptable to my religious freedom. 4. We don\'t need
      more people, we need good common sense agriculturally oriented
      people; that care about our Nation\'s agriculture and natural
      resources. 5. I am near the end of a very long and satisfyng
      career with SCS/NRCS as a soil scientist. We have been a great
      \"carrot\" agency\...I believe we are drifting now into a
      \"stick\" agency and it is not a good trend. Too many programs
      dilute our effectiveness and create busy work for large and top
      heavy (grade level wise) staffs. We have lost focus of our
      original mission - SOIL CONSERVATION, to some extent. Perhaps it
      is beacuse we have accomplished many of our goals. Perhaps there
      is less need for the quantity of \$ that have been spent in the
      past. If we return to basics, perhaps we could do more with less
      and save the government money. Let\'s become lean again. 6. The
      soil survey program (especially in Missouri), is an example. We
      have accomplished great things. We have completed lofty goals. We
      have developed the best program in the nation (on our own). The
      \"MLRA system is inadequate and does not serve us, but got in our
      way\...we overcame that. Our expertise should be used and shared
      with other areas in the country that need it. We ARE the best,
      most talented, skilled and expert soils staff in the nation (no
      brag, just fact). We should be allowed to teach everyone else and
      our paradigm should be adopted nation-wide. There are
      \"under-developed\" states in this country, soil science wise; in
      comparison to our program. 7. Thank you for asking. Please don\'t
      misunderstand my remarks\...I think we have been, and are, one of
      the best agencies in the USDA. My intent is for NRCS not to slip
      into governmental dysfunction, misappropriation, political
      correctness, and largess as others have. I fear we have taken
      several steps in that direction in recent years.

1328. In my field the pay is much less than what I could recieve from a
      private company. I think this will always attract poorer quality
      employees.

1329. competative sourcing

1330. 1\. Several questions could be interpreted in different ways. 2. I
      think some holding some focus groups among employees would be
      valuable in helping to addressing these issues.

1331. Question regarding expertise did not seem to be all inclusive -
      areas such as water quality, watershed planning were not included.
      What about other potential Human capital emphasis areas - new
      performance system, SIMS data base, pay for performance,
      commitment/resource allocations to core Agency competencies -
      technical adequacy, planning process, field delivery system?

1332. The ability of mangement to recognize workloads and their ability
      to effectively manage personel could have been a topic.

1333. The state I work in needs to get up with the 21th century as to
      pay and how the employees are treated.

1334. I believe our organization will improve as management embraces a
      philosophy that challenges each employee to make a significant
      contribution toward meeting the goals of the organization. My
      sense is that the current management philosophy \"writes off\"
      those employees who are not willing to relocate in order to take a
      position with more responsibility. It is my belief that many
      quality employees could make larger contributions and take on more
      responsibility independent of their duty location. Just because it
      wasn\'t done that way in the past, doesn\'t mean it can\'t be
      done.

1335. The ongoing uncertainty of federal programs and funding causes
      stress to the current workforce. This, sadly, appears to be just a
      fact of life with this or any career anymore!

1336. Hiring should not be based on race/color but merely on
      education/technical and communication skills/ and desire to be
      great at their job. I believe we are to much program oriented and
      not enough about helping people who actually want to do some good.

1337. Our nation and workforce will be united when we quit emphasizing
      our racial differences. Instead, we should emphasize our common
      interests as fellow human beings. We are all equal and our
      cultural differences make our society interesting. We all have
      something to learn from each other.

1338. The State leadership in Arkansas is too concerned with what
      college they graduated from and promoting it, than they are the
      well being and health of NRCS and its people. We get a lot of lip
      service but actions speak louder that words. In my opinion only,
      our agency, in our state, is suffering becouse of poor leadership.
      I can not recomend anyone going to work for our agency in our
      state. That is a shame.

1339. I have no comments

1340. none

1341. Need more ? asked about difference in personel hiring and
      promotion. one/sideness

1342. 1\. Conservation Districts are our most important partner, and too
      often they can retain good personel due to low pay scales. This
      requires NRCS to provide repeat training. 2. It is important that
      hiring and promotion opportunities are given to the most qualified
      persons regardless of race, color, or ethnicity.

1343. none

1344. My spouse also works for NRCS.

1345. The agency needs to be more family friendly and supportive
      especially with so many single parents that are taking care of
      children and elderly parents. Management doesn\'t understand that
      you have to be off at times and you get no backup or support.
      Also, it is such a mangement and man world that does not support
      the opposite sex and races. It is still in this century a man
      support and take care of the men attitude that finally the women
      give up and leave the agency. We equally pull our part in this
      world and agency. It is not just a job for us but our careers too.
      But is is so much a buddy system and if you are not in that system
      or click you are not NO BODY. I hope things improve because this
      is w wonderful world and a excellent agency with many potentials
      for centuries to come.

1346. Listens to the employees in the field more before making decisions
      at the top level. The decision that you make at the top has a
      direct impact on employees at the field level.

1347. Some information not needed for survey.

1348. None at this time.

1349. Just glad to have a job!

1350. fix the survey form so it will function properly. Hire and promote
      based on ability not racial makeup of the agency. assure that all
      managers, regardless of ethnicity, are held accountable for
      discrimination.

1351. Provide more practical training opportunities.

1352. None

1353. Since NRCS is administering all farm bill programs now we need to
      focus on hiring computer specialists to stay abreast all the
      changes that occur and to allow the DC Soil Cons,and technician to
      provide \"quality\" planning in the field. We need trained soil
      cons and technician that can work in the field, not TSP money
      going to Conservation Districts or State Agencies. Look at our
      workload! Some DC\'s do not even have a technician much less a
      Soil Con. The private sector TSP will not solve the problem in our
      non-cropland counties. To date it has only complicated our
      contracts i.e. Contracts have to be modified to add TSP funds and
      only for practices each fiscal year. Plus payments are made to the
      producer, not the TSP. That\'s a problem for both.

1354. no comments

1355. What are the results of this survey?

1356. Maybe some consideration should be given to employees that do not
      have a college degree,and make them managers.Just because you have
      a college degree dosen\'t make you a good manager.

1357. None

1358. I think employees should be hired based on their qualifications.
      Their race or gender shouldn\'t have to be an issue.

1359. I think that politics, pork barrel programs, and personal
      interests of senators and representatives undermine this agencies
      ability to truly achieve our agency objectives.

1360. Should have had a category for \"Spouse deceased\" as none of the
      4 choices fit my situation. I checked \"Married\" since I had been
      before my spouse passed away.

1361. Overall I thnk NRCS is a very good place to work. I think NRCS
      does not toot it\'s own horn enough about all the good things it
      does. I think we need a lot more computer software training like
      Protracts, Toolkit and ArcGIS. I think there is too much paperwork
      and not enough face to face work with the farmer. I think because
      of the Farm Bill funding system that NRCS is moving toward just
      throwing money at farmers and distributing as much money as they
      possibly can rather than applying and teaching conservation
      practices, I hardly ever get in the field anymore. I think
      conservation is very important to the nation but very few ordinary
      people realize it- we need more Public Relations campains. I think
      there is too much fear generated by all the threats of budget
      cuts, outsourcing, layoffs and RIFS.

1362. We sometimes get caught up in being \"politically correct\" on
      various technical and personnell polices rather than doing what is
      fair, scientific based or just good common sense.

1363. I am in favor of cultural diversity. But not to the extent to hire
      people whom have no interest of agriculture and lack the desire
      and energy to learn about agriculture. We still are here to
      provide quality service.

1364. The NRCS should get back to being a technical agency. We should be
      out in the field assisting landowners to conserve/improve the
      resources of their land, not spend our time at the computer in the
      office, pretending to be accountants.

1365. I very strongly feel that i have been held back from my full
      potential on the job that i have worked and loved for 23 years
      ,because i don\'t have a four year degree.While there have been
      many people i have worked with that didn\'t have 23years exp. that
      were promoted.

1366. NRCS is changing and employees must be flexible.

1367. I think the survey might have had coverage on the well being of
      human capital relative to improvements on physical, mental,and
      medical attributes.

1368. our work force should mirror the demographics of our customers not
      the demographics of the population. This would help in employee
      retintion.

1369. the workload is too great; there just isn\'t enough time in the
      day to do all projects proficiently. Office space needs to be
      increased. Our team covers too big of a geographic area, that is
      not reflected in the space and resources allocated to do the job.
      Substandard performance is overlooked. The good workers take on
      more and more, and the substandard performers get by doing less
      and less.

1370. In Missouri, I feel it is very important to hire individuals with
      a strong farm background

1371. We have become an income distribution agency which is in conflict
      to some degree with our technical mission. There is not enough
      time to spend all of the money that comes into the field office,
      pay farmers on time, and report progress AND do all the things
      that state office specialists and NHQ staffs want done.

1372. Spouse is federal employee for FSA.

1373. None

1374. It seems a significant amount of time is spent on non productive
      paper work and reporting that could be better utilized in
      accomplishing our mission.

1375. I think you have done a fine job

1376. I feel too many people are place in a position because they need a
      body or to meet some goal rather then by a persons skill

1377. As a fairly new federal employee, (2 years in January), I am happy
      with my decision to work for NRCS. I enjoy my work and the
      opportunity to support the mission of the agency. If I have a
      disappointment, it is in the orientation and training process. I
      would welcome a mentor to provide career guidance, and more
      training opportunities to position me for advancement.

1378. Sometimes it appears that retentions and promotions are based on
      ethinic and cultural diversity rather than KSAs and ability to
      adequately perform the duties required of a position.

1379. We must make an investment in our work force if we plan to
      continue to be effective.

1380. The agency tends to be inconsistant in the way they treat
      employees. Sometimes they will bend over backwards to make it
      easier for an employee in a forced transfer and other times it is
      stated as take it or hit the road.

1381. I\'m disappointed in the survey. I took the time to fill it in not
      simply to help me but hundreds of other field office employees
      that not pleased with the irreparable harm being inflicted on the
      agency by its current leaders. The space provided here isn\'t
      sufficient to address the sick feeling in the field in
      watching (1) the CSP program currently flounder under financial
      limitations (where was the long-term committment on this
      disaster?), (2) the administration of the EQIP program without a
      manual to guide the field for years, (3) the highly questionable
      balloning of reported planning in some states (i.e.Texas) when
      funding became tied to reportable items, and (4) the Chief\'s
      recognition that the agency is moving away from structural
      practices. Bring back the Norm Berg\'s of the past who came up
      from the ranks and understood that conservation was and will
      always be a long term committment for our farmers as well as our
      citizens as represented by our political representatives.

1382. The survey indicates that the Agency is lacking direction on
      staffing. A look back would let you see that some levels of our
      organization have staffing increases of 300 to 400% while the bulk
      of the responsibility for the work completed by the agency remains
      at the field level. I suggest adjusting this.

1383. I applied for and got a new job in my home state. I didnÆt accept
      the new job because of a change in life circumstances. Now I feel
      that I have been put on some secret ôBlack Listö and have not been
      considered when I applied for other jobs. I believe this has
      happened to me and now feel that my career will be forever
      limited.

1384. The practice of writing off unused sick leave at retirement for
      FERS employees is unfair and must be changed. This policy has led
      many employees that are close to retirement to use excessive sick
      leave while still employed so they don\'t lose it. This results in
      reduced productivity, reduces efficiency and causes poor morale
      for the employees that have to cover the duties of the absent
      employee. The unused sick leave should be added on to \"time in
      service\" for retirement

1385. Overall this is a great job. Working with our customers on a daily
      basis makes dealing with the agency generated stress much more
      tolerable. I am more than satisfied with my present position.

1386. Simply the paper work, reduce the paper work. We spend more time
      doing paper work then working in the field.

1387. I don\'t want to manage with my organization because I would be
      sent employees that can\'t read or write and have no knowledge of
      agriculture. You have to teach them to read and write before you
      get any work out of them. I don\'t have a problem with hiring
      anyone as long as they can do the job and in my 18 years of
      government work I\'ve tried to train 2 such employees without much
      success and they were both paid more than me.

1388. More and more responsibilities are being shifted to the field
      level and we are continually being asked to do more and more. Yet,
      the pay has remained the same. Additionally, overtime is not an
      option for me because of my grade level so comp time is offered. I
      don\'t need more time off. I can barely get my leave used as it
      is. What I need more of is money.

1389. The partnership between NRCS and Conservation Districts has
      weakened slightly in recent years and needs to be strengthened.

1390. Kansas has never had an American Indian at the GS-12 or higher
      position in the last 70 years. This proves there is not a
      realistic effort for a diverse workforce and that the \'good old
      boy\' system is still alive and functioning.

1391. KS is the only state where there is a National Park Service
      monument to racial inequality (Brown Vs. Topeka Board of
      Education). The NRCS in KS reflects this bias for promotions.

1392. I would hate to see this agency hand all our technical work to
      TSPs. I would not like to see NRCS become another glorified
      Extension Service.

1393. If NRCS is going to look more and more at being program managers,
      then they should look to the business world to find District
      Conservationists (name should change) with abilities in legal
      documents and financial management. Hiring employees for their
      knowledge of technical matters and then making them sit behind the
      desk managing finances is not the right steps. If you need a
      financial manager, hire one. If you need a technical specialist,
      then hire one.

1394. NRCS could do much more to make ourselves visible to the public.
      Most younger people don\'t consider us because they haven\'t a
      clue who we are. Its not as appealing for someone coming out of
      college to work for the government in a small town, as it is to go
      to a consulting firm in a city. It is a rewarding career, but we
      are asking young people to accept lower pay and to live in small
      town, America. That\'s not something many are likely to do. I
      think we should offer more incentive to people like college loan
      repayment, and the option to attend grad school without having to
      resign your position, etc.

1395. I realize that the agency has changed more in the past 15 years
      than in the previous 30 and will need to continue to change due to
      the fast pace of progress. I also realize that Congress dictates
      funding and diversity and that the Agency is constrained by these
      regs. - I think that promotion without having to move is doable.
      It may require more travel initially though.

1396. none

1397. We have to get the help out to where the work is. I donate nearly
      as many hours as I get paid for which is hard on me and my family.

1398. Question 48 needs a N/A block if it requires an answer before
      submitting. My answer reflects my ex\'s employment.

1399. I feel promotions should be handled within the agency first. Allow
      for experience instead of a college degree. Some employees were
      not able to attend a university but are excellent employees and
      should be considered for management positions. Most offices the
      work is split evenly but the pay between a supervisor and
      subordinate getting wider due to percentage raises. This should be
      same pay for same work. In my office my supervisor can not do the
      field work required to complete a job and cannot do the necessary
      engineering work to design field practices, and yet his pay is
      half again more than mine. Outsourcing has also made a lot of
      employees very uncomfortable with this agency. The risk of loosing
      your job every five years has made many go look for other
      employment.

1400. Flexible working hours are important for me. With parents getting
      older being able to adjust hours is great.

1401. Thanks you for trying to improve the workforce.

1402. I think that moving for advancement provides opportunities to
      expand ones knowledge, especially early in your career. It allows
      you to work with several different individuals, groups and
      resource concerns. I believe this makes you a better employee as
      you are better adapted to handle situations as they arise. As with
      any job there are the good and the bad. The good is that we help
      people protect our nations resource. This is a job that can never
      be completed as there are always new people working on the land. I
      think overall this is a good agency to work for. The bad - I think
      the paperwork has incressed and that the computer has made it to
      easy to change policies without enough thought.

1403. Because of the rules that only 1 soil con tech per field office
      can be at a GS 07 I am not able to go higher than a GS 06. The
      person that I was to replace has since desided not to retire as
      soon as they were going too. I am not sure it is good policy to
      hold someone up on a grade increase because of conditions that
      happen outside of their control. I think it\'s much better policy
      to give grade increases based on performace instead.

1404. none

1405. Equal grade and pay for completing same job. At my current job
      title there are five employees in Kansas at the area level. Two
      are currently at the GS 12 level and two at the GS 11 level and
      one vacancy that will be filled at the GS 12 level this month. All
      five complete the same job, so all the positions need to be at the
      GS 12 level due to job complexity. As noted in an earlier question
      the agency looks at employees need to move to be promoted. If a
      person is completing the same job, they should be able to be
      promoted in place instead of having to move to be promoted. When I
      applied for my current job all five were at the GS 11 level. When
      people have moved the position was upgraded to the GS 12. I could
      apply for one of the upgraded position, but the new job would be
      the same as the position I am in now but in a different office.

1406. N/A

1407. If NRCS\' future is in program and contract administration and
      management, and the direct technical assistance part of our agency
      is deemphasized, then the agency needs look at its staffing and
      hiring policy and type of positions needed.

1408. Reduction in force has created additional stress on the remaining
      employees

1409. NRCS needs to use TSPs for Nutrient and Pest Management and
      Livestock Waste issues. I feel that NRCS is a good organization
      that needs to grow to meet the 2002 Farm Bill workload hiring more
      temp staff. Also, more student trainees need to be hired to get a
      foundation built. We work here because we have a passion for
      conservation and the environment but administrative burdens from
      programs like EQIP and CSP are moving us away from one-on-one
      assistance to a cookie-cutter assistance agency. Quality work, not
      quantity!

1410. I think our programs are to big and complicated and that we spend
      to much time administering the programs rather than providing
      technical assistance to landowners and operators. We are getting
      farther and farther away from what we are really suppose to be
      about.

1411. There should a creteria for getting a promotion from GS11 to a
      GS12

1412. The more administrative officers, human resource people, and other
      managers that you hire that have no NRCS field experience the
      harder it will be for those people to make decisions that don\'t
      frustrate and hinder the field personnel, causing them to retire
      early of just leave.

1413. none

1414. Need to streamline and reduce the paper work, producer isn\'t
      intrested in all the paper, intrested in our help and results. All
      the paper work only justifies Area and State Office jobs.

1415. (Question 48 should have included a \"NA\" for the many employees
      without a spouse.) This big push for increasing SCEPs is a slap in
      the face to the WAEs and NTEs who are being strung along. When the
      agency will not offer commitment to an employee, how can you
      expect an employee to be loyal to the agency? So I will take my
      experience and hightail it to an agency who will first of all
      allow me to succeed and second, who will give me a permanent
      position with the potential to continue to expand my abilities. I
      have worked for about 10 years in the conservation field, working
      with or in NRCS offices in CO, ID, WY, WA, and OR. I am still
      amazed by the utter lack of consistency between offices, areas,
      and states. I have also worked with four GS-12 DCs- only one of
      which was fully effective in her position. The other three were
      extremely poor personnel managers. An ineffective or incompetent
      DC destroys the productivity of a FO, biases employees against the
      agency, obliterates positive relationships with landowners and
      other entities, and creates a waste of government funds. (bring
      back face-to-face interviewing)

1416. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute and recoginizing the
      challenges of human potential!

1417. We receive very little recognition in our office for work
      accomplished. There also seems to be a lack of management that
      helps us to accomplish our field office goals. It seems that we
      are given numbers to meet but very little direction in how to
      accomplish those numbers.

1418. You should address the flexible workplace and flexible schedule
      issues. Also, I would prefer to be a human resource, not human
      capital.

1419. I don\'t fit into any marital status selections because I\'m
      widowed. Where\'s that status? This type of over-sight is through
      out this survey. Job mobility should not be a factor for one to be
      considered for a promotion; for example, a qualified soil
      technician should be promoted to a soil con position even though
      he cannot be relocated to different counties because of family and
      roots. I think this is discriminatory to those who are established
      in the community. I\'ve witnessed a lot of hypocrisy and laziness
      in this agency. Too many positions are needless and over-paid.

1420. For advancement purposes, and retaining good employee\'s mobility
      should not be an issue. (Hire people with ag. back grounds, it
      will make a world of difference in the field.)

1421. Just be fair and stay competitive with outside of the federal
      service salaries. NRCS needs to run more efficiently both
      financially and technically.

1422. More attention need to be given to feedback from experienced Field
      Office managers (DC\'s)

1423. SOME AREAS ARE HARD TO RETAIN STAFF IN FOR MORE THAN A FEW YEARS
      OR MORE THAN A MINIMUM TIME PERIOD. THE PRODUCERS IN THESE
      COUNTIES CAN FEEL NEGLECTED BECUASE THERE ARE ALWAYS NEW FACES IN
      THE OFFICE. IN THESE AREAS SOME KIND OF EMPHASIS ON LONGEVITY AND
      AN INCREASE IN PAY COULD SERVE BOTH PARTIES.

1424. If you want the work done then provide the number of people
      needed, and the equipment they will need to do the job. If you
      continue to require information about hours worked, areas worked
      in, ect. then please allow the correct information to be
      submitted, not information that states everything is just fine and
      there are no problem areas.

1425. Soil Conservation Technicians are now expected to accomplish all
      projects within the office. They should be payed that way

1426. Need for help. There is a position but is not being filled. I can
      earn extra hours, but give them away or do not report them. They
      could be used for extra personel. That would get the job done. If
      we are planing to an RMS aren\'t we taking care of wildlife
      issues. Shouldn\'t planning to an RMS be more of a goal than
      wildlife. Put planning on the ground. If an RMS is planned it
      takes into consideration all other issues. But it takes more time
      out in the field. Area office should be to help field office only,
      not putting out fires for state offices. Needs top down not bottom
      up. In the field office is where it is happening. An engineer is
      not a conservation planner. They help conservation planners. Their
      focus is too narrow. Thanks

1427. For the agency to be truly effective again (accountable), we must
      cut through red tape with abandon!! There are too many program
      selections (confusing), too many full contracts required for
      program participation, and too much data is kept on computer
      databases to be efficient. We use computers, but in the wrong
      ways!!!!!

1428. Employees that have reached the top of their grade and step level
      should have a chance to advance to the next grade level. Example:
      Soil Conservation Technician has been at grade 7 step 10 for
      years, with the complexity of work being done now, he should have
      a chance to move up to grade 8.

1429. We are currently trying to shove program dollars out the door
      without the trained help that we need at the field level. NRCS
      needs to hire more young people now to fill this need, and in turn
      these employees will be available to fill jobs as others retire. I
      know that Congress has limited our funding for technical
      assistance through our agency, but Technical Service Providers are
      not picking up the slack and they are proving to be much more
      expensive than Federal employees. Our agency needs to communicate
      with congressional leaders to try to get this changed, if
      possible. Privatization of federal efforts is the theme, I know,
      but it is not always the least cost delivery system. There are so
      many legal requirements that need to be delivered, but they are
      impossible to deliver without the funding. If funding cannot be
      provided, congress needs to know that laws need to be changed to
      reduce legal requirements because it is impossible to deliver on
      them (for example, environmental investigations and documentation
      before conducting federally funded actions).

1430. There should be a National Employee Development Plan that is
      accessible for all employees to find, and reference if the need
      arises.

1431. I am Native American and proud of it, but hire and promote people
      based on qualifications and not race!

1432. I\'ve worked for this agency for 18 years and strongly feel we
      need to have some sort of random drug testing for employees after
      the have went to work for the agency.

1433. I feel like the mobility rule is good for those that are not
      located in the place of their choice, but I also feel that an
      employees personal priorities and goals should be taken into
      consideration and if they are in the location that they want to
      stay in, that should be considered, because when an employee gets
      educated on the things that goes on the particular office they are
      in, they are just as valuable to the agency as the employee that
      has been all over the state and settles in one office and only
      uses a part of their knowledge because they only do a few
      specialized practices.

1434. the new hires need to have some sort of ag background or
      experiences.

1435. I am having to retire because I will not move to another feild
      office, without promotion.

1436. I would love to see our agency narrow the Programs options. I feel
      as if I am the Jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. I think it
      is easy to understand the public\'s poor perception, when they
      come into an office and inquire about programs. Only to be given
      vague, inept repsonses. I always respond by stating that I will
      get an answer, but I\'m finding as a general rule that if the
      first impression is not good, then the opportunity most likely
      will not come to fruition. In short, when you consider admin
      duties plus technical skills plus programs rules, there is not
      enough time to learn all that is needed to be proficient on the
      job.

1437. We are trying to manage too many programs without enough
      personnel.

1438. I think a person should not have to relocate if they so choose.
      However, I do think that promotion potential should be limited to
      those that are willing to relocate to gain experience in different
      areas.

1439. None

1440. Any minority in Oklahoma is first considered for promotion and has
      created problems.

1441. Red tape is more important than conservation. We used to get
      conservation on the land, now we get conservation in the computer.

1442. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING A LARGER PART OF OUR BUDGET TO
      HELP FARMERS, DAIRYMAN AND RANCHERS ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE
      STILL TRYING TO MAKE IT ON THERE PLACES WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK IN
      TOWN.

1443. NRCS has a great resource in their Soil Conservation Technicians,
      however they allow them to do the work of Soil Conservationists
      but do not reward them as such.

1444. We have a great needed agency that we need to strive to keep
      sound, experienced, well-educated people on board.

1445. I enjoy my job and really feel a sense of accomplishment when we
      see a problem corrected and the producer understands how and why
      we fixed it. I have had managment jobs outside the agency where I
      had 80+ employees, but this is my first job (other than farming)
      that I love to come to work. That is very important to me!

1446. Was answered to the best of my ability.

1447. To be mobile is very hard in todays times and causes such a great
      stress on family members. I feel that if someone is happy where
      they are, their performance will be much better. I would like to
      see NRCS be more family supportive and orientated.

1448. a full time training officer with the tools to keep each employee
      on track should be a priority in every state office

1449. For this survey to be unbiased and anonymous this survey sure did
      ask alot of personal questions. You should have just asked our
      name!! By the way I have taken a few of these surveys while I have
      worked for this agency and WE never hear the out come of these.

1450. I am very unhappy with the way in which position filling
      management is accomplished. Hires based on qualifications seem to
      only be utilized after the agency has \"done a good job at hiring
      a culturally/ethnically diverse workforce\".

1451. Question 48 should have contained an option for Non-Applicable for
      those that do not have spouses.

1452. The Agency has to keep up their field people, because without them
      the office personal would not have info. to work with.

1453. NRCS goals have drastically changed over the years because of what
      management perceives as needed and not necessarily what the
      clients in the field require. If we loose that base of support
      locally, in the field, you\'re done. NRCS is the only federal
      agency that has day to day contact and access to private land
      holdings. Be careful not to ruin this trust that has been damaged
      since 1985.

1454. Management has got to change its current direction of requiring
      field offices to do more with less people. We are a natural
      resources technical assistance agency. The only way to achieve
      this is to give us the resources to get back into the field and
      work with our customers. We are losing this ability more and more
      all of the time.

1455. I feel that for the hours of work I put in, the accountability and
      responsibility required in my position, the dedication I have
      shown for the agency and compared to other positions in our agency
      that are of a higher grade, my positions should be upgraded to a
      GS-12.

1456. I\'ve seen morale decline everywhere over the past few years. We
      have shortages in personnel at every office in the state. I don\'t
      think training is a problem, but if you have people working by
      themselves everywhere how can this be called a scientific
      community?

1457. I am Administrative Assistant for an RC&D. NRCS funds part of my
      position. I would like to become a permanent employee of NRCS.
      Some of these questions are not applicable to my position. I do
      not receive any type of insurances from NRCS. Please omit those
      questions that do not apply me as an RC&D admin. assistant. All
      other questions are answered to the best of my knowledge as I do
      attend meetings as part of NRCS and I do read all of the emails
      sent to me and if applicable I will respond to them. Thanks.

1458. White males are at a disadvantage when applying for management or
      professional level positions.

1459. Able Bodied White Male- Most Discriminated against person in the
      country. Need to allow employees to persue oppurtunities that are
      geographically beneficial, when they arise

1460. I have found that the ones they have tried to hire for cultural
      diversity did not stick with it. It just wasn\'t home for them.
      They have very limited places they would move to. Generally big
      cities. A lot of time and dollars spent with no little results. No
      one\'s fault. It\'s just how it seems to work out.

1461. I am required to do planning for my job description for federal
      programs such as EQIP especially for rangeland plans but I have
      been on the list for the range class for years and it has always
      been low priority for my position to recieve that training.

1462. I believe the Gov is on the right track, however you should not
      have to move your family your whole life in order to have a good
      job, I believe that we should hire the person with the most
      qualifications and not by race, I believe that if you cant make it
      to work because extreme bad weather then you should get
      administrative leave and not have to use your annual leave, I
      believe everything under the government should not be hush hush
      but out in the open.

1463. x

1464. Question #5 should have been more open ended. I can\'t tell what
      Oklahoma basis is for promotion. In many instances it appears
      reverse discrimination is a major problem in this agency. We hire
      many minorities that have no background and could care less about
      what we do, they only want the paycheck and the benefits. Many end
      up quiting but the real losers stay on a milk the gov. until
      retirement and they get promoted. Also, we put to much emphasis on
      programs and the \"Spend the Money\" mentality instead of
      technical assistance to put conservation on the ground. The
      majority of our program particpants are finacially capable of
      putting conservation on the ground without our programs, but they
      take the \$\$, which is just human nature. In todays economy if
      you own land you can probably afford to care for it.

1465. Promotions should be based on qualification insted of race or sex.
      In Oklahoma we hire too many \"warm bodies\" to reach out quotas.
      All we think about is programs and spending our money instead of
      conservation on the ground. Our budget is based on programs, and
      shouldn\'t be.

1466. I think that the reward system within the agency is bias, although
      I don\'t know how. I have had superior remarks at every job I have
      had and have not ever gotten an award despite others who have
      reportedly done a marginaly job and then get a reward. I think we
      primarily promote employees based on quotas as to if we need more
      of this minority or that. This is especially true with CIP
      students. I have had one employee (white male) who had a graduate
      degree and was told he wasn\'t eligible for CIP due to not being a
      minority. So we hired X people in the CIP program of which over
      half had no practical experience or relevent degree from an
      accredited university. I personally have been promoted 4 times in
      my career (grade increases) and each one came with a move. The
      government has only offered to pay the last but I feel that has
      helped me in my career despite being hard on my family. I don\'t
      know that we need to move people from state to state but within a
      state I think it certainly helps. As an agency we need to get away
      from political appointees and get individuals with experience from
      the field. This should apply to lots of positions in D.C. One
      final thought, I don\'t understand why people from the field are
      included in more decisions from Washington. The field offices are
      swamped and yet the budget for filling positions keeps dwindling.
      I understand that there may be a push to close offices, however
      when we are involved in production ag we need to keep the
      producers in mind. Many counties are too big for offices to close
      and merge. The counties I have worked in all had centrally located
      field offices and the far corners of the county have all been over
      a 30 minute drive. So closing an office makes that up to 1.5 hour
      drive. It doesn\'t appear very efficient to me and producers will
      not drive that far. They might for FSA because they are use to
      getting a big check from FSA. I think the field offices should
      have some say in what is going on in Washington.

1467. (?) How come is it that OJT accounts for nothing?

1468. Question #5 was about why people are promoted. It should have had
      a block listed as \"other\". Too many people get promoted due to
      time in service or if they are minority. Promotions should be
      based on production, merit, and ability!

1469. Direct Reassignment and forced mobility.

1470. New hires should have a strong agricultural background

1471. No comments that would do any good.

1472. I think this agency should change its hiring policy. I believe
      hiring should be based on interviews instead of written KSA\'s and
      the best person for the job be hired. I also believe promotions
      should be based on actual work performance. This agency should put
      enough people in the field office to do the job that is expected.
      Our work responsibilities at the field office level are to
      diverse. We are expected to work at an high efficiency level in
      all disciplines, this is not practical.

1473. One of the biggest frustrations that I have dealt with over the
      years is the lack of technicians that were trained to design and
      apply conservation practices. Many of the states have chosen to
      train conservationist. One of the reasons NRCS was so successful
      is that we had the local technician who knew the people and the
      needs. (This also leads to some problems) I don\'t think we can go
      back to the old days but TSP\'s don\'t have the connections to the
      community that technicians have. Bringing someone from Denver to
      Eads Colorado to do conservation work on a pipeline just isn\'t
      the same. They have no connection to the community. That\'s part
      of life I guess and I can deal with it. Keep the new fandangled
      stuff that the computer can do to a minimum that feeds the agency
      needs. Increase the hands on training for different conservation
      work and minimize the computer training and focus it on Civil
      Rights, and management issues.

1474. I passionately love my job but at times it can be overwhelming. I
      have 30 years in and I want to stay engaged in the workplace. My
      work ethic will not allow me to \"pace myself\". The Agency needs
      to consider retaining its experianced work force by creative
      means. I feel that many employees that are eligible within next
      few years would strongly consider staying if the incentive were
      there (pay, creative schedules, and special work assignments. That
      experiance that we have should be utilized to train the new
      employees that are here and coming on.

1475. none

1476. None

1477. Hiring and/or promoting employees based on race or gender, rather
      than their agricultural experience is leading to the downfall of
      the agency.

1478. one of the areas of expertise that the agency will need to address
      in the future is wildlife/recreation management. especially as it
      relates to agrotourism and the development of non-traditional farm
      ventures.

1479. I have enjoyed my career as a soil conservationist. It at one time
      involved working in the field with the producers getting
      conservation on the ground. Now as a DC, I must now become a
      computer specialist, Finanical Specialist with my office VISA
      Card, an Outreach Specialist, a Nutrient Specialist, Pest
      management Specialist, payroll specialist and the list goes on.
      The question I have is where has our mission gone, due to all of
      these specialities and with computers, we spend more time on the
      computer documentating information on individuals and less time in
      the field getting conservation on the ground. It appears to me
      that we are missing something.

1480. You should be able to receive a promotion without all of the test,
      just an standard performance check should be needed.You be able to
      assist in finding the spouse a job too if the couple are married.

1481. Our Agency should be leaders in Conservation! and practice what we
      teach. Yet we purchase and drive compressed gas trucks and have no
      place to fill the tanks? We focus on diversity in the workforce
      instead of the best educated and committed humans. Our failure as
      an agency in about 4 to 8 years will be due to the lack of
      commitment from the new employees that are hired due to the
      diversity issues rather than stewardship attitudes. Thank you for
      the opportunity to submit my thoughts.

1482. None

1483. I moved and took a lateral job change to Oklahoma but the federal
      government did not pay for it. There is no comparison for increase
      in Grade Level when it comes to CIP, SCCP\'s etc. as they are
      given automatic grade level raises that are way over my grade 6
      and they have not been with the agency near as long. I have had to
      train a couple of DC\'s that went through my office on things they
      didn\'t know and they are several grade levels above me. What is
      wrong with this picture? It seems I cannot get a grade level raise
      because I am in an office supposedly that is set to a 6. I was
      denied going back to school for 5 years but was finally allowed
      to. Nothing changed except that the supervisor in the state office
      finally okayed it. SCS (now NRCS) was once a very loyal tight knit
      agency that had great dedication to our jobs. We have lost a lot
      of that with the weakening of our internal support and too many
      people wanting a paycheck and not wanting to work for it.

1484. #47: 4 additional moves at own expense - temporary position to
      temporary position at start of career

1485. I like my job and I have a good supervisor, but I don\'t trust any
      in the state office or above.

1486. More considerations should be made when moving employees. If there
      is an employee work problem okay, but to force them to move and
      not consider the fiancial hardship is not right. This period in
      time you have to live off 2 incomes, trying to survive on one for
      a year is hard on a marriage.

1487. Conservation Districts providing secreteral assistance is not
      working. NRCS should hire their own assistance.

1488. Our medical insurance should cover dental, without additional
      cost.

1489. Ethnic Stress

1490. There needs to be more people working in the field and less
      management. This organization is too top heavy (too many people
      micro-managing).

1491. Race or color should not matter. Everyone deserves an equal
      opportunity.

1492. none

1493. Response space was limited on a couple of questions. The survey
      would be more complete if there were no space limitations.

1494. Loyalty, dedication and hard work need to be recognized for those
      in lower grades too.

1495. Great agency to work for. We need to stay focused on the Technical
      aspects of the job. Be careful with technical service providers,
      as there work needs more over sight before we put the \"NRCS stamp
      of approval\" on the work they do for us.

1496. mobility is not an option any longer, it is more important for me
      to raise my family in a stable environment than to work at a job I
      love\...\...

1497. My wife and I are both NRCS employees and she commutes 75 miles
      one way to work. We both have experience and would like to work in
      another state, but not 75 miles apart.

1498. I feel that clerical help is not considered necessary and are not
      treated fairly. We too have a lot of responsibility and deadlines
      to see that the field offices meet, however in Oklahoma we are
      \"guaranteed\" when we are hired that we will never be raised
      higher than a Grade 4. This is not right. We keep the office
      running, many times I am the only one in the office. We do not
      receive training just learn the best we can. I like my job but I
      do think I should be paid for what I do. Many of the clerical
      workers do as little as possible to get by. I have been doing
      typing for the state office and would receive nothing extra except
      I now have a good supervisor who appreciates what I do. I worked
      under a lady that is still working who is now 81 years old. I did
      most of her work until she was forced to move. I did her work and
      she was a Grade 7 for grade 4 wages. She was transferred hoping
      she would retire she didn\'t. Now she can not keep up because
      there is not anyone to do her job, so they are thinking about
      sending her work to the field to be done and we (the clerical
      workers) will still have to do her work as a grade 4.

1499. communication

1500. I feel white males are being discriminated against for job
      opportunities.

1501. Promote competence instead of diversity. Supervisors at all levels
      should listen to the underlings and not just give lip service.
      When suggestions are given they should be seriously considered.
      Awards should be based on performance not popularity. Parity for
      all positions at a professional level and location.

1502. For the past 3 years we have been able to send employees to needed
      training because the state budget allowed the use of the travel.
      With decreasing state budgets within the agency, travel funds for
      training will not be as readily available leading to more
      cancellations of training that could be crucial to the advancement
      of some employees. Consideration should be included in budget
      requests going to congress to keep necessary training and support
      of training (travel expenses) in our operating funds.

1503. Certain workplace conditions hinder employees from comfortably
      performing their duties. Some of this is do to necessity (safety),
      others are due to management style or repurtation. From experience
      I have found that the more comfortable people are in the location
      they are working the more satisfied they are with the results of
      their work and the end result is a better product delivered.

1504. I am a term employee and not guaranteed a position with NRCS.
      Sadly, I do not qualify for a permanent position with NRCS or any
      other Federal agency because I am not in competetive status.
      Although I am FULLY competent, have a Master\'s degree, and 100%
      meet the qualifications, I have been turned down for 3 positions
      because of this. I have attempted to apply under the \"public\"
      announcements, however because technically I am considered a
      federal employee I don\'t qualify and because I am term, not
      permanent, and not under competetive status, I still do not
      qualify. I want desperately to move to another position in the
      federal government, but I am stuck because I am term. It would be
      more feasible to quit and apply. Funny how the government states
      it is \"an equal opportunity employer\", but the term employees
      are immediately disqualified for ANY and EVERY permanent federal
      position. You can call that equal opportunity? Maybe someone
      should consider revising the hiring requirements.

1505. As an agency, NRCS has traditionally classified clerical positions
      lower grade levels than other federal agencies for the same job
      descriptions and responsibilities. This needs to be looked at for
      future hirees.

1506. Second level manager should be fair when upgrading and promoting
      District Conservationist. Not alway fair.

1507. The GOV needs to offer an opportunity for the potental employee to
      not have to fight so hard to get in the door as long as they
      posess the spirit to work in this job. Many of the employees do
      not work this job because of the paperwork and the computers.
      Because we all know the gov always has last years computers. The
      real reason we have the employees we still have is that these
      employees whether Washington recognizes it or not is they are
      deeply devoted to making a difference in the world of Natural
      Resouces and the Producers that we serve.

1508. The agency should work to provide affordable, low/no deductable
      insurance plans for mid-low GS ratings. The Agency should provide
      some form of plan to help employees pay back student loan burdens.
      One idea would be a sum-per-year of commitment plan. I know I
      would jump at such an opportunity. I believe the agency should
      arrange for each employee to meet with a HR specialist to map a
      career plan and what training/experience the employee would need
      to achieve that goal.

1509. Spouse is a farmer, that\'s the mobility problem!

1510. I believe there needs to be a strong committment to Conservation
      Technical Assistance. I think the best way to promote long term
      conservation is through learning, teaching, and experimenting.
      There is no quick fix in applying conservation. The landcape and
      landowner is changing, traditional agriculture is changing.
      Families who have spent generations learning a piece of land have
      moved away. Real estate for farm and ranchland is extremely
      expensive. And the bottom line is that people who are educated in
      natural resource management are becoming scarce.

1511. None.

1512. Thanks for listening and wanting to change!

1513. More training for new employees. Perhaps bootcamp will cover that.
      I sometimes that as a newer employee, I am expected to learn as I
      go. I have had plenty of training opportunities but sometimes they
      are not really revelent to what I need to know

1514. The biggest obsticle facing all of NRCS in the field is not enough
      FTEs, to complete sound conservation planning, program
      implementation, field office administration, and partnership
      commitments. With farm bill programs should come additional full
      time employment in the long term.

1515. There have been a lot of changes over the past 25 years and more
      changes will be occurring in the future. Management needs to
      understand the needs of the people in the field. Presently, I
      don\'t see it. Quality Management was a part of this agency for
      awhile. Presently, input from the field is not what management
      wants to here. They don\'t have a efficient way to get informtion
      out to the field either. THis needs to change to maximize NRCS\'s
      efficiency in the future.

1516. Retention of experience employees and recruitment of quality new
      hires is very poor. These need to be looked at from the bottom up
      as there are more employees out in the field offices. If you
      don\'t have field office personnel then there is no need for
      uppper level staff.

1517. More flexibility in hiring. It is too difficult to convert good
      temporary employees to permanaent full time. Good employees with
      education and agricultural background have a hard time competing
      with various student trainee programs that might not be hiring the
      best.

1518. If job pay and incremental increases are satisfactory to cover the
      significant and rapdly rising increase in the cost of living.

1519. I am a member of the Civil Rights Committee. I do not like the
      term \"human capital\". It\'s a degrading term and should not be
      used by a Federal Agency. I think that the term needs to be
      changed. I understand the concept but totally disagree with the
      terminology.

1520. Give me the opportunity to retire and then become a Technical
      Service Provider without being penalized for having worked here.
      You have alot invested in me, I have alot to give and contribute
      and I want to do both.

1521. Ninety nine percent of the NRCS employees I work with are hard
      working dedicated people. They are continually asked to do more
      with less help. Sometimes this affects efficiency and attitudes in
      a negative way.

1522. Provide job assistance on a move to spouse when both are working
      for the federal gov\'t. Fire employees who are not doing their
      job.

1523. My former supervisor needs to learn to find out the whole story
      before making decisions that affect people\'s lives!!

1524. Please note I have worked for the agency for 13 years and the
      first 11.5 of those years were very happy and satisfying. I still
      love the agency just not my current job. I moved to move up. Not a
      good thing. It was not a good time to answer a survey of this
      type. Another year and a half earlier and it would have all been
      nearly perfect.

1525. I dont think that a person should be held back because he has no
      college degree. If a person can perform his job as good as any
      one, then that person should move up in grade as long as they
      learn on the job or have the experience and can perform the tasks.

1526. MANAGEMENT SEEMS TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, AND DISREGARD THE
      SOLDIERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND MOST ACCOMPLISHMENTS. UNFAIR
      UPGRADING PROCESS

1527. It\'s sad knowing that if the NRCS was an Agricultural Operation
      it would have gone broke long ago due to the inability to get
      things done in a timely fashion. Money issues are a problem for
      everybody in this great nation, but the crap we have to put up
      with just to try and help our farmers and ranchers is sad.

1528. ?

1529. The field offices could benefit with the support staffs in the
      area offices and state offices supporting the field offices rather
      than doing their own dog and pony shows.

1530. My wife has had compromise her career (some) because of my job.

1531. none

1532. With all this agency does to encourage mobility there are
      circustances that don\'t coincide with an individuals ability to
      be mobile \-- spouse\'s job and the ability to find new employment
      if move. In cases like this the employee becomes \"trapped\" in
      there current position with no or limited advancement
      opporunities. Pay has not kept pace with private sector even with
      the comparability adjustments. Raises in areas with comparability
      seem to just match raises in the private sector and NOT gain any
      ground on the pay differential. Promotional opportunities don\'t
      always seem to be available as much as they should be because of
      the way announcements are worded. It seems more often than not
      jobs in other states are worded specifically to attract or are
      designed for specific employees. Thus limiting an individuals
      mobility and advancement potential. Job announcements for NHQ are
      intriguing but for the cost of living there the positions more
      often than not do not provide the financial incentive to apply for
      them \-- Colorado had an overall higher comparability pay than DC
      at this time. I enjoy working for this agency and support what we
      do with my heart it just seems at times that other factors seem to
      direct what we do rather than what the resources in the field say
      we should be doing.

1533. I would seriously consider continuing my duties\--and performing
      others\--if I could retire and be hired back part-time at MORE
      than \$11 an hour. That\'s not far from volunteer work, which,
      although I do plan to do, I won\'t be able to afford to initially.

1534. Percentage of assistance you provide to identified race and
      ethnicity clients. What two ethnicities or groups would you
      identify as needing more assistance than is currently being
      provided. we may find that the same folks who were receiving
      financial support are the one continuing to receive support. we
      are strapped for time and thus the path of least resistance and
      time input are those that can afford or are very familiar with
      programmatic ventures.

1535. Most NRCS supervisors are not good managers. They were hired on
      their techincal abilities not their manager skills.

1536. There is no mention of the awards at the state level. I think they
      need a review to be more equitable.

1537. none

1538. Have you experienced gender-based discrimination at work? Have you
      been fairly promoted based on job performance/evaluations and
      actual duties?

1539. Administration is not as receptive to the needs of the producers
      as it could be.

1540. First off, as a WAE we are not entitled to a Performance
      Appraisal. Since I worked for the District for 30 years, we
      didn\'t seem to have a problem with Engineers or Technicians doing
      a good job. But then along comes the TSP which has been such a
      problem. We actually \"babysit\" them. I firmly believe they get
      paid more than what they are worth. The engineers and advanced
      technicians need to get paid more so they would like to remain
      with the agency. Why not borrow engineers and technicians from
      other areas or States when they are not busy and pay them a little
      more? Do away with the TSP! I\'d rather see the \$ spent on the
      ground than in the TSP pockets. As far as the IDP, I don\'t have
      one. Also, the WAEs are not entitled to a mentor, so we go around
      and not know what we need to do to advance ourselves. If we are to
      work as a unit together, why not provide a mentor to us also.
      We\'d like to know what we have to do to get hired full time. As
      for part IX Retirement - part time (WAEs) are not again entitled
      to retirement. So, I had to check a box just to advance to the
      next questions. Please, keep the WAEs in mind. The new program
      SCEP and the other program will be good to get new educated people
      on the work force, but please don\'t forget about the people you
      have on there now. We also need training, as well as paid time
      off, and benefits. What is going to keep us on with the agency?

1541. Thank you.

1542. A Soil Conservation Technician should be able to be promoted
      beyond a GS 7 or 8 level with time served and work experiance if
      they are a hard working emplyee and have good work ethics.

1543. NRCS should recruit and make job offers to people outside federal
      service in a standard professional way ie. provide for moving
      expenses for new employees as does private industry and conduct
      the hiring process on a time table similar to that of private
      industry.

1544. NRCS must bring on new employees ahead of when the numerous
      retirees will be leaving.

1545. I am fairly new to NRCS (eight months) so did not answer some
      questions as fully as I would have had you made this survey
      available one year from now.

1546. We need to invest in ourselves by dedicating more time to train
      our employees rather than chasing program dollars. It seems like
      there are too many dollars and time spent on reporting progress
      rather than getting the job done properly.

1547. We are not doing a good job in hiring on new people. Our position
      requirements need to be adjusted to the college corriculum. Pay
      needs to be more competitive with the private sector. Mobility
      should be a must it is great learning experience. More course
      training needs to be required/provided by NRCS at the beginning of
      the hire like the require Boot Camp. Great idea. NRCS needs to be
      a better job or recruiting. You need to get the young employees
      that are happy with the agency out to promote it. Young people
      identify with people that are closer to their age group. Retirees
      that can retire should be made to retire, they are holding the
      agency back especially if they are in a management position. We
      can\'t continue to do business the way we used to do buisness and
      these people seem to lack the ability to adjust to the current
      situation.

1548. State office and Area office managers are way too motivated at
      \"Empire Building\", and very inconsiderate of other employees in
      the agency. Focus has shifted from meeting our customer\'s
      resource needs, to protecting our own empires by building up staff
      levels based on Program Dollars received.

1549. lolo

1550. The future of NRCS will be as bright as the individuals employed
      by the agency. Employees are the backbone of NRCS!

1551. NRCS needs to place more emphasis on technical competence. NRCS
      national (NHQ) leadership only seems to be concerned with the
      short term \"politically correct\" things and has lost sight of
      the real reson most employees hired on - to work with landusers to
      conserve natural resources.

1552. I thought a couple of the questions were worded awkwardly by
      making the word \"NOT\" bold. I also believe we hire/promote
      people that are not the best qualified but rather based on their
      race, sex, or nationality. They often don\'t work out, are unhappy
      with the agency and provide poor service to our clients, which
      gives NRCS a bad name. We need to find a lawful way to overcome
      this obstacle. I do think this survey would have been more
      appropriate if it would let you go back and review some of your
      previous answers and possibly change them.

1553. None

1554. Overall universities and colleges do not graduate diverse
      candidates with degrees that will qualify individuals to work in
      the primary series (457) that we need employees. Also because we
      are primarily spread across the country (and we should be, thatÆs
      our mission), and many entry level positions require living in
      rural America, the majority of quality diverse candidates do not
      want to live in rural America. Therefore in order to get diverse
      employees we are forced to choose lesser quality applicants and
      leave highly qualified non diverse candidates unselected. The NRCS
      needs to provide incentives for 1860 Land Grant institutions (not
      just 1890 institutions) to recruit and graduate quality diverse
      students with degrees that quality them in the 457 series. States
      need to be allowed to strive for a workforce that represents the
      diversity within their state according to PATCO, rather than being
      required to recruit based on the national PATCO percentages.

1555. No comments

1556. Spouse could not get fulltime teaching job after last move because
      of age. Too much teahing experience and too old.

1557. Current supervisors are not trained well with awards nomimations
      and hiring. We are hiring people that are not qualied to do the
      job and then spend large amounts of time trying to train these
      people. Administration and programs are overwhelming our workforce
      and making training in technologies almost impossible. Our people
      can fill out forms but can\'t make good sound technical decisions
      with natural resources. Our awards program is at an all time
      worst. Current supervisors are using all kinds of criteria to
      justify awards. Some are giving awards to people for just doing
      their job while others give absolutely no awards to their staff.
      Its very discouraging to sit through awards ceremonies and know
      that people that screwed up during the year get cash awards.
      Unbelieveable.

1558. We are becoming less concerned about technical
      expertize/knowlwedge and more concerned about \"assembly line\"
      paper work processing, reporting, and \"just spending the money\".
      We might as well hire a bunch of business and finance majors and
      let them act as the intermediary between the government payments
      and the client. Program and administrative staff are making too
      many decisions without consulting or considering the knowlege of
      technical staff with real knowledge of the work that needs to be
      done and how the money should be spent to achieve the greatest
      conservation goals. Another issue involves Grade levels and
      promotions. Technical staff are required to have a degree and can
      typically reach a GS 11 or 12 grade, but if you want to advance
      you have to typically become a supervisor. Conversely, many
      administrative positions do not require a degree, but persons in
      those positions can often advance to grades that are equal too or
      greater than technical staff without substantially changing job
      responsibilities. Finally, there are no distinctions anymore
      between Grade levels for jobs with field office, area office, or
      state office responsibilities. Consequently, there is not as much
      incentive to move from one job to the next because incentives are
      not a factor.

1559. I couldn\'t submit until I answered question 48. I don\'t have a
      spouse\...need to accomodate that in the possible answers. Thank
      you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this, and the
      chance to express my opinions. I love my job and take great pride
      in what I do and for whom I represent, but I do get extremely
      frustrated (and more often than not, lately!). I\'m a good
      employee who works hard every day. I realize every business has
      it\'s difficulties, but I think the government sets itself up for
      some of it\'s problems that can be alleviated! SUGGESTION #1:
      Change the way employees move \"up the ladder\"\...stop forcing
      good (technically sound) employees into supervisory postions
      because that\'s the only way an employee can increase their pay.
      The private sector allows employees to increase their pay WITHOUT
      EVER HAVING to become a supervisor/manager. SUGESTION #2: Change
      the government\'s system it has in place regarding the removal of
      employees. It\'s a known fact what the government does with it\'s
      \"problem\" employees\...they are physically moved (to be someone
      else\'s problem); or, promoted to get them out (a HUGE mistake,
      but done most of the time)which usually means moving them (again,
      to become someone else\'s problem)! There is so much red tape
      involved in trying to get an employee removed\...document,
      document, document! Who\'s got time for all that???? Yes,
      documentation is important, but obviously the amount required is
      way too much for most supervisors to want to do. SUGGESTION #3:
      Change the performance appraisal system! What a joke it is!
      Separate the cash from the appraisal system! I want to TRULY know
      what kind of a job I\'m doing\...I don\'t want to have my
      performance rating be based on \"how much money there is in this
      year\'s cash award pot\" or \"did I get a top rating last year\"
      True story\...My first year with the government, my performance
      rating was the highest you could get, which meant a cash award for
      me. When I received my appraisal the second year, I didn\'t
      receive the top rating (I got next to the top rating). I was
      crushed! I stated that I thought I did even better the second year
      because I was more productive and knew my job even better. My
      supervisor then told me employees can\'t get that top rating every
      year! Why not I exclaimed???? He answered because cash awards have
      to be dispersed evenly!! What a blow to me\...I exclaimed that I
      wish I had known that BEFORE I busted by butt to exceed!! So, ever
      since then, when I sit before a supervisor and we finish \"the
      government\'s appraisal rating system\", I ask my boss\...\"so,
      now that the \"rating\" has been done, would you please tell me
      how you TRULY think I\'m doing!!! Reward employees with cash
      through a different system\...not the performance appraisal
      system! The performance rating should only be a PART of why an
      employee gets a cash award. The end and again, thanks!

1560. The current moving process is not fair. A lump sum amount should
      be based on Grade and distance and the process left to the
      individuals ingeunity. Current method smells of pork barrel
      politics causing individuals to loose their savings and
      investments by limiting their options because of time limits and
      poor appraisals. The government spends excessive amounts to
      corrupt realators causing employee hardships.

1561. There is nothing wrong with promoting people in place, but it
      should not be an entitlement, especially since NRCS typically pays
      low compared to the private sector. Employees should expect to
      move where needs are to gain promotion. Despite recent progress,
      advancement seems to me to be governed by \"getting along\" as
      much as by competency. It is difficult for minorties to compete
      equally in this environment. Since I can be identified by the
      information I have provided in the survey, I won\'t provide
      further comment.

1562. The agency needs to change hiring practices to really hire from
      outside the agency. There are many highly qualified people who
      would apply if they thought they would be considered. Promotions
      SHOULD NOT BE BASED ON TIME. Employees need to earn a promotion,
      not just keep breathing.

1563. Questions about diversity assume that any discrimination is done
      by caucasian males, which is discrimination in itself. I resent
      being blamed for everyone else\'s percieved mis-treatment.

1564. None

1565. Salaries are not great compared to the private sector. Spot Awards
      are given unfairly amongst different supervisors, vastly
      different. Nothing but morale issues when this
      occurs\....spot/performance awards are political and very
      discouraging to most at this office. No chance to move up within
      the same office.

1566. Technician are paid according to gov. regulation and standards and
      not on the merets, abilities, and work habits of the individual.

1567. You should have been thinking about these things 10 years ago!!!

1568. Job placement service for spouse on any move, all moves take 2 to
      3 years to recover financially from even with a promotion at the
      new location.

1569. N?A

1570. The last two pages of the survey where items that I feel were
      N.O.Y.B. and part of the problem. Deal with the issues and quit
      worrying about what I am and what catagory I fall into! The issues
      is how to do we work with partners, landowners and others to solve
      our natural resource issues, whatever they are today, tomorrow and
      beyond.

1571. Maxi-flex work schedule

1572. Item 43 should be Single, but Widowed.

1573. The hiring of quality inters/students should be done every year
      CONSISTANTLY by each state, to provide a solid foundation for the
      agency in the years to come. This should be started NOW to keep
      from having a gap in the knowledge base the agency. No training
      can replace the wisdom of 30+ years of service in the NRCS that a
      new hire gets from his supervisor.

1574. The question \"Does the Agency have a clear Mission?\" is somewhat
      misleading. Yes we have a clear mission. Do we always follow or do
      things only toward that mission? NO! We chase the almighty dollar
      and cater to whatever the hot topic is a the time, instead of
      focusing on what made our agency strong - our technical ability to
      solve natural resource problems.

1575. Thanks for asking these proactive questions.

1576. none

1577. As a single-female Hispanic woman in a small community, I feel
      that any obstacle can be overcome. You choose to make your own
      life and the best of it.

1578. Reference moving to promote. On one hand it is not a good idea to
      have field personnel who have lived in the community for long
      periods of time in which they work. They tend to lose their
      objectivity. This can result in decisions that are questionable.
      On the other hand, it would be good to have the opportunity to
      move up in the office in which you are currently working. Perhaps
      a compromise of one step in grade before being compelled to move
      for promotional purposes.

1579. have permanent part time positions

1580. There are minorities and those that claim to have disablities that
      cannot do their job. If you cannot do your job you cannot do your
      job. You are keeping the agency from being more efficient, you are
      preventing a skilled person that could do the job from working in
      your position, and you are creating a poor public image of the
      agency. It should not matter what the color of your skin is, or
      your heritage or your disability. If you can\'t do the job you
      were hired for, you should be reassigned to a job you can do or
      terminated. My supervisor cannot make it so I can complete my
      duties. The things that are in the way are coming from above the
      D.C. There is only so much they can do. We are program driven and
      fueled. Either the program workload needs to decrease or we need
      to get enough people to handle the programs so others can do
      technical work on the ground. We cannot depend on partners to do
      our work for us. They are not accountable to us, we spend our time
      checking up on them and dealing with complexities they create in
      contracting and planning. In Colorado, it seems we have \'sold
      out\' to CDOW so they are creating our rules and even controlling
      some of our employees without regard to our overall conservation
      mission or workload. They are not advisors, they are our
      directors.

1581. #1 - Job sharing applicable positions will facilitate retaining
      valuable, experienced senior employees who may want to continue to
      work part time. #2 Telecommuting should be supported at all levels
      of the agency.

1582. There is too much emphasis on reporting progress and computer
      documentation. We are losing our time in field with landowners and
      this is truly our base.

1583. Durning CSP I changed my work schedule and put in over time. That
      took time away from my family and my other responsiblities. I feel
      I done more than was asked or in my job description. If the pay is
      not increased, than give more spot awards to reward their hard
      work.

1584. The government doesn\'t take into timely deadlines for program
      information being submitted. They don\'t recognize good quality
      efforts of employees. They lump promotions (ie. GS-9 promotions to
      GS-11) as one instead of considering the individuals and their
      abilities.

1585. We as an agency need to be carefull we do not lose our technical
      expertise because we are too busy administering programs. There is
      still conservation to be performed on the ground, and we are the
      folks that know how to do it! Programs are important, because
      dollars drive conservation work. Right now, my staff\'s time in
      the field is limited due to program paperwork and the increased
      tracking of our performance. A better balance should be struck to
      avoid too much office time. If not, we will lose our customer base
      and put ourselves out of business. What a shame for agriculture
      producers if no NRCS exists.

1586. For me the mobility issue has caused me to lose out on
      advancement. I have a B.S. degree in biology, but with family and
      housing to deal with I cannot be very mobile. If I could get a
      possition within a driving distiance I would take it but They will
      not let do that.

1587. none

1588. Given the investment in our computer infrastructure I feel it is
      now possible to put more of the specialists who in the past have
      been moved to state and area office back inot the field and not
      force them to move.

1589. The agency needs consistant direction. We are program driven with
      unclear direction. Many programs could be made much easier to
      administer. People setting the programs and requirements have very
      little idea what it takes in the field and it\'s virtually
      unmanageable.

1590. It\'s been my observation that we have done no favors to the
      agency, or to the individual, to hire based on cultural/ ethnic
      \"diversity\". One reason we fail to retain good employees is that
      they were not suited to the job or the locale to begin with. It
      has been my observation also, that as an agency, we promote people
      based on \"diversity\" as well, and not solely on qualifications.
      Not only do we suffer in all areas of business because of this,
      but also there is a continual simmering resentment for management
      that is fostered by this practice.

1591. Did you ask the right question?

1592. I feel that people are hired because of the color or race they are
      and not because they are qualified. That is wrong and should stop.
      Supervisors are being pushed to hire because you are a female or a
      different race. I feel many people are hired that should not be
      and then they can not do the job and they get promoted. It needs
      to stop. Diversity is the spice of life but you have to be able to
      do you job and do it well.

1593. I believe that we can work for less money than the private sector
      and give the NRCS and our customers an equal quality service. All
      this talk about TSP\'s and office consolidations certainly does
      not help moral.

1594. Our NRCS workforce should reflect customer demograhpics rather
      than regional demograghics. An overly diverse workforce based on
      regional demograhpics may alienate our agricultural customers.

1595. Demands of NRCS work contribed to my divorce! How many other NRCS
      employees had marrages sacrificed by deadline pressures.

1596. I feel soil conservation technicians are not getting a fair shake,
      they are asked to do the work of a soil conservationist and
      technician and not receiving the pay they should. The pay scale
      for techicans needs to be looked at.

1597. Employees who have accumulated sick leave should be allowed
      compensation at retirement.

1598. NRCS has been a great agency to work for and I have enjoyed my
      career. My biggest complaint is the current sick leave policy with
      FERS \"use it or lose it\". If sick leave is not used it should be
      added to length of service at retirement. New people with our
      agency treat it like annual leave. The policy encourages a person
      to be sick to be able to use the benefit. Many hours of
      productivity are lost.

1599. I see that alot of the new soil conservationist have very little
      experience in the field. The have computer skills but no field
      experience. After a D.C. is at a field office, it is hard to move
      to other D.C. jobs. Soil Cons. are hired to fill the openings
      instead of experienced employees. Way too much time spent on
      computers. After we get a good planning tool , and we finally
      learn how to use it. Someone has to change it so that we again
      have stress, to learn the new system. Not enough input from the
      field offices in changes in Conservation Practices. The state
      office developes changes that are not correct or can cause
      problems in the field. ICAMS program is not easy to operate, make
      it alot easier, or completely change it. As a supervisor the
      performance plan should be easily accessed and printable, This
      ICAMS program is not. The hiring of new employees or talking to
      new people should be changed, to talk to other schools than just
      Kansas State University and Pine Bluff-Arkansas. Why does Kansas
      have to go to Arkansas to recruit minorities . There are alot of
      all types of minorities in the small junior colleges and other
      universitys in Kansas. Positions in NRCS jobs should be
      interviewed for along with the written application.

1600. NRCS is headed in the wrong direction. We need to have simple
      programs like the Great Plains program. ACP was a great program.
      FSA should be making the payment\'s. I think 60 minutes should be
      told how we are ridiculous spending tax payers money, for EQIP
      programs & CSP. Just give us a drive up window with a bag full of
      money so we can hand it out!!!

1601. NRCS needs to pull their heads out of the sand and get back to the
      technical background they were created for. If the bureaucrats
      want a welfare government agency for farmers, then create it. Hire
      business majors to run the \"Payment\" agency. Not technical sound
      employees with Agriculture degrees.

1602. It is extremely hard to apply conservation on the land and work
      with farmers when our job is a computer/data entry job. We spend
      90% of our time filling out worthless forms that mean nothing and
      will never be looked at again because policy says we have to. We
      cannot make decisions anymore unless a series of computer programs
      say we can do it. I look back at the conservation that has been
      implemented and see pictures and pictures of great things. Today,
      it is very hard to look at our work. Our incentive payments have a
      short life span and are used to purchase vacations, new cars, put
      kids through school and whatever else. Our conservation dirt
      contractors and falling into bankruptcy because the conservation
      money is spent elsewhere. We now have potential of contracts after
      contracts after contracts for easy incentive money based on the
      expiration of contracts. We are currently busy as hell and have
      very little to show on the ground. No wonder the public wonders
      what we do. We think we have to show our work with numbers on a
      report instead of actual tangible conservation work that is
      installed on land for many generations to come. We as an agency
      need to wake up and face reality. If I was on the outside looking
      in at NRCS, I would wonder what a field office does all day when
      the employees are sitting in front of a computer screen.

1603. I think benefits need to be expanded to include vision coverage
      and better dental coverage. The cost of optometrist visits and new
      glasses are becoming more and more expensive. Since I can\'t do my
      job without my eye glasses I feel that at least some of the cost
      should be covered by my insurance. I would even be willing to pay
      extra for optional insurance. Right now the only option available
      for extra eye care is through the Mail Handler\'s insurance. Since
      I am not part of that organization I would also have to pay union
      dues which makes that option cost prohibitive.

1604. NRCS does not have enough people to manage the work load generated
      through program dollars allocated by congress. TSPs work in some
      instances but in many cases so much training is required before
      they are productive that it is frequently an added stress to the
      field office personnel who are already overburdened with work.
      NRCS has taken responsibility for programs that may be better
      managed through another agency such WRP. I would suggest that be
      re-evaluated as well as assuming all responsibility for all
      payments without hiring additional staff to help process. We are
      doing more with less and the quality of service offered is
      declining. That is discouraging.

1605. I enjoy working with the NRCS as compared to the private industry
      in Agriculture.

1606. Too many upper level people are patting themselves on the back and
      more lower grade people need to be awarded for thier hard work
      they perform on a daily basis. ie\... technicians.

1607. I beleive that there needs to be mobility, but there also needs to
      be the ability for employees to get offices that they desire, that
      would keep the morale at a high level. Individuals should be given
      the reasons why they are not receiving any jobs that they are
      applying for and what they need to do to make them more
      competitive for future openings. In addition, why those
      individuals with years of service and working skills already
      attained are not being chosen for jobs, but those that are just
      out of school or with 1-3 years of intermittent service are
      getting promoted at a quicker rate.

1608. USDA Service Centers should only be located in towns with licensed
      daycare for the children. USDA policy on educational requirements
      for each series should allow for employees to be \"Grandfathered\"
      into the new requirements if they were already employed at the
      time of the change. I am referring to the 457 series requirements
      that I was recently notified about. NRCS should have GS-12
      positions in the service center locations where FSA has GS-12
      positions as managers. This would help our retainment. NRCS
      managers accomplish as much or more than FSA managers as they are
      production and management people; vs FSA managers are only
      managers.

1609. I feel you will lose good employees because of your requirement to
      have a degree to apply for most jobs. Experienced employees are
      very valuable.

1610. The ability of the government to work with agency personnel on job
      locations and the possiblity of switching locations for better
      placement. I drive 78 miles one way each day to make things work
      for my family.

1611. Stop moving people who donÆt want to be moved.

1612. The agency needs to look at all aspects in hiring. Don\'t hire to
      reach certain quotas or the buddy system. Hire based on merit.

1613. NRCS is doing a good job training and for the most part retaining
      people, we just need more people.

1614. I feel more new employees end up doing more computer work then
      working in the area they joined nrsc for

1615. I believe that most of the Field offices are short staffed due to
      increasing the computer/paper trail while the staff has decreased
      per office. If each field office had a person hired for just data
      entry with a high level of computer entry skills, the field office
      technical staff would have more time for field work to accomplish
      conservation goals more effectively.

1616. I believe the government has used race,ethniticity, female or male
      to ceate reverse discrimination by not hiring on from a level
      playing field and just because people in the government are
      married should not give them preference for job opening because
      their spouse was moved. THEY made the choice to marry a government
      employee. If I am married to a farmer or rancher the government
      will not move my spouse and their job.

1617. Thank you for allowing me to share my information with you.

1618. I feel that mobility is good for people that would like to move
      and advance in their job field but many people are happy with
      their locations and do not want to move, so I feel they should not
      be forced to be mobile. They have a family and would like to be a
      stable unit.

1619. If a person is qualified for promotion but don\'t want to because
      he/she will have to move to different town. It needs to be change
      and allows her/him to stay in same town if she/he wants to promote
      to gs9 or whatever.

1620. Do you feel a college education is a mandatory requirement for a
      job

1621. re: 47 - moved 4 times, no government expense.

1622. Are you being discriminated against?

1623. The relocation services are less than user friendly and tend to be
      unreasonable at times, adding stress when you are moving.

1624. I did not go to collage and get a degree and have no plans on
      doing that. However I am at the top of my pay and don\'t see much
      more ahead for my future with NRCS. I would like to see the walls
      come down and pay people for what they are worth. It seems as a
      tech we do alot of the work and DC\'s & soil con\'s are the ones
      paid the most. A soil con coming out of school is paid GS 7/9
      within 2 years I never seen a 7 until my 8 year with the agency.
      Now I\'m still at a 7 and many of those soil con\'s are at GS
      11\'s. With less that 10 years. Other state agencey hire and pay
      people based on knowledge and skills. Not if they have a degree.

1625. Local offices should be included in the hiring process, because of
      trying to match personalities with the office and this goes for
      the management positions as well. This would save on a lot of the
      personal conflicts that occur in offices.

1626. Education is esential but that education could be from the school
      of hard knoks just as well as a formal degree. It seems that a
      formal degree gives you the right to achive and recieve any job
      you choose while the person without a formal education has no
      chance of advancement even though experiance recieved and jobs
      performed prior to going to work for NRCS gave you the training
      need to perform those jobs. How does a degree in basic Ag studies
      qualify you to become MANAGEMENT.

1627. thank you for giving me the opportunity to give you information. I
      just think that the agency needs to remember their partners and
      treat employees and partners with Respect!

1628. I will not apply for a GS13 in this state because of mobility but
      also because the demands have become excessive. Traveling to the
      SO by our Area ASTC(FO) is EXCESSIVE! I\'ve heard that family
      summer vacations have been revoked and I\'ve heard our state con
      respond with \"whatever it takes\" to a GS12 RC&D Coordinator who
      was complaining that she had been putting in 12 hour days. She has
      2 children under the age of 6. For awhile NRCS was family
      friendly, but not anymore.

1629. None

1630. It is ridiculous that employees with ample education and
      experience are prevented from advancing to other position based on
      the OPM requirements of \"time-in-grade\". This is definitely one
      area that is preventing good and capable employees from advancing.

1631. I am tired of \"affirmative action\" Making employees move that
      have specialized local knowledge (farming practices, producers,
      etc.), inter-agancy politics, and training for skills that do not
      apply locally. There also seems to be too much focus on post
      secondary education and not enough emphasis on on the job
      training, common sense etc.

1632. I was hired in the 457 series before the requirement for a 4 year
      degree was established. I have done my job well throughout my
      career but now am unable to be promoted due to the requirement of
      a 4 year degree. I have recieved performance awards throughout my
      career, even a quality step increase because of superior
      performance. I think that these requirements should take into
      consideration experience also. I also feel that it would be
      beneficial to the agency if those of us in the 457 series were
      allowed to advance within this series without a degree and on work
      performance and merit alone.

1633. Experience should count as far as promotions and grade increases
      as well as a piece of paper. Employees that are technicians and
      helping train Soil Cons. that are starting at technician grades is
      bizzar, because technicians that have been doing Soil Con work for
      years are stuck at a 7 and nowhere to go. They (technicians that
      have been around for 10 yrs. or more) have an extreme amount of
      knowledge that has been learned hands on that doesn\'t come with a
      piece of paper and nowhere to go.

1634. In field office in sparcly populated states it is hard for spouse
      to find good jobs that wound make it pay for them to work and have
      child care instead of staying home.

1635. The agency considers race and ethnicity too much in hiring. It
      should not matter one way or another. I now feel that I
      (caucasion) am at a disadvantage in promotion or being hired for
      various positions because I am not of a different ethnicity or
      race.

1636. When moving to a permanent position I was lead to believe that I
      was moving to a single location-not a multi county position. Once
      moved here the Area Conservationist decided to tell me that I
      would be working in another office that is 60 miles from my home.
      This upset me greatly b/c they did not inform me of this and I
      feel they should let you know in detail your job duties before
      moving to a new location. After I bought a new house and my
      husband relocated with me to get a new job they told me this and
      it made want to move to a different location where I would be in
      one office.

1637. There needs to be much better relocation compensation for
      families. The second time I was relocated we supported two
      households 300 miles apart for about one year, we lost money in
      the sale of our house to the agency, and travel between the two
      locations it led my family to bankruptcy. Which is one of the
      worst experiences I have ever been through!! Relocation is much
      harder on families with children in school than on families
      without children in school or without children or single people.
      The purchasing of the employees home must be more equitable to the
      employee not just fair market value where there are very little
      homes to compare to. Where there is little housing available
      temporary housing must be extended without a penalty to the
      government purchase of the residence. It is very hard for families
      to relocate in rural South Dakota where there is very little
      housing available. The same relocation rules should not apply here
      as they do in the rest of the US.

1638. I think you should offer mobility to those who whish to move
      instead of making everyone. People with children find it very hard
      to move due to the fact that moving children from school to school
      could effect their learning, and social abilities. People that are
      in the area they grew up in are more likely to be effected by
      what\'s happening around them,(soil erosion, over grazing) and
      would work harder to protect their natural resources, because we
      think it directly effects us in the community as a whole.

1639. In most years, budget permitting, we spend a lot of time and money
      to provide technical training to employees. I believe the agency
      would benefit by spending some of the training dollars to provide
      training in effective communication and/or facilitation. Some
      people may think that sounds wasteful or not important; however,
      we end up spinning our wheels or creating conflict when we do a
      poor job of communicating with our own employees and with
      producers. The higher you advance in the agency and/or the more
      years you\'ve been around, the more you notice this problem.

1640. Do you have special ties to the area in which you live that cannot
      be mobile. example: family farming operation, ranching operation,
      etc. does your spouse have a job that cannot become mobile
      examples farming ranching owns another business of his/her own

1641. I feel NRCS should not hire husband/wife combinations. I have seen
      4 of these in the last five years and only one has worked
      outsatisfactorally for NRCS. I feel we \"make\" jobs or situations
      to address the spouse and the positions and dollars are not used
      to best pursue the NRCS mission.

1642. technology issues and the older employee

1643. Mobility is a big part of why lots of people can not work
      especially if they are involoved in Agriculture. You can not just
      move you land and cattle. I think it is a good idea to leave
      employees in one location so that they can get to know the
      producers and the land good. That will make them better employees
      plus they will be happier because they are not being forced to
      move. Multi county or state experience would not help me because
      every office is different and if you are happy where you are most
      likely if you are ever the suppervisor you will run it the same
      way.

1644. I feel that we need to continue to recruit employees that have a
      background in agriculture and also have a good working knowledge
      of computers. If they do, then they will be able to spend a
      majority of their time in the field rather than spending most of
      their time on the computer. With employees like me that struggle
      with the computer, I still go to the field, but the work that I
      need to do on the computer sometimes suffers.

1645. The agency needs to look at the whole picture when moving
      employees to new locations, whether they are single or married.

1646. It is dishearting when you are training people who will be making
      \$20,000 more than you in a couple of years! You are both doing
      the same work.

1647. Earlier in the survey I began to express my frustration with the
      mobility issue. I am married to a producer within the county. My
      husband and I own land in the area, farm, and raise cattle. I have
      the education requirements for a soil conservationist position
      although I am currently a soil conservation technician already at
      my highest possible grade. I perform job duties above and beyond
      my current job title because there is not a soil conservationist
      position in our field office. I am perfectly capable of handling
      the workload and appreciate the challenges. However, I feel
      frustrated because there are individuals who have told me I will
      be limited because I am not mobile. There are other field offices
      within commuting distance of my home and I would be willing to
      gain experience in those offices. I feel that sometimes mobility
      is so stressed in our agency, that we are losing sight of the fact
      that sometimes the best and most trusted employees (especially on
      a field office level) are native to a particular area.

1648. Promotion is an important subject. I like the idea of moving for
      promotion, but sometimes your family situation keeps you in one
      place. For example, if your spouse is a farmer, you can\'t
      relocate your family to a distant location. For some of my
      coworkers in this situation, I want their hard work and
      committment to this agency recognized. I feel these people do not
      receive equal treatment because they are overlooked for promotions
      and they are limited to lower level positions. At this point in
      time in my life I am very mobile, but I do understand situations
      where mobility is impossible. Second, I appreciate federal
      relocation practices. Moving from Vermont to South Dakota would
      have been very difficult without the moving company, and other
      services provided. There should be a partial option to cover
      relocation expenses for new employees. That is when you are the
      poorest and need the most financial help. Finally, I think that
      computers and technology will continue to play an increased role
      in our work environment. Employees who have been here a long time
      need increased and personalized training for all this new
      technology. But, it is still important for new employees to learn
      processes without computers.

1649. Way too much formal training now for new employees. OJT would
      suffice most of the time. I don\'t feel the resources we spend on
      formal training now for new employees is worth it. Cut, we could
      use training of some type on the normal good business skills:
      communication, managerial, marketing, time mgmt, etc.

1650. How many times a year does the management at the state office
      inquire about employee satisfaction.

1651. This agency will continue to have trouble filling positions
      because of mobility. I have found that by moving twice (First move
      was from Oregon to South Dakota) I learn much more when I move
      than if I had stayed in one location. NRCS is a rural agency, and
      qualified applicants are hard to find locally. This agency has
      been a dream come true for me because I was willing to move. If
      college graduates are not willing to move, they are missing out on
      great opportunities.

1652. I think we need to get to our core mission of conserving,
      maintaining and improving our natural resources and environment.
      We need to get away from simplified cost-share programs such as
      EQIP that seem to be giving out money to implement practices
      strictly for ag production. We can attract a better workforce with
      an actual natural resource emphasis instead of an agricultural
      emphasis. In my career with NRCS, I think the best programs USDA
      has are the \"set aside\" programs such as CRP, WRP, and GRP.
      Programs such as EQIP and ECP (in my area) are only creating more
      grazing land by putting water tanks all over the countryside. This
      is a better option than breaking up the land for cropland, but is
      still not the best use of our money and technical experience. EQIP
      money needs to have management restrictions like it used to have.
      Thank You!

1653. To keep your employees: keep pay competitive, excellent benefits,
      flexible work schedule, truly hire the best person for the job, &
      reward good employees with little perks, etc.

1654. Our system is currently not fair. I have 3 full time employees
      that I supervise as a GS-11. The counties that I border all have 0
      or 1 employee and they are also GS-11\'s. My workload is much
      greater because of the number of people I supervise. My duties are
      also different from the other counties in that I spend a lot of
      time on administrative items. Our goals are based on field
      activities but I spend time with supervisory activities - it
      simply does not work. Putting more people in an office is not
      neccesarily the best answer. I truly believe if we had a
      performance-based system it would be more fair.

1655. Overall very good people working for our agency. I do see a
      disturbing shift away from people with agricultural backgrouds and
      hence somewhat less of an oveall understanding of agriculture in
      general. Sustainablity and economic viability are challenging the
      ag community like never before and we need to step up as an agency
      and address this before it is too late. Also see an increasing
      shift in resources away from the field level and into state office
      structure which further allienates customers and make us seem like
      (BIG BROTHER). WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT WE DO BEST, HELPING
      PRIVATE LANDOWNERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES!!!

1656. I dont mind moving, but i think you should have a little more say
      in where your going, ex. closer to family for certain reasons

1657. Provide the goals of mobility within a family friendly manner.

1658. Requiring talented and dedicated employees to move their family,
      or divorced parents to move further away from their children in
      order to move up in this agency is disgusting! Having little or no
      regard for a person\'s abilities unless they have been able to
      move around the country is simple discrimination in my oppinion.
      Also, the agency needs to establish a program to help offset the
      cost of taking additional courses to move up in series and work
      more closely with employees trying to advance. I have seen
      incompetence rewarded in this agency by advancement or simply
      relocating an employee.

1659. There were some questions where the agree/disagree statements
      didn\'t really fit, but because we couldn\'t write comments, I had
      to choose something. There are always variables. Personalities fit
      way too much into the mix, I have found over the years. If the
      supervisor \"likes\" someone, they get promoted and get awards
      more than the others. We still don\'t train our employees to
      supervise like we should if we want them to be managers of people.

1660. None

1661. In 30 years of work as a DC, I have recieved 24 outstanding
      ratings with cash awards for sustained performance, served on
      three Washington DC work assignments, served as acting for mutiple
      offices and cannot make a pannel for promotion because I do not
      have a masters degree or have not completed the leadership course.
      I am supervised by a person with zero leadership skills but has
      completed both. I figure I am going nowhere because of the NRCS
      system

1662. Human \"capitol\" is the most important agency asset. However, the
      term \"capitol\" seems to diminish the value by indirect
      association with a buisiness way to get ahead. How about
      \"people\" ?

1663. It is hard, but family needs to be a greater consideration with
      NRCS. With all the social \"challenges\" abound across the U.S.,
      any additional support for \"home life\" would make a more
      productive employee. And, thus, a better U.S. citizen.

1664. The mobility policy needs to be looked at. I cant advance without
      moving my family to another location, or I just move and leave my
      family. Another would be the moving up from a technician to a soil
      conservationist. A majority of the technician do the same work as
      a soil conservationist, without the mobility agreement and pay.

1665. Thank You for giving the opportunity to provide input.

1666. I think NRCS has become program driven instead of putting
      conservation on the ground, and many communities only know NRCS
      employees by them sitting at the computers instead of putting
      conservation on the ground and working with the public outside the
      office.

1667. Soil and water stewardship - promotion, protection and
      preservation is an honorable profession - encourge our all of our
      employees to uphold the high standards of our unit - develop a
      sense of Pride and Commitment for what we do and accomplish -
      never execpt shortcuts or the well worn path! challenge and
      reward!

1668. NRCS needs to identify the agenda for the future service goal to
      its employees for the next 10 years.

1669. to fulfill the minority quota, the wrong people have been chosen
      and the vast majority don\'t stay after we pay for all their
      moving and training etc. Selection of trainees is very important
      because we\'re all getting closer to retirement What I really
      don\'t like about the job is: the poor computer training we
      get(takes forever to learn programs and they\'re always
      changing)The fact that we have to keep justifying our jobs. Takes
      away a lot of time that should be spent doing our regular work.
      Shouldn\'t that be somebody else\'s job? Of course: too much red
      tape and paperwork

1670. In my opinion things don\'t really change for the better until
      people with common sense are in management and key staff
      positions.

1671. I bring over twenty years of crop and animal production expertise
      to the work place, as well as a nonAg B.S. in Education. This
      maturity is neither rewarded nor compensated, but more importantly
      the vehicle by which reward might be achieved does not exist. I
      believe in the NRCS mission and know that I can market our
      services better than most of the people I\'ve met in this Org.
      NRCS will need more nontraditional/crossover employees to be
      effective in a \"voluntary-participation\" environment.

1672. It should include significant others. People have significant
      others in thier life who they are not married to.

1673. The DC position at the Field Office is the most stressfull
      position in NRCS. The DC has to know everything about every
      program and communicate this to the public. The personnel in the
      FO\'s are not treated with respect. Every specialist has their own
      agenda and pushes it on to the Field Office. the FO is responcible
      for all the PRS progress that the SO then takes credit for. The SO
      has nearly doubled in size in the last 10 years.

1674. I feel that since the name change from Soil Conservation service
      to natural resources conservation service that the agency has lost
      touch with why we were formed in the first place. That is that
      soil is the primary building block for every thing. A building
      does not stand the test of time if not build on a good foundation,
      a good foundation can not be made if it does not match the soil.
      This connection can be made for almost any thing. The point I am
      tring to make is that I feel we have lost sight of the big picture
      because we have forgotten to take care of the basics need. Our
      work does not flow from the field to management but management
      tell us what we need to be doing instead of us telling management
      what is needed and wanted by the people we provide assistance to.

1675. None

1676. Continuing education is encouraged, but it seems they ignore the
      fact that some already have advanced degrees when they start. I
      have an MS in Agronomy, but rather than utilize that, they
      encourage others to further their education, sometimes at the
      expense of the agency. Also, it seems that positions are filled by
      people who can\'t function in the FO where they currently work,
      i.e. they can\'t get along with the Conservation District Board,
      so they get moved to a new location (I applied for a DC position
      that was filled that way).

1677. #47 is not clear - Job Change that moved you to a new location by
      the Federal Government in general or how many times have you been
      moved relating to moving expenses paid by the Federal Government?;
      Change is good in general, but too many changes at one time and
      lack of sound technology/programs can cause frustration.; Those
      employees that are now labeled \"not qualified\" (no 4-year degree
      in Agriculture) should not be penalized by the agency because the
      hiring policy was not followed. Experience should count for
      something! NRCS provides an opportunity for the training that is
      required to perform the job. Plant ID and Soils are two of the
      courses many recent college hires will tell you pertain to the
      job. The job is so diverse and you can\'t possible know everything
      about each aspect of the job. That\'s why we have specialized
      positions! The trainings provide just what you need to know about
      each of those areas to perform your job on a day-to-day basis.
      Many of those employees have several years of experience in the
      agency and it is not fair to them to be locked in where they are
      at or the pay scale they are at. Possiblity of losing more
      employees if they are not grandfathered in!; Too many times things
      are based on the eye of the interpreter in all that we do. Then a
      new interpreter comes along and things get changed. More
      uniformity in policies and guidelines!

1678. I feel that promotions should be based on manangerial skills and
      knowledge of the agencies mission. It appears that the race and
      sex of the individual are the two primary attributes for
      promotion. Highly qualified individuals with many years of
      valuable experience are passed over for promotion because they are
      the wrong sex/race.

1679. Please provide training that fits the work we do in our area,
      rather than training that fits a region or nation. We have
      opportunities for training, but often times the training does not
      fit our work.

1680. With number of employees retiring in the next 5-8 years, hiring of
      new employees and retention of older employees to train new/newer
      employees should be high on the agency\'s mission. The best
      training for new/newer employees is obtained on the job.

1681. The worsening condition of my handicap (MS) makes it difficult to
      predict years to retirement, or to hope for continued promotion.

1682. none

1683. If it is common policy to have to serve in 2 or more locations as
      a soil conservationist, every soil in the state should move at
      least twice. Some people are never moved or even given the choice
      of which field office they would like to work in. But a state
      office will never admit that this occurs.

1684. none

1685. Spend money on the NRCS enployeees not TSP help that is making use
      feel that we are not capable or doing the job.

1686. I have worked for 20+ years and a minority female with few years
      was selected over me for a 12 position.

1687. New hires need some real world experience. Formal training is good
      and needs to be continued throughout a person career. Paperwork at
      the field office level needs to be less. Cost share programs and
      general assistance needs to be more producer friendly. Managment
      at levels above the FSO needs to be more efficent and
      understanding to the field office and producers needs.

1688. Our pay scale needs to be re-evaluated so that it is competitive
      with outside employment, I hope that it is not the opinion of
      those who review this survey, that these concerns are not
      important, and that if someone feels that we are not being paid
      properly, that they can simply go find employment somewhere else.
      I would like to see us emphasis our technical expertise, rather
      then letting TSP\'s take over our jobs. Would like to see DC\'s be
      given the opportunity to be promoted to GS-12\'s. Like to see
      technical training be more specific to each State, and see that
      training be emphasized annually so that we can keep up with the
      changing environment we work in.

1689. I think our state supervision is lacking great communication as we
      never hear input until something goes wrong. Then they communicate
      negative to the field people who are on the ground doing the work.
      When changes are going to take place they never ask for input or
      opinions from the field. They implement or adapt the changes, then
      inform us.

1690. One of the concerns that I have about the agency is that the past
      few years it has become more difficult to feel that what we had
      done for years with getting conservation on the land has slipped,
      for my position anyway. I spend much more time in front of the
      computer rather than out visiting and planning with landowners at
      their farms where they feel more comfortable.

1691. Our agency has been hiring people because of cultural/ethnical
      backgrounds, but few seem to stay to contribute in our state.
      Summer interns should be responsible for their own personal
      expenses, if they decide to stay on with the state that they were
      interns in, they could be reimbursed expenses, if not, the govt is
      not out valuabe funds that could be used for training for current
      employees or future interns.

1692. Too many on the upper end and not enough people in the field

1693. I think there needs to be less emphasis on colledge grades, gpa
      and race/gender in hiring. It should be based on common sense
      knowledge of what is required to do the job, not on your colledge
      degree. All lot of good quality people are not hired because they
      are missing one or two classes in a certain subject, even if they
      have 5 or 10 years of experience at a the same level as the job
      they are applying for.

1694. My current DC position is the most rewarding employment that I
      have ever had in my life. I do not ever want to leave living and
      working in a rural, ranch, grassland setting.

1695. If pay were based on performance (judged by customers), those who
      do a good job would be rewarded and have an incentive to continue
      doing a good job. Those that do not do a good job would have an
      incentive to do a better job or leave NRCS.

1696. Other government agencies have higher grade levels and have less
      responsibility and less education requirements. ie USDA FSA, US
      Weather Service to mention two. Why? Also why does one have to be
      in a supervisor position to get higher grade levels. Area Office
      specialists provide training and Quality Assurance to others of
      higher grade levels, is that not a concern?

1697. In the past five years the military has learned the benefit of
      leaving personnel in a single location for an extended period of
      time and promoting them accordingly. While at the same time
      allowing transfers as requested or sought after. This methodology
      is a good example to follow, it promotes stability within the
      workforce, and over all more productive employees. To have rules
      and regulations expressly written to move employees for a
      promotion with no exceptions has resulted in the loss of good
      employees and lag time as the new employees were required to learn
      a new area needlessly!!!!!!!!!!

1698. Good survey

1699. All I ask for is consistency and fairness in the workplace within
      the state, right now it\'s hard to believe that is the case.

1700. Training, All of the questions were about training taken or
      needed. There should be some questions on training that is
      provided by upper level professionals (GS-11\'s and 12\'s) to
      team/agency members and coworkers.

1701. Problem with Question 48, I have no spouse

1702. I do not think that a person should have to always move to get a
      promotion. The agency wants us to become as one with the area we
      work in, but if you moving all the time thats hard to do. Yes at
      first it is good because learn to deal with other types of
      landowners/contractors etc. but after awhile it gets real old.

1703. Increase OJT for new employees. Increase pay scale so we don\'t
      loose good employees or potential employees to the private sector.

1704. Office staffing, my office needs additional staffing to meets the
      demand for conservation planning and to complete the environmental
      documentation that is a part of our activities. One person offices
      should no longer exist except in times of staff changes. Question
      \# 43 & 48 Widowed

1705. Eliminate ethnic and racial professional organizations. They are
      costly and contribute to recruiting poor new hires. They provide
      summer trainee jobs to students who have no interest in nrcs.
      Excellent student trainees will create a stronger agency. My
      comments are not sour grapes. NRCS in Minnesota is a ethnic and
      administrative mess.

1706. Job advancement is not related to merit. People are promoted for
      reasons other than ability. Within the last 5 years race and sex
      have become the determining factor for placement. We have
      abandonded the concept of being techically sound. People who can
      not work in the field end up being senior management and them base
      decisions on faulty experiance.

1707. The agency has been slowly moving away from the technical
      expertise we once provided and becoming more of a place for
      financial assistance and for subletting the technical work out.
      TSP program has not worked, with more time spent reviewing and
      correcting TSP\'s than if it was done in-house. More than 50% of
      the field office time is required to document what was completed
      and what program it falls into as opposed to actually getting
      field work accomplished. The process used to take over payments
      for EQIP is an good example. FSA had one full time person per
      county to make payments, NRCS takes over this responsibility and
      hires no additional staff. The additional work is just expected to
      be taken up by the current staff. This is typical of most new
      programs within the last five years. Nothing gets cut, but we are
      continuually told to produce more. Another problem is the current
      procees of budgeting to the state level. We are continuing being
      told we can only work on programs we have funding for, yet NRCS
      has already committed to projects that must be accomplished.
      Example, WF-08 funding is cut to near zero, but there are contract
      requirements that need to be completed. We are told we can not
      work on \'08 projects yet landowners have been given time frames
      when the work must be completed. CRP is another example. We are
      instructed that there is no funding for CRP, however, landowners
      have already lined up contractors to complete the work. Contracts
      have been signed and the office has committed to the work, and
      then we are told we can\'t work on a given project because have no
      funding. This is true of CSP, CRP, WRP, ETC. We are given goals
      that require us to work in these programs but are told there is no
      funding for TA to complete the tasks we have already committed to.
      Special emphasis groups is another issue. We are continuously
      being bombarded with CR training and equity in employment and
      advancement, yet the agency has created special emphasis groups
      which I feel only alienates. Why do we need a \"special emphasis
      group\" which has there own leadership and individual
      training/advancement, when all of the training we recieve
      emphasizes that we are all equal. Why should a \"specific group\"
      get special treatment? Why do we need months dedicated to specific
      history of ethnic groups. Isn\'t it AMERICAN HISTORY? Why separate
      accomplishment based on race when we are instructed that we are
      all equal. Should it matter whether a white, black, hispanic or
      other race invented something in our past? The more we discuss and
      emphasize differences, the more pronounced these differences seem
      to be and the more divide the NRCS workforce is becoming.

1708. More emphasis needs to be put on hiring the most competent people
      for the job.

1709. Although Cultural diversity is importnat, it should not be
      achieved at the expense of hiring qualified individuals. The
      Agency is suffering from such decisions.

1710. NRCS in Minnesota hires student interns that are not interested in
      working for NRCS. They are not pursuing degrees that would allow
      them to be hired under 457 series after graduation. They are
      qualified under related work experience. This is not good for the
      agency. They do not have the book background to do the job. It is
      difficult to do my job because of all of the paperwork that is
      required. Mandatory training like ethics and civil rights are
      always due during the busiest time of the year. In Minnesota, we
      have only a limited opportunity to do field work so it would be
      nice if mandatory training would be offered during the winter
      months like January and February rather than August, September,
      and October. Some of the questions I could not put my true opinion
      because the answers were leading.

1711. it is important to start hiring new people now to get them trained
      to fill in behind those that will be retiring soon

1712. The agency has transitioned from a technical to programatic
      agency. While we may have the diciplines, we really have lost our
      technical expertise in quality and quantity. We promote soil cons
      because they can operate toolkit, protracts, contract
      administration etc. We forgot about their technical expertise. We
      also used to be very politically savy at the state level. We have
      eliminated that and also eliminated any one from trying to revive
      it.

1713. None

1714. Pay per performance will be abused just as the awards system is
      now being abused.

1715. NRCS needs more energy technology and expertise

1716. Several of the questions didn\'t allow me to answer properly. For
      example on computer training some has been excellent, and some has
      been awful. Also, since I am the only person with my grade in
      North Dakota I am very doubtful about its confidentiality.

1717. There needs to be a question on why you would like a job change:
      the supervisor, the work, the location, etc. I was forced to
      accept a position and relocation because of my expertise on the
      subjects. I applied for a position to return to my old location
      where the KSA relate to my expertise and cannot make a selection
      panel. My appraisals are terrific and cash awards granted in two
      consecutive years for quality work. This indicates the selection
      criteria is slanted, the selectors are incompetent, or there is
      age discrimination.

1718. I have no addtional comments, the survey did an excellent job of
      covering the important aspects of federal employment.

1719. Budget restricts the number of people we hire, we could use more
      people in the field especially with the amount of programs we deal
      with and the short time period they need to be completed. Several
      years ago when I was in the field I could see a need for an edtra
      individual to work in the field office as a data entry person, GIS
      entry, etc\....

1720. RE: #43. I\'m separated, by death not by choice. Could this not
      have been a choice also?

1721. none

1722. The newer employee\'s do not have adequate technical skills
      because of the high stress goals needed to accomplish which
      require quick in office computer skills for the number game.The
      agency is catering to female employees with spouse on the local
      farm or ranch verus no allowance to the male employee with their
      spouse that is a local teacher, nurse, etc.. It is not a fair
      system and many employees that were encouraged to move for
      training and experience for the benefit of the agency and the
      employee on now not be recognized for that extra effort. With the
      cost of gas and closing of some Service Center(consolidation) will
      their be any retirees in the reasonable driving distance for the
      new pilot part time program. Many local offices are over 50 miles
      away from bigger towns of the retired employees. As other agencies
      are also facing budget cuts, we are finding that NRCS employees in
      the rural sector are having to become more aware of other agencies
      programs so we can provide the \"BEST\" info and programs to are
      local producers regardless if it is outside of our
      responsibilities.

1723. Qustion 48 and many others are not applicable because I am not
      married yet (engaged). The NRCS is a great agency, but is in need
      a great change.

1724. Wish I could retire today.

1725. Please revisit the health care benefits for part-time workers.
      Paying half of the governmental share in addition to the premium
      is way too much. As a part-time worker who is dedicated to my job,
      I feel penalized that so much of my check is deducted due to
      health insurance (\$220+ per pay period x 26 pay periods \--
      instead of \$83 per pay period). Health benefits are the main
      reason why I became a federal employee.

1726. Our agency has become program driven to a fault. This has left
      numbers, and budgets more important than getting conservation on
      the land and helping our producers reach goals within their
      operations. The lax attitude of many agency personel has also
      caused them to talk producers out of conservation efforts and
      projects as it would provide extra work for that particular
      office. Somehow, someway, people have to start becoming
      accountable for their actions or lack of\...maybe to the point of
      losing their jobs. There are so many good people out there that
      won\'t work for the government because of the poor reputation we
      have built. We need to reverse that trend and start moving in the
      right direction starting with better communication about what we
      are here for. It is also eminent to put less time and energy into
      program emphasis and replace that with more technical assistance
      with what\'s best for the client and what\'s best for the land.

1727. I feel that people who marry within the agency should be given as
      much consideration to stay with the agency as possible.

1728. We need to hire more Ag Business graduates to manage field offices
      and provide administrative support in Area and State Office.
      Technical people need to do technical work.

1729. None

1730. reduction in paperwork to get the job done.

1731. I turned down a forced transfer in Iowa, as my wife was working as
      a teacher with a Masters degree. It would have been very unlikely
      that she could find employment in another school district due to
      the pay scale that she would have started at. I lost my NRCS job
      in Iowa but eventually found employment in a neighboring state and
      now drive 1 hr. each way to work. I was selected for the forced
      transfer because I ranked highest based on abilities and work
      performance. If this agency wants to maintain an excellent work
      force, they need to take into consideration the personal needs of
      employees. I now find myself ineligible for many jobs in NRCS as
      they have changed the requirements for college courses when they
      made the conversion from quarterly college credits to semester
      credits. I will be going back to college in January to pick up a
      credit in soils to apply for a job that I used to be eligible for
      and was employed at for over 15 years. Please use some common
      sense and take into consideration the needs of your employees, if
      you want to keep the best work force possible.

1732. I don\'t think it is right that the agency keeps on moving people.
      I think a person should have the chance to stay in an area longer
      then a year. Right when a person starts to get a feel for the land
      and the owners the agency pulls you out and makes you start all
      over again. People have families and childern that have to change
      schools. Sometimes it feels that it isn\'t even worth it. Some
      people are all for moving but please take in account that others
      are married and are planning on starting a family but are a bit
      scared because they government may tell you that you have to move
      and thats final. Put yourself in someone elses shoes, aren\'t we
      here to help people not turn them away.

1733. Mobility includes more than just job changes. Mobility within a
      job can be a problem even for a young, single person. The stress
      of being moved to a new place for a job is increased by being sent
      away to training so often. Also, single people have to manage
      finances, pets, and a household alone, which is also more
      stressful when travelling is added. The first year on a new job in
      a new place should be a year of settling and growing into the job
      and its immediate requirements. On the job training and internet
      classes should be stressed instead of traveling to training sites.

1734. none

1735. Lateral moves would get people to the localities they prefer, thus
      keeping them in the work force.

1736. We already need additional engineers. We shouldn\'t wait to hire
      new employees until others retire.

1737. I very much enjoy working for the Federal government (NRCS).It is
      a very challenging career,it has its problems like ant other job
      but overall is a very good career.

1738. Disparity in hiring practices between technical proficiency and
      starting grade and step

1739. If NRCS wants to hire and keep the best of the best, our hiring
      and promotion policy had better become \"hire the best individual
      for the job\" rather than meet hiring goals and quotas. The worst
      thing NRCS can and has been doing is putting the wrong person in a
      management position. This is real bad for moral and others have to
      \"pick up the slack\" for the unqualified individual. This only
      puts added stress on an already heavy demand type position.

1740. NRCS needs to hire highly competant, technical people without
      racial and gender preference to replace the enormous amount of
      impending retirements. Too many of the recent (within the last 10
      years) hirings have been racially and gender focused without
      regards to technical abilities and these have been expensive
      busts. This cannot continue without NRCS falling apart.

1741. No additional comments

1742. Identifing information at the end of the survey (I feel) is
      inappropriate, and may lead to skewed results of the survey.

1743. The federal government needs to do a better job making itself look
      attractive to young people/college grads. Many feds I know didn\'t
      specifically know about USDA or any other federal agencies in
      college. Teh federal government is percieved as being stodgy,
      boring, trapped in red tape, and not being very good at promoting
      good young people. We should promote our conservation image and
      our work flexibilities-telework, flex time, etc. Also, get rid of
      the attitude many older workers have that younger workers must
      \"pay their dues\" for years before being given responsibility or
      promotions\--the good ones just leave, the so-so ones may stay.

1744. The question dealing with 5 areas where improvement was needed,
      there were no administration positions, such as accounting Grant
      specialist or any of the positions necessary to carry out the
      program function.

1745. It does not appear that the agency have any concerns about
      ADMINISTRATION(Contracting,Budget,Pernsonnel). Is adiministration
      not important to the agency?

1746. I think there should have been questions regarding\...why did you
      apply for the job you did? Did you progress like you thought you
      would? Do you feel that you work two jobs instead of one? How is
      the environment within your office? Do you have enough space to
      conduct your daily duties? Is it easy to learn the new computer
      systems? Do you need more training in these systems?

1747. We are the largest employer in the US, yet we have the worst
      health insurance coverage. Dental and vision should be included
      for the prices we pay, not as supplemental plans. Thank you for
      conducting this survey.

1748. If it were possible to move NRCS headquarter out of DC, you might
      be able to interest more people to work for NHQ. I realize that
      this might seem impractical, but our client base doesn\'t work in
      DC, only politicians do which doesn\'t speak well to young people
      that might want to help the planet. It\'s better to \"think
      green\" than which politician to make happy this week or next,
      because their tenure is short lived at best; whereas what we might
      do to feed the world or keep it productive in far more important
      than the budget or who\'s running the show. I also realize that
      the budget and the politicians that determine it are connected,
      but without our efforts there would be a much bigger
      \"train-wreck\" then what\'s currently out there, that we are
      attempting to address. Thanks for allowing comments, some agencies
      don\'t care enough to even think of asking!

1749. Questions were needed on the workloads that employees have, their
      perceived ability to accomplish their work, and how the rate of
      increase in workload has accelerated in recent years.

1750. Quit calling me human capital.

1751. I strongly feel that the NRCS is a great agency to work for
      because it has a mission that I belive in. I also feel that the
      current pay does not reflect the work diversity and complexity
      that we are asked to do. I ask my friends in the private sector
      what they do for what they get payed and we here at the NRCS do a
      lot more and get payed less. Our liability is growing without due
      compensation.

1752. Flexibility in hours and work location are curucial to providing
      desired employment in the modern world; technology provides many
      opportunities to customize work to the employee, and should be
      considered by management.

1753. It took years to \"allow an employee to retire on disability\" at
      which time this employee was moved to various offices, never
      worked, created disruptions everywhere, and then slept and snored
      next to me for 2 years. Why does this occur? Why was an employee
      allowed to retire with full benefits after he had been caught
      twice stealing? Employees like these are very disruptive to a
      staff and crashes moral for the rest of us. What does one do when
      the State Con makes inappropriate, rude comments to employees and
      discriminates against whites? Merit is a myth no matter what
      system is used. Very few bosses are truly objective. I\'ve been
      fortunate and had a few, and I\'ve also seen truly bad ones too.
      Regarding question 48 above, I do not have a spouse. This question
      does not have a N/A response and will yield biased results. This
      should have been caught in a review before the survey was
      released.

1754. Benefits; Question 48 assumes you have a spouse; I don\'t; survey
      would not submit unless I entered something.

1755. NA

1756. have seen discrimination against white males

1757. Areas of expertise the Agency may want to consider strengthening
      is Human Resources and People Management. This relates to
      retention and hiring of employees

1758. REQUIRING responses to questions (or not providing a \"don\'t
      know/don\'t care\" check box) biases the results!

1759. From what can observe; I feel strongly on all of the technical
      reportings that field office have to perform. That keeps their
      concentration away from field work. I can almost gather that
      eventually we will not have our Soil Cons and DC out in the filed
      anymore cauase of all the online reportings they have to do. I am
      writing this from a perspective view and what I hear from our
      field workers. I hear that they don\'t enjoy their job as much
      cause most of their time is spent on recording data in computer
      systems. I also feel that States worry on making sure they hire
      the right percentage of ethnic/minority employees. I feel the
      focus should remain on the qualifications of the employee and NOT
      what color they are.

1760. There was no place to check off that one was a widow or widower.
      Spouse was deceased.

1761. I think that this survey has given me a wonderful opportunity to
      voice my opinion that have not been able to share with anyone
      else. As a minority employee I often feel that I am isolated and
      that I am only here to meet a quota. My co-workers ofter treat me
      as if I am a theatrical act putting on a show for their amusement.

1762. Spose was fully employed outside the home on the first 3 moves.

1763. Mobility of new employees must be maintained if we are going to
      provide rural america with assistance.

1764. People need to have walked the walk to get a promotion. There are
      GS-13\'s who have never been a DC. There are people in high grades
      in NHQ that have never worked in a field office but write field
      office policy on a regular basis. The Chief\'s decision to change
      the State Conservationist\'s job series was a bad decision.

1765. I think some consideration needs to be given to the possibilities
      of working remotely. I could work in any office or at home due to
      the job duties of my position. However, it is assumed that we
      should move rather than work remotely. This situation needs to be
      looked at.

1766. .

1767. Moved with former spouse (government employee) 5 times out of
      state for his career. While raising kids I wanted a part time
      \"career\" which was out of the question with the frequent moves,
      which were pretty costly for me. Government employees should have
      the option to be able to advance with or without moves.

1768. Merry Christmas

1769. I believe employee training should be more available and
      encouraged for those who want to take advantage of it,
      particularly training in one\'s professional field.

1770. So many employees are now caring for parents, etc., that is is
      harder than ever to be mobile and it also impacts on our work
      abilities when overnight travel is required.

1771. It would be a lot easier for us to hire if we would know what kind
      of a budget we had for the next 5 years. That way we could discuss
      what our needs were with Universities for more than the current
      environment.

1772. I don\'t believe the pay scale for South Dakota is very good for
      the average working person.

1773. Decent pay for techs.

1774. My one concern is our hiring of folks who have a questionable
      interest in the work we do. To have a person in the office who is
      there to get a paycheck, who is not interested in helping
      landowners to improve on natural resource protection is
      demoralizing for all who come into contact with them.

1775. I don\'t have a spouse. Fix question #48. It\'s kind of hard to
      ever find someone to marry, let alone staying married if you have
      to keep changing job locations all the time. As a woman, its a
      little difficult to find a man that\'s going to move all over
      creation for your career. Additionally, I have moved for the
      federal government, but they have never paid for my move. Just
      because I\'m a term employee, it still costs money to move from
      one term position to another. It\'s not my fault NRCS doesn\'t
      want to commit to a permanent position. I just want to point out I
      have a great supervisor at the field level and great co-workers at
      the field level and if it wasn\'t for them I wouldn\'t be here.

1776. none

1777. To retain well qualify employees especially those w/ technical
      backgrounds, salary has to be a lot better. It is just way too
      expensive to live in CA.

1778. Career: NRCS is a technical agency. Unless an individual has a
      formal college education in natural resources there is little room
      for advancement or job opportunities. Example: It is now the
      requirement to have a formal degree in natural resources for the
      457 job series. The previous requirement was 30 semester hour in
      soils, plants and general natural resource courses with any
      degree. I have a formal bachelors degree in another area. I have
      been going to school in the evenings while working for NRCS full
      time to satisfy the 30 semester hour requirement to become a soil
      conservationist. After 3+ years of taking natural resource courses
      to complete the 30 semester hours and \$15000.00 in tuition later
      it is now required to have a formal degree in natural resources in
      addition to the 30 semester hours. I had one course left to
      complete the 30 semester hours to become a soil consertvationist.
      The agency decision to change the requirements while I have been
      working with personnel to achieve my careeer goal will now take 4
      more years to complete. These decisions adversely affect dedicated
      people in their careers and lives while following current
      eligibility policies at the time. Thank you NRCS for your non
      contribution to dedicated NRCS employees who fall into this Soil
      Conservation Series 457 career dilema.

1779. I feel that in order for you to advance in the agency, you need to
      be a minority. It seems that it doesn\'t matter how qualified you
      are, you won\'t get promoted unless you are of a different ethinic
      group. This is done, it seems, to meet a goal of the number of
      employees of a minority. They are not necessarily hired for their
      expertise or qualifications.

1780. no additional comments

1781. It is very clear that the hiring practices in this state favors
      ethnic hiring over competant individuals. Our track record speaks
      for itself. This agency should strive for ethnic diversity but not
      at the expense of our reputation as a technically sound and
      trusted agency.

1782. Potential employees in the conservation field have many more
      opportunities for employment versus when I began my career with
      NRCS. To have a technically competent workforce NRCS is going to
      have to work much harder in providing the pay, benefits and
      working conditions to get and retain employees.

1783. Some individuals have been promoted due solely to the fact that
      they are in a minority class with no competency whatsoever. That
      is one example of why we have some of the problems we do today.
      Also, how am I supposed to answer question 48 when I am not
      married?

1784. Relocation becomes more and more difficult with family members
      over time. With current telecommunications capabilities, far more
      opportunities should be created for individuals to work from any
      office. We are stuck in an old paradigm.

1785. I feel that the agency in my state in particular is currently
      discriminating against the white male when it comes to promoting
      employees. I don\'t think it should matter what your race or
      gender is when it comes to filling a position. Rather, it should
      be dependent on which applicant is the most qualified based on
      their application. Our agency looks at giving minorities
      opportunities and I have no problem with that if it means that
      those particular minorities are more qualified for the position.
      Another topic that has most everyone scratching their heads in my
      area is the constant change to our programs whether they are
      computer programs or conservation programs. Field staff are
      becoming less and less trust worthy to local producers because
      state and national level employees continuously change these
      programs. Maybe the field staff should be consulted when
      developing these programs. Sometimes there are programs that come
      out that are obviously created by people who have seldomly served
      any time in a field office! These programs that are developed are
      not saving time but rather taking us away from the most important
      people in the fields\...the producers that we are hired to serve.

1786. I feel the agency is devoting too much time and resources in the
      GIS area. We spend too much time in the field office entering
      information in GIS. GIS is not getting more conservation on the
      land - it is taking time away from our customers and time away
      from implementation of conservation on the land. GIS dosn\'t
      impress our local customers.

1787. Our agency keeps saying \"yes, we\'ll run that program too\". It
      seems like I\'m supposed to be an expert at everything. Every year
      the burden gets greater. There\'s not enough people in each office
      to handle what we are delegated to carry out. We\'re not supposed
      to work extra hours, but you have to or the job will not get done.
      As a supervisor, it\'s my responsibility to see that everything is
      completed. I can\'t make staff put in extra time, so it\'s my
      family that suffers. I feel like we\'re so busy cramming in
      programs & constantly signing up new contracts, there is very
      little time to follow through & make sure contracts get completed
      correctly. It\'s all about the quantity & no quality. The
      frustration level is extremely high.

1788. In all cases, a new hire should be based on KSA\'s, not just for
      the sake of diversity. It hurts the staff that surround that
      person and the agency\'s name. I hope that in the cases that I am
      thinking of, there would be a more quaified applicant.

1789. We do not currently have enough field staff to effectively serve
      our customers.

1790. I feel very satisfied with my job and the way I am treated as an
      employee. I especially feel appreciated by my supervisor, who I
      feel is wonderful. I may retire when I am first eligible at
      age 56. I will have 34 years of service in by then. I could be
      convinced to work to age 60 however. Because of good planning and
      making good use of thrift savings, I may not take any \"pay cut\"
      at retirement. So what incentive could there be to stay working? I
      keep thinking I may see the time when incentives are paid to keep
      employees working past normal retirement age, mainly due to a lack
      of good qualified candidates to replace a seasoned employee.

1791. Employees need to spend more time on basic conservation work and
      less time on management activities.

1792. The agency has lost track of the amount of work done by the field
      offices. Progress (widgets) has become the most important factor
      and drives all actions at the expense of quality work.

1793. NONE

1794. Take a good look at the pay and benefits - they don\'t come near
      to what is available within a 10-15 mile radius of our office. My
      pay is at least \$2-3/hour below what is offered locally. As far a
      benefits the local county offered 100% paid family health
      insurance, 100% paid life insurance, 100% paid disability
      insurance and give employees comptime hours earned at 1 1/2 times
      the rate earned. You\'re going to lose good employees if changes
      are not made.

1795. NRCS needs more consistency in GS level (for same job
      classification) state to state (and within state too!)

1796. Hire ability, not ethenicity

1797. I feel alot of staff have been overlooked for promotions and
      transfers because we do not have the contacts on the state and
      regional level.

1798. I think hiring should be based on ability and education and that
      eveyone should be able to join the agency. I think zero tolerace
      for discrimination is a must and should not be accepted in any
      form. I would like to see the agency promote employees based
      solely on there proven abilities and for no other reason including
      race, color, ethnic background, or sexual preferences.

1799. Is it appropriate for a State Conservationist to invite student
      trainees to a recruiting party for the NOBPNRCSE at his home and
      invite only black students? This has occurred for the past two
      years.

1800. nrcs has slipped in finding students who has a strong farm
      education/background. our clients require employees who know at
      least the basics of the farming practices taking place in the
      area. hiring people with only environmental, wildlife, forestry,
      and other non Ag backgrounds is a huge mistake in my region of the
      state.

1801. More than one choice should have been allowed for what the agency
      can do to recruit/retain good employees. The problem is multifold:
      inadequate hiring strategies, low pay scales, inadequate health
      benefits, no incentives to stay such as student loan
      reimbursement, equal merit promotion, etc.

1802. spouse placement with in agency in same area is extremly difficult

1803. Excellent questions/Good luck. When hiring a background in
      production agriculture is essential. Racial diversity is an
      excellent goal for the Agency. I am more concerned about
      personality diversity in terms of ones ability to relate to our
      main clientelle (farmers). One also needs to have a belief in
      conservation and in working to make our environment healthier than
      it presently is. We have a very important mission and need serious
      people to carry it out. People that are in shape physically,
      mentally and not afraid to get their hands dirty.

1804. Mobility is a huge issue. I do not feel it should be a requirement
      to move up the scale. NRCS has lost many good young people because
      of it.

1805. If you want equal employment, then offer the position to the best
      qualified for the job and not the race or gender that you happen
      to be short on.

1806. Supervisors have been too concerned about keeping the nose to the
      grindstone continually without seeing what the rest of the agency
      is doing.

1807. Treat all people the same. Do not reverse discriminate! I do not
      see the big picture with this survey. Doesn\'t do much for me.

1808. Hiring someone to be culturally diverse rather than on
      qualification is worse than discrimination

1809. I see a trend in caring less about assistance to landowners and
      operators and more concern on how good we look on paper.

1810. Some questions don\'t give an awnser that apply to people forced
      to give an awnser

1811. Correct some of the special treatment underrepresented groups
      recieve - we all need to be on the same field, whether it is for
      employment, awards, promotions, etc. Creating \"new positions\" in
      order to hire underreprented groups, while not filling needed
      existing position vacancies does the agency harm in addressing
      mission needs.

1812. promote telecomuting

1813. Starting salaries should be based on experience and technical
      knowledge and the NRCS should be more flexible at salary
      negotiation to retain employees.

1814. The payment of Health premiums by part time employees. It feels as
      though I am being penalized for being a part time employee in
      having to pay more of the premiums. I work just to pay for my
      insurance.

1815. More information on the hiring practice of Minorities. More on the
      qualifications of people that receive promotions. Something on the
      selection of employees.

1816. Revaluationg how work load is monitored within offices and adjust
      personal accordingly.

1817. I think moving up to a soil conservationist should not be on
      college courses only, three years with the NRCS could take the
      place of a few of the college credits required, granted that you
      have a four year degree in a some what related field.

1818. N/A

1819. I feel agency needs more par-professional employees in field to
      get the workload goals completed fully.

1820. I think that NRCS needs to strongly consider work ethic and self
      motivated people when looking to hire new employees. Also people
      that are willing to learn and change with the technology that is
      ever-changing.

1821. I can see the advantage of mobility and I recognize that as an
      intern, having work experience in multiple offices creates a more
      well rounded work force; however, I am a homebody. I don\'t want
      to move and \"restart\" my personal life, so that I can succeed
      with my career. My family ties make it hard for me to move away,
      even though it would mean promotion. I feel very confident in my
      abilities and hope that when my supervisor retires that I will be
      strongly considered for the job. Alternatively, I would love the
      opportunity for more short-term details. I feel that being
      detailed would allow employees the chance for diverse experiences.

1822. Mobility seems to always be an issue in the agency. I feel it is a
      great idea for people to have move to gain a more broad range of
      skills. However, sometimes people who could move up within an
      office aren\'t because they are already there (e.g. a soil
      conservationist to a district conservationist). I feel whoever has
      the best qualifications and will be the most benefit to the
      position should be the individual selected regardless of any other
      factors.

1823. Some questions should of had other choices if we did not agree
      with what was there.

1824. We must get back to conservation on the ground we are losing our
      basic conservation skills that we have learned through field
      experience and our education. We cannot advance our skills and
      keep up with new technology if we do not first learn and increase
      our current skills. Stop the paper and computer and get out there
      and sell conservation on the ground. Its hard to measure with
      numbers but the rewards to the environment speak for themselves.
      Our agency tends to be driven by other agencies where we appear to
      do their paperwork for them or take on more work them is humanly
      possible to do in a timely manner.

1825. One of the hardest things is getting the public to understand what
      we do. Marketing is very important.

1826. Being able to move up to a higher ranking position I believe is
      hindered greatly if you are a farm operator/owner. I feel we have
      been originally hired due to our relation to farming yet having to
      move in order to increase our grade level is impractical and holds
      back many very valuable employees. Experience in other areas is
      important and I certainly see it\'s value. Detailing could
      accomplish the diversity needed, therefore farmer/ranchers I know
      would accomplish the required credits if they didn\'t have to
      leave the farm behind to move up the ranks in NRCS.

1827. I feel strongly about the mandatory relocation. My wife and 6 kids
      run the family ranching operation. I currently work 96 miles away
      in another field office. I rent an apartment and I am away from my
      family all week and return home on weekends. This arrangement is
      putting a strain on my marriage and family life. If I can\'t find
      a position within daily commuting distance soon, I will be forced
      to choose between my family and my job. My family will win. That
      will be unfortunate because I thoroughly love my job and the
      agency. The agency would be losing an enthusiastic, motivated,
      dedicated, experienced employee.

1828. question 20, areas of expertise to improve on, didn\'t even
      mention Administrative or Management. The agency pretty much
      ignores the Administrative section then get\'s caught by OIG
      investigations into Property management, Accounting, managment of
      the purchase card\...and on and on. The staff has been ripped
      apart since 1993. We have no policy. There was a Management
      Services Report done, with recommendations - but I don\'t hear
      anything about changing or improving the Administrative staffing
      or the Management\'s lack of including Admin. in the developing of
      Technical items that need administrative input.

1829. Quit using the term human \"capital\". Capital is wealth in the
      form of money or property, owned, used, or accumulated in
      business - any form of material wealth used or avaialble for the
      use in the production of more wealth. In other words your
      employees can be bought and sold.

1830. My husband retired from 27 years with DOI/Bureau of Land
      Management. I know the circumstances are different, but NRCS seems
      to be trying to reinvent the wheel on some things that BLM has
      been doing successfully for years, i.e., Ecological Range Sites,
      fish passages, endangered species. I don\'t understand why USDA
      isn\'t asking to see its research or have BLM members come to
      teach workshops. I think that working with other Federal agencies
      would give taxpayers better \"bang for the buck\" and maybe let
      USDA see different sides of the issue so they start thinking more
      globally instead of field by field.

1831. Health insurance is better in the private sector, pay is better,
      and the overall moral of people is better. The government lacks
      qualified leadership, i.e. supervisorsàand things are bass
      akwardsàà..the government should have some of the best, if not the
      best health benefits and equal access to enrolmentà.do away with
      open season!!

1832. Question 48 - I have no spouse and the survey forces you to put in
      an answer even though I\'m not married to submit your survey

1833. Because of the last 10 quesstions many fellow workers will not
      complete surveys because they know that it is easy to figure out
      who they are. You should not use state but region and less
      personal information like grade, etc. Most are afraid of problems
      that can arise if they enter how they really think. Thank you for
      the opportunity.

1834. I feel that my position is undergraded. I can from another agency
      in which everyone in my same position are one grade higher than
      NRCS employees in my series. We do the same work exactly. WHy the
      difference.

1835. Political appointees are not a good match for a technical agency.

1836. In addition to my previous comments about retaining quality
      employees, it is vital that career ladders be in place that allow
      employees to progress to higher grades in a timely manner. To
      complete with the private sector employees can not feel they are
      earning significantly less for the same skills.

1837. Financial Assistance has increased dramatically through farm bill
      and non farm bill programs. The TA has been kept to a mimimum and
      conservation systems are not being implemented on schedule. In
      order to keep our conservation mission on course, there must be
      additional funds to apply the systems we are planning with our
      customers.

1838. Current staff is extremely over worked due to Farm Bill
      commitments \-- TSP program does not accomplish for the same
      dollars that hiring GS-5-7 technicians would. Workforce is getting
      tired, angry and frustrated. It appears that each year the agency
      wants \"more for less\". The failure to meet our obligations is
      beginning to affect the way our customers view NRCS. We used to be
      considered an agency that met its commitments \-- I\'m not sure
      this is still true. This will have a future affect.

1839. Be careful with the term \"human capital\" \... some people find
      it offensive.

1840. Mostly, it seems we lose women and minority employees because they
      are promoted faster than their skills develop, thus setting them
      up to fail. Similarly, we professionaly define them by their
      special emphasis area by giving them all sorts of special SEPM
      type jobs, rather than letting them practice their science,
      communication and conservation skills.

1841. The additional responsibilities assumed by the Service Center
      staff to manage and maintain all of the Farm Bill programs along
      with the fast paced tecnology shifts within the agency is creating
      a severe amount of stress and disatisfaction at the field level. I
      understand their frustration. As a Toolkit and GIS trainer I am
      part of that stress, but the technology when fully assimilated
      will relieve some of that stress due to increased efficiency if
      they would just give it a chance. I just hope we don\'t lose some
      good young people because of it. I feel the go slow in 2006 with
      new tecnology roll out is a good stroke and will help. On the
      other hand the same stresses are causing some of our older
      employees to move up their retirement plans and maybe that isn\'t
      such a bad thing. Many of the older empoyees just aren\'t doing
      well with the Toolkit-GIS-PRS accountability system we have now.
      The younger folks seem to cope with it better.

1842. As an employee with an advanced degree with many years of
      experience and working in a very technically demanding area of
      expertise I have wondered about the lack of opportunity for me to
      advance beyond a GS-9 position when other contemporaries have
      advanced to GS-11, 12, and 13 positions. Most of those people had
      to leave the range management discipline in order to advance but
      have sacrificed job skills and job satisfaction in order to do so
      and have had to make financial and personal sacrifices to so so as
      well as not having the same job satisfaction as they previously
      experienced.

1843. I would like to see promotions without moving

      1.  I enjoy working for the NRCS. 2) It will be important to
          retain experienced, knowledgable, and hardworking employees as
          large numbers of employees retire. 3) I understand that moving
          will be part of my career advancement. However, additional
          help in transitions (ie helping my husband find work) will
          enable us to move to fill a vacancy with less hesitation. 4) I
          am very disappointed that I will not receive formal training
          this year as a result of budget issues. This may affect my
          ability to advance as positions open. 4) Blatant absenteeism
          and incompetence should not be accepted. An employee that
          abuses the system and gets away with it affects everyones\'
          ability to do their job and negatively affects morale. I
          understand that there are many checks in place to protect an
          employee\'s job. However, I feel that these checks can make it
          possible for one employee, who takes advantage of these
          protections, to negatively affect the rest of the office.

1844. Question 5: would like to have selected \"none\". Promotions are
      based more on personality/likeability and the techncal &
      management skills are average to mediocre or no management skills
      at all.

1845. Spouses are not the only ones to consider when requiring mobility.
      Children tend to be highly effected and we have nothing in place
      to help them.

1846. Field employees are scarce in our state. State office employees
      are abundant. This topic should be covered.

1847. Question 48 does not make sense for single/divorced folks.

1848. I noticed in question 20, there was no reference to soil
      conservation or water conservation. Have we forgotten that this is
      what our agency was created for?

1849. The NRCS needs to keep its strenght being technically competant
      and its unique ability to work with and thru people and units of
      governaments. Also, provide technical training updates.

1850. Why is the amount of work load showing more employees are needed
      but no permanent Federal jobs are being opened in the area.

1851. there is a fair percentage of low performing employees (10-15% my
      est.) of the workforce that the current system does nothing to
      address. The processess in place to discipline them or make
      perform to a certain level of capability is nonexistent. Nobody
      ever gets fired. It is not the managers in the field offices
      fault, they try but state office staffs don\'t want to hear about
      it and nothing is done. Usually if the field office manager tries,
      it seems that they get in more trouble then the problem employee.
      Overall this hurts morale all though the system because it the
      problem employees get the same pay and benifits for provide little
      to agency goals then the 85-90% who really care.

1852. Paper work has consumed the field offices, we only spend 1/3 or
      less of our time in the field or actually talking with producers.
      To do a great job on conservation, we should be helping people,
      communicating with them on a one on one or small group basis. We
      should hold more technical information meetings so the public
      could see NRCS is the agency to go to and get the PR back we used
      to have.

1853. I would urge the NRCS to invest in Human Capital by buying more
      shares (more quality shares). Right now we do not have the staff
      to complete our current workload and we cannot possibly reach our
      new goals (which will be higher) without more staff. We are
      digging ourselves a bigger hole with every year.

1854. I want to reiterate the need for more help in the field offices of
      NRCS. We need a combination of capable TSP\'s, capable existing
      employees, and we need more employees for the amount of workload
      we have. We also need to eliminate more red tape when concerning
      our daily work so that we can get more done!!! Thank You!

1855. I feel that this survey will end up not changing anything for most
      people

1856. Ok Survey

1857. I would like to see NRCS be able to promote employees to higher
      grades or series based on education and experience. I have a 2
      year degree and am trying to pursue a bachelor\'s through
      correspondence and online courses. However, the feedback I am
      getting is that the classes still will not qualify me for the
      series I would like to be in someday. The discouraging part of all
      this, is I am training new staff that are in these positions. I
      have 17 years of practical experience with the agency, but cannot
      go any higher because of the lack of a bachelor\'s degree. I would
      like to see this opened up some. I can see the education being
      very important for new hires, but not after someone has over 15
      years of on job experience.

1858. I am still pretty new so my attitude toward the agency may be
      better than those who have been in the agency longer :)

1859. The agency needs more employees in the mill. Having people retire
      and somebody come in cold is not fair to anyone. Question 48
      should be answered NA because I do not have a spouse.

1860. Too often activities are carried out just to say they were done
      rather than for actually acomplishing the intent of the activity.

1861. Our agency, in order to thrive & become of maximum value to the
      public, in order to attract and keep good employees, must develop
      a sound goal, and adopt and use a sound decision making process.
      We are driven by the wind it seems, doing more and more work, with
      less and less. We now have an agency of stressed out people, who
      are working for the weekend, longing for retirement. We should, of
      late, be embarrassed by some of the things we do. These errors
      could have been avoided if we had a sound goal and followed a
      sound decision making process. We must re-evaluate what we are
      doing and the way we are doing it. I am persuaded that there is a
      better, cheaper, more effective way of serving the public than
      what we are doing now. I have talked to the public and a number of
      senior legislators about what they want us to do. What they are
      really looking for from us is different than what we are doing, in
      a number of arenas.

1862. Federal employment and corporate employment are similar in many
      ways. But there are also areas of dissimilarity. Land use
      management and conservation are areas with significant
      differences. If human capital should be considered as a trend
      toward corporate style employment then the federal department of
      agriculture should seek upper level management that is aware of
      these differences.

1863. The biggest problem with mobility of federal employees is finding
      a good for their spouse. Most of the federal jobs in this region
      are in rural communities which is one of the reason I chose to
      work for the NRCS but finding two jobs for college educated people
      in the same small community can be hard.

1864. Flexible work schedule. People commute a long way to work. Nurses
      work 12 hour shifts, whats wrong with at least a 10 hour day?

1865. Keeping up with new computer skills is an ongoing challenge.

1866. I feel that the NRCS needs to find a way to get rid of its dead
      beat employees and reward its good employees to help morale. We
      need to get realistic about the increasing workload with
      decreasing employees, we can\'t continue getting the job done, if
      everyone isn\'t pulling their own weight.

1867. I think the National Office needs to be more in tune with the
      workload in the field office and how the field office operates.
      Details to the field offices may be an option for some National
      office staff who are responsible for implementing policy. Possibly
      switching places for a month or two could be incorporated into the
      details. I would be happy to try that with someone in
      Washington DC. Some of the policies and goals do not reflect what
      the needs are in the field. Also, the expanding computer
      technology and associated training has not been able to keep up
      with the needs by staff. Finally, some of the requirements
      National and State Office require such as specific training for
      payments(Financial Disclosure) and on the other spectrum the
      necessary paperwork to adequately document cultural resources are
      not present(CPA52 form) completely ties up manager\'s time to a
      point we cannot adequately address the issues within our field
      offices on a timely basis.

1868. On the topic of mobility and career advancement\... I would say
      that as much as I disliked my moves at first, they were a benefit
      to me as an employee. I feel that these moves are necessary for a
      person to advance up the career ladder. It provides the employee
      with a good grasp of the differences between one place and another
      and one person and another. Also, shows that the employee is truly
      wanting to be with the agency for the long haul.

1869. I Feel there should be a time limit set on how long it takes to
      get hired for full time employment. I feel as long as you are
      preforming at or above other individuals doing the same work,
      mandatory hiring after no longer than 2 to 3 years should be
      established in this agency.

1870. I do not appreciate being referred to as Human \"Capital\". When
      did people become merely \"capital\" instead of the life blood of
      an organization?

1871. Need to start paying technical personnel better. They are held to
      the same work duties as soil conservationists but revceive
      thousands less.

1872. What difference what race a person is when taking these types of
      surveys and the last questions from #40 on, what does that have to
      do with improving the agencies work ethics when it seems to be
      management items that need to be worked on.

1873. Under technology that agency needs to improve for
      future-prescribed burning to control invasive species

1874. I don\'t feel that our problem is the lack of available training.
      If we had enough people to adequately complete our
      responsibilities, we could all be more specialized and provide a
      better product to our customers and our employer.

1875. Right now there are too many programs and not enough people,
      stress levels in the agency are high

1876. There is more paperwork to be completed than there is time to
      complete it. This leaves at best inadequate and at worst no time
      what-so-ever for field work and technical assistance which our
      agency is founded on. This has lead to a reduction in quality in
      every area of work done because everyone has more programs to
      manage, more documentation to fill out, and more new computer
      programs to decifer with the same or less training to go on.

1877. NRCS field employees need to be properly trained and equipped to
      do the job asked of them. NRCS as an agency can only handle so
      much workload per employee. I am at my breaking point in the sense
      that there is so much work to accomplish and data to manage that I
      can not possibly get all the workload completed as expected by
      agency supervisors and the public we are trying to surve.

1878. The agency should have a better way to assess if new employees
      understand their duties with the agency or are allowed enough time
      to gain the experience to fulfill these duties. In my experience,
      the new employees are expected to perform at the same level as
      fully trained employees in a very short time frame.

1879. I feel better after having taken this survey, I do believe you are
      headed in the right direction. With 50% of us baby boomers
      thinking retirement, I feel you must have a good idea that this
      agency is going down the toilet if you do not grasp and gain the
      knowledge from the people leaving this agency.

1880. In general, supervisors need to make sure all employees progress
      to their potential.

1881. We are one of the largest employers in the country. What do other
      large companies provide to their employees.

1882. The ability to promote or reward individuals that are doing a
      great job is very important, as well as being able to remove or
      demote those individuals that are not. It is very hard on morale
      to work with individuals who are not performing and may be getting
      paid more than you. I think there are some great resource persons
      who are not being utilized because they are not willing to move.
      We need to utilize individuals with practical experience have them
      do on the job training for new hires. Placing a new hire in an
      office that has no experienced help, or individual who do not have
      the temperment to train is not very productive. Seek out those
      people who are good trainers and motivators and give them some
      division training responsibilities, or detail new hires to work
      with them. The quicker you can fully train a new individual, the
      greater your productive can increase.

1883. I feel that the agency has moved from being the best people with
      the most knowledge on conservation/agriculture to a combination of
      law enforcement (HEL/Wetlands compliance)and money provider
      (EQIP). We seem to have lost that image of the helping hand. New
      employees become disillusioned with how far we are away from true
      conservation that it is hard to retain them. I have been in too
      long to do something else, but it makes me disillusioned also.
      Thank you.

1884. We will be loosing a lot of good people to retirement over the
      course of the next few years, however, we as current employees
      must step to the challenge and meet the needs to complete the work
      effectively and efficiently!!!

1885. Get back to putting emphasis on quality of work not quatity. To
      much of our job has become, spend money because its there to spend
      and we don\'t want to lose it for next year. PRS and playing the
      numbers game will end up making more people quit NRCS. Also, if
      people aren\'t doing there job and they continue to break rules
      and policy, fire them and try to find someone that will act
      responsible for their actions.

1886. The most effective method of training new employees is to assign
      them to a duty station with a mentor(s). Once the new employee has
      a solid foundation (1-2 years) they should be required to move
      into a production position at a new duty station. This type of OJT
      will be more valuable to the NRCS and employee, than pretending to
      believe formal training and boot camp will address the technical
      deficits were are faced with today. Perhaps some of the
      expenditures associated with that type of employee development
      should be used to identify and recognize experienced employees who
      agree to serve as mentors and teachers for those that will replace
      them one day. Mobility is important to employee development both
      in terms of leadership and technical skills, however, the NRCS has
      too many people in leadership positions who have made a career out
      of moving from one job to the next to gain promotions without ever
      having been in one place long enough to learn what the job is
      really about or be accountable for their actions. These same
      employees are now in a position to make promises for what will be
      accomplished with a given set of human and other resources and
      they have no idea what it really takes to deliver what they have
      committed to. We need leaders and managers at the state and
      national level to guide us toward being successful - not reporters
      to tell us we are not accomplishing what they promised.

1887. I stongly disagree with the policy of extending benefits to
      homosexual partners. It discriminates against singles and
      heterosexual married couples.

1888. The catagory about how people are promoted should have allowed us
      to say what the real reason many people are promoted. It\'s not
      just managerial or technical. I think you know what I\'m getting
      at.

1889. I beleive it would make good business sense to promote people in
      place whenever possible, as the more time a person spends in one
      place, the more familiar they can become with the resources and
      the people, which is a big plus in many aspects of our work. It is
      very often assumed that all of us are familiar with the counties
      we work in, but that is often not the case. I also think we should
      remain fundamentally a technical service agency, as that is what
      our reputation and trust is built on. We are definitely getting
      away from that by taking on more program administration and hiring
      out field work.

1890. (How to keep good employees good employees) NRCS allows its
      employees to fill out their own timekeeping -if the private sector
      allowed their employees to come and go as they wish and fill out
      their own timecards without any supervision they would be totally
      broke by now. The fraud in this agency with government dollars is
      scary. It would benefit this agency hugely to have time clocks in
      every office and a timekeeper to record hours worked or not
      worked. A matter of ethics.

1891. I have 25 years of federal service and over 20 with this agency
      and I have not had any useful retirement information ever, I am
      eligible to retire but cannot get any information that is helpful
      to me.

1892. We need to recruit more people to gain experience before we get a
      lot of retirements.

1893. I am a widow, there is no place on this survey question 43 that
      applies to widows

1894. The biggest problem we have is not enough people to do the ever
      increasing work load. We can\'t maintain our quality level of
      service without more help.

1895. During my career I have been to many management classes where
      \"enlightened management\" has been the goal. I have also been a
      TQM facilitator in what turned out to be a debacle. The NRCS has
      too many \"political\" managers and not enough really good people
      managers. The first Sate Con. I worked for in 1976 was the \"Gold
      Standard\" and It has been generally downhill ever since. It seems
      the upper level managers forget that THEY can\'t work effectively
      if the actual \"workers\" aren\'t treated with respect and
      appreciation. I am appaled when I hear of a State Office manager
      issueing threats to his work force to \"motivate\" them to get a
      job done. If NRCS is to attract and keep highly qualified
      employees it needs to address the \"type\" of Sate
      Conservationists selected. People rather than politics make our
      agency what it is.

1896. no comment

1897. Training, training, training. We need more training for the new
      hires. We need to keep the professionals we have by rewarding them
      for the work they do. We need to have enough staff to handle the
      workload. Our people in the field are suffering from burn-out and
      overload. We cannot continue to decrease funding for technical
      assistance and technical service providers while increasing
      funding for farm bill programs.

1898. I feel state & national leadership should provide more support to
      the field level. This is where our goals are accomplished. Too
      often it feels like field staff are responsible for supporting the
      state & national levels, and their goals are more important than
      what is accomplished on the ground for conservation.

1899. I would like to see pay banding in the future. Although I am
      single and mobile, I have no desire to move around the country
      just to eventually move up a grade or two. I like where I am at,
      and happy people perform better. I think if someone is happy in
      the state/region they are in and performing at a high level, it is
      dumb that person has to move across the country to get a pay
      raise. I think this is the rule in engineering. Compared to the
      other job series, there are very few higher graded engineering
      jobs. There\'s no room to move up. Moving up in Engineering
      usually means moving to a large city you don\'t like where the
      much higher cost of living means you are actually making less.
      Engineers aren\'t generally allowed into manager type positions
      because we don\'t \"qualify\" meaning we didn\'t sleep through a
      couple of soils and plants classes in college however many years
      ago. I\'d rather go to private sector engineering, have a chance
      to advance and make more money based on performance, and stay in
      the state I grew up in. I have advanced as far as I can where I\'m
      at, so I will soon have to make that choice between working at a
      job I love and knowing I can never advance, or trying something
      else.

1900. Consider ability and experience for pay grades, rather than
      education alone!!

1901. I do not think that the only way to be promoted is by moving to
      another location.

1902. I believe the agency should hire the best people for the job not
      just because they need to meet an ethnicity quota. We have too
      many people hired to meet some quota and they can\'t do their
      jobs. It also helps to have somewhat of a agricultural background
      to work for the NRCS\...people need to be able to look at the
      producers side of the coin\...these producers have been out here
      forever and know what they are doing!!! Some change is good and
      most producers know this but, some things just don\'t work in
      certain areas of the country and they know this too. We need good,
      smart people who can relate with the customers we are working for
      and a lot of our people on board can\'t. It seems once someone is
      promoted to the State Office they become oblivious to the
      personnel in the field and loose all memory of field work. We need
      to be in the field helping conserve our natural resources not
      pecking at the computer 24-7 to meet someones outrageous goals. I
      know we need to be accountable for our work and I am all for
      reporting my work but, it has gotten ridiculously out of
      control!!!! Also our paperwork for the different practices
      especially engineering practices has become very burdensome. Do we
      really need 10 forms filled out to accomplish a job???? I don\'t
      think so.

1903. In the area of promotion and whether a promotion should be given
      to an individual that has moved or hasn\'t moved should not be a
      very significant factor if a factor at all. I feel you should
      promote the most qualified not the individual that has moved the
      most. I realize the thinking behind if an individual has moved a
      lot they should or must be more qualified because of the exposure
      or possible different areas they may have work experience in
      because of the moving but I have to disagree with this concept
      totally. The attitude that has been reared in the field by those
      that have moved, and recently by their own request, is I should be
      promoted because I have moved this many times and the government
      owes me, BS you should be promoted on how qualified you are for
      the job on what you know about the job and how good you would be
      at filling and working the job!! Furthermore, I\'m all for a
      diverse workforce but not at the expense of the integrity of the
      workforce. I\'m not in favor of hiring less qualified individuals
      to meet or say we have a diverse workforce.

1904. Many women and minorities are being promoted before they are ready
      for higher level positions and white males, who have a proven work
      record and have paid their dues, are being passed over for
      promotions. Also, if a person has moved many times throughout
      their career, it is less important for them to move to get
      promoted.

1905. I\'d like to see a clear training/experience path laid out for an
      employee seeking certain positions.

1906. No further comments.

1907. Question 48 should have the N/A option I think a big problem in
      this agency is we have such a technical workforce and we have very
      few managers. I think we need some leaders that are good managers,
      not just technical experts.

1908. Agency has become so program & goal driven - main emphasis is
      generally Quantity with Quality suffering.

1909. Child care- NRCS should provide child care options for ALL
      employees. Telecommuting - NRCS should just do it! The rest of the
      federal government is, why not us? It make sense for many
      positions, and would make the agency even more attractive for
      potential employees.

1910. Our recuitment really stinks. We need a national recuiting \"job
      bank\" of all vacancies, so if Arizona needs an engineer, when we
      are recuriting in Nebraska, we know it. Each state recurits their
      own staff and probably thousands of dollars wasted in individual
      travel, uncoordinated trips. PATCO series needs revision by more
      of a breakdown in jobs. 4 categories to general. PAS series for
      example is about 80% female (overload). Management looks to
      diversfy staff and can find women in communications easier than
      soil science, engineering, etc., so they diversify in PAS series.
      No one looks at the series vertically, hence the overload and
      unfair competition. At the mgmt. table, the staff is is
      divesified, but in the job series, overload. Also, state\'s should
      be held to match their state population in the same job series as
      its citizen. Nebr. has 7% Hispanic\'s, but how many in agriculture
      (except meat packing plants). Hard to recruit. No many Black
      people in agriculture either but we have to recruit to match
      population. We need to hire the best qualified candidate possible,
      no matter all else. That is not happening in recuritment or job
      selections. Other criteria is coming into play. Employees should
      not have to pay parking in a Federal parking garage. Employer
      should provide parking. I pay \$600 a year to park across the
      street and work here. Free street parking is multiple blocks away,
      and really cold in the winter! Other offices (state and field) not
      in Federal Buildings don\'t have to pay parking. Should be equal
      benefit. If a person goes on a detail, don\'t pay to fly them home
      every two weeks. What does that cost us. Do away with \"ethnic\"
      employee groups/associations. They split employees causing more
      tension because some people get these trips and some don\'t. Yes,
      probably anyone can go, but get real\...how many \"outsiders\" do?
      This just adds tension and fuels racism. Enuf for today!! Thanks
      for the opportunity. Please share the results.

1911. Cost of near by parking of personal vehicle to get to work. Some
      state offices provide parking at no cost to employee. Parking this
      next year will be \$600/year. For free parking, I would be 4-6
      blocks to work.

1912. NONE

1913. The mobility agreement that we are forced to sign should be more
      indepth and ask which areas employees would consider moving to.
      Also, I think that ethnical diversity should not be a
      consideration. A person should be evaluated on their
      qualifications, regardless of age, sex, race, or culture. Thank
      you for your time and willingness to ask your employees about
      their oppinions.

1914. Question #48 is an example of biased profiling. I do not have a
      spouse.

1915. NRCS\-\--Hiring well qualified individuals with agriculture in
      background, regardless of ethnicity, race, etc., should be
      strongly advised. These types of individuals tend to be decisive
      and confident in their decisions with matters of agriculture and
      conservation practices. Individuals need to really like this type
      of work - inside & outside. It is a very satisfying job, if done
      with enthusiasm. Many new hires don\'t have that enthusiasm, they
      just want the paycheck. The technical expertise of NRCS has
      steadily gone downhill. Working one-on-one with the farmer/rancher
      in the field is slowly going by the bye. That was the most
      enjoyable part of the job! We can\'t always do a reasonable job by
      mostly looking at a computer screen. Fewer employees with
      technical expertise are being asked more & more to make up for the
      shortage of technical experts. This is one special type of job
      that most people would be proud to have. Let\'s find those types
      of individuals!! Thank you for allowing us to participate.

1916. We give lip service to accountability, but at least in Wyoming,
      there is very little evidence of accountability. We have an
      obscene number of people in critical positions, that for all
      intents and purposes, are retired in place. Unfortunately,
      management has seemingly adopted that attrition will eventually
      take care of the problem. This \"stick my head in the sand\"
      approach to \"management\" is the single biggest reason for the
      low morale in much of the state. Hopefully, with a new State
      Conservationist, much of this will change.

1917. As a paid annuitant, I think I should be paid the same hourly rate
      as when I was working full time. BUT, my hours should be limited
      to no more that 25-30 percent of a full staff year.

1918. Even though I believe NRCS should promote people in place more
      often. I also think NRCS should utilize directed reassignment to
      fill vacancies as well more often. When directed reassignment is
      used - some additional type of employee incentive may be
      warranted. Also would favor some type of written return right
      offer to encourage people to take positions in \"undesirable\"
      locations such as Washington, DC.

1919. I think hiring the right person for the right position is
      absolutely necessary and building engaged employee relationships
      is essential in developing a productive workforce that has a high
      level of job satisfaction

1920. Area of technical expertise needed should include a category for
      Pasture

1921. There is always hiring discrimination based on diversity, and we
      seldom hire qualified IT people

1922. State Conservation Engineer\'s need to made GS-14\'s with
      potential for the staff underneath them to be promoted from 12 to
      13\'s based on their technical expertise (similar to the
      engineer\'s stationed in Ft. Worth). It would provide a better
      mobility ladder within the various states and retention of
      qualified engineers within the agency would be greater. Also, it
      seems like a bunch of the engineer\'s time nowadays is getting
      sucked into supervising and or training personnel perfoming TSP
      and or A&E firm work that would otherwise be useful training our
      own technicians/engineers. That\'s a waste of the agency\'s time
      and is hampering our own workload production.

1923. Number 43 I have no choice for widowed.

1924. Don\'t let this suvery sit and gather dust. Include field level
      support in strategies from across the US.

1925. As managers, we should be training our replacements, not hiring
      outside of the agency

1926. I like my job. I would like to see more field positions be filled
      in the state of Idaho because that is where the work gets done. I
      would also like to get promoted based on skill and ability, not if
      I can move to another office. I hope thie survey is constructive
      and useful.

1927. with todays social patterns, it is not practical be be moved each
      time you want to be promoted. Conservation is a long term concept
      and needs the continunity that longivity in one place brings to
      the table.

1928. Surveys of this nature are an important tool to evaluate the
      perception of the agency in the employees opinion. However, I have
      completed several surveys like this and have yet to see any
      changes made as a result. Please utilize this information to
      improve our agency!

1929. The problem in the NRCS is there is far too much work to do in
      most field offices relative to employees. The expected output is
      not changed for remaining employees when coworkers leave the job.
      We cannot do our conservation according to policy, so must cut
      corners or just not do some things (documentation, follow-up) just
      to keep from drowning. I am very stressed - some supervisors are
      not good conduits to the state office of our feelings. We need a
      way to converse directly w/o feeling we are deficient employees
      because we can\'t get all the work done. Yes, there are employees
      who never complain - they don\'t want to draw attention to their
      shortcuts which could be criticized.

1930. Training is important, but I think NRCS should reevaluate the
      Conservation Boot Camp. 6 weeks for anybody is a long time, let
      alone people with kids and other responsibilities at home. Make it
      a week, two at the most, and move it closer to the employee\'s
      duty location. That would be less of a burden to everyone
      involved, costs would be much less and I think the employee would
      get more out of it.

1931. Why are Soil Conservation Technician stopped at the GS-7 level in
      Nebraska when I see vacancy announcements in other states with
      promotional potential to GS-9? Soil Conservation Technicians are
      forced to be well rounded in all aspects of NRCS business. They
      must do planning equal with the Conservationists, implement
      programs equal with Conservationists and carry out the
      implementation of conservation practices on the land that
      Conservationists then are not taking part in. Yet Technicians are
      limited in pay because they don\'t have the degree
      Conservationists have. Too often I have been a technician that
      trains a Conservationist to do their job while I carry out my own
      responsibilities at the same time and then deal with
      Conservationists that will never be able to work at the speed and
      accuracy I do.

1932. I feel that the set up in the State of Nebraska needs to go back
      to Area offices. This would give more support to the supervisors
      and increase the Qualtiy assurance of the products that is put on
      the graound. I feel that I will allways consider a neighboring
      State to move up as a supervisor because the grade scale that is
      in the bordering States you will supervise one office and get the
      GS12 when in Nebraska you have to supervise more than one office
      and do not get any higher GS pay for the District conservationist
      job. I feel that we are also a state that worries about quanity of
      meeting the goals each year and using time in web T cas at the end
      of the fiscal year in a certain program that we have not used
      enough hours in bothers me to the point of why we even bother
      seperating our hours out when in the end it becomes falsified by
      putting hours to programs we are not working with.

1933. promotion of civil engineering technicians in the field office to
      gs 10 lid in nebraska. Other states have them, but not in
      nebraska. We are expected to perform all duties of the cet series
      plus be conservation planners.

1934. I enjoy my position with NRCS. I feel that the organization really
      needs to limit the number of programs that it currently offers.
      Identify what the future conservation needs are going to be and
      design programs that will meet the natural resource and
      conservation needs of the nation and then figure out what it will
      take to encourage landowners and operators to assist with these
      efforts.

1935. The federal government doesn\'t seem to understand that there is
      only so much the current employees can do to make the supervisors
      look good. There needs to be more managers realize that the
      workforce is going to get bogged down because of all the
      additional workload that has been dumped on them. When that
      happens, the federal workforce is going to be loosing more just
      the retirees. People are going to be looking at other employment
      opportunities. The current employees have dug themselves into a
      hole because of all the extra work they have done with less people
      every year. There isn\'t anything in place right now that would
      entice me to stay around any longer than Dec. 2006.

1936. NRCS expects to much computer skills from its older work force.

1937. Here lately congress continues to provide more and more money for
      conservation programs. This is great for the conservation movement
      but, congress does not allocate additional dollars for technical
      assistance. Year in and year out we at the field are asked by
      those at the state and national offices to complete the necessary
      work with less and less employees. Yes, overtime is permitted on
      Saturdays and Sundays to help get the work completed but, the time
      taken to complete the additional work is taken from our home life
      and family. Each year we at the field are asked to do more and
      more with less people. Does anyone really care about burn-out or
      the amount of stress that comes along with completing the
      necessary workload. We wonder why we can\'t hire our student
      trainees full time or why we can\'t keep our new employees!

1938. We are constantly asked to get items reported but the requirements
      for many items reported continues to increase. Seems the landowner
      accomplishes 5 out of 7 items so we can\'t count it as completed.
      Frustrating. and then as with EQIP, the items needed to report a
      completed task is not cost shared and state offices are not
      willing to demand that the item really be completed by the
      landowner - it wasn\'t on the CCC-1200 (not cost shared) so not
      really required - just strongly suggested. anyway, frustrating to
      try to accomplish a task and not have support.

1939. Your multiple choice questions do not allow for comments since
      many questions do not have a white or black answer. For example,
      your question on finding a spouse a job. I am all for it if the
      individual is a competent, hard worker. I briefly had an
      opportunity to work with one of those spouses placed in our agency
      as a result of her husband\'s transfer. It was a complete, udder
      disaster! The woman had no skills nor apptitude for this line of
      work. As for the question should you be promoted in your current
      location my answer would be \'yes\' you could as a worker, \'no\'
      you should never be as a worker promoting to a manager, nor should
      you be allowed to return to a worksite with individuals you
      formerly worked along side. I can personally testify to the
      hardship this causes. You might consider adding an \'other\'
      answer and a comment box at the end of many of your multiple
      choice questions.

1940. I feel it would be beneficial for employees to be specialized in
      certain programs out of each field office. That way the customer
      will always be speaking to a person that knows the most about that
      program. We work in so many different programs that you are never
      fully understand the program. I feel it would be better to have a
      person in each office specialize in one or two programs instead of
      having some expertise in all programs.

1941. My immediate supervisor (office manager) is treating me badly
      because I found pornogaphy in his file cabinet and suggested he
      remove it. Then a month later I notified personnel and my
      superiors about a dissability I had recently been diagnosed with
      Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD). Within 5 months I was put on a
      very restrictive schedule and now feel as tough I am failing and
      subject to termination. It has been suggested to me in no
      uncertain terms that maybe I should move or that due to my ADD I
      am unable to perform my job (termination).I cannot trust my state
      office to support me and I am currently trying to find out who or
      where in Washington I can contact to review my case to determine
      if indeed my supervisors are 1)not being accomadating with my
      disability and 2)unfair treatment to me by one office manager who
      accused ME of threatening HIM when I found pornography in the
      workplace. I told him I had considered notifying our supervisor
      but decided not to and would deal with it by just telling him. He
      determined this to be a threat to him and called it so. My name is
      Gregory E Johnson and I work in the Columbus Nebraska field office
      and would appreciate being contacted. My home telephone number is
      402-563-3956. I have considered going to OIG or OMB but feel this
      would certainly cause me to lose my job.

1942. Morale of the employees in the service needs to be addressed. When
      I started I could not figure out why veteran employyees were so
      cynical about the agency. After working for 20+ years and seeing
      the way government beauracracy works I understand why they were
      cynical. Cut the red tape and allow for more local decisions to be
      made. Listen to employees with good suggestions and find ways to
      follow through on them. Change the employment system to allow
      supervisors to dump poor employees without so much time and effort
      on their part.

1943. When you have an employee that does absolutely nothing and the
      supervisor allows it, why is it so hard to correct the problem?

1944. Our workforce is overworked in some offices and coasting in
      others. Please address this.

1945. I do appreciate the opportunity to provide input! I believe that
      there would have been much better results had people been able to
      print the survey out ahead of time and study and think about it.
      Some of the questions had response alternatives that did not allow
      for a much more suitable answer, and thus could very well be
      misleading. And you had to answer before going on (i did not like
      this at all). There should have been open response allowed on
      every question in addition to multiple choice selections. In order
      to get participation in the future, I believe that a report of
      answers, comments, results, and planned follow-up actions needs to
      be sent back out within 60 days. I personally know of 2 young NRCS
      employees who are very aggressive, are exceptionally intelligent
      and efficient, and who work well with the public and are quick
      learners, who because of agency in-flexibilty are looking at other
      jobs outside the agency. One of the most effective things we can
      do is to develop a resource stewardship ethic among the community.
      We have made some great strides forward on this through the RC&D
      program. But now it is all coming unraveled due to changes in RC&D
      resources, especially the reduction/elimination of Program Support
      Assistants. The constant changes in all phases of the job are jsut
      tearing us apart. Going back to some very basic computer programs
      for contract writing, progress reporting, and such would save us
      all a tremendous amount of time and be much wiser use of our time
      and resources, and would result in much more conservation being
      implemented on the land. This agency needs to act fast to transfer
      the expertise of the few remaining older/more experienced
      employees we have to the younger employees, but it can not be done
      without freeing up time for the transfer to effectively occur.
      Trying to cram it in on top of the existing workload will not
      work. I would definitely recommend that upper management get out
      and walk in the shoes of employees at the field office level to
      really get an accurate picture for what is happening and the
      process involved with trying to meet current protocol. I do
      believe that upper management is probably extremely pressed for
      time as well, but we need to take time to do a thorough analysis
      in order to keep our agency afloat and effective.

1946. I think NRCS is a great agency to work for, and I really do enjoy
      my job. However there is a lot of stress on the field employees as
      well as the state office employees, and I just feel that instead
      of trying to see who can get the most dollars in their state or
      local area we need to focus on doing a quality job, and keep moral
      up while doing this.

1947. Employees should not be promised or threatened to be moved and not
      ever have it take place, because they just keep you in the same
      spot and pile on more work.

1948. We have way too many employees that are not doing their job. Our
      administrator do not have the guts to deal with this ongoing
      problem. (Especially diverse employees) Our paper work is beyond
      ridiculous. NRCS is not efficiently administering the programs to
      the field. Very blatent case of managers put into jobs that they
      are not qualified to do! I want apptitude tests available after
      the first 3 years of employment. This would identify talents of
      the employees that can accelerate. At the same time it would
      expose those employees that should be working elsewhere.

1949. We are spending so much time reporting what we do that we can\'t
      do what we report.

1950. As an agency I feel we should always be part of the educational
      process out side of the agency. We need to stay involved locally
      in range, soil, wildlife, engineering, water, forestry, and
      farming, ranching or other conservation type workshops, camps and
      festivals for youth and adults. This is where the agency will be
      able to strive to get good quality empolyees. We also need to
      promote the professional development of the employees by allowing
      attendance at professional meetings for the members from the
      agency. Not sure I agree that we should always \"pay the way\" but
      some consideration should always be given to strenghten our
      organiazation. Thanks for the opportunity.

1951. Perhaps some of my frustration is due to the way the Nebraska NRCS
      is set up. Many are frustrated because of the lack of Area offices
      in this state. It has created a lack of leadership and
      communication within this state. We will keep going backwards
      until this is remedied. Also there is currently to much money and
      not enough personnel. It is bad enough with EQIP, I can hardly
      imagine it if CSP becomes the way we do business.

1952. Need more consistency.

1953. I do not think promotions should be based on mobility, but on
      performance. I am unable to move because my husband helps run the
      family ranch. I was told by HR that I was hired on as a Soil
      Conservation Technician due to my inability to move eventhough I
      was qualified for the Soil Conservationist level. The needs for
      the office were for a technician. I do mostly Range Management
      Specialist work, plus engineering, but could not be promoted to
      the Range Management position that opened in our office. After
      proving my abilities, I would have been promoted to that position
      in the private sector. When I asked If I should get the few more
      range credits that I needed to qualify, I was told to not bother.
      I also believe promoting based on mobility results in many
      immature, fresh-out-of-school, employees to manager positions
      before they have the knowledge or people-skills to do well in
      their positions. Many workplace conflicts result because they must
      then supervise employees that have been in their positions for
      years and have more knowledge than the new supervisor. Also, due
      to the \"no part-time employees\" rule and lack of support for
      telecommuting, I have decided to leave the federal government in
      order to be with my children. To retain young, trained, highly
      performing employees with families, the NRCS should be more
      flexible with this group of employees. These work schedules are
      advertised on the web and on our E & L statements, but unavailable
      to employees in Nebraska.

1954. Managers should be hired based on \'management skills\', not on
      \'technical skills\'.

1955. I would probably not come to work for the agency now versus when I
      started. We seem to have become to program driven versus resource
      based assistance.

1956. Stress is a big factor in the lives of many employees. I worked
      for 12 years (90- \`02) with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Then I
      returned to the NRCS in Jan of 2002. Adjusting to all the
      computerization was much, much more of a problem than I thought it
      would be. Then an assistant state conservationist called in about
      2003 and asked me if I would be a special emphasis program manager
      (SEPM) for Indians? I did, but found the extra time I needed to
      spend on this collateral duty to be highly stressful. In addition
      I was NOT given much training on how to carry out the role of a
      SEPM. Plus, I did NOT really have the time. I did not feel I
      received the support I needed, was stressed out, etc., so resigned
      after 2 years. I believe NRCS management personnel need to be more
      realistic when asking busy employees to take on collateral duties.
      Of course, not duties were taken from me. In 2003 I went to REG IV
      and became certified to do wetland determinations\-\--another job!
      Wetland determinations I strongly believe \"wetland teams\" should
      help the field office staffs with certified wetland
      determinations. I am weak in wetland plants. And, others are, as
      well. I brought in two plant specimens to get help from the
      Cooperative ag extension agent. He could NOT identify them,
      either. Most employees I talk to are not performing certified
      wetland determinations as we were taught in Reg IV. Back in the
      summer of 2004, my DC, Don Doty, was concerned about me getting my
      backlog of wetland determinations done. I told him it would take
      me a little timel to dig the holes, characterize the soil, fill
      out the soils form and the other wetland determination forms as we
      were taught in Reg IV. Don told me Reg IV people were not in the
      real world! I was a little shocked. Don told me to drive to the
      location, take a look, analyze it briefly, and drive down the road
      to the next wetland site. I did not do it that way because it is
      NOT the correct way. There is very little documentation in Don
      Doty\'s method. I can scarcely believe that the NRCS puts up with
      such shabby work from many of its field people\-\--and the DC\'s
      don\'t seem to push for their employees to conduct certified
      wetland determinations correctly, at least Don Doty didn\'t.
      Nutrient Management\-- This is a complex area in which many NRCS
      employees need more training. There is a Water Quality team over
      in Norfolk that I call upon. However, they cover many counties,
      and consequently, are \"swamped.\" The NRCS needs to hire more
      people like they have on the Water Quality team to further help
      more of us field office employees. Computer programs\-- The NRCS
      needs to spend a little more money and generate more professional
      programs for its employees to use. I believe the EQIP ranking
      program was assembled (Access?) by a past employee. I am sure he
      worked hard at it but was not a computer programmer as such\-\--a
      biologist, I believe. A couple years ago, he sent out several
      patches in one year. The NRCS should have hired a computer
      programmer (contractor) and gained a high-quality product to begin
      with. Civil Rights There is much talk about recruiting I tried to
      recruit a soil conservationist (GS-9) with a Master\'s degree.
      However, he had worked with the Cooperative Extension Service for
      a few months. The secretary there did not like him and was happy
      to tell the field tribal liason\-\-\--who told management. So,
      that recruit was \"dead in the water\" Often there are not any
      jobs available anyhow. And if there are, the SEPM\'s don\'t have
      any authority to hire qualified minority candidates. I became a
      little burned out about the way the recruitment issue is handled.
      Presently, it is way too theoretical & NOT practical in nature.
      What a shame!

1957. TO RETAIN AND HIRE QUALITY STAFF NEED TO GET BACK TO THE LAND
      INSTEAD OF 75% OF OUR TIME SPENT ON COMPUTER.

1958. We are natural resources specialists, not welfare providers to
      landowners who manage their farms.

1959. Good survey, its nice to have a voice. OCIO or whatever its called
      was not direction we should of gone, we lost one outstanding IT
      person because of this new system being a better?? system.

1960. I believe that the agency is developing destructable \"turf wars\"
      and \"power regimes\" that are distroying the credibility of good
      employees, this is why many employees leave as soon as eligible
      and others leave as soon this affects them.

1961. I am worried about the reputation of NRCS going down the drain
      because we are promoting people that do not have enough experience
      to have sound technical skills. Several times I have seen young
      planners plan practices that can never be installed on the ground.
      I know several young DCs that don\'t even know how to set up a
      survey level. The first 3 years of my career were spent working
      with a engineer and a CET and the knowledge I gained from them has
      been invaluable in the rest of my career. Putting the right
      practices on the ground is the ultimate goal of the agency. That
      cannot happen unless we have compentent employees, who have a good
      working knowledge of natural resources, planning designing and
      implementing conservation practices.

1962. Interns should not start as soil or range cons, and promoted to GS
      9 as quickly as they are. Work them as technicians for at least a
      year. Experience is far more important in the long run than
      education, and to many interns are being promoted into positions
      they are not yet mature (professionaly) enough for.

1963. Yes the agency will have a lot of retirements in the next five
      years or so. It is imperative that we recruit trainies to work
      with the technical (field people) before they retire. Our field
      engineers, technicians, and conservationists are the backbone of
      this agency, always have been and always will be. These are the
      faces our agency is known for, not national, regional, or state
      offices. Let\'s get people trained and in the field where our
      agency needs people. Not just computer jockeys in big
      downtown/suburban usa. That is not rural american natural
      resourses what our agency was intrusted to protect!

1964. your can\'t get more done with less people; increase salaries for
      the soil con techs, who are the engineering backbone of a field
      office; they get loaded up with administrative work and lose track
      of what is happening in the field, and with cost share job, they
      need to ensure stnds and specs are met, which requires close
      followup with our clients.

1965. I wish there were opportunities to advance within the agency
      without having to move.

1966. I believe that too many field office level supervisors are
      promoted from entry level technical to managagement positions (in
      field offices)witn emphasis on their technical skills and or
      college background rather than their ability to manage and display
      good people skills. I see too many employeees in entry level
      magagement positions that lack the leadership skills and
      personalities needed to be effective managers and leaders that
      make for an inspiring and comfortable work place atmosphere.
      Questin #48 is not applicable for people who are not married.
      There should be a place there to respond accordingly.

1967. Question 46. The family member in elder care lives in another
      state, there is no relation to my answer of not being mobile. Both
      my wife and I need our jobs to make a decent living. She is a
      teacher with 20 years of service and I am a GS 9 step 8. Good
      effort on getting this survey out. We need to look 20 years down
      the road and start defining who we want to be and the service we
      need to provide.

1968. The Soil Conservation Service was a people oriented conservation
      agency. The NRCS has becone a program oriented agency.
      Conservation occurs on the ground. There has to be enough people
      to be out working directly with the cooperators. Conservation does
      not happen by being chained to a computer and entering data.

1969. Too many SO personnel with assisdants, not enough people putting
      conservation on the ground.

1970. I feel that instead of hiring based on KSA\'s the agency should
      use a combination of KSAs and interviews to hire. It would also be
      nice to see the most qualified person get the job or promotion
      instead of a person that can fit a diversity quota or a person
      that isn\'t getting the job done somewhere else. The government
      should learn how to fire people that are not getting the job done
      instead of passing them on from agency to agency state to state.

1971. For being an anonymous survey - the last two pages of questions do
      all but ask my social security number.

1972. I am a temp, I think a person should not have to stay in this
      position for more than a year. You lose good employees.

1973. we are underestimating the ability and drive in our younger
      employees - they are disappointed and bored, insulted by the
      remedial level of training they get - and we hold on to seasoned
      employees who retired on the job 10 years ago and refuse to learn
      even the basic skills the new people coming out of college
      mastered in grade school (computer).

1974. Some good potential future employees are being dicouraged from
      working for NRCS because they don\'t fit a minority group and the
      NRCS is only flexible in it\'s hiring requirements when it suits
      certin individuals.

1975. Something needs to be done about actually following through with
      Desk Audits. If a desk audit indicates work at a higher grade,
      either that grade has to increase or the work needs to decrease.
      Very discouraging to go through sudits to have them ignored.

1976. I hope this information makes for flexibility and change, but
      without increased paperwork or workload for all employees in the
      NRCS, like new initiative tend to do.

1977. whether we live alone or have children or spouses, travel for
      training or other can difficult. when we get new computer
      programs, it can be difficult to get training & the help menus are
      usually not very helpful. sometimes program upgrades are not any
      better than the previous version.

1978. Non professional employees should be given the opportunity to
      become a professional employee without a degree.

1979. Agency needs to take a long hard look at those whom are soon to
      retire and ask themselves,\"how can we utilize this persons
      expertise before he or she walks out the door taken with them
      years and years of experience\.....

1980. Recognition as the the quality or lack thereof of individuals who
      are in management positions within the agency

1981. I think that we are losing our common sense approach and are
      becoming too education base rather than having practical
      experience. Don\'t get me wrong, I believe that education is very
      important because it demonstrates your ability and willingness to
      keep learning. I do feel that some people get overlooked because
      they do not \"Have a degree\", I think if that person is willing
      to get further education and if their supervisors continually
      expounds on their performance and abilities then that should be
      taken into account.

1982. It does not do any good to save the soil if we can\'t save the
      farmer. We use programs (funds) to generate work now instead of
      working with the landuser to protect the soil. It is all about
      numbers.

1983. Job experience outside of the NRCS is often seems to be
      undervalued by management. In particular, the understanding of
      self sustaining budgets for operation. The 2 main reasons I list
      this is that this experience greatly enhances stewardship of
      public funds which secondly and as a consequence improves public
      opinion and respect of the agency.

1984. As federal agencies, we need to look to our European neighbors for
      family friendly leave policies. If we want our positions to be
      more attractive than the private sector for the natural resources
      field, then we need to have good pay (we do), good benefits (we
      do), stability (we are pretty good), and flexibility (we have work
      in this area) to work with 2-career family situations. Policies
      are in place for some aspects such as teleworking, FFLA, etc., but
      the mentality of managers is to not allow such flexibility because
      by giving an inch employees will take a mile. Let\'s be honest, as
      a working mother, the most stressful thing in my life is who is
      watching after my children when I am at work, and more
      specifically having to return to work and leave a helpless infant
      with someone else. It is torture for any mother to leave a child
      under 1 year old in someone else\'s care. To have the flexibility
      of a leave of absence, reduced hours without a cut in benefits,
      and ultimate flexibility in that first year without risk of losing
      employment for quality employees would guarantee their continued
      employment and prevent loss of that time and effort spent training
      them if they were to leave service. I personally know of at least
      12 female employees that I have worked with in the past several
      years that have quit to raise a family because they were stretched
      too thin during the first years of their children\'s lives\...and
      a quality person is someone who will always put their family
      first. These are folks with 5-10 years experience that are the
      next generation of employees with a bunch of training already
      invested in them by the agency. These are the quality people we
      should want to retain, and we should go to great measures to not
      lose their talents and experience. I am a generation of employee
      that is currently raising a young family, but already have many
      years in with the agency with a huge gap between me and the baby
      boomers. When they retire, I am the next in line to be the \"aged,
      experienced employee\"\--and the pool of employees in my group is
      not that big because we were in a huge push to hire females, but
      have lost so many of them to raising families. The generation
      after me are now DCs with less than 5 years experience in the
      agency. They are so swamped learning USDA programs, software, and
      procedures that there is no time for them to hone any technical
      skills\--they are basically computer jockeys that have had no
      opportunities like I had early in my career to focus on technical
      skills.

1985. I think the agency will go downhill unless we find qualified
      resource professionals and let them work in the resource field. I
      feel like people who have an affinity toward computers will thrive
      which isn\'t compatible always with people who have on the ground
      experience. If we don\'t work to reverse this trend, our relevance
      will spiral and people won\'t seek our assistance.

1986. Over the past 10 years I have been made to feel like I am
      extremely insignificant to the mission of WY NRCS and yet I have
      had no poor performance reveiws. There has been nearly no
      communication w/ supervisor in the past 2 years and no one seems
      to care or the ones who do can not seem to do anything about it.
      This kind of management does little to enhance the performance of
      employees

1987. I believe we need to be more flexible. Ie let employees work on
      saturday or after 6pm and let some employees job share and be a
      little more flexible with women so they could work part time at
      home after child birth. I feel that our recognition system needs
      to be tied more to team work than individual accomplishment and
      that goes from the area up to the state. Competion is healthy up
      to a point but it can be a dissencitive for a major number of
      employees. Not all employees are of a high D personality.

1988. I don\'t know if this should be part of a survey however it does
      need to be addressed. The Good ol boy system is still very strong
      and is not being addressed. NRCS employee\'s are not protected by
      current laws when confronted with agressive/threatening private
      citizens. We are only protected if the employee can prove the
      citizen had a weapon. The person threatening an employee must show
      the weapon not just voice the threat. This could be covered under
      law number PL 10119 or 10118. I can\'t remember the number. This
      was the case in 1992 and as far as I know this has not changed. If
      NRCS starts getting more involved with enforcement this will be
      more of an issue. How does NRCS address Sexual Harassment when it
      is the citizen harassing the NRCS employee? Example. Citizens can
      make comments about why you were sent(not for the job) and then
      touching of private parts of the employee True story. How is the
      employee protected? In 1992 we were not.

1989. NRCS is a great organization and I feel lucky to be part of it. I
      love my job as a RC&D Coordinator. If you want to attract new
      college graduates to NRCS entry-level professional positions,
      detail a HR staff person in each state to a college (in the same
      state) that has the best natural resources program. The detail
      would be for a week or so at the college job fair (maybe this is
      done already - I don\'t know). Few college folks know about NRCS,
      what it does and the great potential career path there is with
      this agency. Thanks for the work involved in this survey and how
      the results will be used!

1990. I recieved this job from the experience I had rather than a
      college degree. Now in order to advance I need the college
      education, even though I am capable of and do the work at the next
      level. I find that in our state, the agency is not very willing to
      help employees with the financial part of recieving that
      education, although they support you to work it into your
      schedule. It would be beneficial to have some assistance for this
      since it is required in order to advance.

1991. NRCS is a great outfit to work for and I will do all I can to stay
      with this agency as long as I can.

1992. Accomplishment goals have become unrealistic. There have been new
      programs added to our responsibility but not the personell needed
      to do the jobs properly. If new employees could have been added
      over the past few years to meet the increased workload there could
      be younger employees in the \"pipeline\" to carry on the mission
      with some experience when the large number of eligible employees
      do retire. It its late to be bringing these new employees on now
      but better late than too late. We are being forced by time
      constraints to do our work in a less than complete manner. As an
      employee with a primary responsibility of conservation planning I
      do not have the time needed to do the traditional nine steps to
      conservation planning well. These are the things the SCS/NRCS
      built its well respected reputation on and for the past several
      years, since the 1985 farm bill, has fallen short.

1993. The district conservationists are being overwhelmed with the 2002
      Farm -bill workload and responsibilities. Too many changes within
      these programs from year to year. We should all be GS-12 and staff
      needs reorganized immediately to address crushing workload. It\'s
      causing poor quality assistance which in my opinion will cause
      major crisis problems.

1994. The computer technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, and
      each office is required to do so much work on computer systems
      that we need faster computers for each employee, and could use a
      full time computer person in each area or office.

1995. Thanks

1996. Agency should really focus on Conservation and not worry so much
      about contracting, reporting, etc. Hire specialized people to
      administer paperwork related tasks.

1997. My wife was employed before this move. She is a teacher, and
      moving in the middle of a school year makes it tough to get a job.
      She was having a hard time finding a teaching job, but she is now
      staying home with our daughter and starting a home business to
      make up for the difference in pay of losing our second income, and
      moving to a more expensive place to live.

1998. Only 1 of my 4 moves were paid for. I was forced moved 2 of those
      times.

1999. I feel that if we are going to spend hours upon hours at the
      computer planning so that all levels of government can print
      reports in order to justify our positions, then I think that the
      NRCS should recognize that the employees will eventually
      experience health issues. I spend 70% of my time sitting in front
      of my computer from mid-November until April. Although I enjoy
      ArcGis and digitizing and using all of the computer planning
      tools, my body does not. I have been in physical therapy for my
      hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and back since 1998, plus
      chiropractic treatments, up to once a week in the late winter.
      Although we have good insurance coverage, after the deductible, it
      takes time out of my work day and personnal day to get these
      treatments. I take leave to go the gym to stretch to keep my
      alignment. I am getting to the point where I cannot perform
      activities in my private life because it hurts too much or I know
      that if I do, then the pain at my computer at work will be worse.
      If I could not perform on the computer any longer as a function of
      my job description as a soil con, what would the NRCS do for me?

2000. This is a great agency that cannot afford to loose dedicated older
      and experience staff all at once \-- we did that once and we have
      never fully recovered.

2001. I feel retention and hiring problems stem largely from poor morale
      and lack of appreciate by the adminstration for their employees. I
      think successful, vibrant, professional businesses make sure their
      employees feel important and valued. Feelings of being valued need
      to be developed through how employees are treated and not solely
      by a gift or spot award. Also, due to the high workload demands,
      jobs get done WITHOUT the needed support, review, and team efforts
      from fellow co-workers\....The people actually getting the
      practices implemented are spread too thin. Yet, the pressure for
      high quality work remains. If production is the priority without a
      corresponding increase in people to do the work, the reality is,
      quality will be sacraficed. And then, in turn, employees are/will
      be scrutinized for less than adequate work. This completes the
      circle and creates employees that have poor morale. I believe the
      employees in our agency are committed to doing a great job.
      Timelines and pressure for accomplishing widgits undermines this
      committment.

2002. Rather than asking are if we going out of our way to hire a
      culturally diverse work force, why not ask if we are hiring the
      best qualified people for the positions?

2003. I just want the agency to follow a path that makes it a highly
      regarded technical agency. I would also like to see more
      consistency in the agency when it comes to engineering practices.
      I causes great confusion for the vendors and the producer when one
      county is executing an engineering practice in a more lenient
      fashion while the neighboring county is following a more rigid
      line and folowing the standard at a higher level.

2004. Employee (Human) relations needs emphasis. Areas outside of \"How
      many widgets?\" including training, recognition, and social
      (local, area, statewide) gatherings. Hiring specilists to do
      specific duties such as a data entry person to enter information
      provided by professional planners rather than the planner spending
      5 hours entering data for every hour spent with a cooperator to
      document too many unimportant items. Don\'t expect others to take
      up the planning slack when you have professionals capable of doing
      the work but they are busy entering data and not planning with the
      clients.

2005. What about the constant drain of REAL field personnel as the
      number of \"sit around a table and talk about work specialist\"
      keeps increasing? You don\'t offer me an appropriate response for
      question 48! I do not have a spouse (see question 43).

2006. Some of the questions reflect directly on an individual supervisor
      rather than the agency. I don\'t understand the need for the
      personal information.

2007. nrcs needs to concentrate on achieving resource conservation
      rather than chasing program money.

2008. Ask: 1) What is the most frustrating part of your job? 2) What is
      the most rewarding part of your job?

2009. This survey should have asked for feedback about workload
      perceptions and agency goals. Do our employees feel our work is
      still at the level of quality we strived for 10-15 years ago, or
      is quality suffering because of the way we\'re handling business
      now (TSP\'s, outsourcing issues, production versus quality
      assistance)? We have a significantly smaller workforce, but
      somehow we always meet goals. How can that be, unless we\'ve
      sacrificed something we used to have?

2010. I am glad the USDA is asking for this kind of input!

2011. I do agree that relocation helps employees get a better
      perspective and become more well rounded, I also think that moving
      between field offices within the division can be just as usefull.

2012. The way the questions were worded it seemed slanted towards the
      assumption that recruitment, promotions, etc might be more
      difficult because a person belongs to an identified minority
      group. There are many cases where it is percieved that a person
      was promoted and/or recruited because of their status as a
      minority rather than their knowledge, skills or abilities.

2013. I have 2 children age 22 and over but this process wouldn\'t
      recognize my answer so I just put a mark so I could finish.

2014. no comment

2015. Answer to Question 47 includes 5 moves as season Gov\'t employee
      required to eventually be hired as a permanent full time employee
      (PFT), and 2 moves once a PFT. Intent and definitions of Question
      47 need to be more clear). NRCS has transitioned from a technical
      field agency to a program-driven contract and cost-share
      administration agency. To preserve the agency, staff the field
      offices with 1) resource planners who do nothing but planning, and
      2)contract administrators who do nothing but take those plans and
      develop contracts, prepare payment applications, and then do the
      progress reporting. Having resource planners (range specialists,
      agronomists, foresters, etc.) spend less time in the field
      planning due to fast Farm Bill Program implementation schedules
      and computerized contract administration is hurting the agency\'s
      former good status as a field-oriented natural resource consultant
      outfit. More time at the computers equals less time in the field,
      which translates into employees who know less and less about the
      resources they are managing. Therefore split field office
      personnel into 1)resource field planners, and 2)conservation
      contract administrators who take the plans and do the cost-share
      contracting, payment applications, and progress reporting.

2016. Student trainee experience was very valuable when I was in college
      (young, single, and mobile). Reassignments and details have
      affected my career both positively and negatively. Having some
      \"say\" in these matters is preferable. We need knowledgeable
      staff that know when the COMPUTER is giving BAD results\...

2017. You can NOT expect excellent work when reporting systems keep
      changing and more work load keeps piling on. New employees need
      time for training and mentoring. Older employees need to have the
      TIME to train new employees and this time should be considered in
      the work load analysis. Many employees are very loyal to NRCS and
      the goals of NRCS. Having new hires who are just computeer junkies
      without proper training in natural resources and working with
      customers will most likely (in my opinion) NOT produce the loyal
      employee that NRCS is used to having. These people will jump out
      of the agency as soon as better jobs or opportunities come around.
      NRCS is the best agency to work for; however, my fear is that it
      losing its good qualities that made it strong (Good community
      support and connection with the local community) and becoming like
      every other agency: JUST PAPER PUSHERS!

2018. During moves for promotion Relocation company performance needs to
      be screen and supervised. My last move I had a bad experience
      working with the company chosen for me. If they do not statisfy
      the employee they shouldn\'t be paid. Also, Upper management needs
      to be in the field more to see what the real world is doing. The
      majority are clueless to real world agriculture issues once they
      leave the field office. Promotions can be done in place If bigger
      workload is created and accomplished the field office staff should
      be rewarded for the effort. Contracting and planning paperwork can
      still be simplified.

2019. I think way too much emphises is put on the classes taken in
      college. Further if the agency is going to continue to put so much
      weight on ones course of study then they should provide the means
      to rectify ones precived deficencies in course work so that one my
      have some hope of moving up within the NRCS. Also I would greatly
      prefer to take courses at a regular college or university rather
      then government training or online distance learning. I would be
      more then happy to take them on my own time. I just ask that they
      be made accessible (which will be tough as to being stuck in the
      middle of nowhere) and that the NRCS help cover the cost. I think
      more weight should also be placed on ones prior work history and
      not just on there educational background. It might help if you
      would start people with a BS and experiance out at a higher level
      then a GS-5.

2020. State office personnel specialists need to listen to the needs of
      the filed better when considering advertising and hiring of new
      personnel for various positions. Also, when we manage to hire
      someone over-qualified for a position (ex. SCT), we need to have a
      clear-cut strategy to bring that person over to whatever series
      they might be qualified for, if they want (ex. SC)

2021. One concern that I have had in regards to the co-op / intern
      program is that we should use that program to evaluate and weed
      out the ones that don\'t fit rather than just picking someone then
      guaranteeing them all a job after college as long as they keep
      their nose clean. We have ended up with some really good employees
      through that program and a few that we should have let go after
      their first summer, but kept them on because they were of a
      certain race, ethnicity or gender. Or maybe just because the
      expectation level for a summer employee is pretty low to begin
      with. As I stated earlier I really think we have some marginal
      supervisors in this agency. Well to be fair jerk bosses are
      everywhere so why should we be different right? Well I almost left
      this agency in year three of my employment simply because of my
      new boss and I wasn\'t alone. The only reason two of us did not
      leave SCS was because we had accepted and spent the moving
      allowance and were committed for 12 months. I also would like to
      see this agency appreciate field people more. Congress judges us
      based on what we accomplish in the field. Last time I checked the
      only people that really directly impact the mission of NRCS day in
      and day out work in the field. We are the only ones that enter
      anything into PRS. Without us no customers get serviced, without
      customers there is no need for us, then no need for supervisors,
      managers, analysts, programs etc etc. It would be nice to think
      that upper management viewed their job as supporting us instead of
      constantly bombarding us with more bureaucracy.

2022. #5 needs more choices. If you are not management your knowlege and
      opinion does not count.

2023. Question 43 does not have an answer for me. I must answer it with
      a lie because the system will not allow me to submit the survey
      without answering the question. Question 48 is also not
      answerable. I imagine you were required to include the questions
      related to gender, race GS level, etc. I do feel it is
      inappropriate to ask those questions. I feel the NRCS has some
      fundemental problems with their organization. First of all it
      seems we are trying to move into an era of new technology but we
      can\'t let go of some of the old ways. It seems to me our agency
      is structured upside down. We state that it is our primary
      objective to serve our clients with the most up to date and sound
      advice. If you look at our workforce we have placed our lowest
      paid employees with the least amount of experience at the point of
      dealing with our customers. This seems backwards given our
      mission. You would think you would place experienced, highly paid
      employees at the point to deal with the customers. When I go to a
      doctor or a lawyer I do not want to work with the lowest paid most
      inexperienced person on staff. I work at the field office level
      and I enjoy my job very much. I am very good at my job and can
      handle most any situation that will arise. It was my choice to
      remain at the field office level and I do not regret that
      decision. I do resent the fact that there are no possible avenues
      of promotion for me unless I choose to move up in the organiztion.
      Although I have no regrets in my decsions to stay at the field
      level, I would not recommend the NRCS to any young person who
      asked me if the NRCS would be a good place to work.

2024. I think management is a very important part of the process and
      they need to be selected for their mgt. skills, not their
      technical skills. -2nd comment: When the Governemnt pays for an
      electronic program, it should not be implemented until the program
      is complete, e.g IAS in contracting has so many problems and was
      pushed on the agency over a year ago. The problems still exist
      today. -Thought this is not an NRCS decision, I would wonder why
      the Government Agencies do not push to have NFC removed from New
      Orleans permanently. W/the last Hurricane this was the perfect
      opportunit to move and stay out of Louisiana. Our fiscal process
      is affected every hurricane season. A poor political decision.

2025. I think NRCS needs to take a more modern look at today\'s society
      and figure out ways to deal with two career couples, working
      parents, etc. I believe NRCS already has the flexibility in place
      to find creative ways to assist employees, we just don\'t take
      advantage of them.

2026. none

2027. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute a perspective to your
      query.

2028. I feel that the mobility issue is key for many females. While I
      believe that valuable experience can be gained from changing
      offices, it should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Often, we
      can lose good people who are limited by the inability to move.

2029. NRCS needs to consider part-time or financial incentives to retain
      the expertise of its older employees to maintain technical
      excellence and to mentor new employees for NRCS\' future natural
      resource assistance.

2030. I could not bypass a couple of questions that I do not have the
      expertise to answer properly.

2031. USDA and NRCS needs to focus on their employees. Morale in this
      state is at a terribly low level attributed to the highest levels
      of management and administration - folks with with zero technical
      skills. This is a technical agency and a manager will serve best
      if he has technical skill in addition to managerial skills.

2032. Opportunity is an important factor in getting and keeping good
      employees. The opportunity to go far in a job or career is usually
      the primary reason someone accepts one position over another. But
      opportunity seems to have deminished over the years with federal
      employment.

2033. There are 18 Editors in the Major Land Resource Area Offices.
      Twelve of these 18 are GS-12s; I am a GS-9. We all have the same
      responsibilities to prepare soil surveys for publication in
      hardcopy format, posting on the Internet, and in PDF files for
      CDs. Some of us, myself included, are also web authors for the
      MLRA Office website. I feel professionally insulted that I am paid
      less than my peers for performing the same job functions.

2034. I have several years of seasonal employment that I would like to
      add to my retirement, but I am unable to because the period
      involved is after 1984. I would like to ask questions such as this
      one, but I don\'t know who to ask. Also, in our State Office, we
      have rampant nepotism that I find difficult to deal with. There\'s
      nothing to do about it because it involves the State
      Administrative Officer and his wife, the State Conservationist\'s
      secretary. When the AO was the Human Resource Officer, he hired
      his fiancee for a position. Since then, she was promoted and they
      were married. After 5 years of federal experience, she has just
      been made the supervisor of another secretary who has worked here
      for 20 years. I think it is so that she can get a promotion. Also,
      the employees are blocked from doing anything via the Civil Rights
      Committee because the AO was on the committee for years, and now
      that he is not, his wife is. Plus, the fear is that if you
      complain, you will be forced to move someplace undesirable.

2035. In some ways, it would be a good idea to consider single people
      when moving, the concern is focused on spouses and children, but
      in many ways, it is just as hard for a single person to move as a
      family. I have relocated four times (alone each time). There is no
      consideration given to single people when asked to move. Mobility
      is a good thing, but I think there are situations where people
      should be given the opportunity to stay in a location, it is hard
      to move often and establish any trust with the local farmers and
      ranchers. It is important to remember, it is all about people, and
      personalities and each person is unique and should be handled that
      way!

2036. I recruitment could be enhanced by considering changing the title
      of our main occupational series\--Soil Conservationist. Perhaps
      reflect our Agency name, natural resources conservationist.
      Younger people want to feel more holistic they want to help
      conserve more than just the soil. It might seem infantile to worry
      about a name but I really think it matters when it comes to
      attracting those that don\'t know much about the NRCS.

2037. #43 should have a \"widowed\" box. I had to answer it
      inaccurately.

2038. It sure would be nice to see the clerical staff graded higher than
      a GS-5/6 since the agency is moving more towards the computer
      age/web/GIS, etc. But, the agency seems to have this perception
      that is what \"a secretary\" should be graded at and that you can
      take a warm body off the street and place them into my position
      and they can do the job as detailed-oriented and efficient as I
      can. Sorry, again, I am whining. Thank you for allowing me to take
      this opportunity to participate in your survey.

2039. Moving for job advancement is more difficult than it was 20 years
      ago because dual-career families are more common now.

2040. I think that is very hard to advance if the word technician is
      attached to the job title.

2041. Just to reimphasize that supervisors should always be physically
      located with employees they supervise.

2042. It seems that although an employee has the qualifications for a
      specific position the agency has no interest in grooming qualified
      and interested NRCS employees for specific jobs. Also, as a term
      employee it is hard to get excited about a job that is not
      permanent and there is no mentoring program on how to advance in
      this agency.

2043. Not racist or biased, but forget about culture and ethnicity\--
      hire the people that will get the job done right.

2044. Forced moves are important to fullfill agency staffing needs,
      however all positions should be advertised before anyone is forced
      to move. Employees who are currently working at a duty station
      should have equal opportunity to apply for a promotion at their
      current station.. They should not have any advantage or
      dis-advantage.

2045. Food for thought, The output of any device is measured as
      efficiency. Only so much can be expected. Beyond a point,
      compensation must be made by lowering output of one or more
      funtions. Unless, more energy is supplied to a device with the
      necessary strength to withstand the additional loads. Otherwise,
      failure is eminent.

2046. Being able to move (mobility) does not mean the employee is
      willing to move. Forcing a move on the employee does not encourage
      an employee to stay with the agency.

2047. specific training topics

2048. Some of us are widows/widowers and our job is our life. I have
      always taken extreme pride in a job well done. The red tape has
      become a night mare not only for us but for the cooperator also.
      Tractors are needed not for farming but for moving the piles of
      paperwork tied up with red tape from place to place!!!!

2049. I would just like to emphasize my feelings about moving. The
      survey question was specifically targeted at moves for promotions
      and did not seem to address what is known as the \"two-year\"
      required move. First, I think NRCS offers a great opportunity to
      employees who would like to move. I also strongly feel that forced
      \"2-year\" moves are hindering our agency. The two-year move
      requirement is an extremely outdated method of training employees,
      it also doesn\'t work. In most households both spouses/partners
      work and it is an extreme burden on the family to be forced to
      move. There is also no guarantee that they will receive quality
      training at their new office. If states want to ensure that their
      new employees are well trained they need to place them in specific
      offices with experienced talented DC\'s where they are sure to get
      a well rounded education. They also need to offer a better
      mentoring program.

2050. I think that Conservationists are now becoming more like Data
      Entry people and are not allowed to get out in the field to get
      experience needed to do actual Conservation work.

2051. Survey does is purpose

2052. I am in the technical series, but am qualified for the
      professional series and higher grade, but do not want to have to
      move to get there. So I am locked in a position.That is a long
      term problem.

2053. I am concerned about the loss of NRCS employees technical edge due
      to the increased time and dubious value of much of what is needed
      to be done via computer. Employees need to be able to spend more
      time in the field. Too many changes in computing environment and
      result in less time in the field. As soon as people are
      comfortable with a system it changes. I see little value in web
      based performance plans and in IDP database managed nationally.
      Increasing goals based upon budget increases without consideration
      of changes in state and local issues is not in the best interest
      of the state\'s employees. Negative Moral is a problem. Does our
      Chief and other leaders truly believe in this agency and its
      employees? Prove It!

2054. Summary of NRCS Agency needs in order to be a \"leader\" in
      technical assistance to private landowners: Add to numbers of
      full-time permanent agency employees (STOP the expectation that
      more reporting/farm program burden can be placed or shouldered by
      existing employees). Our agency\'s field staff is BEYOND the
      \"work smarter, not harder\" concept. We cannot continue to \"do
      more with less\" and expect to retain good, hightly motivated
      younger employees who will be anxious to make a career by working
      for NRCS. The agency needs younger, well-trained and experienced
      employees. The ONLY solution to this is to spend more quality time
      training new employees (from the District Conservationist on down)
      and realize that high levels of true on-the-ground progress CANNOT
      be sustained without the appropriate (AN INCREASE)in the number of
      agency field employees. If the trend is to rely more on technical
      service providers, consultants, \"partners\", etc., then NRCS will
      move away from being a credible technical agency and more of an
      informational/coordinating agency. Do not overlook the importance
      of the National Soil Survey Program and RC&D Programs (and other
      specific programs) that play important roles in helping maintain
      the credibility of NRCS.

2055. Spouse is also a Federal Employee - this should have been
      addressed - it is quite common, and is a mobility issue

2056. I feel it is difficult to develop a working relationship with
      landowners, fellow employees, partners and the community if you
      are required to move. I feel it is something that keeps new
      employees from applying for jobs with NRCS because they will have
      to more regardless of whether or not they want to move.

2057. The work has been professionally and personally fulfilling. Over
      the last several years staff workload has significantly increased
      beyond the ability to complete the work at the technical level
      expected. With the introduction of new programs and technical
      tools, staff training within a reasonable time is expected so the
      staff may complete the work/tasks accurately and within a
      reasonable time. Although most training is provided for the new
      programs or tools, too often the training is received before the
      field offices are technically capable of performing the work. One
      example: training on toolkit 3-6 months before offices have the
      computers, software, or communications lines to perform the work
      at the level expected.

2058. I am very concerned what the NRCS will look like as an agency in
      about 10 years, after all of the people who have worked for the
      agency for 30+ years will retire. They have extremely valuable
      technical expertise and they will be very difficult to replace. My
      generation of employees has a lot of potential but we need to be
      working with these experts one on one to absorb as much of their
      knowledge as possible before they leave. Also, we need to be
      working hard to recruit new qualified employees. There needs to be
      great effort put into the student and intern programs within the
      next 10 years, so when we step up into the retirees\' positions,
      we will have qualified people to fill our positions.

2059. I feel I had a good carreer until I was not supported by a poor
      supervisor, this person caused me to not get promoted and now I
      have a good job but not as fullfilling or fun as the carreer I
      had. the job has changed since I started, the questions should be
      asked would you still try to get hired on if you knew what the job
      would turn into? we used to spend a lot more time in the field
      with producers, now we spend a lot of time on the computer doing
      desk work. Thank you for the oppertunity to comment.

2060. Working with land owners and users, and helping to train NRCS
      employees, to install conservation practices that conserve soil
      and water has provided me with job satisfaction. Note: question 48
      needs a NA option

2061. I could be more mobile and have a chance to get promotions if my
      spouse could have a job more easily wherever they place me. NRCS
      needs to get back to the basics. More field work less paperwork.
      And the HR department needs to be more helpful when it comes to
      helping the employees.

2062. Field Offices\' workloads increase constantly, yet no increase in
      staff. The planning process has turned into computer exercises
      with the product of little value to the program particpants i.e
      the farmer or rancher.

2063. I appreciate the chance to voice opinions about the agency and
      where it is heading in the future. I strongly feel that employees
      should be given the opportunity for advancement without moving. If
      there is a need for the position in their current office and their
      job performance warrants it, they should be able to advance in
      place. This becomes more and more critical when you have a
      household with two working adults.

2064. Ever wonder where those people come from that work on high-rise
      architectural structures? The industry has learned that it is more
      efficient (in all respects) to hire rock climbers and then teach
      them to weld, than it is to hire welders first and then teach them
      to climb rocks. ThatÆs where they come from. And, these workers
      are competed for, paid private industries best salaries, and they
      are worth every pennyùlow turnover, less early retirement, and a
      high safety and satisfaction ratings. Hire and retain your
      existing field managers using the same strategyùthe worries about
      losing people to retirement or disability as a result of stress
      disappear: the budget should never come into play when your
      talented, creative, and productive workforce begins to disappear.

2065. Having to transfer to another office after two years work
      expierence should be up to the employee if he or she wants to move
      at that time. It should be up to the employee\'s if they choose to
      move or not. Making an employee move after two years can be hard
      for him or her and their family. Having to become Basic Planner
      and Master Planner certified in order to move up grade levels
      should not be a criteria that determines how well an employee
      conducts his job duties. Grade level increase should be based on
      performance reviews from Direct Supervisor and Area Supervisor.

2066. #43 Marital status should have another category\...Widow/Widower
      and #48 should have a NA option. I am a widow, how should these 2
      questions be accurately answered??

2067. My wife passed away in 2000, and i have been working hard to
      payoff incurred bills.

2068. I appreciate that the agency is interested in knowing such things.
      I have been very impressed over the past ten years how committed
      NRCS is to keeping up with computer technology in the pursuit of
      our goals. NRCS has been a wonderful place to build a career.

2069. Again, and as usual, you guys aren\'t asking the right questions,
      and don\'t allow or structure these surveys so \"we\" can answer
      those \"unasked\" questions. I\'d spend more time with you but
      seeing how the number of employees in the field offices is at
      historical lows, I gotta go spend program money on the computer
      and I\'ve only spent 6 hrs in front of it today trying to keep up
      with all the changes, so gosh, I gotta go. thanks for asking\...

2070. I think our State Management Team really does try to be flexible,
      creative and sensitive to the human resources. Hard and fast rules
      just don\'t work very well; there are too many unique situations.

2071. I think that the questions should have been directed toward the
      increase in workload and the lack of employees to do the work. We
      are losing a great deal of employees because of the large
      workloads they have to manage.

2072. questions related to: 1) \"program driven\" 2) \"goal driven\" 3)
      effect quantity (goals & reporting) has on quality

2073. I don\'t buy into the excuse of not being able to move because of
      job needs for a spouse. I moved 5 times in my career and my wife
      was able to find similiar or the same employment in each of these
      moves. Younger employees don\'t seem to understand how it can help
      your career and yourself be more rounded as an employee by being
      exposed to different locations and problems.

2074. Sick leave needs to be worth something for FERS employees when
      they retire.

2075. Generally I feel the survey covered the topics. I would like to
      say that NRCS has reduced staff in some disciplines or is not
      staffed sufficiently to produce quality work and products. My
      biggest dissatifaction with my job is the lack of confidence I
      have in the information we are working with sometimes. Garbage
      in - garbage out! It does not have to be that way but we fail to
      staff areas that do quality control on data that drives our whole
      agency. Think about getting more soil scientist in the areas of
      quality control; NASIS, OSD\'s, and training . Thanks for
      listening.

2076. Referring to the questions about whether the agency is fair in
      recruiting and promoting people regardless of sex, religion, race,
      etc., I have observed minority people hired specifically to reach
      a \"diverse workforce\" goal. In one instance, a minority person
      was eventually let go when their performance was consistently
      poor. I believe hiring decisions should be based on qualifications
      that give tax payers the most benefit of their dollars, not based
      on what quota needs to be met for which sex, race, etc.

2077. Because I am not married, my significant other is not considered
      to be important by NRCS. I feel NRCS should strongly look at
      quality of experienced employees prior to thinking they HAVE to
      move. Quality goes way down when forced moves are made. Morale
      goes way down and I\'m not sure it ever really comes back. I used
      to enjoy my job, now I have to force myself to come to work. I
      used to go above and beyond in my job, now I only do my job. I
      wish I had the spark I used to have for my job, but NRCS poured a
      large bucket of water over it and it just won\'t ignite again.

2078. We need more training in contracting and rules of contracting, or
      better yet, have an expert that can do that work for the field
      offices

2079. Question Number 48 Not Applicable.

2080. In regards to the agency providing spousal job placement
      assistance as part of a relocation package, I think this would be
      a nice added incentive. Montana is a very rural state and we live
      in a small town. Even with my nice government paycheck, in this
      small town my husband is the breadwinner for our family. He makes
      considerably more than me, so I cannot justify setting him back
      professionally and our family financially in order for myself to
      move up. While I would like to move up in my career, there are
      very few places we could move to where he could make the same pay
      or better and our family be able to maintain our current standard
      of living. I am sure other people that are currently considered
      immobile may be in this same boat. I think this is also a good
      argument for allowing more promotions in place. This would be
      especially true if you have high quality employees that are ready
      for management positions and they are being limited strictly
      because they cannot move for personal reasons. It is frustrating
      to see good employees being punished or even eliminated because
      they are not as mobile as the agency thinks they should be.

2081. Recognition for good work is not common within the agency. Poor
      performers receive same pay as good performers. There should be
      away for the best employees to receive pay increases over and
      above within grade increases. We should not have to move to be
      promoted if we are doing more that what others in the same postion
      are doing.

2082. The primary reasons why I would leave federal employment: the poor
      medical/dental benefits provided to federal employees and the lack
      of domestic partner benefits. State and local government jobs are
      much better in this regard.

2083. If an employee and there family are happy in a location they are
      more productive employees.

2084. The USDA relationship with local boards (County Committees and
      Conservation Districts) needs to be updated. True leadership is
      needed on the above boards. Too often the Local Leadership is
      nearly 100% self serving (money and power are the driving forces
      behind board membership - doing the conservation/environmental
      thing (Conservation/Ethics)should be accomplished first by board
      members and if possible without program benefits). Too often board
      members will chastise community members who are progressive and
      implement progressive conservation/environmental concepts without
      program benefits. It\'s to early to tell if the CSP will reward
      and identify the true conservationist/operators (and chaff out the
      self serving board members).

2085. Happy Holidays!!!!!!!

2086. Question 5 needs \"none\" as a choice. I don\'t believe any of the
      choices are the basis of many promotions.

2087. NRCS needs to focus more on technical assistance and less on
      program eligibility, application, and tracking.

2088. much of the frustration employees at the field and area office
      levels are connected to the emphasis on computer related data
      maintenance and the constant changing of computer program
      applications and problems. field office employees are not spending
      as much time in the field working with customers and our customers
      notice the amount of time the office work is taking up. many
      employees at the field and area offices chose those locations to
      be able to work in the field with customers or other employees.

2089. As I approach the end of my career mobility does not have much
      appeal

2090. One of the biggest drawbacks to employee performance is trying to
      keep up/conduct the multitude of programs currently in force.
      Reducing/combining that number would greatly enhance productivity.

2091. The mobility to get promoted is fine, but many items need to be
      looked at in promotions. Not all people are ment to be in
      management, not all that are mobile are meant to move up and if
      the agency is going to tell people we ahve to move to get promoted
      then that needs to hold true for everyone. An even playing field.
      ino ur state our SAO has told some our student moes done\' count
      and other they do, then some are told we HAVE to move to get
      promoted that is how this state works when there are folks in our
      uppermanagement that started as 5 or 7 and are now 13 in the same
      desk practically. It\'s hard to move your family on short notice
      when these are the people telling you to move and it isn\'t a big
      deal, it is! i agree we all need to get a good assortment of
      experience and the only way to do this is moving, but there has to
      be a better more \"family/employee friendly\" approach then what
      Montana is using. Also we are loosing good or Excellent employees
      when they force them to move, some don\'t care to get promoted or
      their spuce can\'t move. They are happy with what they are doing
      and have health care for there farming or ranching spouces. just
      some thoughts

2092. I think that the mobility policy should be changed. If the person
      would like to move then they should if there is an opening. Where
      there are people who are happy with their grade and job and don\'t
      what to move maybe because of family shouldn\'t be made to move.
      The field office has lost alot of good people to being told to
      move and have a hole to fill with the remaining staff.

2093. The NRCS Agency needs to provide better vehicles, computers, and
      trainings to it\'s field office to do a better job of providing
      service to our clientele.

2094. Soil Conservation Technicians should be eligible for a GS-9. We
      are loosing too many to other agencies and private better paying
      jobs.

2095. Global politics and economics and energy. Also, the future impacts
      on water.

2096. Retired from active duty USAF (voluntary early retirement under
      the Clinton administration).

2097. higher pay is needed for the higher expectations we are required
      to complete

2098. Everyone I know in this agency is under an extreme amount of
      stress due to the current Farm Bill workload. The quantity of our
      work has increased at the expence of the quality. It is nice not
      to have to worry about job security but once again it is at the
      expence of the quality of our work and customer service. I don\'t
      think I\'ll ever catch up. We need more technical assistance.
      TSP\'s are not available in rural areas of low population. TSP\'s
      are not the answer.

2099. NRCS has 300% more conservation funds today than in 1997 and yet
      there has not been a increase in hiring to compensate for the
      increased workload. The increase in conservation funding has
      created an increase in field office workload that will last for at
      least another 4 years. During these 4 years many more employees
      will retire which will bring about further upward mobility of the
      field. This causes a lack of technical expertise in the field
      which is where our #1 customer (the rancher, farmer and other
      agricultural producer)needs it most. During the last 10 years the
      time spent on the computer has increased 5 fold. Anymore, a good
      dayin the field is worth 3 days in the office learning and using
      more GIS gadgetry. More often than not, the increased time in the
      office reduces the time spent with the landowner and taking
      inventory an field observations. We are losing our technical field
      expertise which our customers( agricultural producers) knock on
      our door for. It seems like now all we do is make pretty maps so
      that our legislators can just push a button to see how many
      widgets we produce. Instead they should go out to the field to so
      how much NRCS employees make a difference in a producer\'s
      livelihood. NRCS management is also neglecting the drastic
      situation we will be in in a few years when many employees retire.
      Right now we should be hiring more employees to train them so that
      the retirement transition will not affect our production. After
      all, production is what the legislators are looking for. Thank you
      for your time and the opportunity of this survey.

2100. The agency has been very supportive during my on going fight with
      cancer which is probably more discriptive of why a person would
      continue to work with the agency. This is like a family, even if
      you move within a state. In this state almost everyone knows each
      other or has worked with others at some point or time. That and a
      passions to protect the resources of the home state is what keeps
      a lot of us hanging in there with poor management and red tape
      from above that sometimes keeps an employee from getting
      conservation on the ground.

2101. I don\'t believe we need new skills or specialists as much as we
      need to adjust/shift staffing diciplines. Make management as
      simple as possible have as few as possible fill those roles. Why
      have so many state and area offices duplicating roles? Combine a
      bunch. Then have 75% of the employees in the field (with fewer
      offices & larger staffs servicing larger areas )delivering
      conservation assistance.

2102. Many capable people are very disgusted and would quit given an
      opportunity elsewhere.

2103. New employee training should not happen until computer security
      clearance.

2104. Too much moving is too hard on families, NRCS has one of the
      highest divorce rates in part because of this.

2105. Believe to many chiefs, and not enough working bees, know need to
      appease congress, but in last 10 years going overboard

2106. I am on a term appointment trying to become a permenant employee.
      I am extremely disappointed with the availablity of training
      materials and courses to do my job and to imrpove my jobs skills
      for NRCS required modules. I will complete my masters degree in
      one year; however, I need to be able to meet NRCS on the job
      requirements also. The training materials are not currently
      available due to Aglearn setup. The computer provided to do my
      daily work is so old it cannot handle the GIS software and other
      areas of my job. A great deal of time is spent resarting my
      computer because it has locked up. When I am working, it moves so
      slow that it takes 5 times or more longer to accomplish the work
      to be done. Getting access to programs on the computer needed to
      do my daily work hads been a huge issue too. It is frustrating to
      come to work and not be able to get things done because of all the
      road blocks created by red tape. This is not good use of the work
      force. I want to do the best possible job I can do, but the tools
      available to me create daily henderences to doing the best
      possible job.

2107. Rural america may be progressive in agronimic practices, but not
      relative to home and community. Husbands/fathers, right or wrong,
      are still considered the bread winner. Wives/motherÆs are still
      perceived as keepers of the home, hearth, children and community.
      In rural America, it is the exception not the rule that a husband
      will move because of the wifeÆs career. Women hold professional
      positions with in the agency, but operate under enormous stress
      levels in order to attempt to strike a balance between home and
      work. Not to mention the high levels of guilt associated with not
      being home for children. The majority of families are dual income.
      The spouses of employees are not willing to give up their
      positions. According to this survey, the workforce is aging. This
      means their parents are aging. Elder care issues will continue to
      surface in the next few years. The computer age and the associated
      technology such as teleconferencing, net-meetings and email has
      changed the way we work. Having a staff all located in the same
      room is not necessary for communication. Mobility to gain
      experience may have merit for new-hires, but not for the seasoned
      employees who prove their worth and commitment time and time
      again. Mobility becomes a road-block not only for the employee
      dealing with the personal issues noted above, but for the agency
      if they wish to retain experience and maintain a diverse
      workforce. Mobility is something born in the 1950Æs or
      earlierà.the concept is antiquated. NRCS needs to evolve.

2108. NRCS has a fantastic mission!! Please reduce the policies and
      rules which complicate the mission and deter the public from
      wanting to participate in programs.

2109. Feel that mothers should get better maternity care leave and
      return to work schedules. Feel that offices should be allowed to
      have babies brought to work with them especially if a nursing
      mother. Need to have an item for widowed marital status in Q43.
      Q48 should have NA for no spouses.

2110. The agency publicly promotes telecommuting yet does not support it
      at the state level. Alternatives need to be considered in order to
      retain good employees and to avoid the potential break up of
      families and marriages.

2111. Sick leave needs to be worth something when an employee retires
      under FERS

2112. I have worked for a non-profit organization and a state government
      in my carreer. Both of these offered better medical, dental, and
      optical benefits than my current position in the federdal govt
      does. Accordingly, establishment of a strong dental benefits plan
      and increasing medical benefits should be a priority. On the other
      side, I am very impressed with the federal govt\'s committment to
      training and advancement.

2113. Political whims are negatively affecting all agencies. The idea of
      having agencies operating like private business but the agency
      budgets raising and declining with the federal budget deficeits.
      The idea of appointing political appointees to management
      positions that don\'t have a clue is having a huge negative impact
      on the agencies effectiveness.

2114. I feel if a person has the ability to do the job whether the
      training came from a formal education (degree) or on the job
      training. The person that has been trained on the job should have
      as much of a chance as the educated person with the degree has for
      advancement.

2115. The agency has lost it\'s credibility due to the fact everything
      it does is program driven. Employees are not doing a good job of
      planning again due to the fact, money has to be spent. Short term
      deadlines are stressign employees.

2116. For the agency to remain strong it will have to go back to the
      basics of applying conservation on the ground. There is too much
      reliance on computer technology and too much program
      administration. Not enough emphasis on providing technical
      assistance and building relationships with producers/landowners.

2117. Today, with most spouses having to work as well, the mobility
      agreement is not fair for employees, as it affects two people\'s
      careers, not just the NRCS employee. This is an outdated policy
      that is not realistic for today\'s working environment.

2118. In order for NRCS in NE Montana to we need to move the Area Office
      out of Glasgow to a more desirable location. Get some training to
      our newer employees, especially the engineering technicians. The
      best way to train the technicians is to promote our GS7
      Technicians that have been here for 20 + years & have them train
      the newer employees & other soil conservationsists. These
      technicians know & understand so much, we need to capture that
      knowledge, because quite frankly we as an agency look like a joke
      to the public. We have gotten away from individuals knowing and
      doing their job well to being a \"jack of all trade\". It is
      better if an agronomist does agronomy, a range con. do range work
      and a technician do engineering & we all work together to better
      our landscape. NRCS is supposed to be a Technical Agency who knows
      about agronomy, range & basic engineering practices. We have
      really lacked in the training and time allowed to accomplish this
      goal. I love my job and I believe in what we do, I just would like
      a little upper division assistance to get my job done right.

2119. These surveys should NOT include sensitive questions ie. sex and
      race.

2120. USDA has too many programs\--its nearly impossible for me to keep
      a working knowledge of all the programs that we use in the Field
      Office. The time employees spend learning and implementing
      programs is exorbitant.

2121. Lack of flexibility in taking into consideration/coordinating
      spousal job placement/or the practicality for spouse to find work
      in his trade specialty could be the main deciding factor in
      whether to continue working for the agency.

2122. I think that the heritage of and the foundation that the NRCS was
      built around is a fantasitic thing and I fear that we are becoming
      a whole different agency then what our original intent was. We are
      becoming more regulatory instead of voluntary, we are becoming
      much more strongly enviornmentally oriented instead of
      agriculturally oriented. It feels that we are causing more harm to
      the very discipline that we were built around then we are doing
      good. The true agricultural producers are beginning to develop a
      mistrust of the NRCS. Our clientele is becoming more and more
      absentee landowners, landowners who do not depend upon the land to
      make a living and/or landowners who buy land for a tax write off
      and the landowners who depend on the land to make a living cannot
      compete with the previously mentioned ever becoming more common
      types of landowners and clientele of the NRCS.

2123. I believe that our agency has by and large done a fair job of
      recruiting employees. I feel that hiring for jobs to make sure
      that their was the appropriate number of females, races etc
      resulted in some discrimination against white males who in turn
      had never discriminated toward others. I think that we should
      pursue some employees who have agricultural backgrounds in
      addition to desired education. This will improve their ability to
      work with people who are of the land. Sometimes a N/A would work
      well in the survey as per #48 - I don\'t have a spouse.

2124. Performance evaluations should reflect the true value of the job
      that the employee is doing. There should be more feedback given
      for improvements/changes and more opportunities to recieve
      training in aspects of the employee\'s choice. This will give the
      employee more expertise in a variety of fields and job
      satifaction.

2125. There are many biased questions. For instance, question 21, in my
      opinion ethnicity or culture is not the issue, I look for
      compitence to perform a quality job. The question about agency
      hiring, it has been very limited due to \"budget\" NOT people
      willing to serve. Promotions being awarded equitable, it could be
      taken either way. If I were a minority I could say no because it
      looks like others are preferred. If I am a \"non-minority\" then I
      cauld be disagreeing in that it looks like \"minoritys\" are being
      promoted because a quota needs to be filled at a higher level. I
      will say it again, compitency not ethnicity.

2126. NRCS is a good agency and does a good job - we just need to keep
      up better with the surging changes in agriculture and technology.

2127. We need to be given more time to do a good job. Hone our technical
      skills by use. More trainining is not the answer. To improve
      retention need to improve job satisfaction, more pay is not the
      answer. Moral is at the lowest I have seen it in my entire career.
      Agency has become too program driven. All the way up the line
      everyone wants to be able to get any sort of data with the snap of
      a finger. As a result we have become data entry personell, rather
      than the technical, natural resource people we went to school and
      trained to be, this leads to low job satisfaction.

2128. No Comment, Thank you for allowing to do this

2129. No additional comments.

2130. NRCS has been a great employer for my 20 years with the federal
      government. The main way it could go from being good to great
      would be to get rid of some beauracracy. The best way to
      accomplish this would be to learn from FEMA and Katrina, we need
      to be more reponsive to our customers by getting conservation on
      the land quicker. A good example is the amount of time we spend on
      ranking criteria for EQIP. We\'ve burned hundreds of hours on this
      and then we\'ve scrambled to fund every contract that was
      submitted making the ranking process irrelevant. In the process
      we\'ve scrimped on working with the landowner to get all the paper
      work done. The resulting product is a compromised conservation
      plan that isn\'t even up to the standards that were in place for
      my field office in 1946. Most of those older plans had more meat
      in them and less paper than all the EQIP plan\'s I\'ve written.
      Management\'s response is always \"that\'s your problem, produce
      quality plans and do all this cumbersome beauracratic stuff too\".
      That attitude isn\'t realistic, there isn\'t enough time or people
      to do both. Either we spend most of our time working in toolkit
      and protracts or most of it working in the field with landowners.
      Lately it\'s been in the office on the computer which doesn\'t get
      us back to where we were in 1946. This will bite us at some point,
      especially if other state, county or tribal agencies are doing a
      better job by stressing what is important. Thanks for listening.

2131. I think if you are doing a good job where you are at,mobility
      should be eliminated.

2132. It is difficult to keep up with all of the technological changes,
      program rules and regs, new computer programs etc. It seems to be
      an information overload situation, where you are still expected to
      work with producers planning their EQIP, WHIP, CSP, and oh yeah,
      keep up on all of the PRS, protracts, contracting, ranking
      etc.etc. it\'s alot of information and it\'s difficult to be
      proficient at everything!

2133. We are losing top quality female employees because of work
      conflicting with family needs. Our agency needs to explore some
      ways to retain these employees, even if on a part-time basis.

2134. The Soil Conservationist Position should not be on auto pilot to
      the next job until that person has remained in same location for
      at least five years.

2135. I am employed as a temp. However, when I become full-time, and my
      husband has completed school and has a good job, I will not be
      willing to relocate to be promoted. The thought of that almost
      makes me want to go to private industry just to avoid that
      headache.

2136. Concerning mobility and current policy, to be promoted you have to
      move to a new location which is typically to an area where the
      cost of living is much higher (not nearly compensated for by the
      increase in pay) or you are sent to a small, rural area where your
      spouse may not be able to find a job in his/her field (which more
      than negates your increase in pay). What incentive does this
      create for wanting a promotion? Serious thought is needed to
      address these problems with consideration given to allowing
      promotions and series conversions without requiring mobility
      (especially where there is a need at your present location). If
      employees are treated with respect and loyalty you can expect the
      same from them.

2137. The same person telling us we have to move to get promoted has
      never moved and just keeps climbing. It use to be that the Area
      and State offices were ther to support the field. Now it is the
      field supporting the area and state ofices. People are burning
      out.

2138. The dual income household is the norm across the United States.
      This fact needs to be taken into consideration when employees are
      expected or encouraged to move by the agency.

2139. I just wanted to clarify my answer on a previous question\...The
      one about whether I felt promotion potential was even for all
      regardless of RSNO. I feel that there is possibly a case of
      reverse discrimination, that the agency tends to promote, or hire,
      those that are considered to be in the minority before those who
      are not.

2140. I could have retired 2 years ago, but I enjoy my job and can\'t
      find a reason to retire at this time. I like our customers and my
      co-workers. NRCS is a great agency to work for.

2141. We need more people in the field. You continually want us to do
      more and more and meet more and more goals and we do and push
      ourselves to the limit in stress and this leads to frustation in
      our job. Then we get to a points of just push the program and
      money and it doesn\'t seem the agency is concerned with the
      quality of product to the producer. Which takes time and education
      to promote good(best) mgmt practices to the farmer/rancher. Very
      little of this can be accomplished from the office or computer. We
      need people in the field to get the job done and do a good job for
      the natural resources, producers and be proud of what we do. Do
      NOT just push programs and money because if there is no quality
      and we do not have the people in the field to do a good job. Then
      the producer should just back his pickup up to the Field Office
      door and we can load the money that way!!! I appreciate the
      opportunity to say how I feel. Thank You.

2142. Thank you for asking.

2143. We need more help and training with the tools that are givenn to
      us people in the area and state office have for gotten how the
      field offices work and that is where the work is done. They forget
      the human element of the field offices.The field people heve to be
      specilist in every field. Not like area or state office people
      they specilize in only one field.

2144. Funding drives our agency to implement programs but the we are
      graded on quality and quantity with limited staff to accomplish
      our goals.

2145. I understand that workload and capital needs to be balanced with
      funding. But I feel like the pressure to use program money is not
      being balanced with the number of employees to implement these
      programs. The imbalance of capita makes it difficult to
      concentrate on good planning which is the first step to
      contracting programs.

2146. Our communities and landscapes are changing and how do we get the
      expertise personnel to assist in these changing times. And more
      importantly, how do we maintain a level of funding where the right
      people are hired, the proper training is available. And by what
      means does congress know what we are doing and the improtance of
      our work so that funding is available at a level we can maintain
      our role.

2147. none

2148. No other comments! Thanks !

2149. Too much emphasis on hiring in at a beginning grade rather than on
      qualifications which would qualify an applicant at a pay grade
      that reflects skills and abilities.

2150. Comment on pay and mobility. I cannot afford to move because of
      the paycut my wife would take. We would lose money for me to move
      for a \"promotion\". We get great benefits, but the pay does not
      compete with salaries one can get with private firms.

2151. Training has been offered or forced, depending upon the
      individual, but much if not most has been a waste. The money spent
      sending all field employees to the state office for a week long
      All Employee Meeting or Civil Rights training for example, is a
      huge waste. A statewide training could be better accomplished by
      sending a few trainers out to 3 or 4 area training locations
      rather than every employee going to the state office. Huge amounts
      of money is wasted on per diem and motels that could be spent on
      only a few and the rest used elsewhere. If there is a certain
      amount of money that must be spent on trainings each year, why
      don\'t we use it wisely rather than wastefully? It could be better
      spent even sending individuals out for training on specific areas.
      As for Civil Rights training, most people that work for the USDA
      in my state have a pretty good set of morals and ethics or they
      shouldn\'t have been hired in the first place. Shoving, what
      actually has turning into reverse discrimination down our throats
      is not good for the employees or the organization. Wasteful
      meetings that really do not help me DO my job is a terrible waste
      of money that could be better spent on GIS equipment or ATV\'s or
      soils or range courses or environmental courses, or just about
      anything. I really don\'t care if a person is green, pink, purple,
      white, black or brown. I treat them like anyone else. Forcing me
      to go to a week long, supposed training, gives me a feeling of
      being treated like a child, \"your going to do this or else!\". I
      do not appreciate that from my agency nor being threatened with a
      bunch of coded and titled crap that should be a part of ones
      morals to begin with. I also feel that we spend more time, energy,
      and money on continually trying to please or accomodate a few that
      have nothing better to do than gripe, complain, or sue the
      government than serving the producers that are the backbone of
      this country, what it stands for, and that will keep it free in
      the future- the American farmer and rancher. When asked what
      percentage of my job is done by someone else, I would have to say
      very little. We have a Farm Bill Specialist in our field office
      that is supported by our Conservation District. This person is
      very valuable, but the District as a whole does very little to
      help me do my job. I believe we leave a false impression that we
      are doing our jobs effectively or maybe the word should be
      adequately. As technology has increased, it has stifled us as much
      as helped us. With states being inconsistent in their use of and
      availability of technology and/or resources (GPS, ATV\'s, laptop
      computers, etc.) some of us are still in the stone ages compared
      to the customers we are trying to assist. We have new computers
      being sent to our offices that cannot even handle the new software
      that is being required for us to use. We may spend lots of time
      \"Planning\", but actually it is planning how we are going to
      fight the computer today trying to get the program to take the
      information that is needed to print out or draw the map or
      whatever on that plan. We fight updating, inputting, printing, and
      reporting on a weekly if not daily basis. If I was to say that
      Conservation Implementation was the majority of my time, that
      would be misleading. We don\'t actually do the implementing, the
      producer does. We do not have the personnel resources to be at
      every place to see the actual work being done. Most implementation
      is the result of government financial assistance for a particular
      practice. The irrigation company or contractor installs, and we
      have just a little time to check-out what has been done. Not only
      that, but many of us have very little experience and even less
      training on the engineering/technical aspects of a practice
      installation anyway. Most of my time seems to be spent on
      Financial Assistance. Which feels more like I am a Sonic
      restaurant. Many producers come in wanting \"money\" to do
      something, not necessarily doing it for conservation\'s sake. They
      just need the practice and know that \"the government\" hopefully
      will help pay for it. We check off the items they want, kind of
      like ordering at Sonic or McDonalds, they do the practice, and
      then they want paid, end of government involvement. We don\'t have
      the time or resources to go out and do, by my standards, an
      effective and complete resource evaluation of their operation and
      assist in developing an overall resource management plan for their
      operation and future. Hopefully, CSP will help in turning this
      around. The NRCS focus seems to be on meeting deadlines and time
      frames to \"just get the money out and the paperwork in\" so it
      keeps some group or organization happy, and we rock on. Are we
      really addressing conservation or maintenance of our land or
      environment? I don\'t think so. I believe the technology aspect of
      NRCS has become so inefficient that more and more of the Field
      Office time is spent dealing with and fighting with inoperable
      computer programs. More time is spent just trying to get computer
      \"paperwork\" done that we don\'t have the time to do actual
      \"hands-on\" in the field conservation work. I have no problems
      with computers, and am very open to their use, but a computer only
      sets on my desk and does not give the hands on assistance that
      most producers want or need. In all truthfulness, only a small
      majority of producers go to the computer for assistance as the
      higher-ups want the public to think. Even the most computer
      literate do not want such an impersonal technical source. If true
      change is to come, it will have to start at the top and work down,
      not the other way around. Politics does not get my rancher\'s
      mesquite controlled to improve his grazing efficiency and
      production or my farmers field watered more efficiently. It gets
      us the same \'ol \"government\" sneer and snide remarks as it did
      when I was a kid. If the organization wants to change, the mind
      set has to change. Throwing money at something (conservation) will
      not get it done, it only makes a bigger monster. Teaching people
      how to do things (conserve) on their own, even out of their own
      pocket, makes a much bigger impression and lasting results.
      Getting back to actual resource management and person-to-person
      communication. Producers don\'t care about how technically
      advanced we are if they can\'t get personal help to do it. We
      haven\'t had one person come in wanting e-authentication. They
      want \"personal authentication\". People who care about what they
      are doing and knowledgable enough to do it. Thank you for hearing
      what a Field Office person has to offer on this very important
      matter of planning for the future.

2152. I wish that the Government would realize that outsourcing is more
      expensive in the long run, not just financially but in the
      stability of the workforce.

2153. NRCS name needs to be changed back to SCS. Its basically a good
      outfit.

2154. The computer programs that you send down need to work the first
      time and not 20 changes later\...The Field Offices are your
      foundation\...We are capable of doing the job on the ground, but
      the confusion that falls down the tube needs to be STOPPED! Send
      us things that work and not fix it as you go attitude\...

2155. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the agency. I did miss some
      opportunities for advancement, but my family came before the job.
      I wasn\'t interested in disrupting their education and life style.
      While serving as a District Conservationist in a Field Office with
      a tremendous Farm Bill workload, I enjoyed working with the SWCD
      and the cooperators within the district. Concerning computer
      programs, I learned CAMPS, and then FOCS. When ToolKit came about,
      I decided it was time for a career change. The young
      conservationist that have come on board are not computer
      challenged as I was, but they don\'t have the technical skills
      that I have. Certainly there is a place for \'old-timer\'s\', such
      as myself. But it\'s not behind a computer!

2156. a doubling of workload and responsibility without re-writing of
      job description and no upgrade of GS grade to higher level is
      demoralizing & frustrating \-- all my 4 job moves within the
      Federal Government have been at MY OWN expense

2157. Going outside the agency or even the government service to fill
      journeyman positions is a real morale buster.

2158. Only that this agency has been around for a number of years we
      really do not need to be reinventing the wheel. Many of the
      formats, policies and process of our agency are and have been in
      place. I find that it may be new management hired from outside the
      agency are creating \"new processes\" or \"New forms\" to conduct
      or fill out most have been in place and are only redundancy forms
      found somewhere in our plans. It seems to me that managers or
      state office specialist sometime feel that they have to create a
      new forms in order to justify there job and many are redundant. To
      bad they do not understand that the field office level just wants
      their expertise and experience not new forms. I also feel that the
      older supervisors \"short timers\" may not have any self-interest
      in the agency anymore and are making less effort to insure that
      the knowledge is being transferred down to the subordinates. Or
      that they may want to function as a TSP when they retire and may
      see an advantage to them by not training the future specialist or
      supervisor as he/she maybe competition. We (the Agency) needs to
      insure that the employees are getting the best possible training
      regardless of what the training plan says. Just because it is
      written down, does not mean it is happening out in the field. We
      all know if we fail to train our employees at this critical stage
      of this agency, we will have almost no knowledge base to draw from
      as they are already beginning to retire. I do believe that the
      agency must continuously poll and send out confidential surveys to
      monitor what is truly occurring out in the field. Although, we are
      probably installing record numbers of projects and spending record
      amounts of dollars. When the money barrel empties all we have and
      should always have as our bread and butter is our Technical
      knowledge and Skills. So upkeep of our knowledge base is the
      foundation to our agency future. By the way this 20 minute survey
      took almost 1hr. I have had 4 phone calls, 3 produces step in. We
      are an absolutely needed agency. Get us the training and extra
      help. Thank you much for the opportunity to convey our thoughts
      and needs.

2159. Hiring should be conducted by OPM or at least follow OPM
      regulations! Programs such as student trainees should not be the
      purvue of the NRCS (that gives those individuals an unfair
      advantage). All professional series including GS 5 and 7 should be
      advertised (they are not being advertised through USAJOBS)and all
      hiring should be based on education and experience, not the state
      an individual resides in. This situation only promotes an inbreed
      stereotype.

2160. District Conservationists should be GS-12 in most locations

2161. Why did it take so long to invest into the future

2162. I feel the NRCS is a great agency but i feel that we could be even
      better by being a little more consistent with our programs from
      year to year and training your employees to do even a better job
      and to be able to more competitive for jobs.

2163. I believe that this agency has put too much emphasis on Tool-Kit
      and it took too much time away from planners being out in the
      field. The maps they are producing are pretty, but it doesn\'t
      make up for the \"Quality\" of conservation work that this agency
      was once known for. There should be a balance between time spent
      on tool-kit and time spent out in the field. I believe \"retention
      bonuses\" should be considered to keep the
      \"seasoned/experienced\" employees.

2164. I feel that there is reverse discrimination within the agency.

2165. None

2166. I moved up through the ranks from entry level to supervisory and
      the Field Level is where the work is done and the goals are met.
      We need good help in the field. Employees that have messed up
      should be fired instead of promoted into desk jobs that keep
      eating the budget. Good temporary employees should be considered
      for full time jobs once experience is gained instead of filling
      open positions with employees because they have a degree or
      because they have vetrans preference (we need good help).

2167. I hope the survey information that is compiled will be shared with
      agency employees as soon as possible to show that the survey and
      the input had some impacts. Even though these surveys take \"only
      a few minutes\", it would be good to know that it wasn\'t a waste
      of employee/agency time and budget.

2168. I see an inconsistancy in the promotion process. It is not always
      what you know, but who you know. Also, there is a conflict of
      interested between applicants and the selecting offical. I have
      seen qualified personell that are doing the job at hand get past
      over because of the conflict between the applicant and the
      selecting offical.

2169. Technology has made several jobs we do a lot more efficent but the
      old grass roots planning out on the ground should never be
      compromised especially when dealing with our natural resources. I
      feel that it should be a balance between new technology and face
      to face dealings with our customers on the ground to idendify and
      address thier concerns as well as manage our natural resources.

2170. Agency needs to offer a competetive salary to keep and attrack
      young people. Locality pay adjustments should also be looked at
      for those areas that are more expensive to live in.

2171. none.

2172. none at this tim e

2173. Promotions should be based on qualifications for the job and
      performance period.

2174. We need to beef up our workforce and get them trained up before we
      lose all our seasoned employees who have all the expertise and
      experience before its too late.

2175. Gs and step increase should occur more often then current
      situation.

2176. An employee should be able to relocate based on his own career
      goals, not based on what someone thinks is \"best for the
      government\"

2177. I want to stress that anymore, promotion and job opportunites
      should not be based on how mobile someone is. There are many
      opportunities w/in an office, a state and moving around seems to
      be the only solution to move up financially. Also, what i\'ve
      noticed is that an employee has to become a DC (District
      Conservationist) before he/she can apply for any other resource or
      specialist position. I disagree with this because soil and range
      conservationist may have a specialist goal and have done same work
      a DC has done. It should be based on qualification and merit not
      past positions

2178. Thanks for the opportunity to comment our feeling about this
      agency.

2179. Current capibilities of personal that will replace retirees is
      scary. Much training is needed. Technical and managerial

2180. Agency infrastructure and extent of duties. Agency has major
      opportunity for improvement.

2181. Typically, merit or performance awards are primarily based on the
      personality of the supervisor, some places I\'ve worked I received
      awards almost every year, where I am now I\'ve received only one
      in 6 years because my supervisor just doesn\'t do awards for any
      of his employees. Many times 75% of the awards are state office
      staff which appears to the field as a slap in the face. Your
      question regarding promotion in-place is difficult. As someone who
      has moved 3 times to get promoted, I am glad I had the
      opportunity. But to just promote someone in place because they
      want to stay there could be conceived as unfair to the employee
      willing to make that sacrifice. Most jobs are dead-end unless you
      are willing to move. Regarding job satisfaction, I think most
      district conservationists, like myself, in a one person office are
      so overwhelmed by the day to day activities, new programs, the
      pressure of high expectations to make programs successful, that
      the job isn\'t enjoyable, more and more tasks are just placed on
      the backburner to get the mandatory things done with no hope in
      site for hiring additional employees. Regarding assistance from
      other groups, volunteers - most of the tasks I do that eat up time
      such as contracting and planning require trained staff and
      training is time consuming and expensive for volunteers or others
      that only stay around a few months.

2182. Overall, I\'m very satisfied with my job and feel that the agency
      has been great to work for. It\'s just difficult sometimes dealing
      with the rapidly changing technology.

2183. I think housing assistance should be provided to students who are
      being recruited in the career experience program since they are
      required to move several times before permanent placement. I have
      run into problems beign able to afford to move with the current
      pay I am receiving.

2184. Our pay scales are low, so benifits need to be enhanced to keep
      employees. A major plus for me is the health insurance rule that
      does not descriminate against prior medical conditions. My
      wife(who happens to be native american)is a disabled ex
      policewoman with health problems earned while on duty.

2185. Please provide better health care and health care choices. A
      cafeteria selection of benefits would be great!

2186. Excessive work load should be addressed more. This leads to low
      morale and high stress.

2187. The government need to do something with employees at the step 10
      level, after 4 years at a step 10 they should be moved up another
      grade in pay, dead end employees are never happy as the very small
      raise they get each year is eaten up by raised in taxes and health
      insurance, they get a pay cut every year and that is unhealthy and
      does nothing to motivate an employee. You will find a huge amount
      of the people that are going to retire in the next few years at
      step 10 in their grade level, dead end people going to look for
      another job to get another retirement and pay increase by taking a
      retirement paycheck and getting another job, you need to pay them
      to stay for another 10 years rather than leave to get a pay raise.
      I plan on taking a retirement check the minute I can, even tho it
      will be a reduced one, then either get another job or file or a
      social security disability check, then the two will add together,
      not like now where they will reduce one for one. That should be
      corrected, the amount of retirement you get on disability should
      not be reduced the dollar for dollar that one gets for social
      security. Filing for disability use to be nice, now one can afford
      to take a disability, they hang on till they can get at least a
      small retirement check, then file for a SS disability retirement
      as they both will add together.

2188. You don\'t pay the same across the US. Its like pulling teath to
      get a grade increase, I have seen many empolyees including myself
      that have to ask for a desk audit to get paid for what they are
      doing. I had a desk audit that lasted 1 minute, they came in said
      I was doing GS-12 work, but will only get an 11 and they took the
      full 90 days to complete it. All area office specialists should be
      a GS-12\'s, they were once, but over the years they were changed
      to GS-11 through change in personnels. Area office specialists may
      not directly supervise employees, but they are responsible for the
      work of all the area staff. They have a huge responsibility to see
      that everyone does the specialized work correctly. They have to
      train and supervise their work to see that the job gets done
      right, but are paid a measly GS-11 pay. The fastest way to retain
      technical staff is to make all area (basin) specialists (soils,
      range and engineers) a GS-12. DO IT! FAST and you will get some
      retainage of employes for an additional 3 years. QUICK!!

2189. Human \"Resourc\" would be much more palatable than \"capital\"

2190. I have a supervisor who is wasting government money and time and I
      feel has biased my answers to any supervisory questions. He
      constantly wants me to do tasks outside my job description that
      benefit only him and not the staff or NRCS.

2191. Dental and vision health care is horrible. I think it is crazy
      that we pay out of our own pockets for a percentage of this health
      insurance. When I worked in the private sector, I never had to pay
      and the benefits were far better.

2192. Hard to pick up and move when the government wages mandate that
      you must have 2 incomes to survive. Wages don\'t reflect the cost
      of living and housing in the western US. Home prices are as high
      outside of areas with a COLA but we dont get that assistance. My
      son just hired on at the same wages in the private sector as I am
      making after 18 years of service. It is hard to get the quality of
      people we need with this discrepancy. Other states are routinely
      making GS 11 District Conservationist positions into GS 12 and
      they are doing the same thing as we do in this state. Huge
      disconnect between the states on this issue!

2193. Why I am not mobile: My husband I own agricultural property so we
      are tied to the land in this location.

2194. The technical expertise in the NRCS is oustanding. What NRCS has
      available for the public is a best kept secret.

2195. There are not enough employees to do the job we are given. Certain
      employees have administrative program responsibilities, technical
      responsibilities, partnership responsibilities, and special
      program responsibilities. It is impossible to do a decent job of
      any of those responsibilities, because there are not enough hours
      in the day. We are having to take short cuts, reduce quality, and
      take risks to make the goals. I don\'t feel that those making the
      policies on the goals have an understanding of agriculture and how
      the \"links\" are made. It is very demoralizing to work as hard as
      we do, then made to feel that we are not doing good enough and or
      are not trying.

2196. TRAINING:yes I feel quliafied, but no I do not feel I get good
      training. Local supervisors consistently deny training that is
      non-agency, even though it is professional, local and cost
      effective. Participating in trainings with peers in other agencies
      and community members is a great outreach tool and way to build
      alliances. Integration of RC&D and tapping into skills of some
      staff like RC&D coordinators to help deal with change and offer
      internal, local training would be effective. Some NEDS trainings
      have been less than dynamic\-- in spite of some excellent
      trainers. Working with other sister USDA agencies (incl. Forest
      Service) on planning initiatives, training and employee support
      might be effective. They wrestle with some of the exact same
      issues and live under some of the same rules. on-line personnel
      reviews are a huge mistake in people management.

2197. One area the agency needs to increase it\'s expertise is in
      contract management. This was not listed in the options for that
      question. Field office personnel are spending more and more time
      doing contract management, and these skills are not given much
      recognition within the agency. Other agencies (Forest Service,
      BLM, etc.) seem to pay contract specialists higher salaries, and
      require higher skill levels of these positions. Mis-management of
      farm contracts is a growing problem, and a source of frustration
      for employees and customers alike.

2198. Technical expertise does not equate to managment/supervisor
      potential. Find a way to promote good technical people into higher
      technical positions. Promote the good people managers into the
      management/supervisor roles (assuming they have some level of
      technical expertise to be able to handle the technical issues).

2199. NRCS is a great agency and the employees of this agency are the
      best suited to perform the conservation job laid before them. I do
      not believe that hiring outside contractors to accomplish our
      mission will be a savings to the taxpayer, on the contrary I think
      it will cost more. Additionally, hiring outside people to do
      NRCS\'s job changes the nature of the job for the actual NRCS
      employees from technical personnel to contract administrators, and
      that will result in a loss of the best personnel, those that will
      remain will be those content to do the least amount of work and
      merely check on the work of others. The exception to this might be
      I.T., the development of reporting/accountability software may be
      better off being created by an outside software development firm.
      As the reporting and accountability programs still do not work the
      way they should and should have been more complete before being
      rolled out to the field in the first place, instead of using the
      field as guinea pigs. In 7 years I have been through too many
      versions of FOCS, Toolkit, PRMS, PRS, etc\... to count. The
      apparent fumbling through technology by whoever is creating these
      programs is both frustrating and inefficient, nothing has ever
      worked the same way twice, the transition between products is
      never seemless as is often claimed, much of the old data is lost
      and has to be rebuilt, etc\... there are only so many times you
      want to have to do the same exact task when there is no reason for
      having to do it over other than shortcomings of the actual
      computer programs. Overall I am very satisfied with my job, my
      only fear is that we are on a path that will make us an
      ineffectual bureacracy because we spend too much time doing
      paperwork, reviews, reporting, accounting, etc\... and will no
      longer be able to provide on the ground assistance to landowners.
      There are two ways to resolve this problem, the first is finding a
      balance of reasonable accountability, the second is hiring enough
      people, of the proper disciplines, to get all of the work done. If
      NRCS truly wants to do a good job at all of the things we are to
      do, ultimately what we need are more NRCS employees. Not more
      contractors, not more partners, but actual NRCS employees.

2200. Very concerned about the workload in our field office. We have a
      very high turn over rate in a very busy and stressful office. It
      is difficult to retain or recruit employees that have experience
      with NRCS and the computer programs. The burn out rate is high as
      the workload is tremendous and we are short on planners. Our state
      office is considering replacing our FTE\'s (as they leave) with
      term positions. When we bring in people on term positions, they
      tend to be less experienced and it takes times to train them which
      takes us away from production. Very difficult to get ahead. Also
      very frustrating to me that we need to report practices applied in
      toolkit, protracts and PRS. Why can\'t these programs link and
      once reported in protracts as certified, it would link the
      information to PRS, quarterly reports and toolkit. There is so
      much redundancy and it takes alot of time. If we are looking at
      accountability, let\'s be more efficient in how we get through the
      process of being accountable. One last point of concern; we have
      one cultural resource specialist to cover a large area. Our gal
      could use an assistant in order to address the requests in a
      timely manner. We of course, can not proceed with projects until
      we are signed off with CR, and this is often the bottleneck that
      prohibits us from moving forward with projects in a timely
      fashion.

2201. I am in the process of making my first move with the Federal
      government because of a job change. (I hate to say it, but so far,
      that process alone is enough to make me not want to transfer
      again.) I applied for the new job to gain experience and training
      that I am not receiving in my current duty station. I enjoy
      working for NRCS very much, but would like to feel that I am
      better qualified in assisting producers while contributing to the
      agency\'s mission, therefore am really looking forward to gaining
      more experience in a new field office.

2202. It is unfortunate for the agency that many of the new employees
      come from urban backgrounds; it is difficult for these new
      employees to relate to private agricutural landowners. Also, it is
      unfortunate that NRCS has so few conservation technicians and
      engineers to service the needs of our clients for structural
      conservation practices design and implementation.

2203. I like working for NRCS. I am very thankful to have the job that I
      have. Although, I struggle with meeting the workload demands. In
      order to get things done I have to prioritize my duties and some
      things never get done. I am worried that sometimes I am outside of
      NRCS policy because I just don\'t have time to get everything
      done.

2204. There should be a concern about the amount of work versus the
      amount of time we have to do the work. When there is no sense of
      accomplishment, there is no job satisfaction. This makes people
      unhappy with their job.

2205. The temps often get glossed over as far as training is concerned.
      They are told what everyone else thinks they need to know to be
      successful instead of asking the employee(s) what he/she needs to
      be successful.

2206. The promotion of employees that are not qualified for the job is a
      burden on thoses of us who have to carry them.

2207. The field offices are in danger of losing all their institutional
      knowledge. There is no plan within the agency to train people to
      replace those retiring in the next five years. The agency is
      hiring people to management positions who have no practical
      knowledge of the work the field does. Conservation is achieved on
      private lands through one on one work with the land owner or
      manager. It requires field time and knowledge of the resource base
      to properly assist our customers. Land owners and operators do not
      have to work with us, they do it because they trust the knowledge
      and skills of the field office personnel they deal with. NRCS can
      cost people a lot of money if our work is not the highest quality.
      NRCS people need to care about those they service and do no harm.
      As an agency we keep reinventing the wheel rather than using the
      skills and knowledge we have to get conservation on the land.
      Field offices need technicians and clerical assistance. As it is,
      GS 5,7,9,11,12 employees do it all, and management complains that
      we do not spend enough time planning or managing. Our job is in
      the field, no conservation occurs in an office. I would be happy
      to expand on any of my comments.

2208. Good survey.

2209. Do not continue to eliminate the Technician sreies

2210. NRCS is a great agency, I like what I do when I get a chance to do
      it. I believe the field office jobs have changed a lot even since
      I have been working for the agency and it has dramatically removed
      us from the things we know and like to do well, technical work,
      and has us doing things that we hoped we would never have to do.
      Keep us technical and you will keep more of us, keep us 50%
      administrative and you will see us leave. We are even getting put
      into a regulatory role with our programs, that can break some
      trust with the people we are here to help. our older employees are
      the most disgruntled and are going to leave the first chance they
      get instead of staying on and sharing their imense knowledge with
      the rest of us that are up and coming and don\'t know any better!
      That said I still don\'t want to work for any other federal
      agency, NRCS is still family.

2211. I think our employees need additional training at the field level
      in contracting and conflict management.

2212. I understand that change can be a good thing, and in certain
      situations people may be somewhere so long favoritism may occur or
      things may become stagnent. However In this line of work it can
      take a long time to build trust and good working relationships. So
      when you have a situaion where things are working great, policy is
      followed yet productivity is thriving why not allow a qualified
      person who is already there and is an assest to not only the
      agency, but the community why not allow them to get a promotion if
      one comes open, rather than bringing in someone new and giving
      them preference over some one already there. I don\'t think it
      should always take place, but I think it should be a fair chance
      for all that apply and if the local person has proven themself and
      is deemed qualified then make it easier for them to be promoted. I
      think if you relax on the moving people for promotions your going
      to have happier employees and smoother running operations because
      of the longer time it takes to build trust and working
      relationships, than it does to break that hard earned trust and
      respect. A lot more positive efforts can be made when our field
      office staff has earned respect and trust with it\'s producers and
      without some longevity you will never meet the full potential.

2213. Tell us how get a summary of the results of this.

2214. Good leadership and guidance for new, young hirees is paramount
      for providing a strong base of appropriate work ethics and
      promoting a sense of pride and integrity as a federal employee.
      Smoking or chewing tobacco should not be allowed on the job.
      Promoting the physical health of federal employees should be a
      priority with incentives provided - field surveys done from inside
      a truck are not adequate.

2215. None

2216. Need to include employee: health care insurance, Trift savings
      plan, and life insurance. Reason: Satifaction, dissatisfaction, or
      unaware of options available.

2217. Please hire and promote people based on what they know and can do,
      not who they know. With the reduction in workforce the workload
      has not decreased therefore please reinforce the workforce with
      more people and depth.

2218. As the Agency takes on more program administrative
      responsibilities, we should create more program administrative
      assistant type positions, rather than requiring our trained
      technical staff to carry out contractual funtions, limiting them
      to very little time to actually provide technical assistance.
      Also, positioning more leadership positions (GS-13 and above) at
      duty locations not associated with large metropolitan areas would
      increase the number of good employees that would be interested in
      the positions.

2219. I wish the federal government wasn\'t so worried about diversity
      in the workplace. I find it offensive when in civil rights
      meetings goals of how many females or minority employees are going
      to be hired. With the little hiring I have had any input on, I
      have seen that when a female or minority is up for the job, all
      other candidates must outperform that individual greatly to be
      considered for the position. There are too many bonus points given
      for hiring people from special groups. Lets get back to hiring
      based strictly on abilities and qualifications. Lets give
      promotions for adequate performance. Although America continues to
      become more diverse, the white male is still the most likely
      person to get the schooling, background and knowledge to perform
      our jobs. Lets don\'t give preference to the white male, but lets
      certainly not participate in reverse descrimination or the 40% of
      employees that will be replaced will not bring us to higher
      ground, but we will cause a digression of the agency because they
      were not the most qualified applicant, but were rather a minority
      that brought bonus points to the state hiring them.

2220. The agency needs to support those individuals who do not wish to
      spend their careers hopping from place to place. It is not only
      difficult for the employee to create a stable life for their
      families, but the farmers and ranchers with whom we work are
      discouraged with the frequent face changes. As the policy reads to
      date, I feel the NRCS has no place for an individual like me who
      wishes to take over the family operation on the side.

2221. Perhaps analysis on leadership (which we currently do not have in
      this state).

2222. The agency has undergone some tremendous changes with the 2002
      farmbill. We are program driven whether we want to admit it or
      not. While we must be flexible and ready to adapt to changes and
      new challenges in many instances we inflict our own pain and grief
      by trying to implement new tools/programs before they are properly
      developed, tested and prepared. While many suggest that we need to
      be more efficient in how we work, \"quality conservation planning
      takes quality time\". You simply can not race through the planning
      process and hope for success. All levels of the agency are
      extremely busy, yet we seem to be losing site of the core function
      of what we do which is provide quality conservation planning on
      private lands (helping people, help the land). Supervisors are
      unable to demonstrate good leadership because too frequently they
      are frantically trying to learn the latest computer software or
      program changes right along with their staff. When questions arise
      they are not able to answer them and so the quest for the answer
      begins up through the area & state offices and beyond.

2223. I am concerned with the direction the agency (or Federal
      Government as a whole) has been heading with \"diversity in the
      workforce\". I STRONGLY believe that it does not matter what race,
      gender, disability ect. a person is. HIRE THE MOST QUALIFIED
      PERSON. I believe it would be beneficial to our agency that during
      the hiring process, the application packet does not have any
      information about the demographics of a person during the
      preliminary review process of the interviewers. After all the
      applicants attributes have been analysed/reviewed by the hiring
      panel, then the name/gender of the person can be given in order to
      communicate during the interviewing process. I believe that the
      Federal Government and society in general has let this minority
      issue go to far. It was first intended to offset the
      discrimination that had taken place in the past. Now instead of
      having a equal playing field between applicants/personnel I feel
      like I am a minority, a white male under the age of 35. Relatives
      of mine had been in federal service for 27 years, and they (women)
      saw this happen over the years (not only to males) but other
      ethnicities and \"minorities\" in every other sense getting
      ridiculous amounts of preferential treatment.

2224. I\'m sorry if my answers seem a little bit off, I am only a
      S.T.E.P. and have been here only five months. I do enjoy working
      here though.

2225. when moving an employee let tham know the real reason why you are
      doing it. dont tear a family apart. human resources needs to be
      able to explain questions that are ask of them. management needs
      to be truthful.

2226. To my knowledge in the past year in Utah only 1 non - minority (as
      compared to maybe 10 minorities) has been hired for a position
      that a minority has applied for even when the non - minority job
      seekers are far more qualified. I prepared myself well with a
      degree from one of the best universities in my field. I work hard
      and recieve high performance appraisals. But I may leave the
      agency because another organization would more likely promote on
      merit (where I can compete) rather than on race or gender (where I
      cannot). Another minority issue\.... It seems in the state that a
      different set of standards applies to minoritys and others
      concerning mobility. Several non-minority employees have been
      forced to move against their wishes for one reason or another. On
      the other hand minority employees have been promoted in place or a
      job has been created in their destination of choice. Every
      employee wants to feel as though his/her treatment is based on
      merit/performance rather than race or gender. The current Utah
      NRCS culture does not support that.

2227. The question on moving to get promoted is very difficult. I have
      had at least one financial catastrophe because of a move. On the
      other hand I see the benefits of learning new and varied things
      which moving helps to do. I have seen some people that got
      stagnant and really needed to be moved and I have seen others that
      should have been left alone and not moved just to be moved. There
      are so many of these questions that I would answer \"it depends\".
      I feel very strongly that we are drifting away from our strengths.
      There are very few of our young employees that I would feel
      comfortable in the field with producers. We are hiring more and
      more without ag backgrounds which is alright but we are not giving
      them the training and opportunities they need to be in the field.
      They sometimes struggle to talk to producers in their language. I
      sometimes wonder if there wasn\'t money available would they even
      bother with us. When running RUSLE or WEQ they don\'t have a clue
      what the tillage implements are. They have no idea how to talk to
      a producer about irrigation because they have never done it. They
      don\'t know what slope lengths or unsheltered distance is. They
      just want a number they can stick in the computer. They couldn\'t
      tell if they\'re getting the right answer and don\'t care because
      if it comes out of the computer it must be right. Although we need
      the tools to speed up our production I think they ought to do
      things \"long hand\" first so they understand what the tool does
      and if the answer is really right. And we need be to be bringing
      people up through the ranks that have the scientific knowledge
      that they can build and or maintain tools.

2228. I feel that a persons job experience should be taken into
      consideration if the person shows improvement and willingness to
      learn as far as pay steps are taken into consideration. Also I
      have been told that as far as a census, my status is not
      considered as a professional mark to be counted. That should be
      changed.

2229. It would benefit NRCS greatly to subsidize advanced education for
      it\'s employees.

2230. I am the provider for my family, Spouse is disabled, security is
      extremely important to me and my family.

2231. I appreciate the opportunity to assist (that is the type person
      that works for NRCS). I would like to see more team efforts that
      include a broad spectrum of experienced staff in formulating our
      national priorities. I think our vision \"Equity for People and
      Programs\" needs a little work. It sounds hollow to me. I would
      like something more along the line \"Insuring the Environment for
      Future Generations\". After all, that is why I am here. Equity
      should be understood to be an inalienable right of all Americans
      and therefore should not be our vision.

2232. Good job! I think you need to add climate to the topics listed in
      the survey.

2233. Many people like myself would feel more comfortable with our
      answers if we could qualify them in a text box below the multiple
      choice questions. This agency has been real good to me. I feel
      that I have worked hard and been rewarded adequately. I dread the
      day when the agency has to provide special incentives and spousal
      packages to get and retain quality employees.

2234. The agency\'s personnel managment is poorly managed. There are
      numerous instances that qualifications are not accurately
      determined, especially for the 401 & 457 series. Jobs are too
      tightly tied to series because of \"tradition\" or something that
      is not directly job related. Personnel decisions are inconsistant
      and do not follow OPM guidance. It appears the agency makes up
      it\'s rules as it goes, changing at will. Promotions and
      selections are most often not based on merit, especially at the
      higher levels. I have personally experienced a number of
      selections that were made in order to get more xxxxxx employees in
      management postions, when they clearly were not the best choice
      and in some instances, a very poor choice. This destroys moral and
      confidence, and sets people up to fail. Poor managers and leaders
      are permitted to stay in positions way too long after it has been
      proven that they are incompetent or are breaking the law and/or
      policy. I am happy to be out of management and can\'t wait to
      retire.

2235. #5. All choices are not ones I would choose. \"Willingness to
      move\" is the answer I think is most appropriate. #17 answer for
      me is that it is always changing.

2236. The increase in \"subsidy\" dollars in terms of EQIP,WRP and CSP
      has significantly changed the workload of NRCS. NRCS is losing it
      technical edge or expertise as the agency that works one on one
      with its clients on the land. If this is the direction of the
      agency for the future then the work force should be oriented
      towards this. As a techincal specialist providing technical
      training I hear many comments from young employees who complain
      about being stuck behind a computer in the office. Many comment
      that they had hoped to work in the field more than they do and
      some indicate they are not sold on staying with NRCS.

2237. I love my job. NRCS is definetly the employer of choice. I believe
      we need to spend a litte more time on supervisor training.
      Specifically, developing IDP\'s, career planning, leadership and
      time management.

2238. \(1\) Having Human Resources located in another state has been a
      real disadvantage for obtaining help or information. (2) Obtaining
      promotions, filling vacancies or needed new postitions has been
      greatly restricted hindering our ability to fullfil our mission.

2239. #48 needs a NA for no spouse! Currently reading Tom Friedman\'s
      \"The World is Flat.\" Appreciate the opportunity to comment on
      the possibilities for the future. Many series have had intern
      programs in the past that have gone by the wayside. Now would be a
      good time to re-institute those programs and staff with
      enthusiastic people who participated in the past. We do offer
      careers that \"can make a difference,\" but we have not been
      recruiting to that level. Additionally, we have to be willing to
      let people go if they do not perform to the levels we need. We
      still have a tendency to fail people upward which hurts everyone.
      That happens when our managers are more technical and not truly a
      leader or a manager. No one wants to fire someone but that may be
      the thing that brings that person back to the reality of what they
      really want to do with their life.

2240. Your listing of options in question #43 does not include widowed
      or just plain single.

2241. I have had a very satisfying career. However, I can see that we
      are going to have to provide greater incentives for the bright,
      energetic individuals that are coming out of our universities. The
      agency should also try to provide program intern programs that
      will lead to a real career ladder. If you can show someone a real
      career ladder with greate incentives, you can easily recruit and
      retain.

2242. Position Accountability and Justification at all level of NRCS.

2243. As an agency that has planning as part of its fundamental mission,
      we have not done a great job of planning for the job required in
      the future. We have missed a great opportunity for mentoring by
      senior technical specialists of new employees. We don\'t have a
      good plan for assuring highly skilled employees that will be able
      to accomplish the agencies mission. Whether we go to TSP or other
      out-sourcing of technical duties, we still need people in the
      agency with the experience to see if contractors are doing their
      work correctly.

2244. I am a relatively new NRCS employee (3 months), so some of the
      questions weren\'t necessarily relevant to me, or I did not have
      direct experience with some of the questions.

2245. The public\'s lack of knowledge of our agency is a close second
      behind hiring preferences as a bar to hiring motivated people from
      the private sector

2246. Need to ask about the tools/computers/resources to do our job.
      That can be a large source of frustration that would be easy to
      identify in this type of survey and get improved.

2247. I really love my job almost all of the time. I think that the
      gov\'t pay scales are not nearly high enough to expect that the
      gov\'t worker in the family is the primary bread winner.
      Therefore, requiring a family to move in order for an employee to
      be promoted is not realistic. In my family, my spouse makes twice
      my salary (we have the same undergrad degree and I have a masters
      degree). It just doesn\'t make financial sense for me to move in
      order to advance my career. EIther the gov\'t has to pay more or
      stop expecting employees to move for promotions.

2248. Retirement is not always bad for an agency. It increases the
      number of promotion possibilities, allows self-motivated employees
      pursue other career interests, and allows employees to
      \'self-cull\' themselves if they see a mismatch between themselves
      and the agency\'s exigencies.

2249. The list of potential areas of expertise needed in the agency is
      incomplete. Please add atmospheric science, climatology, and air
      quality. Also, there are no longer any regional offices in the
      NRCS, so the question asking about work location with that option
      should be eliminated.

2250. As we were asked for comments related to the mision and vision, we
      should have been provided with the most recent one.

2251. Key managerial positions at high-levels should remain in the
      professional grade series relative to the agency\'s dominate goals
      and professional requirements.

2252. HR ability to foster developing professional experise has been
      hindered by downsizing. Some of NRCS\'s unique professional and
      technical expertise exists only because of former traiing and
      devlopment programs, larger staffs, time available for training
      and devleopment and career ladders.

2253. Implement telecommuting for those in state offices/large urban
      areas.

2254. Many questions are hard to answer when the agency\'s future role
      is unclear.

2255. Federal Service includes military in my case.

2256. Already working as a retired intermittent employee

2257. Need more places to comment and expand on the questions. Not fair
      to limit to only one or two choices.

2258. Concerning how the agency can do a better job of managing projects
      and employees, many of us ask, \"what ever happened to Total
      Quality Management?\". It was such a fad ten years ago, and we all
      received significant training. But implementation required
      commitment by managers then in place, which apparently didn\'t
      happen and killed the entire effort. But performance ratings of
      managers should take into account employee input. And agency
      strategies and goals should better take into account employee
      input. That was the goal of TQM and some form of this kind of
      \"quality\" should be put into practice.

2259. Very little actual recruitment of minorities is done, since we
      mainly select students within our State, however, I\'ve not found
      that State residents are particularly welcoming to minorities.
      Student would have to have close mentoring, or our placement of
      them would be a designed failure.

2260. This is a great agency to work for. We need to make sure we don\'t
      give our workforce an excuse to leave the agency too soon. If we
      don\'t handle the new performance system correctly, it could be
      that reason. It is important to be able to recognize people for
      their good work and not put abitrary limits on how many can be
      rated at what level. Thanks for the opportunity to comment.

2261. The question the selection of five areas for future skills
      development should have included an \"other\" block or a selection
      focused on contracting/fiscal management, as this is an
      increasingly greater need in NRCS. In addition the question
      requesting the percentage of an individual\'s job done by partners
      is poorly worded; it would have been better to request the
      percentage of time/assistance to get mutual goals/benefits
      accomplished.

2262. Some of the technical questions are difficult to answer if you are
      in a clerical administrative position. However, I applaud your
      effort!

2263. Some questions don\'t have an appropriate answer such as #48. If
      you have no spouse, it skews the data to say \"no\" but there is
      no N/A choice. Should be able to leave questions blank but that is
      not an option either.

2264. My response to the question about 5 areas to strengthen expertise
      is really all \"I don\'t know.\". I did not like having to put 4
      other choices when I really did not know.

2265. The agency has a poor record of recruiting individuals with
      disabilities. Most field and area offices are not accessible for
      employees and cooperators with a disability. Management at state,
      area and field offices continue to somewhat ignore disability
      access issues and compliance to guidelines. Many managers feel
      unconfortable dealing with disability issues, they just want the
      issues to go away. They think they are too busy to have to deal
      with disability issues.

2266. Need to have supervisors that know what is going on in the field.

2267. I feel you should be paid for your performance. I can\'t say that
      I am totally satisfied with my pay, but I look around at the
      differnt jobs in my community, and the federal pay is somewhat
      competitive. I think one of the problems why NRCS has a hard time
      recruiting is because we just are not a well known government
      agency. So the people that are qualified are finding other
      employment. Also I think communication is a big downfall for NRCS,
      I don\'t think the policies and procedures are communicated well
      enough. To be honest I have really enjoyed working for NRCS, and I
      think we have a great agency. I hope you find my comments useful.

2268. Lately it seems that an employee\'s personal life is of no
      consideration. Several employees in my area are being transfered
      at the whim of leadership. Moral seems to be hitting new lows due
      to these transfers. The positions that they left are not being
      filled thus increasing the work load on those remaining. Some of
      these employees where planning on retiring in their past location
      but were transfered. This has even caused me, a 20 year employee
      to consider work outside of the government.

2269. I would like to see more graduate assistance offered to all
      employees, no matter the grade or series of their current
      position.

2270. ITS epitomized the tail wagging the dog. Major hindrance to
      progress.

2271. Because of my dissatisfaction with NRCS, I\'m planning to leave
      the agency within 6 months.

2272. Job Promotion is not based on \"Technical Competency\" OR
      \"Managerial skills\". It seems we promote the \"wrong-doers\" or
      those problem employees that the States want to be rid of, or the
      power hungry over ambitious people.

2273. Employees should be given the opportunity to choose whether they
      want to move or not and whether they want training, such as boot
      camp, etc. They should not be forced into it to keep their jobs.

2274. Make it easier for STEP students to get on permanent with the
      agency. To many hoops to jump through.

2275. The effeciency of my work is reduced due to the amount of
      frivolous work that has been mandated to me. Most of this work has
      little to do with conservation in the field. Why should I spend
      significant time is developing of workload Goals when this is
      dictated from above. Someone must understand the resources in my
      counties much better than I do the randomly set them as they do.
      Common Sence has been lost in much of the decisions that have been
      made lately. Our agency has become obsessed with nick picky rule
      keeping. We are spending most of our time reading rules and
      regulations. The agency is not and should not be more important
      than family and loved ones, yet we are expected to sacrifice those
      for the benefit of the agency. Mobility is a key point to this
      feeling. NRCS in my opinion has lost a lot of ground as a
      respected agency in the last few years. Many highly qualified
      people that once would have liked to work for us are no longer
      considering that option. Partnership with other agencies/groups
      that were once very strong are strained. We cannot expect to have
      good partners if we are not good partners ourselves.

2276. Please refer to my comments in previous sections.

2277. 1\) As a soil scientist, I am officially excluded from the
      management career track, which is a primary reason for me to look
      to other agencies for employment. To retain more soil scientists,
      I recommend changing this. 2) My wife works a different federal
      agency and we have had to be very mobile, for her career. Her
      agency is changing this in response to changing employee family
      dynamics (two working spouse households) to retain employees. They
      actively work to place both spouses and are more willing to
      promote in-place to retain employees, especially in more rural
      communities. It appears to be working and may be something to
      consider for the NRCS.

2278. I think the number of reports for accounting, business plans, etc
      should be reduced. I feel that goals should be made by the person,
      not dictated from higher officials. I feel that the local boards
      should be more involved in determining ranking tools and funind
      pools, not forming statewide funding pools.

2279. I have already said to much!

2280. Workload is increasing as personnel numbers are decreasing. Yet
      goals stay the same. Perhaps some questions should be asked about
      where we see NRCS in 5 to 10 years or what kind of role we see
      NRCS having in the future. Also, for question #48, this survey
      requires an answer, but I have no spouse. Won\'t this cause an
      error in numbers? Maybe there should be an option of N/A or No
      Spouse.

2281. My mobility is higher right now due to my age and marital status.
      In the future my mobility will be extremely limited even if it is
      from a GS-11 to a GS-12 supervisory position. Also, I have been
      eligible for a GS-9 for 5 months but have not been \"allowed\" by
      my ASTCO to submit an application for promotion even though my
      evaluations have been good and I have been willing to move.

2282. We claim to not discriminate based on sex, race, or minority
      however NRCS consistantly hires underqualified personel because
      they meet the minority or woman status, and it is discriminating
      against those more qualified.

2283. 1\. I sense that pay scales are not consistant with other federal
      agencies for similar skills and responsability. In my opinion we
      could do better in this arena. Pay scale and opportunity at all
      levels need to be adequate to support a family of at least 4 on a
      single income. Spousal placement assistance may just be a cop out
      for inadequate pay structure. I consider it appalling that myself
      many of our professional FO employees are qualifiers for subsidy
      programs in the schools and elsewhere. 2. I\'d retire much sooner
      if it were possible to do it without penalty. I\'d move to other
      employment to make up the difference in income. I regret the
      stronger focus on program administration. The ablility of our
      agency to take a simple concept and render it useless through
      regulation and computor wizardry is amazing and disapointing in
      what really should be a golden age for conservation.

2284. On the job stress is at an all time high. Not enough employees to
      cover all of the programs/program dollars/retirement. Stability in
      the agency is at an all time low because of all of the demands put
      on by CSP, NRI, EQIP, WHIP, PRS, Toolkit, ArcMap, ICAMS, etc,
      etc\... Older employees will be retireing as soon as they can and
      because they have been asked to learn volumes in a short amount of
      time, and there is a large generation gap caused by no hiring of
      new employees during the 80\'s and 90\'s.

2285. I am a Soil Con Tech in a two person office working at present in
      4 different counties. As mentioned in the survey, I am at a
      grade 8. I do not have a college education but have had a lot of
      training in-house. Technicians are not compensated money wise for
      the work that they are asked to do. We do pretty musch the same
      work that Engineers do but do not have the pay scale to reflect
      that. I feel that this need to have a hard look at and see what
      needs to be done. Also the ratio of Engineers/Technicians to
      planners is way out of balance. It takes us just as long if not
      longer to go out and survey a job, design it, and get it installed
      and certified as it does to do planning and yet the ratio is
      somewhere in the range of 3-4:1.

2286. The last three years have been very difficult not because my
      leaders don\'t care but because they can\'t do anything about the
      work load. I can hardly take time off because if I do I get so far
      behind it\'s hard to catch up. I like my job I just want to be
      respected for the extra I\'m having to do.

2287. I think that NRCS should have a diverse workforce but it should be
      based soley on best qualified. I have five children who have good
      friends and we live in a good community, my greatest fear is that
      the agency would force or persuade me to move and distrupt my
      family.

2288. We need to get the word out about who we are and what we do

2289. I think the technical pay scale should more reflect what is going
      on around you. It is sad that an engineer for the county or for
      the state can make half again as much as we can. This is a great
      agency to work for, you reach a new goal with each new producer
      who walks in the door. If I end up having a family, I will have to
      quit and get a different job to be able to support them, and that
      is sad.

2290. The NRCS needs to be more sensitive to an individuals values. What
      is supposedly good for the agency may to be good for an
      individual.

2291. Two items: One is a complaint about the amount of personal
      information that the statistical section is requesting. My second
      item relates to Item 22 of survey dealing with promotions and
      moving. The questions offered indicate a far too simplistic view
      of the question. To tie yourself tightly to either end of the
      scale is foolishness. In many cases moving is a good thing for the
      employee\'s professional development and the development of the
      agency in the places the employee works. In other cases; more time
      in place is needed to work out complex resource or local cultural
      issues. Management needs to be able to look at each individual
      situation objectively and make appropriate decisions based on the
      best interests of carrying out the agencies mission. Recognition
      of the employee\'s best interest is always a factor that needs to
      be considered if the agency is to retain competent employees.

2292. Those who have performed duties in a position as an acting are of
      great value when the same position opens, as they have the on the
      job training, know the duties, communities and problems as well as
      any items that may need immediate attention.

2293. Implementing programs without having the people in place to
      deliver the programs looks great on paper but is completely
      irresponsible if we don\'t have the people and resources to
      deliver it. I realize it looks good at the national level to be
      committing a lot of money without the ability to service the
      contracts, but it is not sustainable. An embarrassing crash is
      coming; perhaps the current leadership will have moved on and will
      continue to look good, but they should be held accountable for
      hamstringing the agency. This agency makes small dollar contracts
      with many many small farmers. Efficency models need to take this
      into account. The percentage of funding for TA is wrong.

2294. Mostly everything I have observe is disorganized.

2295. Please release the results of this survey to us when it is
      complete.

2296. improve communications at all levels

2297. Management in Utah is doing a poor job, managing through
      intimidation, many of the state employees are disgruntled and
      contemplating looking for other employment. National management
      isn\'t doing much better. They seem to be into self promotion,
      advertising to the public the \"accomplishments\" that they have
      done.This program promotion is done before any of the field
      offices have program guidelines or before there is any money
      assigned to the program.

2298. upper management doesn\'t seem to be concerned with the employees.
      Upper mgt is too willing to advertise to the public their
      \"accomplishments\", in terms of developing new ag. programs. This
      is done way too soon, since many times there is NO program
      guidance or money. Several times, the public gets enthused and
      comes to the field office, just to be told that they cannot be
      helped due to NO program information or monies available.

2299. Management has alot of people in the state ready to quit, most are
      unhappy and unsure of their future with the agency

2300. no comments

2301. Unfair promotions: sometimes the white male is discriminated
      against when a state needs to look more ethnically diverse. I am
      not against minorities, we just need to get better qualified
      minorities. Not just pass them up the line to make our agency look
      \"good\". I don\'t care what they look like, we just need
      competent people. Our agency should be color blind. I look forward
      to the day when a person is judged by his character and not by the
      color of his skin.

2302. Attitude and skill in working with clients are so important, yet
      we value technical skills over people skills. Value someone who
      can work with groups to resolve problems and get results. Loosen
      up the criteria for a college degree where you can.

2303. Question 48 needs a \"not applicable\" choice. My official answer
      for 48 is \"not applicable\"

2304. I have zero career opportunities within this agency since our
      staffing plan has my position a GS-7 and I am a GS-8. I cannot
      move anywhere but within grade.

2305. I do NOT like being called \"Human Capital\". I am a person!

2306. While our mission is as strong as ever, we are not viewed as the
      strong agency we once were. We are doing several times more than
      we used to and none of the extra duties are in the firld. We are
      not as visible because of it. With the new Farm Bill we are
      getting less getting less technical assistance dollars that keeps
      shrinking our workforce. If this trend continues we will be no
      different than FSA in what we do. We won\'t have field staff. We
      will have office staff that mange programs.

2307. I\'ve used to try to entice my sons to consider Federal service
      jobs. They\'ve recently indicated to me that Federal workers have
      a poor reputation amongst their peers. They also say the benefits
      don\'t seem all that great compared to some private sector
      positions. I must agree that Federal workers are not appreciated
      or respected by the present administration, thus the poor review
      by young people. I\'ve also seen a decrease in benefits and pay
      during my time at this Agency. Frankly, I see little hope for this
      Agency. It will always be on the budget chopping block until it
      dies the death by a thousand cuts. I believe that is the plan of
      this administration and its appointees, and I wonder if our Chief
      isn\'t part of that plan. How can I promote Federal employment to
      young people with a dismal future like that? I used to be very
      optimistic about the mission and future of this agency but not any
      more. There needs to be an attitude change at the Executive Branch
      level and that\'s not happening anytime soon. I just hope to make
      it to retirement before the real mission, to eliminate my Agency,
      occurs. The way things are headed I\'m not so sure I can even
      count on that.

2308. nrcs human captital and skill set are decreasing because of number
      of retirees and lack of hiring

2309. Speaking as a young, full time working mother, it would be smart
      to promote job share, as it would allow me to move to part time,
      without impacting the agency.

2310. In my experience one of the biggest bariers to retaining young
      highly trained employees is the mobility required. Most young
      employees with spouses can no longer afford to move for the job
      and will seek employment elsewhere. This results in our losing

2311. I feel that some of the biggest obstacles that the NRCS faces in
      accomplishing its mission are: time management/procrastination,
      too much bureaucracy and policy, and promotion despite
      incompetence. I also don\'t see much sense in making people move
      to get promoted when they will be managing an area in which they
      have no experience or community connections. Producers don\'t like
      having to deal with new faces all the time. It means developing a
      whole new relationship, learning to trust the newcomer, and
      adjusting to new methods of working together. Finally, I believe
      that the NRCS should be much for visible in the community. We are
      a service agency and no one knows about us. What about more
      community involvement and non-program related work? However, due
      to all the benefits and stablity, the NRCS is a great agency to
      work for and has a lot of potential. Thanks for the survey!

2312. area of expertise we need training in: organic, value added
      production

2313. Job details should be of national importance and administration.
      (funding)

2314. In additional to improved training especially for new employees,
      the agency needs to hire administrative help for the field
      offices. Farm bill programs require a tremendous amount of
      administrative/computer data entry work. Hiring more
      administrative help for the field would free up time for
      conservationists to address the techical workload rather than be
      burdoned with clerial type activities.

2315. Good luck

2316. Hiring a diverse workforce is one of our biggest challenges for
      the future.

2317. Being forced to move should not be allowed. This can be a major
      obstacle when recruiting good employees. Many times an employee
      searches for jobs in their hometown. They know the resources and
      the landowners and feel their expertise can be best used in these
      situations. Our clients like to go into offices and see familiar
      faces. This fosters their trust with us as NRCS employees. Also,
      hiring good, competent supervisors is critical for field offices.
      Supervisors play a huge role in the way an employee and office
      works. And of course, paying employees good wages is the best way
      to recruit and keep competent, technically sound individuals.

2318. Might address age in your questions under workforce diversity.
      Question 48 should be written, \"If married, is your spouse
      employed outside of the home.\" Way it is now written assumes
      every employee is married. Or add options to list of possible
      answers: \"N/A\" or \"Not married.\"

2319. I feel NRCS Is an excellent agency, with hard working employees.

2320. The agency, before budget constraints, provided excellent training
      opportunities and I hope they will be a priority in the future.
      The agency also provides great opportunity for mobile employees to
      move to other states and areas for promotion or just for the
      opportunity to work in a different unfamiliar area. I think this
      agency is a good place to work, but with a few slight
      modifications can be an exellent place to work.

2321. We need to emphasize personal leadership skills such as \"7 Habits
      of highly Effective People\", \"Principle Centered Learership\",
      and facilitation. We also need training in workload management and
      working as a team.

2322. I feel it is very important for the NRCS to maintain the
      technical, out on the ground, skills they have become known for. I
      also think it would help keep a good workforce to maintain this
      ephasis on technical expertise. It will not help the NRCS, or
      encourage employee retention, to become a FSA type agency.

2323. Morale is low among the ranks! Our field staff rarely are in the
      field working with farmers. Rather we have become computer
      operators.

2324. there is major disparrity in promotion of asians in the agency.

2325. NRCS and FSA appear to producers to almost be the same. CSP is a
      great concept but has really dinged NRCS\' image at the local
      level due to poor preplanning and changing advice from NHQ. I hope
      NRCS can implement some wholesale changes to minmize our
      contracting load and get back to the technical leadership that
      drew me to the Agency. More competetive pay and in-place
      promotional opportunities will help recruit and retain quality
      employees. The TSP program makes us a \"pass through\" contracting
      agency and hinders employee technical development. TSP have their
      place and can be used wisely, more NRCS people would need to be
      hired if the TSP was dropped. Make sure Conservation Districts pay
      for building rent (their share) and vehicle useage. This would
      help some of the minor bidget shortfalls and make CD\'s operate
      like real world entities. CD\'s would still get access to our
      office equipment free of charge. Nationally these items add up.

2326. none

2327. The focus pf the agency and the way we do business is changing,
      unfortuantely a lot of employees are not willing to change with it
      and are more intersted in comlpaining than actually doing some
      work. there is little or no accountability in some cases because
      supervisors are not in the same office.

2328. Focus hiring from private sector as the job values and
      accountability are developed,

2329. Most of the NRCS employees I have worked with and for, have been
      dedicated and hardworking, technically capable and I have enjoyed
      working with them. I have especially enjoyed working with and
      supervising technicians for 30+ years and seeing their dedication
      and how hard they work for usually less pay than other agencies
      (either local and federal)and see how well they work with
      landowners, contractors, etc. They bring the true meaning of
      \"professional\" to the job. I also feel that the Engineers at the
      current National Design and Soil Mechanics Centert in Ft Worth, as
      well as the former West Technical Center engineers are as
      technically excellent as you can find. I have worked in 3 states
      and been on EWP detail in several others, working with ARS, Army
      Corp, BuRec, Forest Service and many local and state agencies and
      the NRCS engineers are outstanding. They have consistently
      provided training and assistance when asked and been leaders in
      many areas of engineering over the years. Reorganization is not a
      bad thing if the purpose is to improve the work flow and
      efficiency of the organization. However, in the last 10 years,
      NRCS has had too many re/dis-organizations because it was either
      the \"FAD\" (ex. teams), manager\'s personal agenda (getting rid
      of tech centers), or because the lack of recognizing a problem
      with a manager that needs to be replaced. AS one person said - we
      have the same work to do - conservation. But the reorganization,
      especially moving employees, is a big distraction, and the
      uncertainty in employees lives significantly and subconsciously
      effects the overall morale of the agency and the amount and
      quality of work output. When you lose numerous excellent engineers
      (with 10 years of experience) to other agencies or private
      consultants without replacing them you set back the agency beyond
      measure. When the direct or indirect result of reorganization is
      the loss of 50 people (transfers, resignations, forced
      resignations due to forced moves, earlier than planned
      retirements, etc)from a state of approximately 200+ employees in a
      few years, the consequences are enormous.

2330. Questions about morale in the field.

2331. NRCS elimated the career ladder for the Technician series, but
      still has the Technicians performing work outside their series in
      order to get the job completed. They have ignored the job
      experience all together in their promotion criteria. Over the
      reorganiztion I have seen all the other series getting promotions
      except the Technician series in which they put a cap on it. Yet
      today we are performing more of the resource conservation work
      then ever before.

2332. Agency needs to train supervisors in recognizing, understanding
      and working with employees with disabilities. Currently they do
      not understand and don\'t know what to do. i.e. they have no idea
      about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how it may effect an
      employees\' work.

2333. This is an amazing job and provides amazing opportunties for me to
      work within the field that I want to work. \*The \'red tape\' the
      hoops that we have to jump through to get the job done at times
      becomes frustrating. \*Also we are already beginning to feel the
      effect of the projected mass retirement, we all know this is
      coming and we all know that it will cause a huge void in our
      agency, but what are we doing to try to minimize that void? Why
      can\'t we hire people now to \'shadow\' some of these folks that
      are going to be retiring? \* Why is the physical location of an
      employee so important? In this day of computers, why have an
      empolyee waste their time commuting to an office in a county other
      than the one they where they have made their home when they may
      only live a few miles from another NRCS office. I would think that
      having an employee who is happy where they live would be a good
      thing and to change their reporting office forcing them to commute
      is silly. \*We were just given a bulletin asking us to help
      conserve fuel and to do this it asked to consider alternative work
      schedules (4 10 hour days etc.) not many employees are going to
      want to do this, but for those that would like to encourage it.
      \*My last comment - why is this called the \'Human Capital
      Survey\'? It is not a very good title and honestly I dismissed it
      the first several times I got e-mails regarding it because I did
      not feel that it applied to me and was not anything that I wanted
      to bother with. A better title would be great.

2334. Without sounding greedy or ungrateful I feel that my salary as a
      federal employee is not near competative enough with the private
      sector. I love my job and love the area that I am working in but
      if you plan on having a family, salary becomes very important as
      we all want to provide a good life for our family. The private
      sector has the upper hand when it comes to providing higher wages,
      and once money becomes an issue the private sector starts looking
      better than working for the federal gov.

2335. State and national level employees need more field experience.
      Move people in and out of field. Management offers administrative
      support but little strategic and tactical support.

2336. We spend the majority of our time ranking, contracting, modifying
      contracts, processing payments, participating in meetings, and
      reporting. Recruitment of new employees should reflect this new
      reality.

2337. Question number is proof that management doesn\'t get it - not
      even any mention of contracting.

2338. To great a workload for the staff currently available.

2339. NRCS needs to learn to listen to itsÆ GS 5-11 employees. A perfect
      example of this is the National Soil Information System (NASIS).
      NASIS requires all information measurements be entered in the
      metric system. So entering information into NASIS from a Soil
      Survey published in 1971 I must convert all English units into
      metric units. This takes a week or longer. Why canÆt I enter the
      units in English and have the computer convert them
      instantaneously into metric? So great now we have this information
      in two different forms. How do I compare the information for
      accuracy and completeness? How many inches is 3.79 centimeters? I
      donÆt know without looking it up so the process keeps getting
      longer and longer. But when the information is printed out for
      land users, ranchers, farmers, conservation district employees,
      NRCS employees, the information comes out in English because they
      refuse to accept it in metric. It becomes a viscous circle with
      the soil scientist caught in the middle trying to do a good job
      constantly changing metric to English or English to metric. Why
      doesnÆt NRCS fix NASIS so data can be entered into either English
      or metric? If you ask most soil scientists in the field thatÆs
      what they want: to make NASIS simpler, easier, less time
      consuming, and more user friendly. But who will listen

2340. Wa. state reorganization is a mode of the 1960\'s This is making
      things worse here. Top and middle heavy. We are moving to just
      giving everyone a check not technical advise or assistance. A very
      poor thing for the US and NRCS for the people (Farmers) we work
      for.

2341. Firstly, even as a young employee, I have seen people that perform
      below average but are not dismissed because higher ups are afraid
      of litigation etc. In the private sector, if you cannot perform,
      you are dismissed. Federal government jobs in general can become
      too much of a haven for poor performers. Secondly, recruiting new
      employee\'s will always be a challenge because the private sector
      can pay better. It doesn\'t matter to me because I believe in our
      mission and thoroughly enjoy my work. People who gravitate to our
      agency are generally of this mind set. Students coming out of
      university who are not this committed will alwasy end up moving
      towards private sector because that\'s where the money is. I DO
      NOT see this as a negative. Our agency gets more committed and
      proficient personell. It will be a challenge to find those people,
      however, and our agency needs more visibility in the universities
      and in K-12. Lastly, I agree that diversity in the work place is
      desireable, but why is it so hard for people to understand that
      certain groups of people are generally not drawn to this type of
      work? Instead of looking for the most qualified, too much emphasis
      seems to be placed on filling quotas from the very smallest pools
      of candidates.

2342. Although I have not been moved and have only been with the agency
      for little over a year, I fear that the only way to move up is to
      move. Even with no spouse or kids (but a house), at this point
      would probably leave the agency before I would leave the area.
      Thank you!

2343. Please, Please, Please cut down on the number of logins and
      passwords for our computerized systems!!! I-CAMS, WebTCAS, PCMS,
      NASIS, ESIS, Windows, Fed Traveler, Office Max, remote connection
      with laptop, GSA advantage, Employee Personal page etc.. Can you
      function without writing these down?

2344. Recognition of all employees should be considered.

2345. Mobility - with newer technology & advancement of computers I
      believe one can be promoted without moving if they can accomplish
      meeting their workload committments per use of the computer. Focus
      needs to be on how we treat our employees to retain them. I love
      working with the landowners, but have looked elsewhere for work
      because juggling the paperwork & multiple program requirements has
      become insane. I need good health care benefits so leaving the
      federal government is not an option. One program could cover all
      aspects of several programs excluding those based on easements.
      One last comment - we got our logo back now lets get our name
      back - Soil Conservation Service & regain recognition as being
      service providers & LOCALLY LED!

2346. I am disappointed in how our state has treated technicians,
      transfer of state office clerical work onto field employees, lack
      of career advancement, no recognition of accomplishment, and
      poorly thought out re-organization. Since 1999, we have lost 4 of
      9 technicians on the west side, two transferred, one retired, and
      one quit because he was told his position would be in a low
      workload office. Grade level has changed for three of the four
      (gs-9) to 7s and the engineering tech positions (gs-9) to 8s. The
      complexity remains the same while the workload is large and
      getting larger and more geologically spread out. Obviously we have
      a priority of trying to get TSPÆs involved, even though there is
      little to no interest by co-operators or people who signed up as
      TSPÆs. I feel our work has been considered unimportant and
      insignificant by the SLT. Also, now that we are short handed, we
      have to take care of our training documentation, input progress in
      two different programs, and we do FSAÆs old work load with no
      training in contracting or payments while the SO hired a new
      employee just for making payments. Career advancement is minimal
      in my case since I am a GS-7 and the fact that the state office
      does not have a policy in giving people with or without college
      degrees a opportunity to change career fields in state. If I had
      to move out state, I would anticipate this to cause emotional
      distress to my spouse which would possibly cause a divorce. Awards
      seem to be hard to come by for us. For instance, recently 2
      technicians and one planner did all the work for CSP signups and
      our DC put us up for awards and only the planner got one. Our last
      re-organization was and has been a complete disaster as far as the
      technical staff is concerned. In 1999, there were 8 engineers now
      we have 4 (2) of which are state office staff and one a trainee.
      We lost two of our best young female engineers because they were
      told there jobs would be in offices far enough away that they
      would need to move. Their husbands had good careers and couldnÆt
      move. These engineers had been taking care of those workloads at
      there home location 4 years and longer without a need to be
      located there. As noted above, technicians havenÆt faired much
      better. In summary, I enjoy my job for the most part. I get to
      help land owners be good stewards of the land. I appreciate the
      dedicated staff in the field, but being treated as less equal than
      anyone else in our agency is a disgrace.

2347. I don\'t think partners help me do \"my job\", rather they
      complement what we do and support agency goals. I don\'t think
      they do any percent of \"my job\". We each do 100% of our \"our
      job\", but they add value (likewise, we add value to their goals).
      Now, I do agree that they might contribute to a certain percentage
      of our reported accomplishments, but that\'s a different question.

2348. Some of the questions did not really apply but I was forced to
      make selections anyway, such as the 5 question one.

2349. 1\. The largest fallacy our agency has, in my opinion, is not
      allowing technical people to stay technical as they are nearly
      always moved into a manangement slot (with little or no training
      or desire to manage) - but usually only option for advancement. 2.
      Once we started chacing programs instead of good science \... NRCS
      lost our real \"mission\". 3. Retirement
      planning/training/guidance should be makde available to the
      younger aged employees so they can PLAN for their retirement \...
      it does much less good to send those with 5 or less years to
      retirement, as they are more interested in tax issues than
      investment planning. I still have a passion for what this agency
      set out to do for our country. But chasing program \$\$ will only
      lead us to a painful extinction as an agency. Politics will never
      equal good science.

2350. Monatary awards have always been a source of anger for me. There
      are alot of deserving awardees however, there are always a fair
      share of those who make you sick. I feel the award process should
      be governed by a pannel of average employees that are given a
      budget, and void of the official approval process. This is where
      the unfairness comes in, why does a supervisor have the ability to
      dissaprove an award just because, and send up those folks he has a
      personal interest in.

2351. Marital status should also include widowed. That is a different
      category than \"single, never married\".

2352. add a question to cover directed reassignments/mandatory job
      changes

2353. Thanks for the opportunity

2354. NRCS is one of the best \-- if not THE best \-- agency in the
      federal government, but we do tend to think (in H.R. and
      organizational terms) in the 1960\'s. The bottom line is getting
      and keeping top-notch people who deliver top-notch service to our
      customers and to the American taxpayers. WHERE we work isn\'t as
      important as HOW effectively we work. Those managers at the
      highest levels of our organization who routinely block attempts to
      decentralize (i.e. move out of NHQ) promotion potential, should be
      encouraged to \"move on.\"

2355. As an employee who is going to be left behind when the mass exodus
      due to retirement occurs, I am excited about the opportunities it
      may create, but I am also concerned about the continuity of our
      organization, and particularly in having leadership and
      motivational skills in place to avoid having us turn into a lost,
      floundering organization. As I stated during the communication
      survey several months ago, I do not think this organization has a
      mission and (more importantly) a vision that resonates from the
      very highest echelons to the employee in the field. This is sorely
      needed to keep us focused, on track, and moving forward. Those in
      DC may think the mission and vision are clear, but it is not
      evident out here. This lack of direction erodes morale and makes
      us inefficient. We have a knee-jerk reaction to budgets and
      program funding and externally driven sign ups, and no long range,
      over the horizon vision of what is important. Help us.

2356. Dual-income couples have a very difficult time moving

2357. I DISAGREED THAT THE AGENCY SHOULD CONSIDER \`SPOUSAL JOB
      PLACEMENT AS PART OF THE TRANSFER PACKAGE\' PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT
      JUST OFFERED TO THOSE SPOUSES WHO ALSO WORK WITHIN THE AGENCY SO
      WHAT I SEE IS THAT WHEN ONE IS SELECTED FOR A JOB A NEW ONE IS
      CREATED JUST FOR THE SPOUSE. THAT\'S NICE FOR THEM BUT FOR EVERY
      MOVE I HAVE MADE AFTER GETTING MARRIED PART OF THE DECISION BEFORE
      APPLYING IS \`HOW HARD WILL IT BE TO FIND A NEW EQUIVELENT JOB FOR
      THE SPOUSE AT THE NEW LOCATION\'. I HAVE PASSED UP JOBS BECAUSE WE
      DIDN\'T THINK THAT THE CURRENT JOB COULD BE REPLACED. THAT\'S JUST
      PART OF THE EQUATION OF TRYING TO ADVANCE WHILE MARRIED. SPOUSAL
      JOBS ARE ALREADY AFFECTING MOBILITY OF AGENCY PERSONNEL AND YOU
      ARE ADDRESSING ONLY A FRACTION OF THOSE AFFECTED WITH THIS
      PROGRAM. IF IT WERE EXPANDED FOR ALL EMPLOYED SPOUSES MOBILITY
      COULD BE IMPROVED.

2358. I think that NRCS would retain more employees if they helped a
      spouse to obtain employment when there is a job transfer.

2359. Technology is a good thing, even for an agency that is supposed to
      be hands on working with it\'s clients; but technology won\'t
      allow our technical folks to develop a rapport with those clients
      if all they do is sit behind a computer while interviewing clients
      for program participation; if that is what the agency has come to
      then communicate with folks and tell them and the client that is
      what we are about; H.H. Bennett might roll over in his grave, but
      things do change, not always for the better. NRCS supposedly is #3
      on the list of gov\'t agencies providing funds to the agricultural
      community, let\'s be #1 and quit fooling ourselves!!

2360. Given the technical specialists employed with NRCS there is
      tremendous potential for strong conservation efforts. However, all
      work time is tied to implementing farm bill programs which do not
      include conservation education efforts. Thus there is no
      conservation education efforts with the wider community, which is
      where natural resource conservation really begin. This opportunity
      for conservation education should be a priority not an extra
      cirricular activity.

2361. Benefits and job conditions are good and fair, and for the most
      part employees are very conscientious and try their best to get
      the job done. However, staffing levels are way too low to get the
      job done correctly and timely, way more is expected of people than
      they can possibly accomplish, and people are feeling less
      valued/motivated every day. Once upon a time NRCS employees came
      and stayed their whole career. Now people come, stay a couple
      years, then try to find greener pastures because of work stresses.
      Need to put more effort into trying to retain employees. Need to
      show employees that they are appreciated, needed, and give them
      the tools, resources, and help to do their job. On a different
      note, wondering why the survey needs to know about children since
      childcare issues not addressed in suryey. Also recommend you build
      survey format to allow employees not to answer a particular
      question(s) if they don\'t want to instead of the system forcing
      them to go back and answer. Surprised there were no questions
      about HR flexibilities since this is a human capitol survey; i.e.
      why no polling about telework, flexible work schedules, importance
      of leave programs, federal daycare, etc.?

2362. Too many things to do and not enough people to do them\...makes it
      tough to do a good job on anything.

2363. The amount and/or number of awards given should not be based on
      budget\--we either earn awards or we don\'t.

2364. None

2365. Nothing about TSP\'s in this survey. I think that\'s ducking the
      issue. The Chief should know how \'we\' see it working (or not)
      and how it should impact our human captol strategy.

2366. A great organization to work for, love it, wouldn\'t want to work
      for anyone else. Only concerns I have are: I would like to have
      had the opprotunity to move up with the NRCS in my home area,
      instead of moving out of state to move up. I would like to see
      more consistency in policy interpitations, instead of them being
      an off the cuff interpitation of the office mananger. Red tape
      (cultural resources in this office) seems to be a major hang up
      for our state, exemptions aren\'t treated as exemptions and the
      process is causing alot of hard feelings between field staff and
      landowners. I see that as being one of our greatest worries at the
      moment, we were known for being an outfit that got things done,
      I\'m hearing alot of comparisons to BLM and Forest Service from
      landowners, sort of scary.

2367. Processes should be streamlined before they are let out to the
      field. Cultural Resouces is the latest concern to put a
      stanglehold on our production.

2368. None

2369. I came into Federal service late in my career (20+ years in
      private sector), and it seems to me the biggest morale problem
      facing coworkers is too much workload and not enough resources to
      handle it. The great majority of Federal employees I\'ve met are
      highly skilled and very dedicated, but they can only do so much
      before \"burning out\", and a lot are near or past that point. We
      also get tools to \"help\" us that are poorly designed or not
      complete\-- recent Toolkit and ProTracts versions are examples; it
      would be better not to release the tools than to release them half
      finished and full of bugs. Also, in terms of job mobility, people
      aren\'t as willing to move as I think they were 15-20 years ago. I
      have turned down one promotion because it would have involved
      moving, and if told that I had to relocate or lose my position, I
      would resign and find work outside the agency.

2370. Direct charge is a major problem! You may be working on a project
      and all of a sudden you don\'t have any hours left. This means you
      have to drop it and tell the producer you are no longer available.
      This makes us look terrible at the Field Office level and does not
      allow us to finish the job until a later date, which may not work
      for the practice or the producer. Could we get this changes as
      soon as possible? Thanks

2371. The NRCS has the potential to increase its role in conservation,
      but it is currently being hindered by budget cuts and \'over
      management\' by specialists. The field office interaction with
      producers is the heart of the agency and many times the policies
      of management specialists interfere with the ability of field
      office staff to solve problems. Innovation within programs is not
      supported and conservation planning is being replaced by program
      application processing.

2372. The Agency is great, good opportunities and job satisfation, some
      personnal individually create a negative aspect to the agency due
      to their attitudes and bias, \"local\" leadership is sorely
      lacking in some instances and needs to be evaluated and competency
      proven before promotion to supervisor or a leadeship position.

2373. Keep employees motivated, instead of constant bad news of budget!

2374. Each day brings something new and not always exciting. I think
      before we release new programs we should think them through.

2375. The term \'Human Capital\' is demeaning. Our agency was built &
      sustained for decades on the principal of FIELD OFFICE delivery of
      technical assistance. We seem to be doing as much as we can to
      destroy that which made SCS/NRCS unique and widely admired. It\'s
      not complicated; PROPPERLY STAFF THE FIELD OFFICES, AND HAVE THE
      GOOD SENSE TO LET PLANNERS & TECHNICIANS DO WHAT THEY\'RE TRAINED
      TO DO!

2376. We need more people who have the drive and athority to fight to
      make the system work. Some many times we do hold up conservation
      because of administative activities and that frustated.

2377. When times are abundant, we still need to be frugal. For we know
      not what future can bring for hard times. I see too much waste
      under the \"use it or loose it\" mentality. I view this as fiscal
      irresponsibility and do not revel in this practice even if on the
      recieving end. We need to practice what we preach in conservation
      by doing more with less if it makes sense.

2378. Don\'t require multiple answers to questions where respondent only
      has one or no answer. This creates faulty data.

2379. No additional comments.

2380. I really question why the agency has been going to TSP for
      outsourcing our jobs. We continaully have to go back and correct
      this work over and over that the CD do that do not meet NRCS
      specifications. With a shrinking workforce TSP monies are driving
      more and more of our workforce hiring monies away. By stopping
      this TSP madness perhaps we could hire employees and train them
      before 1/2 of our work force retires.

2381. Thanks for the opportunity! You do not know what it does to the
      morale of the field. The key is going to be taking the wealth of
      information you have gathered in all of the surveys and putting it
      towards real change. I am hopeful!

2382. I am concerned about lack of time for on-the-job training and
      requirements for quantity of work the lowers the quality of our
      work.

2383. There are not enough employees to fulfill our mission. I think
      that NRCS employees should be developing plans and specifications
      for farmers and not TSP\'s because we have the long term
      commitment and we already have a strong relationship with our
      landowners. I think we need more well educated and self motivated
      employees that will get the work accomplished and strive to create
      more work. We need to have more \"on the job\" training and less
      \"on the job\" dumping of responsibility because there are not
      enough people to get the work done. We need supervisors that keep
      the people in the field informed of opportunities and requirements
      so that we maintain our skills.

2384. There isn\'t enough technical assistance dollars to run our
      programs. The direct charge system (accounting of work time) is
      unrealistic. The NRCS budget continues to shrink, employees are
      retiring and there isn\'t sufficient funds to hire new employees.
      We need opportunities to hire new employees to work with
      experience employees before they retire. Be creative in ways to
      entice retired employees to continue to work if they are
      interested and not affect their annuity. Don\'t acquire any more
      programs or keep changing things so field folks can catch up and
      enjoy their work.

2385. Our agency needs more, well trained, well paid employees in the
      field.

2386. Relocation services for people that have been forced because of
      remote locations to purchase a Mobile or Manufactured house have
      been treated unfairly by the Relocation Service. It is expensive
      to move without this assistance sometimes.

2387. The agency goal setting process needs to be fixed. Goals are being
      forced from top down with out any analysis of actual workloads in
      the field offices. We seem to be forcing the goals to be higher in
      a limited number of areas and are not capturing the other effects
      that should be captured (i.e. ephemeral gully erosion control,
      acres of erosion needs to be changed to be captured by acres with
      change in erosion from 0 to 5 tons, 5 to 10 tons, and greater than
      10 tons. Right now, a lot of what we do is not captured because
      our erosion rate is already below T so the acres don\'t report
      because we are not going from above T to below T)

2388. If NRCS wants to have the best employees, they should: 1) greatly
      reduce the cost of health insurance and offer cost-shared
      dental/vision coverage, 2) improve pay for highly-qualified
      technical staff, 3) actively recruit the best students in each
      field and offer more incentive packages (such as student loan
      repayment plans), 4) improve the quality of work by allowing
      technical employees to spend more time in the field (we need more
      administrative staff to handle the contracts, payments, programs,
      etc.).

2389. It\'s nice to see so many young people with enthusiasm about
      natural resources. Their familiarity with computers is
      particularly beneficial to the generation who have spent more
      years without a computer than they have with a computer. Job
      satisfaction for the experienced staff is a good incicator for
      people with fewer years. It shows them that NRCS is a good place
      to work and to spend energy on a career. Training during my career
      has not always been applicable. One major objective has been to
      try and sort those with direct benefit from those which will not
      contribute to my individual skill levels. It\'s a challenge with
      rewards.

2390. Barriers need to be addressed for young women with children. We
      provide transportation (bus/trax) fares, why can\'t we provide
      some sort of day care either by financial encentives, job sharing,
      or on site care givers.

2391. I was hire for technical expertise from private sector 3 yrs ago.
      The biggest hinderence to meeting agency goals is a lack of
      understanding of field office work environment at the state and
      national level and lack of clear guidance from state and national
      line staff, resulting in inconsistant interpatation of policy,
      delays in implementation, less effective training, and poor public
      understanding. Also, an disporportioned amount of energy and
      promotion goes toward special emphasis outreach programs and
      staff, rather than addressing the most limiting factors toward
      obtaining environmental goals. District Conservationist, which I
      am not, are given much responsibility with little real control. As
      the reliance on computers/software has increased, refresher course
      in Computer/software training should be provided and encouraged to
      those lesser computer savy conservationist.

2392. Recruiting new employees is becoming increasingly difficult in
      California due to the high housing cost. Something needs to be
      done so that we can aquire new employees that are adequately
      qualified. 2. Too much emphasis is placed on pursuing select
      groups of people to request our assistance. More should be done to
      advertise the services we offer and then let whoever wants to come
      to us for assistance.

2393. I think the agency on the whole is doing alright. We need more
      information on what is available to employees inter-agency , be it
      what is needed for inter-disiplinary lateral transfers, grade
      increases, options for growth , agency expectations etc.

2394. 1\. Field soil scientist positions need to be GS9/11 rather than
      just GS9. NRCS loses many soil scientists when they change to
      other series in order to get a grade increase. Soil surveys are
      NRCS\'s best product, but soil scientists themselves appear to be
      undervalued. 2. The decision to \"re-organize\" NRI without a
      Comptetitve Sourcing study was ill-advised. Over 60+ positions
      will be outsourced to the private sector to complete regular data
      collection, but the true costs of the re-organization were glossed
      over or ignored. You want to keep good employees? Don\'t outsource
      their jobs, or threaten to outsource their jobs. Simple.

2395. The minority professional meetings are all expense paid vacations
      for the employees that attend them. Let\'s call it what it is. Do
      taxpayers know and approve of this expense? Why are the same
      employees allowed to go every year at \$1500 per person and call
      it training? At what point do they have all the training they
      need? I am married to a Hispanic and we do not have cultural
      problems of any kind. I believe these meetings foster resentment
      and division rather than deflecting it. We are all humans of great
      value. People who want to be prejudice will remain that way and
      every race and ethnicity has some people that will always be
      prejudice. Employees complain about having too much work to do but
      then take off for all these training sessions and conferences
      leaving the same people behind to carry the workload regardless of
      how much work there is to be done. I may be getting old and stale
      but I see too many employees; old and new who abuse leave and the
      leave donor program and do not have a good work ethic. The agency
      needs to train managers on how to effectively supervise,
      discipline, reward, train and terminate employees. We have to
      reach a hire integrity level or be laughed off the map by foreign
      workers who take their jobs seriously and aren\'t afraid of
      working hard.

2396. Moving into high cost areas (housing)is very difficult for
      employees and the agency. I believe that child care for employees
      would be very benefical.

2397. To the promotion question, we need to be more flexible about
      promotions for positions of greater responsibility. For instance,
      the position of Area Conservationist could be done by anyone who
      is already within the supervisory area. A move to the location of
      the Area Office should not be necessary. We need more creativity
      to deal with the many multi-career families so we can get the best
      people in positions that suit them well. Mobility is not has
      common as it used to be.

2398. As an NRCS SCEP student, I think that consideration sohuld be
      given under certain circumstances to the mobility stipulation in
      the SCEP contract once a student graduates. My wife is in school
      and I won\'t be mobile upon graduation.

2399. The agency need to be willing to work with spouses within the
      agency. Pay scales and COLA needs to be re-evaluated to better
      reflect the actual cost of living in areas.

2400. as with all surveys, it is difficult to give a good response with
      multiple choice answers, but I did the best I could do. I have
      worked mainly in the private sector (consulting) but have also had
      my own ranch and have worked for our local County and the USFS.
      NRCS needs a great deal improvement in their training. NEDs
      courses are not compatable with similar private industry training.
      I think to much emphasis is placed on team/feel good exercises
      rather than teaching us workplace related tools. The pay scale is
      a real problem in NRCS. The DC position I took was advertised 3
      times and the first two times no one applied, we advertised a GS
      11 Engineer and got no applications-when you talk to people they
      don\'t apply because of the low salary. I also think the policy of
      having to move to promote is shameful. Especially in rural
      communities. Having people who have long term relationships with
      the local community and stakeholders is critical. One of the major
      complaints of clients is that government employees come and go and
      never become part of the communitye

2401. With the advances in technology and additional programs, the
      training required for implimentation, and limited staffing,
      individual job performance is increasingly more demanding, complex
      and difficult rather than easier and more efficient, without a
      discernable increase in resource conservation nor agency
      operations.

2402. I hope NRCS may have a dramatice effect on conserving our
      resources into the future.

2403. I believe training is very important for new employees, but an
      intensive 6 week course is too much all at once. Two weeks per
      year for 3 years would be a more constructive way to disseminate
      the information needed, while still providing the services to our
      customers and our families.

2404. Locality pay for my area is extremely poor. I live somewhere that
      is very expensive and we are an area that recieves the general
      locality pay.

2405. Moving for a promotion should not be required nor should within
      office promotions be expected. Promotions should always be merit
      based and never be expected because one has been in an office for
      a long time. It is important to be well rounded by gaining
      experience in other offices but this too should not be required
      necessarily. Question #47 should read \"How many promotions have
      you received that required you to move to a new office?\", which
      is the basis for the my answer. New questions: \"The cost of
      living in your county is extremely high\...extremely low.\" \"The
      major barrier to accomplishing agency goals are\_\_\_\_\_\"

2406. Access to agency information on the web for both employees and
      clients. Too much info, yet not easy to navigate/locate on NRCS
      website. It\'s sometimes easier to Google the info rather than
      search within NRCS for up to date information.

2407. People with farm or ranch backgrounds ought to be targeted more in
      hiring. Also, enormous effort is spent on recruiting new employees
      but longtime employees are largely ignored in terms of training
      needs.

2408. Well worth the investment

2409. Stop all of the changes. Slow down. Do things right the first
      time. Stop the unreasonalbe deadlines. Give us some clerical help.
      Fully staff our field offices to handle the workload.Listen to the
      DCs and respond.We know better than you what to do and how to do
      it. If you have not worked in a field office in the last three
      years, you know nothing in regards to how it really is.

2410. Many employees love what they do, and are simply overworked.
      Things that need to be done for the agency to do it\'s job well
      sometimes fall through the cracks. As a result, I have heard
      employees comment on their frustrations and desire to leave the
      agency.

2411. This has been a very good survey. Hope more people take the time
      to fill it out

2412. What happend to us providing technical help to people. We are way
      to PROGRAM DRIVEN.

2413. Thank you for your support

2414. I would like to see overall results of survey and then see some
      movement to address issues, ie workforce 2000 conf in the 80\'s we
      did see significant changes due to that conference.

2415. .

2416. The best part of NRCS work is the established trust between ag
      producers and the agency.

2417. I believe that expected workload, particularly administrative
      aspects, along with programmatic workload have increased
      disproportionately with staffing. We have more and more
      responsibility and sometimes less authority to be creative in the
      work. Everyone with an e-mail address can expect work from us,
      including this survey, which adds to our current workload.

2418. Please consider improving the pay rate system because it really
      does not reward those that truly do the work. Please consider
      allowing (Paying extra) the seasoned troops to train the newer and
      middle service time employees. The seasoned troop thathave been in
      country, if you know what I mean have very valuable skills that
      they can share with the newer employees. Please promote older
      seasoned employees and not lock them up and throw away the key,
      please remember they have value too. Hiring new people is not
      always the answer to todays problems. We already have the answers,
      the skills in the staff we currently have if you would just let
      them do their job and pay them fairly for the hard work they do.
      Thank You!!!!, Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!

2419. The workforce need to match to meet the changing workload. The S.O
      & R.O specialist should be easily accesible to the field.

2420. I feel the federal government needs to get away from the race
      based hiring. The best person for the job should get the job, no
      matter what. Race, ethnicity, or gender are not excuses for
      ignorance. I feel that for the most part, at least in Arizona,
      this agency is doing an outstanding job. I do believe that
      money/time should be made availble for more formal training if we
      are to continue to successfully serve the public and uphold our
      mission. Thank you for the opportunity to come to work every day.

2421. I don\'t think I\'m the only old-timer who feels this way: EQIP is
      the most poorly-thought-out, un-workable, screwed-up system I\'ve
      seen since the Johnson administration! Look at the almost-daily
      messages changing the procedures, in an attempt to make the
      unworkable function. Staffing and goals seem to be directed in
      every direction except American agriculture, our most important
      industry. And I\'ve had no control over my \"career\" here.
      \"Equality, I spoke their word, as if a wedding vow, Ah but I was
      so much older then; I\'m younger than that now!\" \--Bob Dylan

2422. Relocation benefit is a great retention measure.

2423. Continued support of telecommuting and flex work hours help
      employee moral and incentives for retention.

2424. How far is commute to field office? (55 mi) Is there need for
      additional local field offices and where? (Yes - Sierra Nevada
      Foothills)

2425. I\'ve recently read, via the internet that PATCO is considered
      outdated by the EEOC. I have taken 3 details and worked in 4 other
      counties than the one in which I live, so while I haven\'t been
      moved by the agency, I have moved offices, and positions. I think
      this should have nothing to do with whether I am promoted, nor
      should the number of grade level employees per office have
      anything to do with whether I am promoted for the excellent work I
      perform. If you want to keep quality people, treat them fairly,
      honestly and pay them a living wage. In CA this may be more than
      the rest of the country, but we are doing indispensable work, and
      we should be recognized and paid for that service. Thank you for
      providing this opportunity, it\'s a first in my career with the
      agency so far.

2426. I hope the anwers help to make a better agency. Thanks for asking
      for input.

2427. I believe the number one reason for job dissatisfaction with our
      agency is our employees are tired of spending countless hours
      trying to make ever more complicated and error-prone computer
      programs work, and tired of our agency taking on more and more
      administrative responsibilities without getting any additional
      staffing. We have almost been entirely removed from the field, and
      are no longer able to give our clients the assistance they need to
      properly implement conservation practices. Not only are we going
      to have a hard time replacing many of our soon to retire employees
      with QUALIFIED individuals, we will have a difficult time
      retaining the ones we have!

2428. I believe non-caucasian employees in the NRCS workforce actually
      have a higher chance of being promoted and receiving
      advancement/employment opportunities because the agency is overly
      concerned that we have a diverse work force and a work force with
      a significant representation of non-caucasian employees in higher
      level positions. I think the best qualified candidate should
      always be hired, promoted, etc. without regard to race or
      ethnicity or gender for that matter. Unfortunately, I do not
      believe this is always the case. I also think the NRCS
      accountability/progress reporting system needs to be completely
      over hauled to capture the real work we are doing in the field.
      The current system does not accurately reflect the time that is
      spent with producers and on the lands that do not qualify for farm
      bill assistance or where landusers simply want NRCS technical
      assistance and not money. It also doesn\'t capture the effects of
      our public outreach efforts including land user education
      resulting in the prevention of natural resource damage which is
      really the purest form of conservation in my opinion. NRCSers do
      this better than anyone else and every day on the job and yet
      there is no way the system captures the value of this assistance.

2429. It should not be so hard to get part time employees hired to full
      time if the field office has a need. There should always be a
      techician in the field office not just planners.

2430. One of the major issues we need to face is the lack of mobility
      due to cost of housing, plus family considerations (spouse\'s
      job). More opportunities for temporary details, details to the
      next office over (with no overnight travel), etc., would give good
      training. 2. Our technical staff time has become overwhelmingly
      taken by administrative tasks for Farm Bill programs, such as
      trying to \"fix\" eligibility issues, deal with contracting issues
      (producer wants split payments for current year practices
      therefore a contract modification needs to be done, etc.). This
      leaves less and less time to do technical work.

2431. Civil Rights - EEO/Outreach

2432. Getting the name of NRCS out into the public, especially the
      universities and colleges is crucial to its success.

2433. We have great agency & staffing. Need less time becoming
      administrative paperwork experts and more time focusing on helping
      out clientele learn to plan & sustain conservation successfully,
      rather than focusing on funding conservation work.

2434. I definitely do not think that these personal questions should be
      asked. I resent them, and would never fill out this portion of any
      survey. The reason that i did answer was that it was requested for
      the job, and the survey has apparently been designed to force you
      to answer all questions before registering completion, regardless
      of whether or not they are personal and intrusive. As long as
      diversity is a consideration, and the fact that many questions are
      of a very personal nature, it should be noted that the questions
      were designed only for those people in traditional families or
      relationships.

2435. Hazardous duty pay for those office located in a severe
      nonattainment air quality areas

2436. On question 24, I don\'t get federal retirement because I\'m only
      working as \"WAE\" Work as needed, part-time, the other part of
      the time, I work for the RCD.

2437. No other comments.

2438. None.

2439. We still have a lot of problems, but things are generally much,
      much better than they used to be. Computers were wonderful at
      first, but have become and anchor around our necks. We can use
      computers to make our work quality better, and to work in a more
      organized way. But if management insists we do nothing else but
      work on the computer it becomes very difficult after many years.

2440. Regarding my comments on a need for increased experitise in
      agronomy, engineering, hydrology, I think soil conservationists
      should obtain a certain level of expertise in all NRCS disciplines
      as soil cons. are the people who generally facilitate the
      conservation planning process and work with landowners to plan and
      schedule conservation plans within conservation programs
      contracts. The reason I mention engineering is that many of our
      conservation practices are under the engineering discipline.
      Additionally, many of our soil cons. are trained under one
      discipline coming out of college, so being trained in all of the
      primary NRCS disciplines (agronomy, range science, engineering,
      biology) would be useful for the planning process. I also
      mentioned an increased knowledge in GIS, I feel our agency has
      sufficient skills for GIS, However, I think we need more access to
      updated GIS layers for generating maps. For example,updated ortho
      imagery would be useful as GIS layers for visualizing aspects of
      the planning unit, and the use of previous ortho imagery (as a GIS
      layer) can be useful knowing historical land use, as a visula of
      previous land use will be helpful in the planning process.

2441. Right now the way things are going I no there are a lot of unhappy
      employees that are looking at other jobs because of the amount of
      work there doing there not getting the pay for that.

2442. pay more and let people finish a job and get a sence of
      accomplishment, more ata boys

2443. pay

2444. Reasons for promotions should include office problem or poor
      technical skills or poor manager.

2445. Mentoring should be encouraged to train employees to replace the
      skilled and seasoned employees that plan on retiring within the
      next 5 years. There is a stong possibility that there won\'t be
      enough qualified applicants to fill vacated senior positions.

2446. I resented the question about marital status; I have been divorced
      so long that I consider myself as just \'single\'. Why do I have
      to haul around the baggage of something that happened 23 years
      ago? Q.48 should have had a category of \'Not applicable\'. The
      question on why people get promoted did not offer the right
      choices. I didn\'t see the choice of where someone who screws up
      royally gets the promotion. Some of the questions only had
      positive responses to choose from, or the choices just didn\'t fit
      my feelings at all. We at the field level receive edicts from
      above which have no revelance to our work or progress, as if they
      have no idea what we do at the field office level. We have a
      zillion things to do that \'just take 5 minutes\' and these are
      mostly meaningless tasks. We are expected to be experts at so many
      things like contract administration, natural resource technical
      assistance, supervision, computer programs, ArcView, and so on.
      There is more to natural resource conservation than the Farm Bill.
      We are missing the opportunity to work with new producers because
      of the way the FB works, and we are missing the higher end
      producers because the Farm Bill tends to prop up the low end (more
      resource problems=greater chance of FB funding). We are completely
      ignoring the urban constituency. They are folks with resouorce
      concerns, they pay taxes, and few of them know of our existence or
      services. We should look to them to be our supporters and
      champions-this is 90% of our population that is underserved. Not a
      good omen for our future. We get a lot of programs/processes
      rolled out before they are tested or fully workable, then have to
      limp along until the next \'fix\' and then the program is scrapped
      altogether in favor of some new system, and the cycle repeats.
      These are things that will tend to drive away new employees, and
      cause old ones to look for other opportunities (myself included).
      The conservation planning process is our crown jewel, our
      flagship. Yet even this is now so cumbersome and mired in
      documentation that it is an unwieldy task\...way too many anal
      types have made this into a monster. Most of us are not in
      conservation to sit behind a desk and print form after form after
      form\... The amount of paperwork for a single practice in a single
      plan will sink our ship (and our good employees will jump ship) if
      we don\'t reign this in.

2447. Many times a employees mobility is affected by the fact that
      one\'s spouse is also working full time at a job that does not
      have a similar position in the new location - hence when they quit
      theit job to move they may never ever the old great job back - on
      the other hand they may both feel that taking on new jobs with be
      great opportunities.

2448. I would like to see a change made for a employee to be able to
      advance in grade if they are doing the work and not be held back
      because of inability to justiy the grade increase due to the
      complexity of the job.

2449. 1\. Please allow retirement after 30 years of service 2. Please
      improve the insurance coverage. No dental or vision means not
      competitive with the private sector.

2450. n/a

2451. I can\'t wait to retire to begin a second career!!!

2452. Timing is important. Offer trainings at the correct point in an
      employee\'s career. For example, Conservation Boot Camp is a waste
      time and money, if the employee has more than two years experience
      in the agency.

2453. questions regarding retention of \"senior\" employess should be
      helpful in preparing for ultimate employee losses

2454. There is not a correct choice for question 48. The answers here
      should be ignored.

2455. Because of program demands, computer demands, paperwork demands on
      my and my staffs time we don\'t have the time to work with
      landowners to the extent they would like us to. If we don\'t
      change this trend our agency will not be the force in conservation
      that it needs to be.

2456. more training. better leaders that will give us the information
      that we need and not beat around the bush. when we can get that we
      will be a more productive work force. until then we are in the
      dark and get just enough information to get by instead of getting
      done.

2457. See above comment.

2458. Job class and series should be based on workload and its
      complexity and not on number of programs serviced.

2459. I enjoy my work with NRCS, my co-employees and customers, and I
      feel we need more staff in the field offices to conduct better
      technical services which are difficult to accomplish. There is
      always a feeling of lack of accomplishment and thoroughness each
      day which builds up over time.

2460. None

2461. The agency needs some \"new blood\" in order to succeed in the
      future. Also, a lot of jobs that are advertised have already been
      filled by internal candidates in that same state or even in the
      same office. Furthermore, the agency is hurting itself by
      advertising for non-status applicants when outside candidates and
      otherwise qualified NRCS employees will probably not even be
      considered let alone selected. Years on the job and \"other\"
      criteria should not be the primary reasons for promotion.

2462. A college education does not qualify a person for a job with NRCS.
      I feel that experience, knowledge of agriculture and agriculture
      operations is overlooked in NRCS\'s hiring procedures. A college
      education should provide the basics about soil and plants, but it
      takes more than the education to be able to convey that knowledge
      to a producer. Employees have been hired through the coop program
      that can not communicate with producers, and have no knowledge of
      agriculture operations (except for what they learned at college).
      I think that this is a problem that is being overlooked and should
      be addressed.

2463. couple of more questions on employees caring and responseable for
      care of elderly parents. My last move was to care for my parents
      yet flexiable work hours of 6am to 6pm does not help me (why not
      5am to 9pm). Elderly parents revert back to children of age 0-7,
      and elderly care is much more expensive than daycare. Unless you
      are the one take care of the parent(s) it\'s hard to know about
      the cost, care, and stress. This state does not recognized
      flexiable work place when their is a positive benefit to NRCS. Try
      believing in the employee to promote more conservation on the
      ground. I have 11 years to retire would like to move 2-3 more
      times but can\'t but 10-30 day details would be great.

2464. I feel that NRCS personel could benefit from small training
      sessions where specialists come to different field offices working
      with 4 or 5 people at a time. I think this would be more benefit
      and cost effective than sending large groups out of town to a
      central training area. I would like to see more training on Gis
      applic. where I could show the trainer what I need help on instead
      of training tailored to a large group with various skill levels.

2465. encouraged everyone to promote witin grade or series is a very
      important part of our workforce or retain people for NRCS.

2466. Mobility should be rewarded, not looked down upon. There is no
      \"group\" for white males between 18-49 to belong to. All other
      groups should be abolished, we are all american. Hiring
      preferences based on ethnicity should be illegal. Hiring should be
      based soley on skills, as should promotions. Example:
      Information-Technologist with no college degree (doenst make sense
      does it?).

2467. I just got out of a meeting with my supervisor, i was told that
      New Mexico will be promoting 3 people to the GS12 as MMA
      supervisors. The MMA offices will be taking over the soils
      responsibilities that I have. I was told that my new title would
      be resource soil scientist. It seems like I am taking a step
      backwards in my career goals. What would It look like if I put in
      for a job and say that I was a Soil Data Quality Spec. and now I
      am a resource soil scientist. Originally my posision was
      advertides as Assistant State Soil Scientist. I woul like to have
      this title and do any tasks that I would be asked, even supervise
      some of the other GS-12 or 11\'s.

2468. Maybe the topic of the ratio of male to females should be
      addressed. You mentioned ethnicity, what about sex. I am the only
      female in an otherwise all male office of 8 others(and all except
      one is Caucasian). An improvement in the recruitment of females is
      just as important to keeping a balanced workforce. The NRCS is
      largely a white male, greying workforce. That has not really
      changed no matter how many pretty labels you try to put on it. It
      makes it very difficult for women to want to stay. There is no one
      to relate to, no one to talk to. This is the experience all over
      the state I work in, and often the women who work here feel they
      are considered \"token\" and are extra workers and are only here
      because of EEO, not because anybody wanted them here. Don\'t get
      me wrong, the few who last long enough get promoted as long as
      they have \"time in grade\", but not necessarily because they are
      really qualified for the job. This goes for the men as well, of
      course.

2469. I can only speak to/about our state (NM)\...beyond that my answers
      are not substantiated. Overall, my biggest gripe is that we need
      to get back to basics\...doing your job right should be job one
      (or two after safety). There\'s more focus on cultural diversity,
      sexual harrasment, and civil rights\...etc. than simply
      fullfilling our job responsibilities. I understant the PC stuff is
      important, but it shouldn\'t supplant nor supercede the purpose of
      our agencies!

2470. none at this time

2471. My answers should be scrutenized as I retire with over 40 year of
      Service in 10 days.

2472. I get the impression that minority employees (gender, race,
      ethnicity\...) are given preferrential treatment in promotions,
      regardless of technical and managerial ability.

2473. The federal government has never paid to move me. However, I have
      moved at my own expense 3 times. I know for new employees moving
      every year seems excessive. To me, it is excessive. I think a new
      employee needs at least 2 years in the same location to start out
      before they even really figure out what is going on. I have been a
      training location for at least 6 years now. Our agency has too
      many things to learn to move these people every year.

2474. none

2475. One major improvement that NRCS can make is to make sure to work
      with employees, especially in job placements. It seems that there
      is a bit of an attitude that employees are placed where they are
      needed without consideration of the needs of the actual employee -
      many people are put in a position where they are forced to choose
      between their job and the well being of their families. Most
      people have to consider many things when they are asked to move -
      for example spouses and their jobs, children and their well-being,
      and the general area where they are asked to move. As a single
      mother, I do not feel comfortable moving to any area, and I am
      concerned that one day NRCS will ask me to move to an area where I
      am not comfortable taking my children and raising them. It would
      be nice to be more secure in my job and know that I will not be
      put in a situation where I have to choose between my job and my
      children.

2476. The agency needs to look at locality pay in certain areas because
      there are small towns in counties not adjacent to large cities
      getting locality whereas some large cities where the cost of
      living is higher are getting less pay for the same grade level.
      This needs to be looked into now.

2477. no comment

2478. We used to actually help the public and get a lot more actual work
      done. Now we are becoming more of a regulatory agency that is
      SADDLED WITH PAPERWORK. Excessive paperwork and number jockying to
      \"reach goals\" which are a farse anyway has shot morale. I used
      to LOVE MY JOB!! Now it is just a job and I am too old to change
      careers and start over.

2479. Following hiring, the discrimination is reverse for non minorities
      for promotion.

2480. It was mentioned somewhat, but losing quality employees due to
      moving them needs to be worked on. A lot of times, if married, it
      is not economically feasable for someone to move due to a spouses
      job. Diversity in the work force is good and needed but only if
      qualified personnel are hired. I have seen some cases where
      employees have been hired and had no idea about any agriculture
      practices. The type that thinks food just appears in the grocery
      store, they have no idea how it gets there.

2481. Our clientel is getting more urban and less agriculture, but they
      relax, retire, and recreat in a rural or agricultural setting. Our
      new hires have less and less farm, ranch, 4-H, or FFA background.
      More ecological training and conservation planning and less
      program training.

2482. We absolutely have to have more people to get the job done -
      PERIOD! Takes way too long to replace personell that retire or
      move. The workload and expectations are horrendous on the field
      offices that are short on staff.

2483. PRS goals need to be issued early on in the fiscal year (in 2005,
      goals were not issued until April, and then we had to go back to
      every plan and fix everything to meet the new criteria - double
      work!) If you can\'t have it ready go to by January 1st, then it
      should be held off for another year. As a DC, it seems there is a
      never ending supply of reports, documentation, etc. to be
      completed. Also, having to know something about every subject
      (soils, wetlands, HEL, nutrient management, pest management,
      engineering, computers, etc.) - the downside of knowing a little
      bit about a lot of subjects is that it decreases your odds on
      qualifying (or being considered qualified for a technical
      specialist position on a zone staff or higher level). More and
      more new employees are being hired with MS or higher degrees,
      while mid-career folks like me only have a BS - this
      (unfortunately) downgrades us in the HR reviews when we try to
      qualify for a technical specialist type of position. While job
      announcements allow for option B (education and experience) in
      qualifying a person for a position - I have yet to see an HR
      review that actually considers this option if you don\'t have a
      college degree in the specific area. I am a certified professional
      in a professional society - they considered my experience -
      however I have been told by a number of HR folks that this outside
      professional certification is not worth the piece of paper it is
      printed on - how sad that the agency refuses the consider the
      experience gained on the job, etc. as qualifying for a position
      and only focus in on a college degree. This even discounts all of
      the essential training courses we attend as being of worth to HR.
      It is sad to think that other field office personnel will consider
      you an essential technical resource in the given category (and
      even some zone technical specialists), but HR won\'t give you the
      time of day. If the HR reviews don\'t start to change, then
      mid-career folks like me will only be left with pursuing jobs with
      other agencies that actually value our experience and abilities.
      Too bad that NRCS has lost its way.

2484. no further questions, Thank you!

2485. Our agency is still too rigid in its use of flexible work location
      and technology in certain skills due to fear of no control and
      lack of trust or understanding of incentive.

2486. Need more choices on maritial status. Better training needs to be
      provided. Most training is provided formally and doesn\'t provide
      enough time to cover all needed items, it is mostly here it is ,
      go get it done.

2487. This agengy has allowed cost share programs and the computer to
      control all agency decisions. We need to get back to our
      beginnings, conservation planning, and forget the cost share
      programs.

2488. I think the agency should realize that we are very program driven
      and that we are getting more tied up in the paperwork that goes
      with programs than being in the field and accomplishing the
      original goals that the agency set forth to accomplish.

2489. To become promoted you should take a skills test

2490. I\'m really grateful that NRCS has decided to take a look at some
      of the concerns within this survey. As an agency we need to take a
      long look at our pay scale versus other agencies and private
      industry. I began my career with USDA before some of my
      counterparts in other agencies and have moved more than twice as
      much, they are further up the GS scale and have never had to move
      for a promotion. They are allowed to do their jobs from home to a
      certain degree and travel is encouraged for them to be able to do
      their jobs successfully and not have to move their families. This
      is something that NRCS really needs to find a way to do. I\'m sure
      50% of the people in NRCS, have office space at home and the
      capabilities to perform their jobs from home. This would cut down
      on office space and expense extensively, granted there are some
      tasks that we as a technical agency have to perform that would
      require us to have office time and needs. It would be very
      interesting to see the level of performance of completing tasks,
      that an opportunity such as this would bring, just on a trial
      basis. I welcome the opportunity to perform my job duties at a
      level much higher than the listed pay potential and receive
      compensation for doing so and not have to relocate in order to
      take myself and this agency to greater heights. Thank you for
      asking for our opinions in this survey, listening and taking steps
      to address our concerns.

2491. Having been with the agency a relatively short time, and being
      relatively low in the chain of command, I have not formed very
      strong opinions with regard to many of the questions. Having
      worked extensively in the privat sector, generally for very large
      corporations, I am often suprised by the similarities in working
      for the government.

2492. i feel that the most qualified person for the job should be the
      one who gets it, weather they be black, white, red, green, male,
      female or whatever. i really dont care what a person is as long as
      they are the most quilified for the position. i have seen too many
      cases where due to ethnic divirsity requirements the most
      qualified person was not the one who got the position.

2493. Be nicer to the employees at the field level. Don\'t talk down to
      us. Respect us. Include us. Those that made the decision to
      advance to Area/Zone/State Office are not necessarily smarter,
      better, or more dedicated than those that chose to stay at the
      field level.

2494. Mobility is not necessary to perform in this job. It is
      destructive to families. What is destructive to families will be
      destructive, in the long run, to the agency.

2495. The answer is simple we need more people to do the amount of work
      that is required and to keep quality high.

2496. Salary increase is imperative.

2497. Staffing of offices can determine if a person can serve on any
      State or National group. This in effect only allows those with a
      larger staff to give input.

2498. Spouse has always had outside employment. Retired last year.

2499. Too many Ag Eco people are hired. They do not the training or
      experience needed for on the ground conservation.

2500. With a new, young, work force currently being hired, more
      consideration should be given to the fact that both husband and
      wife tend to work. This is important since private sector jobs
      tend to pay more, with benefits, than a government agriculture
      position. Leaving the higher paying job because the lower paying
      job is being moved is not a logical choice. Moving people is a
      necessity, but there are other factors that must be considered to
      keep the better employees with the agency.

2501. In addition to the five categories we were to selct where the
      agency needs strengthening, I would add a general strengthening of
      our administrative skills, i.e. submissions for EQIP which
      historically had been performed by FSA.

2502. There needs to be some way for top govt. executives to do a
      reality check on new govt programs and the means of existing staff
      to carry out those programs\...to provide legislators with a
      reality check on proposed programs.

2503. IT IS HARD FOR A TECHNICAL EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE AGENCY
      OVER 15 YEARS, LIKE MYSELF TO BE SUPERVISED BY SOMEONE THAT HAS
      BEEN WITH THE AGENCY LESS THAN 5 YEARS. THEY REALLY DO NOT KNOW
      HOW TO WORK WITH PRODUCERS. THEY NEVER HAVE WRITTEN A CONSERVATION
      PLAN OR SEEN A PLAN PUT IN PLACE. AT THIS TIME THE AGENCY IS
      CONTRACT DRIVEN WITHOUT REALLY WORKING WITH OUR RESOURCES. IT IS A
      SHAME THAT WE HAVE GONE THAT ROUTE. IF I WAS GIVEN AN EARLY OUT, I
      JUST MAY CONSIDER IT. I CANNOT WAIT FOR MY 10 YEARS TO GET HERE.

2504. Most jobs in my local with my experience start at \$12.50 and
      above for just part time. Full time is a lot more and includes
      significant more benefits than the government offers.

2505. Regarding the mobility, so to my age and experience I would like
      very much to return back home. (Rio Grande City, Texas) if could
      be possible.

2506. need to do away with the team concept

2507. This agency no longer emphasizes serving the public, we are just
      here to make the state conservationist look good, without serving
      the public.

2508. The agency in general does not have enough criterion for hiring.
      Especially under the diversity issue, the quality of individuals
      performance is very low. This is not because of the implementation
      of hiring for a diverse agency, but again, its criterion and the
      manner in which we recruit. Also in general, minorities are in
      fact given prefferential treatment, especially in job location,
      advancement opportunities, rule of standards to be upheld. The
      agency does a poor job of managing the quality of its employees.
      All individuals should be held to the same standards, and should
      be elgible to be dismissed from duty without their being such a
      risk to the manager, when he is in fact making a fair and wise
      decision.

2509. none

2510. No

2511. Every question should allow you to make comments

2512. I support Civil Rights and EEO, but there are times when bad
      employees should be terminated for the good of the agency!

2513. We need to hire new employees but if they are not make the grade
      we should let the go and race or sex should not be considered

2514. Employees need to be told that they have done a good job. Family
      should be considered at all times.

2515. None

2516. I don\'t think it should be a requirement to move to be promoted.
      If a person is moved by the government or chooses to move or not,
      that\'s their decision and they should not be punished for their
      decision if they have the qualifications for the position. If a
      promotional position becomes available in an office and someone in
      the office applies and has the best qualifications, they ought to
      get the promotion based on those qualifications; not punished for
      not moving.

2517. It was understood through the application process that mobility
      was a necessity, therefore no one should complain. I understand
      that we should have an diverse workforce to meet the needs of the
      communities, but to hire just to get the numbers is not right,
      furthermore, when promotions are more easily obtained because you
      are a minority is not right either. If we are all treated equally,
      why do we need special emphasis groups. Keep in mind, not all
      employees fall under one of these groups!

2518. Question 48 does not allow a correct answer for a single person.
      Technical people should be located at the field office level and
      service local land users. If we don\'t do the job at the field
      level we will fail the over all mission.

2519. none

2520. the agency should manage friendly instead of managing by fear

2521. To accomplish our mission, we need people who are technically
      qualified, and these people should be hired on their ability to do
      the job, not because of what they look like.

2522. Question 5 in section one needs an option of NONE of those listed.
      One comment - This agency has a technical reputation that is in
      jepordy because our leadership is not committed to one on one
      technical assistance. It is my opinion that the agency leadership
      believes that we can maintain our technical expertise by staying
      in the office and puching buttons on computers. We can hire
      technical people out of college, but if you try to keep them in
      the office their technical quality goes to the dogs. If you want
      to maintain technical expertise, you must not abandon the one on
      one technical asssistance that the agency was built on. We need
      more technical people in the field and on the field with producers
      so that they can grow technically instead of reverting to a button
      pusher with a technical degree.

2523. am a widow - above question does not allow for that

2524. I do not feel that employees should have to be moved for a
      promotion or more experience. I feel like the longer they are in
      one place, the more experience they gain, and better relationships
      are developed w/ producers. Producers are more willing to work
      with someone they know and trust than a cycle of constant new
      employees. I think that it would be better to detail each new
      employee for a couple of weeks to different field offices so that
      they are exposed to new aspects of the job.

2525. I feel that overtime should be allowed for employees that are
      working extra hours when needed. Employees working extra hours
      should be rewarded for their extra effort and time away from their
      families. We should not be punished for things employees did
      before I was hired. I feel that Technical Service Providers will
      give us a bad mark in the long run. So far it seems like most TSPs
      do not take pride in the work and are only looking at the dollar
      signs. TSPs are doing the work based on quantity, instead of
      quality like NRCS aims for. TSPs are doing all of the field work,
      which leaves NRCS employees stuck in the office doing all of the
      paperwork and computerwork. I feel we need to be hiring more NRCS
      employees to meet the workload demands we have for Farm Bill
      programs.

2526. n/a

2527. None

2528. Hire people based on qualification, and not on diversity

2529. Keep our agency technically sound. Keep the red tape to a minimum
      for us and our producers. Make computer programs more user
      friendly for the older employees who didn;t grow up with nintendo,
      playstation, xbox etc. Work to change public perception of public
      servants that has been going down since the 80\'s. On a whole I
      believe our agency has a tremendous core of hardworking employees
      who take pride in their work.

2530. Partners, such as Conservation Districts, need to provide
      personnel to do their projects. We no longer have time for so many
      contests, meeting, and other projects.

2531. Since NRCS has aquired all of the EQIP duties, field offices that
      have a heavy EQIP work load have also a tremendous clerical work
      load not to mention field work load. Yet, no clerks are being
      hired at the local level to handle payment processing. It\'s sad
      that technically trained people have to spend so much time doing
      clerical work (payments)and conservation planning field work takes
      the \"back burner\".

2532. My spouse is employed outside the home and is the major income
      source for our household. A move on my part would affect us
      negetatively and is a major factor on my advancement in the
      agency. I believe with married partners working this scenario is a
      common scenario and/or question that a employee must answer; that
      management does not take into consideration.

2533. Employees\' choice of geographical locations should be considered
      when personal circumstances dictate.

2534. It is extremely difficult being married and wanting to move up the
      career ladder. Action needs to be taken to provide job
      oppertunities for spouses.

2535. Reference question 49 \-- I am divorced, so I don\'t have a spouse
      employed anywhere.

2536. I am somewhat dissolutioned by what I feel is lack of
      understanding on what upper management believes our mission is and
      what is actually happening in the field offices. National and
      State offices make all kinds of statements on what they would like
      or think our agency is doing based on it\'s past. In reality, we
      are a program driven organization that is operated by the funds
      given to carry out these programs. Technical assistance or 01
      funding is rare because field office employess are stretched to
      the max just trying to keep up with new or changing farm bill
      programs. If technical assistance is a priority then staffing
      should reflect that desire. At this time all an employee needs to
      be efficient in is to understand how the computer works and be
      able to keep up with the never ending changes. Being good on the
      computer allows you to carry out the farm programs.

2537. none

2538. Training should be emphasized more for new employees.

2539. We need to hire clerical positions to process EQIP, WHIP, CSP
      payments, and free up our technical and professional staff to work
      with landowners and operators. Having GS-11 or GS-12 personnel
      performa clerical job is not cost nor workforce effective.

2540. Serious consideration should be given to examining which jobs with
      NRCS can be done from an employee\'s home. If a TSP can work from
      their home and get the job done, then so could our employees. Some
      work will have to be done to insure that employees working from
      home were still accessible to the public.

2541. The way to bridge the Experience gap, is to train employees, who
      are grades 9 or less, (Married and Single folks), in all areas of
      conservation. Don\'t send them off somewhere, Do it at the Zone
      level or state level. Select individuals at the state and zone
      level to train, who have experience and are good trainers. I have
      been to some wonderful trainings. One Example: La Copita, in
      Zone 3. Hosted by specialists: Stan Reinke. Tim Reinke, and Vivian
      Garcia. They make trainings worth attending. Don\'t just mandate
      trainings to people who donÆt know how to teach, encourage those
      at the State level to select teachers who encourage learning. We
      are the future of NRCS. Knowledge, and Experience, will be the
      key. AND The only way to gain experience is to train and work.

2542. I do not see a problem with leadership skills within the
      organization. I see a problem with technical expertise. I have
      observed that even those individuals that graduated some years
      back with some degree of technical expertise have been beaten down
      over the years with contracting overload. We need to return to
      leaders in agriculture with unsurpassed technical accuracy. The
      rest will take care of itself.

2543. I would like to achieve a higher grade but am limited by my
      position and education. Although I have no college degree, after
      18 years experience I feel I have a better feel for administration
      of a field office than some of the newer District Conservationist
      that are being promoted because they have a college degree.

2544. Mobility seems to be the biggest deterant for new hirees. They
      should have a clear understanding of what is expected of them in
      the begining. Too many times we hire these kids and then they find
      out they are going to have to move twice before the settle at some
      field office. We need to hire only the ones that understnad about
      mobility and not loose time training someone that does not plan to
      stay with NRCS because of having to move. Our urban hirees do not
      want to leave the city\...the rural kids don\'t want to come to
      the city\...we need to do better recruiting to solve these issues
      if we plan to keep our current workforce intact!

2545. The NRCS should hire new employees at a lower grade and train
      them, not hire new employee at hirer grades and expect them to
      have the same commitment to conservation and the NRCS mission.
      Most new employee that have been hired at hirer grades have been
      trained in other areas and have no background of the SCS or NRCS.
      To hire young new employees from college the NRCS will need to up
      its starting salary to get better qualified graduates.

2546. Why should I have to answer #48, if in #43 I stated I was
      divorced? I am single again!

2547. Thanks for asking. It helps to think mgmt listens.

2548. My biggest concern is hiring additional people today so they can
      get a reasonable amount of training before extensive retirements
      begin.

2549. Good questionaire

2550. Looking at certain members of Executive Management, they do not
      have much of a life outside of civil service. I think an
      appropriate question would be, looking at your supervisor, would
      you want to fill his/her position at some time? If not, why?
      Additionally, the flexible work schedule is a huge plus, as well
      as, knowing that you will be compensated for your time, provided
      you are working with authorization and not one of the top
      supervisors.

2551. none

2552. More efforts should be put into providing training to the current
      employees, rather than putting all the funding toward recruiting
      minority employees.

2553. Incentives should be offered to encourage retirement to meet
      agency needs and post retirement benefit increases.

2554. There should be a place for NA on question 48 since I am divorced,
      I don\'t have a spouse.

2555. I think the current pay scale works, just re-evaluate the grades
      that positions are filled. I WOULD NOT want to see NRCS follow in
      the footsteps of DOD and change the pay system. When people hire
      on, we need to educate them that this could be a very long term
      commitment for them.

2556. It is extremely difficult to get the proper training when every
      time there\'s a budget shortfall (always) the first thing that
      gets cut is training.

2557. There was not an question about \"What will make you retire
      sooner?\" This is equally as important as \"What will make you
      work longer?\" The proposed change from a \"High Three\" to a
      \"High Five\" year calculation for retirement benefits will
      probably cause many employees to retire ahead of the change. 2.
      There is not enough emphasis on Individual Development Plans. The
      NRCS assigns the responsibility for the plan to each individual
      and most do not have enough experience or knowledge to develop a
      plan that will benefit the employee and the agency.

2558. With the increase in use of web services for all parts of the job
      and personal actions, I am overwhelmed with the different sites
      and passwords needed to conduct business. As a result I very
      seldom use those that are not necessary to carry out my job.

2559. I would recommend more opportunities in leadership programs

2560. Technical jobs need promotion potential not a dead end job pay
      grade.

2561. We are going to lose years of valuable experience with the
      retirees. How are we going to address this as there has is a huge
      hiring gap between old and new employees.

2562. Need more expertise to service suburban landowners, small
      landowners.

2563. The question I answered relative to work hindrances was directly
      related to computer technology. I am quite adept at using
      computers and am in no way computer illiterate. But I wish we
      could get to a point where we could be happy with the
      technological tools available to the field. We are so involved in
      upgrading and improving that we are constantly re-training and
      having real problems with using the technology to get our jobs
      done. A three year cycle of development, deployment and training
      would be a great help to productivity in the field.

2564. Supervisor tunnel vision and territorial power struggles, along
      with no \"outside\" the agency experience of employees are just a
      few of the problems the agency faces. Most new hires are student
      trainees/SEEPS with no \"real world\" experience. Supervisors from
      the Chief on down need to step outside the \"box\" and take a look
      at how other agencies (at all levels), private corps. and
      individuals are functioning. \"If it ain\'t broke, don\'t fix
      it,\" should be an agency motto (when we adopted the team concept,
      the trainers from another state told us they had already tried it
      and gone back to one office per county)and yet, one of the worst
      excuses for continuing on the same track is because, \"that\'s the
      way we\'ve always done it\". The trick is knowing which is which.

2565. I think that telecommuting should be available for everyone
      especially if they have dependents. There are times when children
      are not able to go to daycare because they are recovering from an
      illness however they are well enough that the parent could
      accomplish work from home. This would help especially during high
      workload times when a parent has the misfortune of having a sick
      child at home or has been sick themselves. I don\'t feel that
      people would take advantage of the system. I do understand that
      there are questions about security but I feel the opportunity
      should be there for employees. I think this would help with
      employee morale in many situations as well. The fact that one
      could still accomplish work while being at home would be a welcome
      opportunity!

2566. None

2567. N/A

2568. 48\. My wife is on disability retirement. Other: Upgrading to
      modern technology is important (Computers, GPS, etc.) but we keep
      making total changes in our programs \-\-- cost share, computer,
      etc.. Some change is needed but if we have to continually learn
      new programs, than it handicaps our ability to provide service to
      the customer, which is our primary job. You become more effective
      in your work when you have had the opportunity to learn and use a
      program. Also, the people who develope our programs need to be
      knowledgeable of the work that occurs at the field level. It
      appears that all of our changes the last few years have been for
      upper level management to make their job easier and not to assist
      the field to complete the work load.

2569. I feel that the six week boot camp is asking a employee to leave
      his family for too long.

2570. none

2571. Pay for technical careers is not competitive with private industry
      or other Federal agencies.

2572. Hiring more employees to work at he field level would reduce the
      stress and allow more time for the older employees to provide
      quality training to the new employees, thus maintaining a better
      trained workforce.

2573. I would ask that a closer look be given to hiring of new
      employees-especially recently married couples & not being so hard
      on the moving aspect to become full-time-employee\'s needs must be
      a higher consideration if good replacement people are to be hired
      and stay with the agency. More careful selection in team resource
      managers-they need to be more open minded and not bias due to race
      or culture. communication needs to be more efficient in the field
      offices between the supervisors and staff and from zone staff as
      well.There are sensitivity issues that are being neglected and
      employees are unhappy. Look closely at the cultural situations.

2574. No comment

2575. none

2576. Our agency does not work for the public any more, we work
      (struggle) with the computer programs so much that not much else
      is ever accomplished. We are always at the computer and the public
      notices this and is concerned about that and some other issues
      that they have mentioned. They are concerned that we have all
      these new employees that don\'t know anything except computer
      skills. They will be of no help to them is their concern.

2577. The older employees still struggle with the computer. Some think
      it is not part of their job.

2578. Family status should play an important role in the selection
      process of an employees promotion application. Some of us are
      working for others, and not just for ourselves or our retirement
      years. We have to pay bills, and live each day and enjoy the time
      we have with our families. Limiting a professional from working
      where his extended family lives and works is not fair to that
      professional.

2579. Some moiority and women employees feel that they do not have to
      work at an acceptable level because they know that nothing will
      happen to them because the supervisor has fear of not receiving
      the support from the Agency in handling these matters. To avoid
      this problem, a better job of screening the new employee before
      they are hired even to the point of giving them a simple test of
      what is 1 plus 1. Many new employees can not do simple math
      problems even tho they can eat up a computer. I have greatly
      enjoyed my career with the agency and would do it all over again
      if I had the choice to do so. My biggest complaint is that our
      annual cost of living increase once your have reached the top of
      the pay grade is not adequate to keep up with the private sector.
      Once you have maxed out you feel that you are not being adequately
      paid for your knowledge, dedication,and devotion to our customers.

2580. The USDA -NRCS agency needs to focus more Time on one to one Field
      Techical assitance with our Producers. not in the Office.

2581. The only way to take race out of racism is to stop supporting
      programs that make it such a big issue. If it was dropped, less
      people would pay attention it.

      1.  I have witnessed several times that race and alumni
          association has been the reason for position selection, rather
          than merit or technical ability. This causes apprehension to
          apply for future vacancies. 2) There are many new employees
          hired from the student trainee program that were not
          satisfactory as a student trainee. They were not rated
          properly as a good prospect for permanent employment or the
          rating was purposely disrregarded due to race and ethinicity.
          This leads to personal problems once hired for permanent
          employment. The employee does not respond well to training and
          feels inadequate for job performance. This leads to an overall
          lack of office performance even though the staffing level
          appears to be adequate.

2582. The NRCS is an exciting career. It has its bad side as well a good
      there are few place which provide the flexability in work
      enviroment or benfits. The down side is the stuff which does not
      accomplish the NRCS mission which you have to do. Early on there
      was no computer training at all. We suffered along best we could.
      It was over 15 years after computers were introduced to the fiels
      before we recieved any training on using them.

2583. Where are questions 26-32? Questions
      25,33,35,36,38,41,42,43,44,45,47,48 are really none of your
      business. Are not these questions a violation of civil rights?

2584. People do not understand the involvements and the details of NRCS.
      We need to teach the world what we do on a day to day base. I do
      not think that people get the big picture. When I tell people that
      I work for USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service; they have
      no idea what I\'am talking about. But, people do find it very
      interesting once you explain the job to them. We need to be on the
      television, in popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters and
      articles. We need to be talking to students at all high schools
      and colleges throughout the United States. This agency should be
      so popular that every kid six years of age and above should be
      able to explain something that we do. This is how you get people
      in the agency and hope to stay with the agency. If the majority of
      our agents are retiring in the year 2010 than we can not afford to
      wait, we need to get the ball rolling now.

2585. Screening practices for new hires needs to be improved.

2586. Engineering paperwork is impeding the installation of many needed
      practices.

2587. We\'re going to fast. To much reliance on computers. Program
      driven. Need to return to GPCP days.

2588. Civil Service employees should draw matching funds in TSP the same
      as FERS employee

2589. I have none.

2590. A new hire should be based on present skills, education, and
      willingness to relocate regardles of race.

2591. 1\. Equality should work for males, females alike. Females are
      given consideration because their husbands work while males are
      told \"Who is making the living, you or your wife?\" 2. Computer
      upgrades should be tested before being adapted for field usage.
      Too many programs are implemented that leaves existing technology
      unuseable. 3. Awards are given for extra duty such as EWP, but no
      recognition for the employees who must pick up the slack. 4.
      Technology is no replacement for knowledge and experience.

2592. Employees who are allowed to work close to \"home\" will be more
      enthused by their job and will be more productive.

2593. Some of the people that are hired are not qualified for the job, a
      better recruitment program is needed. A better way is needed to
      get rid of poor recruits.

2594. Here is one question. Ir you are retiring in the next five years
      what is the main reasons? My informal survey is has a found most
      of the \"experience\" employees are retiring because of the
      drastically different job duties they knew and the encumbered,
      constantly changing computer based, office based conservation
      assistance.

2595. If you would/could retire today, what is the primary reasons?

2596. None

2597. Someone with on the job training and experience should be able to
      advance without a college degree.

2598. I believe sometimes we forget why we are here. We spend way too
      much time in the office behind a computer and not nearly enough
      time out in the field visiting and helping
      landowners/landmanagers, as employees use to do before computers
      became such a big part of what we do.

2599. Re-evaluate each field office for workload and employees.

2600. We are hiring alot of new employees, but many may be qualified by
      books but do not have any ag background or knowledge to be able to
      relate to producers. And many of the new employees do not have the
      proper people skills, especially ones raised in cities.

2601. Retain older employees with experience. Hire new persons who are
      technically sound and can be of help to this agency instead of
      hiring persons who seem technically inadequate and only here for
      the paycheck. It seems the agency is hiring to fill a quota
      system. The agency should hire based on knowledge, experience,
      initiative, etc on an individual basis regardless of the ethnicity
      or gender of an individual. There are persons of all ethnic
      backrounds and gender that can provide true benefits to NRCS. We
      just have to search out those individuals and not just hire
      persons to fill a quota.

2602. Great place to work. Worried about our technical knowledge after
      the next five years of retirees.

2603. In everything this agency does, we should always keep the farmer
      and rancher in mind and are they going to be able to make a profit
      with our actions. In recent years, our attitude has been that
      making a profit is second to strict complince with our rules(not
      Laws). If the American farmer and rancher can not stay in business
      and provide for their family, no amount of conservation will
      happen. PS; Change our name back to Soil Conservation Service, we
      are still NOT known as \"NRCS\" to the general public as well as
      farmers and ranchers.

2604. Computer are killing us. Excellent professionals are retiring
      because of computers. Answer\--Hire some kids to enter data.

2605. None.

2606. I believe the Government is in this lack of experienced personnel
      situation, because of decisions, they, made with hiring freezes.

2607. There are not enough hours in the day to plan, to perform
      outreach, to supervise effectively, etc., etc., when there are
      lots of hoops and hurdles to overcome.

2608. pay equal to private sector, would be a excellent incentive to
      attract good employees and keep them long term.

2609. Would like to move into program specialist or assistant position.
      No formal training or program other than OJT for these positions
      that I know of.

2610. My wife is disabled and we live 50 miles from one of the best
      medical, pain management facilities in the country. We would not
      want to relocate for this reason.

2611. I feel as though there is not training provided at one level to
      prepare employees to make the transition to the next level (i.e. a
      9 planner is kept in that role and not provided the training to
      make an easy move to the 11 or 12 DC job). I do not feel that an
      individual must move to be promoted, I believe promotion in place
      should be a viable opportunity; however, I do not feel that
      promotion in place should be the rule. I feel that move to be
      promoted and promotion in place should be viewed/used equally. I
      do believe that NRCS will lose good employees by enforcing move to
      be promoted.

2612. More planners need to be hired, I\'m a CET and doing way to much
      planning.

2613. 1\. Mobility- The age of single family income is gone, today\'s
      GS11 salary does not compare to that same salaries buying power in
      today society. Mobility for any reason comes at a price and I
      suggest that you look at the family status of employees that have
      risen quickly to the ranks and assess the impact that has had on
      their family life, divorce, child behavior problems, drug and
      alcohol abuse will probably be more common in very upwardly mobile
      staff. If you find those that don\'t fit any of society hang ups,
      you may find single income households, or those that fit into the
      widowed, single, divorced category. With the lose of job
      satisfaction and the potential of lose of family structure you
      will see staff working only for a paycheck. 2. On a personal note:
      I once loved my job more than anything else I did. SCS/NRCS Got
      150% of my time and commitment, today, I have a job that I try to
      do my very best at and the extra 50% that the agency once got from
      me is now being directed to my family, and community.

2614. New technology is important to use, if it works. However when new
      computer program are sent to the field before they are fully
      operational they create problems and slow down the work while we
      try to learn and help fix the problems.

2615. Need to have a much better awareness and understanding on the part
      of supervisors about what motivates our intergenerational
      workforce for hiring, retention and recognition.

2616. INFORMATION TECH. CHANGES AND UPGRADED SOFTWARE AS WELL AS CHANGES
      IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS ARE PAINFUL.

2617. Questions regarding family status, ethnicity, and the like are
      really really irrelevant and should not have been asked. The
      software does not allow them to be skipped, and we\'ve been
      actively encouraged to complete this survey so that we have 100%
      participation. Due to the small size of some of the entities
      (states), the possibility of this information being kept
      confidential is extremely low, in my opinion. At this point, it is
      not prudent for me to say more.

2618. Great agency to work for - just Leadership and Managment looks as
      if we do not exits way outhere in the Pacific or Marianas Islands.
      We are a U.S. Territory and are us citizens. We are proud to be a
      part of U.S.A.

2619. Administrative staff should be given the training opportunity for
      technical training enhancing our understanding of USDA programs to
      better support technical and management in the most effective
      means.

2620. thanks for asking these questions. best of luck with making sense
      of the answers! MERRY CHRISTMAS

2621. Thank you for the question about aproviding spousal assistance.
      Both myself and my husband are NRCS employees, but because of this
      recent move; he will be looking at other Federal agencies, which
      is unfortunate for NRCS. He is a good biologist, but he is
      especially a very supportive spouse. Secondly, question 10a, I use
      to beleive that all employees understood our mission, but with the
      emphasis seemly on the \"paperwork\" of FarmBill programs, along
      with all the new hires directly to positions such as DC\'s and
      specialists, I\'m no longer convinced we do understand our
      mission. Question 10c. I don\'t have a problem with \"red tape\"
      except in the area of our Foreign offices of Palau and Pohnpie -
      then policy/action gets foggy. Thanks for letting me have this
      brief input.

2622. Add not applicable to questions 45 and 48

2623. The well being of the employe\'s family should be an important
      factor for the benefit of the agency.

2624. One should not have to be overseas more than 3 years, it affects
      all aspects of your life negatively

2625. I think we are going to have increased trouble getting people to
      begin working for or stay with federal government agencies in the
      future. The current administration has consistently indicated that
      federal employees are expendable (ie out sourcing).

2626. If promotions require moving, it would be extremely beneficial to
      have help in locating the employee\'s spouse employment. Though
      the employee may receive a pay increase with his relocation, it is
      doubtful that it will equal his past pay combined with his or
      her\'s spouse. Most families these days are two income households.
      It is very stressful to the family if the spouse has a difficult
      time finding employment, or if they are relocated to an area that
      offers little to no opportunities in the spouse\'s field. My job
      could require me to relocate to some fairly remote areas. I would
      not be able to make it financially without my spouses income.

2627. The agency\'s management needs to do a better job of long-range
      planning. The agency is loosing valuable employee resources due to
      poor management, reorganizations and poor communication. This is
      very costly to the agency in the loss of expertise and also very
      costly financially.

2628. I think that hirieng and promotion is sometimes based on promotion
      of some thing other than the best quailified. It took 2 years for
      me to be hired as a soil scients, following year 2 women graduated
      with a BS in soils and were hired the following pay period, we
      must have been in a big hurt for soil scientist that year to fill
      the two new jobs that had been created just a few days in advace
      of their graduation. I did work with both and both were technicaly
      valid choices for the jobs.

2629. No comments

2630. Management needs more tools to weed out the \"bad\" or non-
      productive employees who milk the system. The leave donation plan
      is commendable but I have seen it abused by some employees
      perpetual use. This needs to be changed somehow.

2631. Hiring freezes serve no purpose but to frustrate the employees.
      STEP employees openings should not go through the management
      committee in DC.

2632. Explanation on how this survey will maintain technology in the
      agency.

2633. None

2634. Opportunities within professional technical positions versus
      management are not addressed. Changes to political appointees and
      their short term and polically motivated goals are not addressed.

2635. Windfall Elimination has cost me over \$100,000 to work for NRCS

2636. I think people should be given the same benefits throughout the
      country. Why do they get certain benefits working in the
      Washington DC area that other parts of the country don\'t get,
      i.e. carpooling, parking, etc.

2637. NRCS is a great place to work, and for a good cause.

2638. NRCS folks are the best in government, but they are under undue
      stress from workload issues that are never addressed. TSP\'s and
      contracting out work is not the answer, it just changes the work
      performed to writing and overseeing agreements. Every year,
      performance goals are increased with no increase in staff numbers.
      Everyone continues to try to do more with less and it gets worse
      and worse all the time. Quality of work and morale are down the
      tubes. Even more people would retire if they didn\'t have so many
      years invested already.

2639. Question 13 asks if the agency has devoted enough resources to
      effectively train employees. With the implementation of Boot Camp,
      a significant amount of resources has been devoted to training
      soil cons, soil scientists, and engineers. Resources have not been
      devoted for those employees looking to receive administrative
      training for careers in Contracting, Budget, Human Resources,
      Operations, Administrative Officer, or similar positions. A large
      number of employees who enjoy working for NRCS are being
      overlooked. As a result, job satisfaction is lower in those
      fields.

2640. I have noticed that organization is a major need. Management is a
      fine art that could use some attention.

2641. Addressing the mobility of 2 career couples needs continued
      attention.

2642. The agency needs to make the determination whether to redevelop
      technical expertise or to simply process program payments

2643. Grateful NRCS is making this effort. Good job!

2644. I would like to pass on some observations I have made during the
      time since I came into NRCS (after more than two decades of
      working in professional and academic fields outside of the federal
      government). I have observed that forced moves (which have not
      happened to me) demoralize employees, and not just the employees
      who are being forced to move. I also have observed that when
      leaders fail to take into account the personal circumstances of
      employees when making decisions about those employees\' lives,
      they lose a great deal of respect and trust among their employees
      in general. Mangaging by means of fear and control creates an
      environment of fear and mistrust. Creating an environment of
      cooperative accomplishment fosters productive, loyal employees.
      Micromanagement (in most circumstances) within any unit of the
      agency appears to be extremely counter-productive. There are a lot
      of people with a lot of hidden talents in NRCS, and to fail to
      recognize and use those talents and to fail to tap into the
      accumulated wisdom and experience of employees when making
      management decisions is to waste one of NRCS\' greatest resources.

2645. Spousal job opportunities would be benefical and encourage
      mobility.

2646. Excellent survey. Please provide the results to our employees!

2647. This agency once had a reputation for technical competence. Over
      the last 15 or so years because of hiring, promotion, and
      retention practices the technical competence of NRCS has become a
      joke.

2648. This agency once had a good reputation as a \"technically
      competent\" agency. Because of the over-emphasis of diversity in
      hiring and in promotions to leadership positions, instead of
      selections based on merit and technical compentency, the agency
      has basically become irrelevant. If it were not for the programs
      \"carrots\", it would be irrelevant to the farming community as
      well as to the general public. To the general public, it seems
      this agency has become just another typical bureaucratic
      government agency full of employees who couldn\'t make it in the
      \"real world\" of private industry.

2649. I feel retirement eligibility should be met, by either age or
      years, not both being required.

2650. I am from the south so I can talk about the clanish nature here
      and the need to move people for promotion. I have seen resentment
      amoung co-workers spiral to practically sabotage of projects. It
      is not just a NRCS thing, in fact, it is better in NRCS than what
      I\'ve seen in other agencies. Moving people completely away from
      their old groups better allows them to perform to their true
      potential. Also, I believe upper management must experience life
      outside their comfort zone with out being surrounded by
      \"yes-men\" in order to get the big picture of the agencies
      mission, opportunities, and mistakes.

2651. NRCS morale is very low. Technical expertise is evaporating every
      day with no re-placement in sight.

2652. Although I don\'t supervise anyone at the moment, I have
      supervised several employees, and may again in the near future.

2653. Management should be recruting the best and brightest by setting
      up more student trainee programs. This way by the time they get
      out of school they will have been partially trained and ready to
      go to work ASAP.

2654. The agency better start hiring some qualified people soon or this
      agency will be non-existant in 5 years.

2655. The Pacific Basin area and it island have a great need for natural
      resource people. Some though and system to promote island people
      to these type jobs. With imput from those that are in the field
      that live in the islands (local, grass roots). Giving and building
      local capacity for natural resource for future employees. This is
      needed in the island governments and the federal goverment
      presents. Some of this is being done, but there is a greater need
      natural resource personal in the Pacific than these type of
      persons. Because trasportation is a challeng and come at a high
      cost USDA employees, student and communities are not given the
      same training opportunities as the mainland communities are given.
      This put many of those who work in the islands at a disadvatages
      in may ways, greatly in our services to the communities. Looking
      at this from a USDA challeng rather from the many sub-agencies
      (e.g. FSA, NRCS). Future employees and building local capcity.
      Helping our island communities understand how USDA can help enrich
      there lives and land owner/user manage and protect the land for
      future genarations.

2656. In general, many people see the Federal Government as a good place
      for a slacker to burrow in and get fat without ever doing
      anything. There needs to be a way for supervisors to turn up the
      heat on these blood-suckers so they will go away. And, these
      supervisors need to be held accountable for their employees
      performance\--after all, that\'s the job of a supervisor in the
      non-Federal world; it shouldn\'t be any different here.

2657. Very little information is given to employees on the benefits they
      receive if they move or as new employees. We recently moved and I
      did not know before applying for the job that the agency would
      help sell our home, provide home leave, temporary quarters per
      diem and other benefits to assist with the move. As an intern I
      was also provided with very little information on the
      opportunities available to me and had to find it out through word
      of mouth from other interns or co-workers. For instance, I did not
      know that I would qualify for a higher GS level upon permanent
      hire if I had good grades as an employee. I also did not know that
      I could be reimbursed for moving expenses if I had saved the
      receipts. It is very discouraging to receive the information after
      the fact especially when one loses out on a benefit. Another area
      that needs improvement is the sharing of technical information.
      There are many employees that have developed spreadsheet, flyers,
      power point presentations and other materials that could save me a
      lot of time if there was a central place that I could easily
      access it. By the same token I make worksheets, flyers and have
      working knowledge of things, but no way to share it with other
      conservationists. Our field office recently held a conservation
      planning workshop for farmers and we spent time looking at other
      states\' webpages to find out if other states had done something
      similar. We were able to find 2 really good power point
      presentations, but it was a hit and miss process. There should be
      a data storehouse or bulletin board for people to post information
      that could be easily accessed.

2658. NRCS needs to drop all the program driven policies and go back to
      what make made us the SCS serving farmers and ranchers. Our DC\'s
      are chained to a computer rather than being in the field with
      farmers and ranchers. We need more \"hands on\" work for
      Technicans. When I first started out in soil survey. I would
      contact a land owner for permission to enter their land. The usual
      reply was the SCS is always welcome on my land. How it\'s \"what
      the hell does the government want now\". I feel we lost site of
      reality when dealing with farmers and ranchers.

2659. The agency gives short shrift to its public affairs specialists.
      It provides neither training or advancement. Nor does it have a
      clear vision of how to integrate public affairs practice to
      advance to mission of the agency.

2660. Federal benefits. Benefits are not very good (no dental or vision)
      and why work for the government if you can get better pay and
      benefits elsewhere.

2661. Employment in Alaska would be more attractive if there was
      locality pay. The COLA does not compute for annuity purposes and
      employees in Alaska are forced to leave to improve retirement
      annuities

2662. Hire and promote based strictly on merit, don\'t get too overboard
      with special work schedules\--they are nice, but create major
      obstacles to efficient work when all employees are not in the
      office at the same time.

2663. Thanks

2664. Convert Alaska from COLA to locality pay. Otherwise, federal
      workers are pressured to leave Alaska during the final three years
      of their career in order to retire in an area with a reasonable
      locality pay which significantly impacts their pension.

2665. question such as \"What is the overall rating of your supervisor?

2666. Job satisfaction depends a great deal on the supervisor.

2667. With FERS, there should be some compensation for Sick Leave. Some
      people abuse the heck outa the system. 15 years in service and no
      sick leave left? Need to reconsider this.

2668. More info on who we need to contact to file a complaint to
      EEOC,OPM,OSC, etc. Upper mangement keeps this a secret because
      they do not want anyone filing for anything. My particular
      situation is one That Bruce Knight and others in Washington need
      to be aware of. My Supervisor ask me to resign so he could be
      alone in a field office agian like he use to be for so many years.
      It is shocking to Veteran such as myself to come across such this
      tyoe of attitude. Thank you for the opportunity to fill this out.
      My hope is that my situation is an isolated incident.

2669. A reason why people dont want to work for the Federal Govt may be
      due to the fact that private agency\'s can offer employees the
      same benifits that the Feds do but with higher pay. And offers
      like that are very hard to turn down especially when you have
      superviors that are hard to work with.

2670. Possible reasons for seperation from service.

2671. Cut down on the requirements by H.R. to complete on-line training
      we don\'t have time to do. Leave the present rating system alone,
      it will accomplish the same thing and is less work. Improve
      retirement options as previously stated. Offer bonuses and/or part
      time jobs to retiring employees. Improve the I.D. and password
      system, we have crippled this agency with what is now in place.
      Even we can\'t hardly get into our computers anymore.

2672. To summarize- - Hire more engineers - Cut the \"Red Tape\" when
      hiring. Having to have Washington approve temporary student
      help? - To change things just for the sake of changing is bad.

2673. I received my HR undergrad degree with several hours being devoted
      to communications. As a secretary, this valuable skill is being
      underutilized without regard to potential benefit to the Agency.
      But, every HR person I\'ve met in this agency, I wouldn\'t want to
      work with due to the supervisors lack of \"customer service\"
      skills. I have been on detail with RD in 1993 for 9 months when I
      was on a different staff with NRCS. I volunteered my services
      through my boss to go on detail when Ft. Worth had a medical event
      in their HR dept. I don\'t know if it was ever relayed, or if my
      offer was denied at FTW. I have looked into rejoining the National
      Guard to find fulfillment in the HR area. I\'ve been in the
      military and find that there are a lot of \"yes\" men who work for
      this agency! I think a lot of the \"good ole boys\" have already
      been strained out of the system within the last several years. A
      lot of excellent technical expertise is currently being lost due
      to out-sourcing. Either NRCS has the technical expertise or it
      doesn\'t. Is out-sourcing the answer? At that point, is NRCS
      needed? Who then, sets the standards? Human capital survey,
      climate survey, whatever you want to call it, neither one is
      barely read and in 5 years is just another dust collector in the
      archive.

2674. you should have asked if we feel that minorities get promoted more
      than others based on their minority status - would have been
      interesting reading

2675. Question 43 does not provide for widow and would not let me leave
      the survey, so I marked married-separated. The skills in the
      agency did not ask about administrative staff skills which are
      needed if employees plan to be hired, processed, paid, taken care
      of health & safety, etc.

2676. would love to have my spouse work w/me especially when admn type
      work is needed to be done (completing or setting up pkgs or
      getting things ready for projects)

2677. None.

2678. none

2679. Techncial specialist want to be techncial specialist providing
      assistance to private landowners. The brightest and best will not
      spend a career behind a computer providing information to program
      managers or participants.

2680. none

2681. We as an agency should work together and improve communication
      within NRCS agency and also within Department of Agriculture; this
      would help avoid duplicate projects, better projects, and better
      support. Also improve the technology in terms of IT to better
      support and improve the needs.

2682. The agency fills too many position vacancies with employees who do
      not possess either the necessary technical background and/or
      managerial skills instead of selecting the best condidate.

2683. The USDA NRCS HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT EMPLOYER FOR ME I AM VERY
      APPRECIATIVE OF MY CAREER WITH THE GOVT\.....THANK YOU!!!!

2684. If people are truly our greatest resource, you must walk the talk
      and demonstrate it. People need to feel valued and receive
      recognition. Employees must also understand the clear mission and
      vision of the agency and feel that they are a vital part of both!

2685. I think the agency has regressed significantly from a once very
      family-friendly organization to one that cares only about what
      might be perceived as preferential treatment - even when those
      decisions can be fully justified as beneficial to the agency.

2686. A job series change prevented my promotion possibility. I would
      have considered staying another 1-2 years with a promotion.

2687. The agency needs more OJT and mentoring rather than expensive and
      time consuming exercises like \"Boot Camp\".

2688. Job placement has been difficult since we moved to Ft. Worth. My
      husband also works for the agency and since the move it has been
      difficult for me to find a job with the same pay (I was a GS9) and
      am now as GS6. This is been a difficult transition.

2689. Rather than work for another agency I wish this agency would have
      higher grades than 9 for a purchasing agent.

2690. Where will the results of the survey be posted?

2691. When individuals go back to school what options do they have in
      order to get a professional rating and go up from a lower grade
      into a higher grade.

2692. I do not think job selection criteria should include trying to
      high outside the office or hiring from within the office.
      Selections should be determined on qualification and past
      performance. Limiting upper level positions to only current
      federal employees is a great way to retain employees.

2693. I have had a good career with the NRCS but I am concerned about
      the future. We are too Program driven, our people in the field
      office don\'t know how to plan and implement conservation
      practices. They spend too much of their time making sure that the
      money is spent and progress is reported. We have eliminated most
      of the Conservation Technician positions that were very important
      in implementing conservation practices. Too many managers in
      recent years have been promoted because of their arrogance and
      self confidence rather than their ability.

2694. I hope this has helped

2695. none

2696. none

2697. Could have added, \"what obstacles stand in your way of career
      advancement\"? In our case, the training officer we have is very
      very poor and unprofessional. Promotions are not allowed in most
      cases. It is very frustrating. I would go to a different job if
      there were one available in my area.

2698. NRCS is a great agency to work for! I have had a wonderful career!

2699. Outsourcing only works when you can provide qualtiy assurance.
      Quantity and quality of the workforce is essential to provide this
      QA. In many cases, it is best to do work inhouse rather than
      outsource it because it takes the same amount of resources to do
      the QA as it does to directly do the work. Outsourcing some jobs
      makes sense but other jobs should not be outsourced.

2700. As a professional female, I am hyper-conscious of CR-type issues.
      It seems that a lot of CR-type candidates are deemed by everyone
      else not to be as qualified as they could be\--surely by now we
      have TOP NOTCH women and minorities to select\--let\'s do it!

2701. Assistance for moves and healthcare coverage should be provided to
      employee partners

2702. Question 5 was misleading and did not provide any scope of how
      individuals might be promoted. Question 8 was also poorly worded.
      Question 20 didn\'t provide enough choices and also provided some
      off the wall choices, Physics?? Didn\'t know we had rocket
      scientists, but do need Adaptive Managers, Energy Specialists,
      Risk Management, Feed Management. I think a random, extensive
      survey of smaller percentage of employees might be more beneficial
      to the agency and the workforce rather than a generic survey to
      all employees. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, including
      Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day and any non-sectarian or Druid
      celebration that you may observe. Peace on Earth and Goodwill
      towards all.

2703. The structure of some of the National Centers needs to be
      reconsidered, especially in the training arena. A regional
      training concept would work better than the current naional
      concept. Too many entities are duplicating the training effort
      creating a huge monetary waste. i.e. state training, center
      training, regional training, NHQ, and on and on.

2704. none

2705. would like a rebuttle on finding from survey and followup
      thereafter

2706. Thanks for the opportunity to comments. I feel we need more
      conservation integrators to help fill the gap of our lost
      knowledge base.

2707. None

2708. You sure ask a lot of personal questions for this to be an annon -
      survey! I work to get paid. The more I do, the less I get paid.
      That is just so un-American and un-Texan like. I am glad that I am
      not in control over who starves and who does not.

2709. It seems that \"problem\" employees who have been with the agency
      for many years are not dealt with. Not sure why.

2710. agency needs to offer buyout for those who wish to leave and
      don\'t what to learn new technology, need to go to colleges and
      recruit like CIA and other agencies do, computer jobs should be
      brought back to agency from OCIO, return the first line supervisor
      jobs back - get rid of team leaders, restore TQM concepts and make
      HR better performing

2711. widow

2712. A-76 should not be an option for streamlining government

2713. I would not recommend federal service to any new worker starting
      out.

2714. Block 48 - Divorced N/A, marked as NO.

2715. NRCS need to improve employee promotion steps or ways in which
      employees can get promoted or advancement.

2716. Again, Administration was elimiated in idenifying agency\'s need
      was not included in the selection. Training cost should not be
      attached to travel; Provide Administration staff with the same
      quality of training, skills, and knowledge given to Program side
      of the agency. Recognize those that are dedicated and doing good
      work through rewards, promotions etc (when you hear that
      contractors are receiving higher pay and you have to train them,
      it really doesn\'t sit well. Same when fellow employee trains
      another employee for a position that he or she was told they
      didn\'t qualify for, this too leads to bad feelings. The agency is
      a great organization and has given this country much to be proud
      of, however, in doing our work, we sometimes forget about those
      that provide the labor, sweat and tear to provide the customer
      service. Thanks for this opportunity.

2717. Older NRCS employees are being forced to retire because management
      doesn\'t want them around anymore. People like me, need at least
      10 more years prior to retirement and will probably be forced to
      retire long before I want to despite being competent and
      productive.

2718. I feel the current review method is useless. I am hoping the new
      five level method is an improvement. However, while some items are
      important such as civil rights, they should not be graded using a
      five level method. A pass/fail would be more appropriate for such
      items.

2719. I do not think that we need to hire different specialists. I think
      we need to hire more of the specialists we now have, i.e., IT,
      GIS. NRCS doesn\'t seem to spend time on developing applications
      the most effective way. We do not define the requirements, design
      from those requirements, or test, test, test the application.
      Something is thrown together, implemented, no training, no
      instruction, half of it works, half doesn\'t, no method for
      feedback. Yet, this way of doing a project is implemented over and
      over again. Did anyone learn from the previous mess? There is not
      enough communication between communities. The wheel keeps getting
      reinvented because the left hand doesn\'t know what the right is
      doing. I do not believe that an outside training organization can
      effectively train our employees. Someone with in-the-field
      experience is needed to pass along information. NRCS should be
      developing some very skilled trainers within our agency. Those
      employees should be sent to vigorous outside agency training. Many
      of our homegrown trainers, while well intentioned, do not have the
      skills to get a quality message across. This leads to inattention
      and dissatisfaction among the trainees. Most importantly, if the
      trainee did not learn anything they cannot go back and perform
      their jobs more efficiently. How many times will this employee
      need retrained? With such a decrease in the government workforce
      no one can afford such wasted efforts. Thank you for the
      opportunity to comment.

2720. NRCS has gone overboard when it comes to encouraging ethnic
      diversity. We should hire and promote based on merit, not because
      we want to appear \"diverse\" to the public.

2721. I am a new employee and probably do not have the experience with
      the agency to be as valuable at this survey as I will be in the
      future!

2722. NRCS is going to be technically bankrupt in one year. Many of the
      NRCS personnel with real field experience will be retiring in a
      few years. There is almost no technical mentoring going to sustain
      technical development when key technical leaders retire. Right
      now, for those of us who are late in our carrer and care about the
      misson of NRCS, there are no options for us to transfer our
      corporate knowledge and experience to those that will carry on
      after our retirement. It is extremely difficult for those who are
      responsible for technology devlopment and transfer to \"quit\".
      There hasn\'t been the same kind of support or recognition for the
      technical leaders as there has been for administrative or
      mangement personnel, yet NRCS is a technical agency.

2723. I would like to have leadership jobs go to someone that is
      currently doing the work, not to someone who is brought in because
      they are friends or are the right ethnic group.

2724. Salary is the most important benifet for any worker.

2725. don\'t know

2726. I beleve that the pass - fail aprasial was a bad idea and the
      agency now seams to agree.

2727. None.

2728. I think an agency that is technically skilled, well managed, and
      personable should be the first priority.

2729. Question #5 The choices will bias survey. You make the assumption
      promotions are made on technical/managerial skill, not true.
      Question #13 Resouces dedicated to training are adequate.
      Effectiveness of training poor.

2730. NRCS is in transition. Employees are generally feeling expendable
      due to the outsourcing fervor and privatization mandates from
      congress. Trainiing has improved but needs to be strengthened.
      Managers and supervisors need to engage with employees to insure
      proper placement and career advancement based on capabilities and
      emotional intelligence skill development. Career ladder climbing
      should be the last priority for managers abnd supervisors.
      Stewardship values and gut level planning skills need to be
      infused in young employees through mentoring and training. That
      exchange will also benefit the \"technology challenged\" older
      employees by promoting an information and technology exchange
      through the mentoring process. The work we do is profound and of
      the highest value. Ours is one of the most honorable of all
      professions and needs to be regarded as such by employees and
      internal and external customers. If dedicated NRCS stewardship
      pofessionals are replaced by consultants with alligator brief
      cases I fear for the future of natural resource management in the
      country. Most of the real NRCS conservationists are not driven by
      money but by a passion to protect the land, that the passion may
      be burning out for some.

2731. Employees should be allowed 1 professional meeting a year as part
      of training. Grants should be provided to cover cost for employees
      to conduct research provided it does not interfere with duties.
      UPDATE DIGITAL IMAGERY SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR MAPPING ACTIVITIES.

2732. NRCS should be able to dismiss employees EASILY if they do not
      performing to required level

2733. I have a lot to offer this agency in experience and knowlege, 20
      years of experience in almost every aspect of agriculture as well
      as a PhD in Range Science, but I have seen FAR less qualified
      individuals hired/promoted ahead of me because of their gender or
      ethnic background. No one GAVE me 20 years of experience, I worked
      for 20 years. No one GAVE me a PhD in Range Science, I earned it.
      As an agency you are not helping anyone by simply GIVING them a
      job because of their ethnic background or gender.

2734. I have less than 1 year of experience with NRCS, but have worked
      with another agency, so my comments are based from the perspective
      of a short time employee w/ NRCS. I love the job, but have been
      disappointed by the level of training and oversight. I just want
      to do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, no
      complaints.

2735. The current wage is not keeping up with inflation. A GS-11 use to
      be good pay, but compared to other college educated graduates
      \$56,000 a year after 13 years in a professional position does not
      keep up with other similar careers. This is especially true in
      high housing market areas. This low wage keeps people from moving
      and advancing as many can not financially justify a move even if
      it is an advancement in pay.

2736. Probably the best thing the agency could do before letting all of
      their experienced District Conservationist retire would be to hire
      them as trainers to the new District Conservationist. I would not
      mind helping out newer employees learn their job if I did not have
      a plate full trying to run an office and training on the side. It
      gets over whelming. It is about time the agency face the fact that
      most new employees do not want to become District Conservationists
      because of the job responsibility. Everybody is trying to get a
      specialist job or become a manager that does not require the
      technical ability to run an office. I have been a District
      Conservationist for almost 28 years now and it is disturbing that
      most of my supervisors and specialists got out of the District
      Conservationist postion because they could not handle it. The day
      to day stress was to much for them. If the agency does not have
      good District Conservationists we will fail. As an agency we get
      so tied up in goals etc. we fail to recognize the difficulty the
      District Conservationist has balancing their programs plus
      pleasing everybody. It is a extremely top down agency which is
      fine if the people up stairs recognize the issues we are dealing
      with locally. We need help from upstairs getting the job done, not
      just mandates. We need some way to destress the job of being a
      District Conservationist. I enjoy the work most of the time. It is
      a job that requires a lot of experience dealing with people plus
      technical competence that computers can not give. Enough of my
      soap box. Thanks for your questionaire.

2737. We are suffering serious budget cut that is affecting our agency
      performance. An Islander culture differs from continental on many
      ways. First we have a hispaniard culture that we could not avoid,
      social contact is very important for us. We like to attend our
      clientely the best we could, but recent budget cut is affecting
      this relationship. Our job is intensive and extensive throughout
      the year. It is hard for us to sustain our job performance level
      the way we are doing business. We are a small operation, with a
      big compromise with our job and our nation.

2738. Promotions and Awards should be given based on job competence, not
      for other reasons.

2739. I want to be given a fair chance of reaching my job goals.

2740. What the Agency is planning to do this information? Any action
      plan?

2741. EARLY OUT

2742. This survey is not very inclusive. Partnered lesbian and gay
      employees have no option for question #43, but the survey won\'t
      let me skip the question. I\'m answering married even though that
      is not technically correct.

2743. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. We have said this many
      times, but have not really done. Please set priorities in
      difficult budget times, and evaluate filling positions based on
      the contributions to getting conservation on the ground. People
      are rewarded far too much for non-conservation activities, which
      encourages more. Otherwise, this is a great agency and I am proud
      to work for NRCS.

2744. People should be promoted based on competence not race sex or age.
      Fire incompetence

2745. no comments

2746. Survey did not include administrative areas such as contracting in
      the list of expertise area needed in the future

2747. On the questions discussing the promotion of employees regardless
      of sex, age, etc., I believe that NRCS has promoted many
      minorities (especially in management) just because they are
      minorities. We have lots of very good minority employees that
      would do well in management, but a lot of the minorities being
      promoted believe it is more important to look good than to be
      knowlegeable and hard working.

2748. We need to grow the next leaders. We need to grow our next
      technical experts. We need more attention on dollars for training.
      Training dollars need to be in one national account. NEDC needs to
      provide training not only on the technical side but on the
      leadership/professional side. NEDC needs to have permanent
      instructures as well as those that participate from our workforce.
      We need a followup to boot camp. If we don\'t touch base with
      those folks that went through boot camp and contiue their growth,
      we\'ve lost some investment there. We need a \"boot camp\" for
      those folks that didn\'t get the formal boot camp. We\'ve missed
      some folks. We really, really need mentors that mentor. A formal
      program, if there is one, just isn\'t cutting it. We need to help
      our folks plan for their future. Give them ideas of where they can
      goal for in their career. We need to recognize that not everyone
      will be state conservationist material and let them know. We need
      to look at other agencies and departments on how they provide
      training, recruit, educate, etc. There are some very good things
      working in other places. We may not have all the same authorities
      and some things many not work\-- but there are good ideas out
      there. We need a \"shadow\" program so that folks can \"shadow\"
      other leaders. Or they can shadow other technical experts. Humor.
      We need humor. We need work spaces that encourage creativity and
      growth.

2749. I wish the employees were given more truthful explanations why
      something cannot be done, such as the budget deficit in this
      state. Most don\'t know we have a deficit.

2750. NRCS has become more interested in diversity in the work place
      than in accomplishing their assigned mission. While it is good to
      diversity the work force by choosing a minority/handicapped IF and
      I repeat IF they are the most qualified. This agency has been
      devastated by selecting unqualified minorities/handicapped
      individuals to fill positions just to accomplish diversity - IT IS
      WRONG!

2751. I have no comments

2752. Moving an employee is more harmful to employee\'s family stability
      than the agency realizes. White males are proportioally
      discriminated against when filling GS-13 and above positions.

2753. Why does this survey, like most NHQ actions totally ignore support
      staff? NRCS trains well in the scientific jobs. NRCS, indeed USDA,
      doesn\'t appear to believe that contracting officers, public
      affairs specialists, financial types, human resources staff, etc.,
      are worth the time or investment. This survey certainly reflects
      that lack of concern. Consider how much easier the oh so valuable
      scientific jobs would be if the support staff knew how to support
      them.

2754. 5\. Should be able to enter \"other\" 20. Shows real NRCS bias
      against support activities such as finance and personnel 24. I\'m
      neither CSRS nor FERS

2755. Happy to hear that NRCS doesn\'t believe support staff are part of
      human capital.

2756. The question about why people are promoted i.e. mangerial or
      technical abilities should also be tossed out because this agency
      uses either race or the good ol boy system to promote it\'s
      people.

2757. I think it would be a good idea to allow employees to work part
      time when they are eligible to retire. I think it would allow them
      to phase into retirement and to train or assist the agency with
      transition stage.

2758. Being able to use job-sharing and other flexible employement
      programs would have been helpful to me when I was younger and I
      think it would be a way of retaining more female employees.

2759. I believe greater thought should be given to support roles in the
      agency as well. Consideration should be given to people who could
      help in an area that is deficient and needs help without making
      them move to DC. Much can be done via computers and telephone as
      is now being strongly considered by NFC.

2760. I believe that the employees in my agency are for the most part
      highly capable and dedicated people, and I am proud to be
      associated with them and the agency. I do also feel that there is
      at times unnecessary or excessive scrutiny placed on employees
      which can give an impression that management does not trust
      employees or truly value their contributions.

2761. I think the agency could improve how it utilizes its current
      employees, employees aren\'t always used to their full potential

2762. The survey seems to cover more of the technical aspect of our
      agency, doesn\'t focus much on Administrative disciplines.

2763. Section VI Training Question 15 Computer Training: The ESRI Online
      Training Virtual Campus is the gold standard and works very well.
      AgLearn and computer security training, in particular, are
      excruciatingly BAD!!!! This computer security training is the
      worst I have ever seen and is an insult and an annoying waste of
      time. It doesn\'t keep our computers more secure to know that a
      flood is an Internal versus an External threat. Get the office out
      of the flood zone!

2764. In spite of all the training I have recieved in sexual harassment
      and civil rights I have seen a whole lot of bad behavior. A
      hostile work environment is the rule rather than the exception and
      supervisors refuse to do anything about it. After 18 years of
      federal service it is my only complaint. It is a shame that my job
      could not have been more fun.

2765. The technical expertise of the agency is its most important asset.
      Strengthening and promoting technical assistance from the field
      offices as well as delivery of science based conservation programs
      for small as well as large landowners should be the primary goals.

2766. I have received 2 formal technical training sessions in my current
      position, which I have held for 6 years. My staff have received
      training I have yet to receive, generally due to budget
      considerations, or their receiving the training in previous
      positions in other states. Current supervisor is working to
      correct this. Training is not where we should cut corners. It adds
      to frustration, and has undermined my authority let alone my
      ability to do my job.

2767. Incorporation of technical staff in the review of applications so
      the best qualified people on selected for the selection panel.

2768. I believe there needs to be an overhaul with the tenure-like
      practice by the NRCS, where competency and hard work is not valued
      and laziness and lack of productivity is acceptable (both in
      salary and position).

2769. My initial impression of this agency is that it is top-heavy with
      high-level employees, many of whom have 20+ years on the job. If
      new jobs are not created to entice younger employees into the
      agency, the agency goes gray along with its employees. There are
      too many GS-12\'s out there supposedly doing the grunt work, but
      not really doing much at all. Give these people retirement
      windows, downgrade the positions and include promotion potential
      and you can influx some new blood. My personal belief is that the
      intern program is just pork barrel, resulting in negligible
      retention after graduation. Nice idea, if it worked but it
      doesn\'t. Mostly it\'s just summer jobs for college kids who are
      given make-work while they\'re here and will move on to the
      private sector anyway upon graduation. If you want interns, expand
      the Career Intern program and forget about 18-year old college
      kids.

2770. Employees satisfaction will be higher if they are given enough
      time to do good planning and are not expected to develop as many
      contracts

2771. Some poor managers in ou agency has screwed me many times in the
      past, and my family. I have a finding of Discrimination from the
      USDA. Two cases currently. Awaiting New case FAD. What will a
      ferderal Trial will show Here! Most folks are good tho.

2772. Would like to see more Administrative promotions at the Area and
      Field level.

2773. I now strongly believe NRCS and FSA should be combined. Not
      because I want to see the end of an autonomous conservation
      agency, but because NRCS is expecting way too much of FO Staffs in
      administrating EQIP, CSP, etc. We\'re technical or I thought we
      are, however, NRCS is expecting us to be administrative and
      computer specialists first and everything technical somewhere down
      the list. When is NRCS Mgt going to start making the right
      decisions for the right reasons ? You folks have made life in our
      FO\'s so horrible most SC\'s don\'t want to be a DC and most DC\'s
      wish they could retire. Does this mean anything to you ?

2774. Please ensure selected employees are not \"Fast Tracked\" prior to
      becoming well qulified for the positions they are placed in.

2775. Spouses would lend themselves to help out with our mission in more
      cases if they did not have as much red tape to get through with
      the volunteer program. Maybe we could have a spouse volunteer
      category under different aspects of the volunteer program that
      they could interject without the formality of the paperwork in
      order to get on.

2776. I feel that the questions on cultural diversity were unfair
      because you can\'t answer them with reason. I feel that we spend
      too much time worrying about whether we have a culturally diverse
      workforce. Job competition should be just that - a competition
      between two PEOPLE who have certain SKILLS. If one person has the
      skills you are looking for they should get the job. I feel the
      concept of a culturally diverse workforce will take care of
      itself. If people are interseted in a job, then they will acquire
      the skills necessary to go for that type of job despite what their
      etnicity or culture is. We need to get back to what this agency
      stared out as and that is a SCIENCE based technical service
      agency.

2777. Employees should be hired on the basis of skills. While relocation
      may not be required, it should be encouraged. Relocation allows
      employees to experience various conditions, work with more people
      and customers, and become more well rounded. However, there are
      instances that continuity is very important and that should also
      be considered.

2778. Need to make training a high priority before all of the
      experienced personell retire and lose all of that institutional
      knowledge.

2779. I\'ve worked for 5 different agencies in my career. NRCS seems to
      have an overworked workforce. There\'s too much to do for too few.
      The deadlines from the State Office are never ending. The majority
      of workers I see \"own their job\"; we work whatever hours are
      necessary to get the job done. Doing this gets very exhausting day
      after day .

2780. Agency has become too \"Bureaucratic\", i.e. Programs! Too much
      \"red tape\" especially CSP. Agency mentality \"one size fits
      all\" in Programs. What \"fits Maine don\'t fit Texas\"! It\'s
      time for the agency to go back to \"grass roots\", eliminate the
      majority of administration from Washington. Let states set their
      PROGRAM policy not Bureaucats in National Hdqts & Regional
      Offices!

2781. NRCS must spend MORE time training and developing newer employees
      on basic technical subjects if this agency wants to continue to
      provide landowner assistance on solving conservation problems.
      Computers are a great tool BUT our people in the field must be
      able to reconize resource problems and be able to offer sould
      alternatives to landowners to develop computer generated plans.

2782. In 1986, when the Food Security Act was enacted by congress, NRCS
      was a highly qualified, highly motivated agency with high quality
      people. Today, we are program oriented, not ag producer oriented.
      The employees are not equipped to provide the service to an ag
      producer that was possible at that time. We have allowed the
      agency to become politically \'tainted\' and have essentially lost
      the technological edge that we were respected for - for so many
      years of our existance. From the 1930\'s until 1986 the SCS was
      THE technical agency - the \'go to\' agency with technical
      expertise. Today, we are just another bureaucracy with no
      specialized skills and not \'highly regarded\' by anyone. This has
      to reverse - if not, there is no real need for another agency
      whose only role is to dole out money and the public will soon
      realize it. The NRCS\'s demise will due to the loss of technical
      expertise.

2783. Glad it is being done\-\--I have concerns about the experience
      gap. There especially seems to be less effort to hire non-degreed
      technicians (SCT or CET) so I have wondered if our engineering
      assistance will have to decrease significantly in the future.
      These positions used to be the backbone and work horse of our
      agency!!! Why can\'t they be in the future?

2784. I feel very strongly about leaving a person in an area and
      allowing them to be promoted and retire in the same spot. I spent
      the first half of my life ranching full time, ranchers are by
      design a very independent group of people, they believe strongly
      in the saying; actions speak louder than words, therefore it takes
      time to create a close bond with ranchers and farmers, who are the
      primary stewards of the resources we are striving as an agency to
      protect. Once we create that bond it doesn\'t make a whole lot of
      sense to me to force the person who spent years creating these
      close working relationships to then apply for a job somewhere else
      where that whole process must start over again.

2785. NRCS has become excessively beaureacratic and have lost our
      professional enthusiasm. Now many just come to work to get a
      paycheck. Work ethic is poor and we are not highly respected by
      other professionals. Sad sad.

2786. Agency needs to re-focus on conservation, not \"programs\" Agency
      needs to re-focus on merit promotion, not \"social\" promotion.

2787. Sometimes spouses die and all that is good is the federal service
      family

2788. Thank you for the opportunity to participate. Used constructively,
      this survey will be a very useful tool, which could provide
      valuable insight into NRCS Human Capital.

2789. satisfaction with work schedule: I think our hours should be 8 to
      5 with 1 hour lunches

2790. none

2791. none

2792. None.

2793. to maintain quality in the assistance provided to the filed
      office, controls must be must be established to OCIO before a huge
      red tape being generated.

2794. several problems occur when the agency provided training only to
      supervisor who can\'t have the knowledge to pass the information
      to the fiedl employees.

2795. The poeple of the family of NRCS need work more in team.

2796. The performance evaluations needs to be improve and equitable to
      all employees.

2797. Pay and benefits should have been part of this survey.

2798. Very satisfied with this survey.

2799. Young people need to keep in mind the compromise to preserve our
      natural resources.

2800. NRCS is one of the best agency I have worked for. I do believe
      that some areas should be improve, especially in the recognition
      to employee. I believe when employee feels appreciated he performs
      better.

2801. RC&D coordinators are getting screwed. I have 20 years experience
      in 3 states. Two recent masters degrees. Three awards in the last
      5 years. Experience in govt. and agri business. Total mobility.
      Short term consulting experience in 11 countries. Last month I
      failed to make a panel for a GS-13 SRC position that supervises 12
      people in Ohio. I was told the MBA didn\'t count toward the 457
      series. In almost any other organization a MBA with experience is
      worth \$20,000/year. I\'ll leave at the first opportunity.

2802. Make management accountable. Do an audit and investigation of all
      our agency administrators and request what accomplishments have
      been made to make our agency better. This should be supported by a
      survey from field office employees.

2803. I noticed the the emphasis was put on profesional position. There
      is obviously little understanding of who keeps track of all the
      paper.

2804. I am trusting your word that this is confidential\...this last
      part will put an identity to almost everyone.

2805. none

2806. COLA is not sufficient for making a sustainable living in Hawaii
      as a family.

2807. None

2808. Thanks

2809. I\'m very happy that you are addressing the issue of moving to get
      promoted. I am unable to move because of my family situation, and
      I feel it would be a loss for the agency/field office if I did
      move. I\'ve come to know the farmers and ranchers in the community
      and the resource concerns. It takes time to gain this knowledge
      and build relationships with the local people.

2810. I don\'t agree that employee positions should be moved to another
      city even if the employer gives the employee the option to move or
      commute or get another job.

2811. This was an excellent survey!

2812. Why are people who are employed by the agency not eligible for
      promotion because they don\'t have a B.S. Degree in agriculture or
      engineering? Isn\'t this a form of discrimination?

2813. None

2814. On recruiting a ethinacally diverse workforce\--the job should go
      to the best qualified applicant regardless of race, sex, creed,
      etc.

2815. I came to NRCS with a masters degree and many years of experience.
      I think this, rather than NRCS training, has made me a competent
      employee. Bsed on that statement I believe NRCS needs to encourage
      universities to provide course work that is specific and applied
      to make their graduates desirable candidates for employement sith
      NRCS. We also need to strengthen our training program to include
      more mentoring and technical training. Soil science program seems
      to do a good job of this. Managment training is also important for
      those who choose this path. NRCS needs to focus on proven
      management methods and stop jumping form one trendy concept to the
      next. We waste money and human resources on thes fads in
      management. I think that the increase in political apointies
      within NRCS also contributes to managment that is out of touch
      with the field and constant changes in direction. We are a
      disorganised mess at this point. Ihesitate to encourage young
      people to join our agency unless we see some focused leadership.

2816. We are now a program driven agency that forces us to write
      contracts because our technical assitenace funds are directly tied
      to our program contracts. We spend more time in front of the
      computer trying to provide numbers to GAO and congress but the
      information that is requested only shows 30% of what we actually
      accomplish. The rest is NON-REPORTABLE items.I wish they would
      stop trying to make CST do everything. Take arcview out of it and
      make it a stand alone program. Also why are we getting so many
      political appointees? Our stregth used to be our leaders came up
      from the field but now we get people that don\'t understand our
      agency, personnel, or clients. Pretty soon we will be as bad off
      as FSA and RD wher there leaders come and go with the whim of each
      new administration.

2817. I would just like to stress that the IDP should NOT be something
      that is required to be done, but then is forgotten and never
      followed. Sometimes this is a result of the employee, or the
      supervisor, or the lack of training opportunities. I think that is
      one reason why many employees lack the technical competence for
      their job.

2818. The Graduate Study Program should be maintained - It is an
      important opportunity and benefit for USDA and its employees.

2819. Alaska needs to be brought under locality pay system instead of
      the current COLA. Retirement benefits in Alaska are severely
      affected because of the current COLA instead of locality pay .
      This makes it difficult to retain good employees in Alaska. This
      is especially true of the needed experienced employees near the
      end of their careers. It causes excessive turnover and relocation
      costs to the state. Serious consideration needs to be placed on
      solving this problem.

2820. Alaska where do lower 48 stateside programs work in this state.
      poorly?

2821. We need better health care. Its getting too expensive for federal
      employees. Need dental and vision care and we also need that
      health care comparison from employee express back.

2822. The instilled value of District \"partnerships\" needs to be
      revisited and reevaluated. A good parter brings something to the
      table and contributes to the workload. The way NRCS works with and
      provides service to Native Americans needs to be adjusted. These
      are not private lands. Listening session have not been productive,
      DC\'s that work on Indian lands need to be listened to. More
      emphisis needs to be placed on conservation of natural resources,
      rather than political pressure. The late arrival of David McKay
      was not too soon. He is a true beliver of what we do best, natural
      resource conservation and conservation planning, rather than
      selling EQIP contracts that don\'t get implemented. We do need
      some \"poney\" motors to get conservation, especially EQIP
      contracts implemented in Indian Country.

2823. I believe that there\'s always room for improvement in any
      organization, these efforts are encouraging and important for the
      agency and it\'s people. Glad to be a part of it\...

2824. I have truly enjoyed working for the agency for the past 34 years.
      I have had some bad experiences during the years; but, the good
      experiences out weighs the bad ones.

2825. Overall this was a good survey, but the background information
      section removes practically all aninimity, surely anyone with an
      unpopular point of view would exit the survey at this point
      without submitting it.

2826. There appears to be alot of direction from the NHQ Adminsitrative
      staff however very little listening to the states, from people who
      have expertise in the different specialty areas. So, when
      something like the 457 Qualifications issue comes along, the
      states are \"blamed\" when the guidance we received from NHQ and
      OPM was why these disparities in qualifications occurred. I
      suggest everyone new in a Administrative Program area at the GS-13
      and above be required to detail to a state administrative office
      for a month-so understand what the field has to contend with, and
      to understand that they should be consulting us before they just
      \"drop\" requirements on the field. This would make a major
      difference in their attitude and their support of the field
      Administrative employees.

2827. Glad you\'re looking in to this. I manage WRP, FRPP and CSP. I am
      fexible on moving to a certain degree. I also feel we are putting
      WAY TOO much on \"out of state\" experince.

2828. NRCS needs to hire the best and brightest regardless of race or
      sex. In order for us to stay a great agency we must have the best
      people.

2829. I cant work after I retire Because it would mess up my social
      security.Technicians GS rating is caped at GS6 or GS7 CET is
      capped at GS8. Not much incentative to keep working.

2830. It appears that there is a disconnect between what is needed in
      the field by the agencey and what NHQ decides what will be done.
      The agencey needs people with a strong intrest in a wide variety
      of landuses and these people need to be in the field everyday
      working with landowers. We should be showing conservation and the
      economics associated with the conservation so folks can learn and
      make informed decisions about how they manage thier land. The
      money that is spent on some conservation programs would be better
      spent on having technical people with the ability to work with
      people in the field showing and teaching conservation on an
      individual basis.

2831. I wish the agency had more money to move employees that are
      willing. Right now I feel that I have advanced far enough that I
      should be able to move to a new location so that I expand my
      horizons and not be limited to this one duty station.

2832. None.

2833. The agency needs to give priority to hiring people with an
      agricultural background and not so much recuiting minorities.
      Minorities with an agricultural background would be great.

2834. New hires should get experience in two or more locations. They
      need to spent 75 % of the first two years providing direct
      assistance to land users (OUT OF THE OFFICE)

2835. I am all for workforce diversity, but too many times, I have seen
      people hired and or promoted for reasons other than ability. I
      totally agree with hiring or promoting the most qualified person
      available, but there are many that have advanced to high levels of
      management obviously due to race, color, or gender. If
      discrimination is against agency policy, then let us cease
      discrimination.

2836. With regards to ethnic and cultural diversity. Every year we are
      required to complete ethnic diversity/cultural awareness/feel good
      training to learn how to be a nice person. Quite frankly, if one
      cannot conduct one\'s selve in a professional manner while at
      work, training them on how they should act when associating with
      others on the job may be coming a bit late in life. That\'s why we
      have regulations, standards of conduct, laws, courts, and police
      departments. Personally, I find the Level-1 \"Why We Don\'t Abuse,
      Beat, Curse, Degrade, Embarrass, Fondle, Grope, Humiliate, or
      Insult Each Other\" training courses insulting. And having someone
      read something on-line in order to \"check the block\" is time
      poorly spent.

2837. It is very stressful when you are being or feel like you are being
      picked on by your supervisor. When he wants you to be his employee
      he will treat you as someone but when he does not need you your
      less than a human. At my age and health it would not be feasible
      to look for another job.

2838. On question 5, you have to answer but none of the answers fit why
      people are promoted. In this state, people are promoted because
      they are of some race, culture, disability, or some thing other
      than your ability to do your job.

2839. Question 43 cannot be answered accurately because I am a widow.
      Therefore, Question 48 can\'t be answered accurately either.

2840. After completing this survey, I would like to comment on mobility.
      For the new professional employee as I did starting with the
      service many skills were gained working in different field offices
      and land uses. So being mobile for promotion in a higher grade
      benefits both the agency and the young new employee. For the older
      emplpoyees that moved around and they reached a level to where
      they can call home and settled down, moveing them is a sure way to
      lose them and search for other employers. To retain these
      employees increaseing pay by changeing grade in position.
      Technicians are mostly local and moveing them is a sure way to
      lose even the best as an employee. Grade levels for the technicans
      need to be increased to keep the good ones or they will eventually
      leave in some cases. Keep up the technical training and
      incorporate it into delivery of the conservation programs.
      Continue to hire employees with strong professional science and
      technical backgrounds.

2841. I think NRCS should return completely to be a technical agency.
      Hopefully this will occur over time since I have seen a number of
      things change in the 30 years that I have worked. It seems change
      has gone full circle in areas of the agency.

2842. Not married

2843. Early retirements, buyouts.

2844. support for the hard work the employees that the agency has are
      doing for the nations rural America. Not jsut lip service!

2845. ok

2846. Predictions of doom and gloom mass retirements of the workforce
      have been made over and over again for many years now. Attrition
      happens. Even when the agency bought out a significant chunk of
      the workforce in 1994, it did not cripple the agency\'s ability to
      function. I am not much worried about mass retirements. Retirement
      is an individual personal decision that each employee makes on
      their own, factoring in numerous variables only a few of which the
      agency has any control over. The agency has done a nice job
      resusitating new employee orientation. It should also take the
      next step and rebuild internal career building training. Since
      NEDS was gutted, ongoing technical training has been a crazy-quilt
      patchwork with no standardization or uniformity across the
      country. There is no comprehensive training for new supervisors,
      and this is a shame as we tend to promote those with excellent
      technical ability, and then thrust them unprepared into
      supervisory positions without the tools to deal with workforce
      leadership needs. The ground is constantly shifting under the feet
      of field employees who now find themselves entering computer data
      most of each day instead of using their technical expertise in the
      field. Job stability and internal support structures are important
      to workforce retention.

2847. In this agency people who are non-performers or who have issues in
      their current job, are often promoted, and moved in order to
      replace them. This takes away good people from promotions. It
      seems we \"fear\" lawsuits for or EEO complaints so we move people
      rather than remove.

2848. I have move duty station 3 times with my current home address.

2849. Agency reorganizations have disrupted many employees lives.

2850. Ethics of the usage of these questions is of concern.

2851. I feel minorities are advanced ahead of other candidates for
      vacancies and promotions to fill quotas.

2852. NRCS is a good, GOOD place to work! It has some deadwood that
      needs to be put in a pile and left to provide habitat for woodland
      animals. There are some old school, non-consensus decision makers
      whose time has come to get out. They are a hinderance to the
      agency. Maybe offering a buyout will get rid of them and maybe
      not. Also, weak State Cons who are not risk takers need to be put
      in a corner someplace. NRCS needs movers and risk takers to manage
      our resources. It\'s sad to see people in such positions that are
      afraid of making the \"wrong\" decision thus being paralized in
      place. Please, please make the tough decisions that need to be
      made in NHQ and get rid of the deadwood (it is not just older
      employees that fit this category). We need to move forward and
      with some of the anchors we have on the bottom of the river many
      employees are prevented from moving the boat more than a few feet
      at a time.

2853. We need to \"dance with who brung us\" (technical expertise, as it
      relates to the conservation of our natural resources)!!!!

2854. This survey indicates that there is a concern on your part, so I
      say thank you!

2855. I FEEL THAT THE LAST 6 QUESTION ARE NOBODY\'S BUSINESS. ALSO THAT
      WHITE MALES ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THIS AGENCY.

2856. I do the same job and attend the same meetings as any Assistant
      State Conservationist in the country. I work in one of the smaller
      states so I am a GS-12 and have no promotion potential to a GS-13.
      I think this is very unfair since I manage several farm bill
      programs with more funds than states with GS-13 managers. The size
      of the state should not dictate the GS levels. Another issue that
      is common throughout the agency is incorrect positions
      descriptions. I currently have a descrition for a district
      conservationist. Over the past seven years I was given the
      responsibility of managing WHIP, WRP, CTA, Watershed Planning and
      Operations as well as supervising half of the field staff but my
      description was never changed. The agency should make sure that
      our position descriptions reflect the job we are doing and that
      employees are being compensated.

2857. Programs are too complex to: plan, manage, communicate,
      administer - along with technical know-how. We got these
      roles/functions from F.S.A. without an increase in staff. I find
      this too demanding of my and others time, with a loss in field
      technical expertise.

2858. NRCS employees should not have to move to get promoted. It
      disrupts family life and creates serious problems if one child is
      from a previous marriage. Employees should get recognized and paid
      for the job they are doing and should not have to compete for
      their own job. I currently serve in a position that is not
      reflected in my Position Description, nor am I paid for the work I
      do, as compared to the same job in bigger states.

2859. I am the AA/PI SEPM for Vermont and have had a very difficult time
      attracting Asians/Islanders to work here, partly because of the
      climate.

2860. Political positions in NRCS should be limited to the Chief.
      National leadership is currently greatly lacking, especially in
      technology. NRCS needs to invest current staff and create
      empolyment opportunities for young graduates. Too much effort is
      being spent enlisting outside sources. At least a portion of the
      current dollars spent outside NRCS should be dedigated to hiring
      new employees with specific areas of emphasis. Thus better
      preparing for the enevitable mass exidus of retirees.

2861. Less emphasis on diversity and beating the bushes to find new
      people to service. Also, unload bilingual pubs. What a waste of
      \$\$\$. Promote English!

2862. I think that this agency needs to focus more on energy management
      and financial management (two categories that were missing in a
      previous question.

2863. Should we be requiring TSPs to do much of our work? It costs more
      than if we were to do it and I think we do a better job at it. We
      should use the money to hire more staff and not farm out our work.

2864. doing two jobs when only one is required in private industry

2865. Thank you for asking for my opinion!

2866. Our agency is going through a schism. This is having a detrimental
      affect on morale and the effectiveness of the agency.

2867. Need to provide opportunities for promotion in place. Need to
      reduce the administrative burden in the FO. Recently we are
      spending more time tracking what we do on the job rather than
      doing our job. We are spending too much time tring to keep our
      computer software programs updated and working. We should be
      spending more time with cooperators out in the field.

2868. Only the first 3 Mission Goals of the 2006 Draft Strategic Plan
      are covered by the technical skills currently possesed at the
      field level.

2869. Equipment and office should be part of this survey. Latest
      equipment such as computer, survey equipment, drafting, and GIS
      are needed. Some of the field, area, or state offices are not
      located in areas where is the client is better served. Some
      offices not have the adquate space and are old building. State
      office does not any paking space for the employees and clients.
      State office should not be located in downtown.

2870. Telling us to do more with less has become ludicrous. We keep
      getting more TA with reduced FA and are now unable to produce a
      quality product no matter how much brow beating we get. NHQ needs
      to stand up for the field for a change and get the help needed to
      do the job. Grade discrepancy is a huge problem in Arizona with no
      apparent attention given by management. I am tired of doing GS
      12\'s work for them because they are incompetant, yet I am only
      an 11. My counterpart is a 12 with fewer qualifications and less
      workload. How long can I be expected to continue with the
      Governmentunder this type of situation? Thank you for the
      opportunity to vent;although I\'m sure that is all that will
      become of it.

2871. The survey did not ask about the employee\'s field of expertise or
      educational background that may influence the response

2872. Need to have well qulified managers as well as good leadership
      qualities.

2873. Hawaii is a very unique and complex environment, ecologically as
      well as culturally and it deserves special consideration for it\'s
      unique biodiversity. The educational potential within such a
      complex series of ecosystems, such as on Hawaii Island, is
      unmatched in the US. Hawaii is among the best places in the US to
      showcase the NRCS mission! Aloha.

2874. USDA employees need to be reminded of the agency\'s mission and
      vision are to see the big picture.

2875. I appreciate the effort the agency is making to fix our problems
      and get perspective from the field. One thing i hope will change
      with the way the agency handles personnel is that it will no
      longer promote a person as a means to \"get rid\" of them. We need
      to be able to let people go or give them disincentives to stay and
      not spread their conduct by moving them and thereby \"infecting\"
      a new area.

2876. There are over 5 million owners of family forests 10 acres or
      larger who are in need of technical assitance in forest management
      whom we are not serving. Agroforestry technologies for grazing and
      crop land are expanding beyond our abilities to deliver. We need
      to invest training and specialists to strenghten the ageny in
      these areas.

2877. I do not want to go back to the past BUT we need to develop
      programs that are implemented by our field office personnel - we
      have burden WAY TOO LONG on the field people - we always deliver -
      REMEMBER everyone SUPPORTS the FIELD! Let\'s JUST DO IT! Things
      are not easier at the FIELD - it is more confusing because of
      technology - software and hardware not working - cost major time
      and labor that is NOT NEEDED! We need leadership that will STOP
      this and make things happen from the support team so that FIELD
      OFFICES can do their job!

2878. The Agency need to take the time and understand the District
      Conservationist position as to how valuable it is to the agency
      and it,s abillity to me it,s annual goals. I thik that the
      position has to deal with constant changes form every department
      in the agency and if they do not produce the ageny will not move
      foward. The District Conservationist pay should equal their
      responsibility level.

2879. Job security is important to any employee, especially new members.
      This agency lacks the job security that would secure kids coming
      out of college.

2880. NRCS is a fine agency but we are confusing our priorities. We need
      to be more involved with conservtion planning, implementation of
      practices and re-establishing sound working relationships with
      landowners. Almost all our time is spent administering programs
      and we are not providing the knowledge necessary for recipients of
      programs to properly manage the things they get from the programs.
      It is like getting money obligated regardless of quality is the
      main priority, not effective conservtion. We need to regain the
      leadership in the technical and relationship arena.

2881. This agency is more concerned with what is \"hanging on an
      employee\'s wall\" than the actual skills that an employee has!

2882. Transportation for the disabled in the Government is poor

2883. I don\'t know why this is true, but federal employees often feel
      unappreciated. You get the same pay if you just show up or if you
      work hard. The public thinks we are all over paid lackeys.
      Administrators get excited about good ideas then forget as soon as
      they leave your sight. It is easy to feel that who you know is
      more important than anything else. Don\'t get me wrong, I love my
      job, but I know I could do more if the agency was receptive to new
      ideas. It seems to be all about politics and money, not natural
      resources conservation.

2884. Better pay and benefits is needed in this organization.

2885. To disappointed at this point to discuss.

2886. NRCS will need to identify and begin \"cultivating\" good
      candidates for technical positions during the freshman/sophmore
      year of college in order to overcome perceptions of working in
      Agriculture and for the Federal Government.

2887. good survey

2888. No comments

2889. NRCS is a good employer that can improve in some areas, mainly
      supervisory.

2890. Even though promotions were usually involved with each move, my
      spouse suffered financial set backs.

2891. I am becoming more and more frustrated that we are not replacing
      retirees and transfers to help with the stable workload.

2892. One thing that I think should be brought back is the agency
      allowing people to have a half and hour a day to workout like they
      used to. I think that people have become office bound and a
      physical fitness program would improve job performance greatly and
      improve people\'s health overall.

2893. Many of our new hires want everything \"NOW\". They have no
      respect for older trained employees and supervision. We need to do
      a better job of screening our applicants.

2894. stop the RACISM, IN 2005 WE SHOULD BE DONE BUT WE ARE
      NOT\-\-\--FAIR HIRING PRACTICES

2895. If we wish to hire and retain good employees we as NRCS must
      decrease the amount of time employees spend on the computer and
      increase the amount of time we as NRCS spend with
      producers/landowners.

2896. The agency needs to address the significant loss and pending loss
      of high-level technical expertise. Numerous senior scientists have
      recently retired and many others are near retirement. There are
      few junior scientists in the agency to replace this valuable
      expertise and without this in-house expertise, the NRCS mission of
      providing \"scientifically-based conservation\" will be in serious
      jeopardy.

2897. Ask everyone how they rate their supervisor

2898. When a Stat Conservationist asks how morale is in your area he/she
      should do so on an individual basis rather than at a all employee
      meeting. Gives wrong reflection of how the state is really doing.

2899. I enjoy working for this organization, and hope to continue on
      until I retire.

2900. I have been impressed with the cooperative atmosphere of the
      agency amongst the employees and the willingness to provide
      assistance from all levels within the state when I have asked for
      assistance.

2901. As to the question regarding selection for mangement \-- the
      current appearance is not one of either technical merit or
      managerial merit but rather on the person that will not challenge
      the selecting official.

2902. NRCS needs to add workforce capacity in energy conservation and
      development fields.

2903. Too much emphasis is placed on ethnicity and cultural diversity.

2904. The following is an observation, not a complaint. The seems to be
      an assumption that the government employee is the primary income.
      Just like Question 48 above, seems like a question where husband
      is government and the wife has a lesser job or is home with the
      children. I stayed at home when our kids were small and I am now
      working to finish when my wife could retire. I know how it is to
      be the second income. You may have talents that don\'t have a
      chance to be fully appreciated, in part due to lack of mobility. I
      can only guess how many married NRCS women employees with children
      feel. However, traditional trends in family life, generally, have
      not and probably will not change any time soon. Therefore, until
      we figure out how to overcome all the workplace differences,
      diversity in the workforce is not complete.

2905. I don\'t see a problem in hiring good competent employees. I thing
      they are out there. However I do see a problem in being able to
      hire them. I do not see enough hiring being done to replace those
      that leave. It seems that budget always dictates that we don\'t
      have enough money to put any new people on. As a result we have
      very few young employees in the pipeline to use as replacements.
      We seem to much more interested in contracting our work out and
      farming our workload out to others than in hiring, keeping and
      retaining our own people.

2906. Once an individual is termed \'technician\', it is very difficult
      within this agency to promote or be considered for a professional
      series. Regardless of your experience, training and formal
      education, a technician is always considered a technician. This is
      very frustrating, promotion wise, when this same technician has to
      train specialists in the same field - the technician oftentimes
      has more KSAs than the \'specialist\'. I, personally, am tired of
      training GS 9 through 12s. I have the same KSAs or more in these
      fields, but watch others promote - oftentimes without moving. In
      this age of computers, it does not make sense to move to promote -
      particularly when this type of work can be done anywhere. We
      should be rewarding our highly skilled and trained technicians
      instead of bringing in people who have no clue in the actual job
      process of a particular field - slowing down the smooth working
      job processes to train someone, to watch them promote, while you
      work fervently to catch back up with your regular job duties.
      Again, moving should not be a consideration when certain job
      duties can be performed anywhere with the use of computer and Web
      access.

2907. NRCS does not have enough professional employees. Our employees in
      the field are stressed due to the workload and lack of adequate
      personnel to do the work. Partners and technical service providers
      are not adequate.

2908. Nothing to add

2909. I have honestly taken GREAT PRIDE over my 28 years of working
      w/NRCS, because I was able to work with people who actually wanted
      us there on their land to help them. I have taken the term \"civil
      service\" very seriously; it is a trusted responsibility from the
      public; they expect service, they want service, and not just
      someone to tell them how to do something and pay a cost-share
      amount for doing it. I want to have the time again, like we used
      to have, to work with people, vbisit their farms, and to become a
      trusted ally for when they need our help. Things just used to be
      so simple\...compared to now. I am absolutely sick of hearing
      about \"accountability\". We do a good job for our custiomers. If
      everyone knows that, like they say they do, then why all the
      accountability stuff?? And once again, I bring up the square peg
      in the round hole: an NRCS cookie-cutter approach is not always
      right for everywhere. But, then again, in less than 4 years, I\'m
      outta here, but mayby not, if NRCS will get their stuff together
      and listen, see, and learn from what us old geezers are trying to
      tell them is still important.

2910. #48 - I don\'t have a spouse

2911. The biggest drawback for the professional level employee is the
      lack of advancement opportunity.

2912. The introduction of the computer to the work place has resulted in
      an inordinate amount of time wasted both intentionally and
      unintentionally.

2913. NRCS does not have a good retention program or incentives to keep
      people here. Need to identify and implement things to make people
      want to stay like, mentoring programs, leadership development
      programs, job sharing, etc. Also need to reward people for the
      work they do not because of their race, color, sex, etc.

2914. I have not been mobile however I will consider moving in 2006 in
      order to gain a promotion. I qualified for a promotion a few years
      ago but was unable to move and now understand that now my
      education is not enough. (I don\'t have enoug 300-400 level
      courses. I will apply to see if this is correct).

2915. None

2916. Unfortunately, the questions on this survey are specific enough to
      identify me. Therefore itÆs not as anonymous as I would have
      liked.

2917. Confusing mix of questions!

2918. I was disappointed by the contents of this survey.

2919. NRCS needs to look more closely at selectees for training for
      positions of leadership. Employees are sometimes not selected
      because they are \"too valuable\" where they are. Some selections
      for Deputy State Conservationists and Senoir Executive training
      are highly questionable.

2920. I feel strongly concerning the compatibility between the agency
      mission and employee job satisfaction.

2921. none

2922. Improvement needed to recognize more employees as USDA Secretary
      Honor Award nominees.

2923. Opportunities for career promotion to different ethnic group
      employees

2924. I appreciate the fact that the Agency has raised the prominence of
      Human Capital and hope that recommendations will be implemented.

2925. Item 5 should have a choice \"Do not agree\"

2926. What is Promotion-in-place?

2927. Very important effort - please take it seriously and implement the
      results!

2928. THEIR USE TO BE A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR GS GRADE 9 OR BELOW
      WHERE THEY COULD GET ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN ORDER TO MOVE FROM ONE
      SERIES TO ANOTHER WITHIN YOUR OWN AGENCY. IS IS POSSIBLE TO BRING
      THAT PROGRAM BACK?

2929. Investing in developing our leadership at all levels is the most
      important investment we can make to deliver on our mission.

2930. From the parameters of the questions it is pretty obvious who I
      am. I did receive a relocation package with a move from Colorado
      to NHQ. I think it was very generous, particularly as I am an
      admin assistant. It did make the difference as far as my decision
      to relocate and I very much appreciate being given that
      opportunity.

2931. Survey need to have a \"not applicable\" option or skip certain
      questions based on certain answers - example if a person is
      divorced there is no answer to #48. The Administrative sector
      seems to be left out, hurting too much to not be considered a
      major part of the agency.

2932. Question 48 should have N/A for those of us who are single. The
      answer I had to give does not apply to me.

2933. Keep your promises

2934. None

2935. We all have know this crisis was coming for years\--it\'s about
      time you take affirmative actions to do something about it. The
      best way to improve our Human Capital is to remove the imcompetent
      supervisors /employees and provide meaningful incentives to those
      who can the job done and accell. Select and promote employees
      based on performance and results vs. other factors.

2936. Need to look at issues of how systemic discrimination of minority
      employees affects retaining a diverse workforce, lack of selection
      for training and special assignments, etc. Also need to tie
      Supervisor\'s performance plan to success of recruiting,
      maintaining new hires, and insuring employees get proper training
      to do the job assigned. This survey did not ask for feedback on
      the selection process. This has an affect on how the agency
      maintains a diverse workforce.

2937. More questions on mangement should have been addressed.

2938. NRCS needs to focus not on mission or vision statements, or mince
      words in strategic plans that are destined for the shelf, but on
      the core products and services the agency provides. New buzz word
      issues are just that and should not supersede ongoing work to
      protect and conserve natural resources. It is especially
      frustrating to see research resources being redirected based on
      short-term expediency or the word of the day. The agency is headed
      at the top by non-career political appointees who seem to respond
      in knee-jerk reaction to any change in political winds, rather
      than maintaining a steady approach to solving environmental
      problems.

2939. I am widowed and my late spouse was employed full time at the time
      of death. I was forced to answer twp questions that did not have
      an appropriate answer so please disregard numbers 43 and 48 (I
      know of a number of other employees for whom this applies).
      Interesting questions, hope they help the agency!

2940. none

2941. Stress generated from ridiculous deadlines, goals, etc. should
      have been included; an employees rating of management should have
      been included ( I think that is a critical issue of why people
      leave.) Being about to remove nonproductive employees is another
      problem.

2942. None.

2943. The NRCS is a great agency and a very attractive agency for our
      nations youth to enter as they leave college. However, I don\'t
      think that the NRCS works closely enough with college programs
      nationally to capture the interest of a large number of our
      excllent you would could offer a great amount to the growth of the
      agency in regards to interpersonal skills and technical.

2944. It would be nice to see sincere solicitation from NRCS management
      for ideas from employees about how to improve the working
      environment within NHQ. There presently seems to be a very large
      distance between \"management\" and staff, rather than a healthy,
      supportive relationship between \"leadership\" and staff entities.
      It would be nice to experience us all as a \"team\" honestly
      working cooperatively and supportively together to achieve our
      common mission. This kind of working environment must start with
      (i.e., be exemplified by) the working relationships among the NRCS
      management.

2945. In providing for qualified individuals to fill NHQ National Leader
      postions, it would be helpful to create training slots at the next
      lower grade level. This would provide for qualified applicants
      being available that understood the job they would be filling. For
      example: Engineering Division could have two GS-14 800 series
      employees to assist all GS-15 National Leaders. When a vacancy is
      created, these trainees could readily fill.

2946. I think how some \"professions\" are categorized (eg.,
      professional, administrative, etc), need to be reconsidered.

2947. The agency should have one employee organization, rather than
      employee organizations by race

2948. I know this will be percieved as racist and sexist, but NRCS has
      suffered tremendously by lowering its standards in order to
      achieve diversity. The agencies leadership opted for the quick fix
      and presidential rank awards rather than hiring the best qualified
      person regardless of race or gender. We could have worked
      aggressively with high schools to get the best and brightest. It
      is my generation that has paid the affirmative action price. It
      has made me very bitter and resentful. It is so unfair and
      damaging to the agency in the long term. Ghandi said \"It has
      always been a mistery to me how one man can feel raised up by
      putting another one down.\" The minority or female employees who
      were hired and fast tracked under these terms will always suspect
      that they were not the best, but only the right color or gender.
      That is the ones bright enough to know they are not qualified.
      Well enough, it matters little how I feel and will make no
      difference. Please no more valuing diversity training! How about
      some valuing competence training.

2949. You have left off widowed as to marital status. Also forcing a
      response to #48 doesn\'t make sense if one is divorced, single or
      widowed since there is no spouse. This is a very poorly designed
      survey - it feels that NRCS is looking for a specifc answer. Also,
      given that there is so much private info requested, many are not
      filling out the survey. Does the agency leadership really care?

2950. Question 5. My answer would be \"None of the Above\" (not offered
      as option)

2951. I think I should have been given quality steps when I worked in PA
      and NHQ.

2952. Very good survey no additional comments at this time.

2953. The agency needs to take a hard look at developing the next
      generation of leadership for this agency as well as developing
      persons in the field to carryout the mission. Recruitment also
      needs to play a part in the development of the next generation of
      leadership.

2954. The agency needs to focus on how to maintain and improve current
      staff knowledge about the various programs. With folks retiring
      and budget cuts. I think that some Upward Mobility position should
      be created at the GS 12, 13, & 14 level.

2955. In general, NRCS is a great place to work: lots of opportunities
      and rich history. We need to get the positive word out on the
      types of activities that we are doing to assist rural America and
      improve the environment. I think that additional staff as
      appropriate to replace retiring personnel will be absolutely
      essential to continue our tradition and start on our new path in
      the 21st century. Also, it is depressing for us working that too
      much work is coming in with less staff. This needs immediate
      attention or else people will be \"encouraged\" to leave and that
      would be a shame for the agency and our professionalism.

2956. In regards to an earlier question, leadership can be enhanced in
      many ways. I question that NRCS can do anything to develop
      leadership skills. Having had finanicial resources with some
      autonomy in using to accomplish the agency\'s mission would have
      made my job a lot more satisfying.

2957. Thank you for the opportunity to express my views on several of
      these important human capital issues.

2958. My mother is not in elder care, but she lives with us so she does
      not have to be in elder care. I have not moved w/the govt because
      I would not. I would leave first because of family. Perhaps
      questions about the Federal benefits program, including leave, and
      its impact on government work in general.

2959. technical competency many of us are supporting grand children

2960. Telecommuting should be supported Energy conservation needs to be
      a top priority

2961. Should ask how many are fully engaged in their job? Do they have
      enough to work on to fill their day?

2962. Item 43: I am widowed. Not one of your choices. Item 48: Not
      applicable, not one of your choices. Also, to the previous
      question about how NRCS makes promotion decisions, you should have
      offered another alternative, None of the Above. Neither technical
      nor managerial, but instead on the good ole boy system. I have
      lost all respect for this agency because of your violation of the
      merit promotion system. I have filed an informal and a formal
      complaint because the agency used an intentional and purposeful
      manipulation of the merit promotion system to ensure that a very
      young inexperienced man was selected, even though he failed to
      make the panel the first time the job was advertised. The agency
      discarded the panel with seven eligibles, detailed the person into
      the job as a \"developmental assignment\" for 120 days,
      readvertised the job, and on the basis of his detail experience,
      he made the panel the second time around and was selected. This is
      a clear case of age and sex discrimination, and unfortunately is
      typical of the way women, especially older women are treated in
      this agency. Another issue: The NRCS Office of Ethics is engaging
      in abusive, invasive, and totally unnecessary examination of
      employees\' personal lives, far in excess of what is needed to
      determine if a person is engaged in unethical behavior. EVERY year
      I have to explain why one of my investments has the word
      \"insurance\" in the name of the company, and they call and insist
      on knowing whether I have whole life, term life, or what \-- what
      difference would it make, even if this were life insurance? When
      my husband died and his FEGLI payment set up a Total Control
      Account (standard process) this set the Office of Ethics into a
      tailspin \-- How did I get this money?? (the hard way, by becoming
      a widow). Why did I dispose of certain funds (I needed money for
      final expenses, but it\'s none of their business.) Mutual fund
      accounts send up all kinds of flags for them. It is almost as if a
      person is suspect if they live frugally and save for their old
      age. I got no fewer than 12 calls from OofE this year, and almost
      as many last year. This system needs to be fixed. I will retire at
      the end of this year because I have given up on this agency\'s
      ability to be fair and manage by their own rules. I will leave
      with 36 years of federal service. I would have worked longer, but
      under the circumstances I will find other employment.

2963. No comment

2964. I found it interesting that management/leadership was not listed
      as a skill that needs improvement, as it is sorely lacking in the
      agency (starting with the top 2 positions in the agency followed
      by the RACs).

2965. NRCS was traditional a family-employee friendly organization but
      under this new administration, the focus has changed to political
      advances only.

2966. People are placed in manager and supervisory roles with little to
      no skills in working with people. A person may be technically
      sound but does not possess the skills needed to supervise staff. I
      have seen numerouse \"prohibited personnel practices\" committed
      by supervisors. Individuals are promised jobs before they are
      advertised. The advertisement is just a matter of going through
      the process. Some people are interviewed, some are not.
      Individuals are promoted simply because they are friends or from
      the same school. I believe NRCS needs to crack down on these kind
      of prohibited personnel practices or we will never rise to the
      top. We are not given the equipment such as computers, printers,
      copiers, etc that we need to do our job. Even obtaining paper and
      pens are a big ordeal. This is a barrier to creating a friendly
      work place and being able to get the job done in a timely manner.
      NRCS falls short in taking care of their employees, especially in
      headquarters.

2967. Work relations should be a topic of consideration.

2968. Upward mobility for the program Assistant in NHQ

2969. States, Areas, and field offices are doing a much better job of
      doing training plans, developing career plans, keeping staff
      informed and motivated, providing an OSHA, ADA compliant, and work
      enhancing office space. The National Office is a discrace compared
      to what we require and provide in the states and compared to other
      Federal Agencies. The lack of encouragement and venue for cross
      communication in the National Office is extreme. The agency does
      not use the authorities to retain, job share, telecommute that are
      presently available. Good, dedicated employees have been allowed
      to retire with no effort to retain them and then replaced with no
      field experience, no program experience. An example is Gary Gross
      and Jackie. This creates animosity. Merity promotion has been
      advoided at every opportunity - EQIP manager advertise twice,
      filled by a person that did not apply for the job and does not
      want it. Presidential Interns hired by the agency and avoid the
      Veterans Preference. This again does not give an impression of
      inspired leadership. There is no effort to help people relocate.
      This is a stressful time for families. A performance factor should
      be added to supervisor that have employees that relocate.
      Performance could be based on the employees feed back. Performance
      Plans and Position Descriptions have little or no relationship.
      When I arrive my PD could not be found, my performance rating had
      one line in the comments, I had to supply my accomplishments as if
      no one knew what I had done. The use of Awards and Recognition is
      extremely poor. I received an award over Tom Christensen\'s
      objections. I have yet to receive a certificate or any recognition
      in front of my peers. The level of awards for the impact of our
      work is very inappropriate comparted to other agencies and private
      industry. My impression is that attention to Prohibited Personel
      Practices is non existent in National Headquarters and encourages
      ADR and Grievences; this needs to change. There have been some
      positive changes specifically the My.NRCS for information
      exchange, and giving the public a view what their government and
      our agency is doing.

2970. We need to have upward mobiility for current employees - many of
      these employees have years of experience and knowledge that could
      be best used to help the younger, newer employees coming in.

2971. If NRCS is serious about developing and implementing a workforce
      plan over the long term, I suggest that you conduct Gallup\'s
      survey on organizations (Read: \"First, Break All the Rules\"),
      analyze and implement national changes, and re-do the survey 3 to
      5 years later. From this 12 question survey, NRCS can identify
      specific actions to improve effectiveness & efficiency (think
      PRS), as well as recruitment and retention of employees. It will
      provide statistical data that points to necessary changes in both
      the policy and procedures of an organization, as well as the
      needed cultural changes.

2972. We have to get serious about getting rid of people who are not
      producing a real service for the agency and the public. We seemed
      to have stalled out on not being able to address poor performance
      due to conflict over race and gender. In fact, in many instances
      NHQ has become a place that condones medicore performance and poor
      customer service.

2973. Many senior leaders appear to be driven by self-serving motives.
      As a result, they create work and unproductive activities for an
      already overworked staff. This needs to change. Examples, software
      that is realease too soon to help employees, decision memos to
      cover one\'s butt, and an overall lack of delegation.

2974. I think we need to do all we can to hire the best possible
      canidates not just fill positions. A few thousand extra in a
      hiring bonuce or by hiring at a higher grad where we can is very
      cheap when considered over a 30 year career. We need to get the
      best employees with initial hires. The middle of the road
      employees will stay for ever.

2975. Recruit individuals with skills that are broader than one
      discipline (ex some soil science majors qualify as soil
      scientists, agronomist, range cons, soil cons, DC\'s etc) The
      agency can train specialists but by having people such as soil
      scientists they can be utilized over a broad area on need.

2976. Supervisors/management should not place artificial or personal
      barriers for advancement opportunities both technical and
      grade-level). These barriers also limit the effectiveness of Pay
      for performance if the employee is not given the opportunity for
      participation.

2977. Perhaps future surveys will be designed to collect data based on
      PATCO occupations and their relevance to the Agency\'s mission. I
      find it interesting that peformance plans are supposedly linked to
      the Agency\'s mission, yet there was not one question related to
      any Administrative function, skill, competency, etc.

2978. Only a certain percentage of staff, between 50 percent and 60
      percent for instance, should be promoted up through the ranks. The
      agency will benefit from knowledge gained outside the agency in
      the private, university, international and NGO sectors.

2979. My comments on the program versus technical should be added. The
      current vison and plan of teh agency is concise. The problem is
      the direction towards programs which is difficult because it
      provides the money needed. I guess it is something we have to
      accept. I know teh biggest complaint by field people is taht they
      cannot no longer spend quality time in field because of program
      activities. Most tell me that backlog planning is providing most
      of thde demand for programs. My concern is that when that backlog
      runs out we may have some problems finding opportunities to
      allocate money. We as an agency to to make conservation planning
      and selling technical systems a high priority. Job satifaction
      will go up. that is why I am technical and why I major in my
      discipline and why I came to this agency 28 years ago. If it was
      program related and my experiences was all programs I would
      probably not spend my entire time with this agency.

2980. none

2981. NRCS need to keek the work simple.

2982. the areas where the agency needs to build capacity were an odd
      mix, very specific but not very inclusive. the survey probably
      needed a text box for respondents to add some that they felt were
      needed.

2983. Questions about someone\'s spouce should include \"partner\" or
      \"life partner.\"

2984. thanks

2985. Leadership doesn\'t appear to care about employees as human
      beings, especially in disrupting lives by moving duty stations.
      Very stressful work environment with low morale.

2986. No information being collected on perspective of promotion
      potential once age 55 and above is reached.

2987. I am not sure the way the questions are structured that they will
      be interpretted in the manner the respondent intends. For example
      the question on whether job selections are made regardless of sex,
      ethnicity, etc. I \"disagree\" answer could mean the respondent
      feels these groups are at a disadvantage or could mean the
      respondent feels these groups get favorable treatment. The agency
      needs to be willing to shift focus depending on societal changes.
      We need to be able to provide a salary and benefit package to
      attract good quality young people and retain them. However, we
      still need to recognize these folks need to be willing to live and
      work in rural areas that may not have significant social
      opportunities particularly for single employees.

2988. Question 47 does not ask about working in other agencies and it
      should. It would be interesting to get the opinions of employees
      who worked for other agencies and how they compare to NRCS.

2989. Although relocation is hard on individuals and families, I believe
      the experience and insight gained gives you an advantage
      promotions in place cannot match.

2990. I believe the agency is unfairly promoting people solely based on
      race, sex, national origan, etc. I know it is important to have a
      diverse workforce, but everyone should be treated equal when it
      comes to promotions, especially as you increase above the GS-13
      level.

2991. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to comment. I believe the
      greatest source of dissatisfaction within the Agency is leadership
      not utilizing employees\' expertise, i.e. professional being used
      as glorified editors. Additionally, agency-induced turnover of
      leadership has created inconsistencies/inefficiencies in the
      manner in which employees can get their work done.

2992. NHQ needs to do a better job of getting rid of nonperformers and
      rewarding those who do perform.

2993. Managment has definitely improved in the last several years and
      the quality of the selections gives me hope for the Agency.

2994. I believe the FERS retirement system has one flaw which
      contributes to FERS employees abusing the sick leave policy. CSRS
      employees can save their sick leave and add it on to their
      retirement as time earned. FERS employees have no incentive to
      save their sick leave so they use it as it as if it were annual
      leave. This should be changed so FERS employees will have an
      incentive to bank their sick leave like CSRS employee do. This
      survey should have addressed questions like this to find out if
      the differing benefit programs has any impact on retention or
      recruitment.

2995. Please stop using certain NHQ administrative divisions like MSD as
      a \"dumping ground\" to settle complaints, suits, requests for
      favors, respond to political requests, etc. for disaffected,
      incompetent, and otherwise non-performing employees. You cannot
      even hope hope to encourage excellent performance by your good
      employees if management continues this practice.

2996. Obvious omission of Administrative support of NRCS. Gives the
      impression that it is not wanted nor needed. Survey does not give
      any gague of the impact of competitive sourcing. Competitive
      sourcing is very covert at NRCS but known to exist and provide a
      kinda \"afraid to look over your back\" mentality to work life.

2997. NC

2998. Some of the responses appeared to be tailored to acheive a desired
      outcome. Perhaps, a more free form of expression would be valuable
      to the Agency.

2999. Management (Top) does not care about how it affects the people
      under them, lack of communication when questions asked about how
      things are going or even if they are progressing.

3000. I enjoy my work and love my job, but I am micro-managed, not
      allowed to have an opinion or give constructive criticsm,
      continuously monitored and treated with disrespect. By the way, I
      asnwered 48 because I could not submit the survey without it, but
      I am not married to my spouse anymore so I cannot answered this
      question.

3001. A-76 competitive sourcing actions represent a breach of faith and
      possibly a legal breach of promise to Federal employees.
      Additionally, such actions will make it more difficult for NRCS
      and the Federal government in general to recruit in the future.
      The principle attraction to employment with the Federal government
      is job security and the degree to which it seems increasingly
      insecure will make the government less able to recruit and retain
      the best employees. Other questions that should have been asked
      relate to which incentives might motivate people to retire early.
      In instances when the agency wants to reduce its numbers for
      particular segments of its workforce, more would be likely to
      retire if age and/or time-in-service requirements were waived for
      keeping health insurance benefits, or if buyouts of sufficient
      magnitude were granted.

3002. A section on work hour preferences and a section on work location
      options such as telecommuting may be beneficial in understanding
      if these items are factors in working for NRCS.

3003. I have been through many changes/reorganizations with this agency
      but in general most things we have done in the past have not
      damaged our core mission areas and technical expertise and
      standards. However, this changed dramatically with the
      reoganization of 1995 that destroyed our national technical
      centers and started the technilogical disconnect across the agency
      that we have been living with ever since. Every time we reorganize
      and seem to do things that are in direct contrast/damage our
      technical strength and delivery system we lose good people. They
      just simply become dissolutioned and tired of fighting the system
      .

3004. When do we get to start talking about northern european
      contributions to civilization again?

3005. It seems that some Managers or Supervisors want the pay but do not
      want to deal with Supervising. Also, that some computer programs
      are rolled out without consideration to the field staff time or
      the learning curve to understand the new program.

3006. It seems that some people are promoted because they file a
      complaint against their supervisors or because no one can work
      with that individual. I always hear \"If you screw up, you move
      up.\"

3007. The agency has some very poor managers with poor ethics that never
      seem to be dealt with even after evidence is presented to show
      their errors and bad conduct - they just seem to get promoted for
      their bad behavior.

3008. Several positions are left unfilled and require someone to
      complete the necessary assignments to complete the project. Often,
      clerical is left to complete these assignments but no
      opportunities are provided to upgrade the employee to the next GS
      series or level. There is alot of knowledge and ability held by
      these employees but no opportunities such as developmental
      positions, details or leadership teams to participate with. Most
      times you are expendable because no one is available to cover you.
      We know the work. Give us an opportunity before you hire new
      employees. Thank you.

3009. Re: Ques. 5 there have been times when I know that employees were
      promoted for reasons that had more to do with their social skills,
      who their mentors are and how well they network, than their
      superior technical or management ability. I am divorced so I
      don\'t have a spouse that works outside/inside or parttime. See
      question 43 and 48. The workforce of the future needs to be
      selected by folks who know how to determine the best possible
      employee for the job. we need technically sound employees who have
      sound WORK ETHICS. Managers need to deal with employees who don\'t
      do their jobs. There are too many employees who get away with not
      doing their jobs because they know there are no negative
      consequences.

3010. none at this time

3011. I think that the agency wastes its human capital. For example, it
      is the culture that those capable of performing multiple jobs be
      stuck within a division be stuck in a position and not allowed to
      work in another area. Management would rather have someone sit and
      read books at their desk while only performing a half day of work
      in their position than help out in other areas as what has
      happened to me. Also, when someone is hired, they should be given
      a realistic expectiation of the job. I was told that they are
      extrememly busy and they need help desperately. However, last week
      I only had a half day of work to do for an entire week. Also,
      I\'ve noticed that managers are given jobs just to move them out
      of certain areas where they are ineffective into jobs that they
      are not qualified for.

3012. None

3013. This survey did not provide me the proper options to some of the
      questions. Therefore, the surveys that are submitted will include
      skewed responses.

3014. In your question about which areas the Agency would need to focus
      on hiring in the future, you missed Animal Scientists. With 60
      percent of EQIP dollars designated for animal agriculture, and
      with the focus on manure and air quality from animal operations,
      it would make sense for the Agency to have more animal scientists
      wearing an actual title of animal scientist, just like we have
      agronimists, and soil scientists, and economists, and engineers.

3015. As an attorney, and rural resident with small acerage, I realize
      that I am very limited in my ability to grow professionall and to
      work accross agency deputy areas, despite the fact my
      undergraduate thesis was on the vialbility of Solar engery (1981),
      and I worked for one of the best known environmental law fims. I
      would even consider a down-grade to be able to be happily
      challenged in my work - but i cant even qualify as a (401) RC&D
      coordinator despite the fact I can do the job. As for my actual
      work - I have found that the agency gets smacked with more liabity
      than necessary becasue State Conservationsit and supervisors look
      at their divisions as thire own kingdoms and frequently make
      decsions without regard to personnel rules and reguations. Many of
      the complaints are won due to retailiation as opposed to outright
      discrimination and that is sad. In the context of my own office I
      would say that i am highly disliked by my co-workers because I
      beleive in comming to work to do a job - I also see the agency
      mediation program as a failure because there is no effort to
      settle. The agency has also allowed itself to get a bad reputation
      by not dealing with issues (i.e. promoting and moving bad managers
      instead of holding them accountable. Most of my peers (out of the
      Office) are civic, comminity and political leaders and many of
      them beleive we have lost credibility in the area of Civil Rights
      and Management. And although i have heard a lot of good things
      about NRCS at the state level, as a USDA employee of 8 years and
      NRCS for two of those 8 frankly I would know the chief if he
      walked past me in the allway. Beltsville is a never never land
      where you can be easily lost and definitely far removed. Out of
      sight out of mind. and that seems to be the role of CR - And if
      given a pink slip - I would gladly make the sacrifice to become
      the adversary - becasue managment has not listented and have
      listented to alot of the wrong people. As a person of mixed
      heritage and race, i am truly disapointed.

3016. This is a well designed survey. Use the results to make NRCS
      better.

3017. WE are facing an unpresidented opertunity to diversify our
      workforce and we need leadership to be proactive and commited to
      that cause. That includes putting the resources aside recruit
      sometimes acrossed the country not in the same old places.

3018. The agency needs to do a better job in promoting and hiring
      minority employees (excluding white females) in the higher GS
      level positions. I would also like to see black females considered
      for State Conservationists and SES positions, because there are
      NONE!!!

3019. Conservation planning should have been one of the selection
      options in the areas to increase training. Too many competing
      priorities with an absence of adequate skill sets and resources.
      ITS remains a negative at this time.

3020. The best way to replace a retired worker is to to replace them
      before they actually retire. Have the replacement work with the
      future retiree for a year or even two to learn as much as possible
      from the retiring person.

3021. In order to retain a compotent and effective workforce, you must
      look within your organization and capitalize on people who go the
      extra mile and get the job done. That may mean those who have
      attained higher education or put in the extra effort needed to do
      a great job instead of just a decent one. There are too many
      people who are in way over their heads when it comes to technical
      expertise in certain areas and cannot manage their staffs because
      all they want is more money not a more effective workforce.

3022. No comment.

3023. We need a better way to remove employees that are non-producers.
      We also need to closely monitor selections from job vacancy
      announcements. Many of our non-performers are being selected by
      friends and relatives. I know we have rules\...but it still
      happens.

3024. Professional societies provide unique and valuable professional
      and technical development opportunities. A series of questions
      about benefits received and desired in the future from
      professional societies should be included in a survey of this
      nature. Question 48 does not apply but I had to answer it
      (divorced = no spouse)

3025. NRCS is an agency with good intention, and thats what I love about
      showing up to work. Some internal cleaning would increase the
      production in the field offices.

3026. I would like to know if there is any consideration for federal
      employees that have spouses in the military (active duty). My
      husband is in deployment and once he gets back from deployment the
      probability to move him are high. Is there a consideration for
      employees to move within the NRCS to the place the spouse is going
      to be?

3027. An employee desiring to \"relocate\" to work in a NRCS office, in
      or out of state, should have priority hire before announcing a
      vacancy to the public.

3028. \* I feel that our job now revolves around the computer and not
      the producer. More emphasis by management is placed on getting
      things into the computer than getting conservation on the ground.
      \* Managers at the state level and national level have little idea
      what it takes to get conservation on the ground. \* Managers at
      the state level and national level give work to and set goals for
      the field office that are unrealistic and often unattainable at
      current staffing levels. The field office is constantly being
      asked to do more but little is being taken from us to free up
      time. Conservation on the ground is suffering at the expense of
      paperwork, computer work, protracts, CST, goals, deadlines,
      administrative meetings and trainings, Power of Attorney forms,
      and landowner partnership agreements. \* On a positive note, my
      supervisor insulates me from much of the above, not all of it, but
      much of it. In doing so, however, she is not able to perform as
      much conservation work as she would like. Maybe that is the plan
      for supervisors, I don\'t know. \* Taking over the payment process
      from FSA was a HUGE mistake! FSA is up to speed on Partnership
      Agreements, Articles of Incorporation, Power of Attorney forms,
      Lease Agreements, etc. They know what is required for payments.
      They are local and know the producers personally. Now, each NRCS
      staff member has to learn one more thing and try to convince the
      state office that the person signing the form (the person we have
      been dealing with from day one) is authorized to sign the form. We
      have lately been informed that we will have to have a Power of
      Attorney form signed and notorized for husbands and wives to sign
      for each other. This is insane. And we wonder why we have such bad
      publicity. This is something that needs to be given back to FSA.
      They know what they are doing and don\'t frustrate the producers
      in the process. \* I feel the 5-Tier Performance Management System
      is a step backwards. In theory this systems seems like a fair and
      objective way to evaluate employees, however it is abused by
      supervisors who give all their employees outstandings and these
      supervisors are not held in check by managers. Also, managers have
      said in the past that only a certain percentage of employees can
      be in the outstanding category. How is this fair if more employees
      deserve that ranking? \* I\'m sorry for seeming so negative. I
      really do enjoy the conservation portion of my job with NRCS. But
      it isn\'t too often that we have an opportunity to express our
      concerns. If they are expressed at the local level, we are either
      told that decisions were made \"higher up\" or that we just need
      to do what we are asked. The mission of being a leader in
      conservation is being compromised by too much paperwork/computer
      work and less than helpful computer programs. We need to stick to
      what we do - conservation.

3029. Public education should have been one of the topics listed for
      what services we provide.

3030. Some sort of compensation needs to be provided to those employees
      who are doing exceptional work and are at the maximum step in pay
      but will not be moving or cannot move to obtain the higher grade.
      The ability to fire employees needs to be improved. It seems in
      most cases the employee is promoted up the line to get them out of
      the way (or moved to be someone else\'s problem) instead of
      dismissing them.

3031. Although I recognize the importance of having a culturally diverse
      workforce, I question its emphasis in recruitment activities. I
      attended a school in which most the students were minorities.
      However, there were only a few (if any) minorities in my natural
      science classes. Additionally, the average ability of students at
      this school was subpar (both minorities and non-minorities).
      However, the NRCS actively recruited at this school and hired a
      number of SCEPs. It was my observation that the SCEPs were
      uniformly lacking in intellectual ability and work ethic (both
      minority and non-minority). Conversely, I attended another school
      where the average ability far exceeded the first school mentioned,
      and where students had a very strong work ethic. However, the
      school was predominantly caucasian, and while at that school I
      never noticed any NRCS (or any other federal government agency)
      recruiting. I think that a culturally diverse workforce is
      important, and should be an agency goal. However, my concern is
      that the focus on diversity outweighs the need to recruit gifted
      and capable students.

3032. The direction being taken now seems to be towards helping the
      rich. We are also neglecting assistance needed by our partners,
      specifically the Conservation Districts (RCDs in CA.)

3033. There\'s something wrong with the way NRCS in Davis, California
      hire people. The State office are losing therie Black employyees
      by retirement or other reasons and no one seems to care whether we
      hire any more. We have very prejudiced people in high positions in
      our State. The really ned to take a look seriously at California.

3034. Training has never been better, although training opportunities
      are not open to all job positions.

3035. 42 - disability - I answered no - however I have, by VA a 0 %
      service connected disability. Grade - complexity and other factors
      should honestly determine grade - not the politics I.e. a state
      specialist in very uniform area might be a GS-12 by series where
      the same specialist in a very complex state might grade out as a
      13 or 14. So be it. Let it happen. Besides at the present time how
      in the right mind whuld realy wnat a GS-12 state staff position
      with all of the responsibilities? If I had to do it allover
      again - a GS-11 or 12 ina field office would have a heck of a lot
      less stress and demands from every side of the universe.

3036. There is definitely a glass for women in upper management in this
      agency.

3037. I strongly disagree with this last section, questions 43-48. This
      has little or nothing to do with the survey, although I am sure
      some statistician will make use of it. If I could have submitted
      the survey without answering those questions, I would have done
      so. Having to answer q 45 after entering \'zero\' on 44, is poor
      programming.

3038. I think the federal government employees that are not good
      employees are promoted or forced to retire or relocated as a way
      of avoiding having to deal with them. there are many in very high
      grades that supervise employees that should not be supervising
      people. there are a lot of employees that are promoted on a buddy
      basis

3039. In question 47, I have moved many times because of Job Changes.
      Either myself or my husband have applied for various jobs within
      the agency and moved BY CHOICE. This is a good thing.

3040. I recommend that the survey not require a response for each
      question. It will also make the design of the survey easier; for
      example, I answered question 45 with an accurate response and the
      survey did not recognize it and required me to give you a false
      response.

3041. I think it would benefit us to get dental and optical coverage.

3042. Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback to NRCS HQ!

3043. I feel there\'s a significant difference between the technical
      side and the administrative/clerical side in this agency. There is
      \"planned\" training classes for the technical side versus none
      for the admin/clerical side. The grade structure on the technical
      side is more in line to enable an employee to go from the 7 to the
      9, 11, 12. Where as in the admin/clerical side, there are many
      7\'s, a couple of 9\'s\.....no where else to go. My perspective of
      the agency is the focal point is in the technical side. Understand
      that you could not do all the great work that is being
      accomplished out there if you don\'t have a good back bone to your
      agency, which is your Admin/Clerical support and I firmly believe
      the agency doesn\'t have that focus.

3044. In order to be competetive, and be desireable to candidates is to
      provede competetive pay and provide up to date training and
      technology. Also, ensure that crucial leadership is highly trained
      in order to answer accurate questions from the states and field.

3045. People work hard in this agency but feedback seems that they are
      expected to do more and more with less be it tools, pay, benefits
      etc. The states with serious conservation needs are also the
      states with the highest cost of living. Frustration with pay and
      promotion potential and no middle management development makes
      many employees leave. Also, the inequities in promoting women into
      top management positions needs to be closely looked at.

3046. There was no mention of what type of benefits would be helpful. We
      have great health benefits but they should extend to dependant
      children through age 24 as does the Dept. of Education. Also,
      dental benefits are very important and although some health
      providers provide some benefits they are not very good. There is
      also child care subsidies availabe to other government agencies
      but NRCS does not participant in that program. Because our
      workforce age is lowering, these types of benefits would be
      positive to our workforce.

3047. I really object to the Social Security benefit cutback when one
      retires under CSRS. If I want to get in the required quarters to
      qualify for Social Security after I retire from the Fed. Govt., I
      should be able to get the full Social Security benefits I\'ve
      earned.

3048. None

3049. NEED PERSONAL IN THE FIELD!!! DO NOT REQUEST HIGH LEVEL REPORTS TO
      HQS. DURING HIGH WORK LOAD TIMES. OUR HIGH PRIORITY IS OUR FARMING
      COMMUNITY.

3050. the price of housing in california is so high that mobility is out
      of the question. there is a chance NRCS could lose me to higher
      pay

3051. Don\'t have a spouse, per above question 48 - I tried not to
      answer, but it wouldn\'t let me; need to revise to allow children
      responses without a spouse or N/A. Do you care about single parent
      families? Also, the survey is very \"mechanical\" - Doesn\'t seem
      to address how we feel? The agency definately has moved from a
      \"family\" kind of feeling to one of being an AGENCY. How can you
      address this in a survey? Doubtful. But might actually have more
      meaning than typcial questions about pay, training, etc. I guess
      these kinds of survey\'s really don\'t send a message about
      \"caring\" about real people. Typical engineered approach: What\'s
      the problem? How do we fix?

3052. There is some age discrimination occuring with younger employees
      such as myself. i often receive commments that i look young and my
      appearance in general. i often wonder if it also affects the fact
      that i am lacking in supervisory experiences.

3053. Management is great in my area of the office. I could not ask for
      better. However, one area of the office has management problems
      and needs to be worked on. In this area I work with an employee
      that has been a great asset to me in getting my work done. She is
      always questioned and hassled by the management in her area. This
      problem needs to be stopped right away or we will loose the
      employee, if it is not too late already. It is a shame because
      this is one person in a minority group and is a good worker.
      Without her I would not have been able to accomplish what I did
      this year in one of my programs.

3054. Diversity is important, but I feel too much emphasis is placed on
      it by the agency. job selection places too much emphasis on it,
      perhaps with good intentions. I believe that there are many
      qualified individuals available to fill most jobs and that if the
      most qualified individuals are selected, diversity will take care
      of itself. Too often, this agency has promoted or moved
      individuals into positions they were not suited for in the name of
      diversity. This puts the individual in a position where it is
      difficult to succeed. When this happens, the agency has not helped
      diversity. It hurts the individual that has not succeeded and it
      hurts the agency in terms of performance.

3055. Questions 33 through 48 are designed to put me in a category so
      that you can assign value to my respones. This will be used to
      alter the value of the information I have supplied.

3056. the government used to provide opportunities to move into another
      job series- training positions- for those that lack a formal
      degree but could easily do the work. That does not exist anymore
      and it should. There are very few 7/9/11 administrative jobs
      available.

3057. I think our need for special emphasis programs is out of date. I
      think we should not support separate meetings of the different
      ethnic groups or employee organizations. It encourages differences
      not diversity.

3058. I feel good candidates are eliminated from consideration for SC
      positions because of the qualification standard. The agency has
      the control to ask OPM to change the standard since it is agency
      specific. If the 457 standard was changed to remove (or reduce)
      the 12 semester hours and/or the soils requirement we would
      increase our workforce diversity and still maintain a technical
      workforce as long as the degree remained in agriculture. This
      would also allow employees that are currently working to
      possibility qualify such as SCT positions.

3059. Although this survey is \"supposed\" to be voluntary, One can be
      identified by the last set of questions. Let\'s not make it so
      obvious the next time.

3060. My strongest view points are on the grade level system, especially
      for the lower ranking personnel. I would like see upward mobility
      in the grade levels so that employees can reach their desired
      salary goals before retirement.

3061. Allow more employees ro work in alternate work sites or from home.

3062. should have included a segment on whether employees think/believe
      that management appreciates their work efforts. You\'d probably
      obtain results that management does not. Perhaps that why this
      segment is missing.

3063. I think the agency should consider a separate maternity leave for
      those who are new parents or new adoptive parents. We should also
      allow more telecommuting from our homes. A lot of the jobs could
      be done from the home (at least part of the pay period. The agency
      should become more compassionate towards the employees and show
      appreciation for what the field actually does. We get little or no
      praise for busting our tails out here in the field. We are
      understaffed and the workload keeps growing. A pat on the back
      would sure make the morale come up from the basement.

3064. I feel that there is no need to hire to keep an ethnical/cultural
      diverse workforce\... once here you are american no matter race
      creed etc\... so act like it, get over the color of your skin or
      your accent and join the general public (they should have no
      better or worse chance than the next person). The agency has an
      excellent scope, but we are too focused on tracking what we do and
      proving who did the most rather than working in the means to get
      the job done. If we are reducing the paperwork, than why is there
      so much paperwork to do to get anything done? The west can\'t
      function as the east, north can\'t function as the south so why do
      we try to force it to? We are all trying to do our best but we are
      stumbling over the small stuff and missing the bigger picture.

3065. Merry Christmas!

3066. Poorly set up survey. Poor choices for answers. NRCS needs to
      decide if it is going to be an agency that leads and has technical
      expertise which is demonstrated out on the land or if they are
      going to be computer and contract jockies. We have burdened our
      field staff with some horrible computer programs and policies.
      Many field staff are working way more hours than they should just
      to stay up with deadlines and etc. they are close to burn out and
      no help in sight. The merit promotion system as we practice it is
      broken. NRCS does not value its staff or treat them as
      professional career employees who are deserving of respect.

3067. If the agency continue in the management direction it is headed,
      it will be extent within the next 10 years.

3068. Staff needs to be motivated, enthusiastic and we need to promote
      those with leadership qualities.

3069. Elder care is getting to be a really big concern. For Hawaii, the
      COLA vs. locality pay is a really big issue. What other state is
      there where people, as they get close to retirement, consider
      moving out of state so they won\'t face a drastic reduction in
      income for their pension. In the words of a coworker, \"I\'ve just
      accepted the fact that I will need to work till I die, because I
      can\'t afford to buy a house and if I were to retire, without
      COLA, my pension wouldn\'t be enough to pay my rent.\" I\'ve
      always struggled with why the folks who get conservation on the
      ground get paid the least. I\'ve worked in area and state offices,
      but have returned to the field, in spite of the pay limitations,
      because that is where I feel I can make the most difference for
      people. 10 years ago, there was an effort to reduce support type
      staff and increase manpower in the field. I may be wrong, but it
      seems like field staffing has again dropped and support staffing
      has grown. You need quality people in the field \-- you should pay
      them what they are worth so they don\'t have to take support type
      jobs. Is what support staff does really more important or more
      skilled than what field people do? Also, if there were more field
      people, there would be time for them to be innovative. I\'ve come
      to accept that I will always have more work than I could ever hope
      to accomplish \-- even in my career! While I have learned not to
      let it overwhelm me and hopefully to not have it impair my
      enthusiam and efforts for the job, I\'m continually seeing things
      that we could be doing to improve our efforts. I just am too busy
      to be able to act on them. Sure, that is what support staff should
      be doing \-- but they don\'t live what we live and know what we
      know. Here\'s an idea, rotate support staff to the field for a
      reality check every 3 years. Problems with having a GS 13 do GS 7
      work? It wouldn\'t be a problem if we didn\'t hold field staff pay
      to such low levels. We did a TQM effort back 15 years ago -
      Encourage employees to participate in improving the agency. Good
      concept. Hard to do when your employees are overworked and
      overwhelmed by their workload. I can\'t tell you how many projects
      I have. They keep coming, and the priority of which ones to work
      on keep changing. I have projects, many, that I\'ve resigned
      myself to the fact that I will never in my lifetime get to. When
      do I have time to develop that design tool, or write that
      informational article, or create a database or a map, or organize
      our references, or do any one of many things that would help make
      our ability to deliver conservation better? \"Get support staff to
      do it,\" you say? Why aren\'t they already doing it?

3070. In the past 15 years as an SCS/NRCS employee, it has been
      disturbing to see numerous persons be \"promoted out\" of their
      present job position just to get them out of the state or to
      create a job for a person whose spouse was relocated within the
      state!

3071. I realize I am an old timer, but I have some concerns of the
      direction our agency is going. Here in Hawaii and I\'m not sure
      about other states, but we seem to be hiring more and more
      environmental science people and fewer ag. related people. This
      change in our staffing seems to be creating less emphasis in the
      support of our farmers and agriculture in general and creating
      more regulations, permits, and hardships for our agriculture and
      especially livestock producers. On another note, one of the things
      I find extremely frustrating is the time I spend on
      progress/goals, establishing CSGs, reports, and all the busy work
      and time consuming activities that do not get conservation on the
      land. If all these reports and tracking are important, fine, give
      me more staff to do it, but I\'m taking people out of the field
      and have a hard time attaining those goals and practices applied
      to the land at the end of the year. My staff and I are very
      dedicated and passionate about our jobs. We put in more time than
      is ever recorded, but we cannot continue to do this, we really
      need more staff to complete our backlog of planning requests and
      engineering designs. There is great work to be accomplished out
      there, but we need the trained people to do it, and if we are
      struggling now, just wait until half our workforce retires.

3072. Our employees are working hard to keep good work ethic.

3073. None

3074. Just as important in having a diverse workforce related to
      race/ethnicity, is having a diversity of thought in the workforce.
      Hiring people to reach a number in the PATCO data is not relevant,
      if they can\'t perform. Any person hired has to be because they
      can do the job, not because of their sex or race.

3075. The most important thing NRCS can do is train managers to be
      effective. This is our greatest need to date.

3076. none

3077. The agency needs to be commended in it\'s wisdom to see the need
      to re-establish technical centers; however, displacing employees
      in 95 due to closing of the 4 technical centers based on a
      vindetta was inexcusable. Based on the directed reassignment in 95
      I have been placed further away from family resulting in a limited
      ability to be with elder parents that are now either deceased or
      are in elder care. Furthermore, placing an individual with
      substantial grazing experience in an agronomy state does not say
      much for effectively managing human capital.

3078. Not exactly sure what marital status, children, or ethnicity have
      to do with job satisfaction. NRCS needs to sell themselves to
      young folks still in school. Perhaps employees could volunteer to
      speak at high schools to boost interest in Dept of Ag venues. Not
      much publicity going on in this area that I can see and that
      won\'t fill positions in the future!

3079. I would like to see an easier path to be promoted into another job
      series. I recently finished a bachelor\'s degree at age 50 in
      organizational leadership and would love to get into a job that
      would lead me to a 7-9 in some type of administrative series; I
      feel I have a lot to offer our organization. any help would be
      appreciated

3080. Overall I am very pleased with the agency. I think we still have a
      well trained workforce and there are plenty of opportunities for
      employees to move up. We are, however, trending toward overloading
      our employees with paperwork necessarry to delivery more programs.

3081. Question number 5 should have a button for \"promotions based on
      politics not merit\" especially the higher up you go in the
      organizations. This causes a problem with the technical and field
      people because the political hired doesn\'t understand the impact
      to the field of his decisions.

3082. Our field people are generally technically sound, but we have
      given them a lot of new administrative tasks (e.g. EQIP
      contracting) for which they need training.

3083. Good survey. It is definitely needed for the agency.

3084. none

3085. I think it is a positive step to try to retain experienced
      employees as NRCS employees. Many retirees who continue working as
      TSP\'s, etc., might consider staying if they could work part time.

3086. I had to answer number 48 with yes or no, but it does not apply to
      me, I have NO spouse. It does not give that option!

3087. This is the worst survey I have ever taken. A lot of questions did
      not have adequate choices. Too many questions
      identifying/classifying indivuals base on thier replies.

3088. One technical area I feel the agency is deficient in and should be
      improved is animal nutrition & feed management.

3089. The Agency will have to begin on the job training positions to
      replace the employees that are leaving so that they are not
      scrambling like everyone else when a bunch of people retire in
      2010 (i.e. Contract Specialist). They should have to sign
      agreements to work for us for a certain period. That way we would
      know what we are getting.

3090. NRCS is a wonderful place to work. Our mission is clear and
      leadership at the national and state level is outstanding.

3091. We need additional people employeed in the field offices!!!!

3092. There would seem to be a wealth of knowledge in the workforce.
      lack of a true open forum for expression curtails the
      participation and interest - simple observations may be CLMs
      (career limiting moves) - opinion is separate from action, and the
      question what do you think should not be answered with what you
      want to hear.

3093. Thank you for the ability to comment.

3094. Hey, what about us widowers? Where\'s the sensitivity that you all
      talk about?

3095. We have the best process established to implement conservation in
      the country. The establishment of State Technical Committees and
      Local Work Groups identify the resource needs of each state and
      area. Each area/state is very different!!!! Can we establish
      conservation programs with some flexibility so we can prioritize
      where our dollars are needed? Can headquarters make statewide
      allocations and allow State Technical Committees to prioritize
      where those dollars would be best spent? They change on an annual
      basis.

3096. The biggest problem in advancement is working spouses and the
      minimal pay increase fed employees get if they move. They want us
      to give up a \$100,000 salary and the retirement benefits that go
      with it for a \$4,000 pay raise. The number do not work out. Most
      likely the best employees are not mobile because of professional
      spouses. Some of the upper level job should be redesigned to be
      housed in individual states so the agency can take advantage og
      the nonmobile people. Also the pay scale for the technical people
      need to be looked at. The clerical people are most likely over
      paid but the technical people are underpaid. (in many areas
      teacher earn more than GS-12\'s) Also work distribution is a
      problem. Some people are way over worked and other do nothing. The
      work needs to be evenly distributed. Awards also need to go to
      people that do the work and not based on political reasons.

3097. Most of us can\'t stand surveys such as this because of questions
      which are worded in a fashion which is either ambiguous or
      doesn\'t allow true, meaningful information to be conveyed. If I
      say \"No\" to #48, it implies I have a spouse, whereas I don\'t.
      There are many other much more important questions than that,
      which are either similarly meaningless or even worse, don\'t allow
      us to express what the authority above the author of this survey,
      really needs to hear. Otherwise, overall it was very good and
      there ARE alot of good people doing the best they can with the
      information/tools available at the time.

3098. Survey questions are loaded. You can\'t read ahead without filling
      in the survey No one here is so foolish to think this is
      confidential Interesting. Classic phase 3 Edwards Demings TQM Old
      mgt approach but interesting.

3099. This is not very confidential.

3100. As a state registered landscape architect working in an NRCS CET
      series, from what I\'ve seen working for several years on
      engineering projects, particulary in urban areas, we desparately
      need to have landscape architectural design and planning
      involvement. Putting conservation practices in the ground near or
      within municipalities often requires that more planning components
      be considered and evaluated. Components such as: site
      screening/buffers as required by planning commissions(aesthetics);
      adjacent ROW and parcel zoning regulations such as site lighting
      requirements, access road or path setback requirements, fence
      types and materials; unique community or city master plan
      requirements that may affect a site; obtaining change of zoning
      and/or conditional use permits; preparing site or use impact
      reports; preparing and obtaining permits for site runoff plans;
      redesigning adjacent circulation systems(streets/sidewalks/jogging
      paths etc..);and defending conservation plans in regulatory public
      hearings. The engineers I\'ve worked with are very knowledgeable
      and capable of understanding engineering problems such as flood
      control, structural design and construction criteria but have not
      demonstrated the ability to understand or consider most of the
      issues I\'ve stated. These are not typical issues that
      agricultural, environmental and civil engineers are trained to
      deal with. Please consider again using landscape architects in
      NRCS. Thank you

3101. Too many positions go unfilled year after year until they are just
      forgotten about. \"Not enough dollars\" is always the reason given
      for not advertising an open position. Once the position goes
      unoccupied for a year or more, I loose support for filling the
      position because \"if it was vacant that long, you must not need
      it\". That kind of mentality is bringing our agency down, quickly.
      Way too many technical resources are not being kept up to date
      because of a lack of personnel with the expertise to do it.
      SCS/NRCS used to be considered by most in the industry
      (conservation) to be THE source for technical information. That is
      changing. At national meetings/seminars, I hear comments like
      \"NRCS is not keeping up with the times. We can\'t rely on them
      any more\". Shame on us! Thank you for letting me share my
      comments.

3102. In order to recruit, hire, and maintain the workforce it desires,
      the locales must have some control over its work products. Budget,
      and work is coming from congress with earmarks etc. and not from
      the local level up through the agency. The workforce is reactive
      rather than proactive. A strategic plan or human capital plan is
      useless without some control over budget, and work products. You
      can plan all the training and development activities you want but
      when the budget doesn\'t support it it becomes a meaningless
      exercise.

3103. Providing adequate training in the field office is hard if not
      impossible, due to heavy workloads.

3104. No referrance made about the glass cealing for weman which I
      believe still exists. The agency does not compete very well in the
      open job market with private enterprise and corporate America in
      benifits or beginning saleries. The agency does littel in the way
      of confidence building and promoting an atmoshere of mutual
      respect. No incentive for an employee to put forth any extra
      effort.

3105. Again, I would like to say we need to get back to our roots and
      serve our ag producers with less red tape and more one on one
      service. Don\'t we have enough high tech people in USDA that
      don\'t have direct contact with our American farmers and ranchers.
      I don\'t know a better way to express my thoughts. Let\'s try to
      help those that feed and cloth us!

3106. The service is program driven! We say we are technical and on
      farm/ranch savy. It is sad to see. Get more admin staff and the
      our technical staff go to the field. Our answer is a computer tool
      run from the office only. It will be the death of the service!

3107. When an agency begins to lose its way, they begin to reorganize or
      outsource. There is plenty of work needed, but the agency has a
      large amount of supervisors and leaders who don\'t have a clue
      about what needs to be done and how to do it. Leadership is just a
      term thrown about by those in charge. Some of the worst
      supervisors I have ever had in my life are government employees
      who only want greater pay and have zero leadership skills. Sitting
      at your desk and watching the day pass or writing emails while the
      entire staff waits for direction are far to common. There is no
      incentive to do a good job, the pay shows up every two weeks and
      for the managers, the big Christmas bonus, also arrives annually.
      Don\'t ask these questions unless you are prepared to hear the
      truth.

3108. Significant other or \"Partner\" should be an option under the
      questions dealing with marital status.

3109. Why are all top jobs in state held by Hispanics?

3110. I have a lot of ideas on methods to improve the agency, but don\'t
      appreciate being ignored (I have submitted numerous suggestions
      over the years), minimized because of my ethnicity is not the
      \"flavor of the month\" and marginalyzed because of my profession
      (My advanced degree and registration as a Professional Engineer
      (in several states) is not utilized or appreciated). I feel that I
      have been \"screwed over\" because I dare to question authority. I
      thought we lived in a country where diversity, to include
      diversity of opinion, was acceptable. You asked and therefore I
      told!

3111. Require significant out-of-state experience for promotion to the
      GS-12 level. Require all GS-13 and above positions to be filled
      from out-of-state. The Chief should stop playing games by hiring
      his \"buddies\" at the higher levels and stop undermining the
      merit promotion system with political appointees.

3112. I appreciate the opportunity to provide input. It would be nice to
      see even one improvement come out of this within the next year.

3113. It is hard to get promoted in the clerical field. Even when you
      take college courses and volunteer for collateral jobs to get
      extra experience it doesn\'t help. Only field offices have a steps
      for being promoted. I know that the field is the backbone of the
      agency but there is no advancement opportunities for clerical
      positions. When I first came to work for the agency there was an
      administrative trainee program which no longer exist. Since the
      agency has had threats of RIF, merging with USDA and cut backs
      there has not been an opportunity to advance and now we have the
      Competitive Sourcing which is a threat. This puts extra stress on
      the workforce and decrease morale. You need to be able to work for
      something besides just money.

3114. There is very little (financial) incentive for FERS employees to
      move to DC. Unless NRCS, Congress, etc address this issue, the
      potential management deficit created by retirements will worsen.

3115. None

3116. None, thanks for your efforts in this survey. I know that it will
      help the Agency.

3117. I strongly feel that this state is very basis on your race when it
      comes to hiring and promotions. I strongly feel the funding for
      education is ample, but never used appropriately. More education
      funds are used to send people to Special Emphasis Program manger
      conventions, leadership team conventions; like soils, aronomy, and
      watershed conventions. I feel that these funds should be used to
      educate us in specialized career training and software, not for
      conventions, this would afford us better opportunity to do our job
      and serve better serve the employees in the field that make this
      agency great! Leadership is to involved in Civil Rights and not
      concerned enough about the true mission of the agency and serving
      the public. Just because a supervisor transfers at the end of the
      fiscal year without doing end of the year appraisal, does not mean
      that we had no acomplishments throughout the year. I strongly feel
      that the leadership that fills in for the transfering supervisor
      should be aware and have input on your end of the year appraisal
      and the end of the year appraisal should not be based on the two
      weeks the new permanent supervisor has been employed. I am not
      concerned with a bonus, but I feel my YEARLY accomplishments
      should have been noted in my yearly appraisal. The only note in my
      appraisal for last FY that I was hardworking and eager to learn,
      however the new supervisor did not even work in this state during
      the FY that was being rated.

3118. Hispanic ethnicity is not only related to a certain group.
      Hispanics can come from the Caribbean, South, Central, and North
      America as well. My suggestion is to write Hispanic instead of
      Hispanic/à Thank You!

3119. I believe we work for the best agency in Federal Government and I
      truly enjoy my job.

3120. The agency seems to be hiring too many employees that lack
      agricultural background.

3121. Computers and their awesome programs have been very helpful in
      conservation administration. We (NRCS) have done a poor job in
      strategizing a way to mix the computer skills with technical
      skills. We have usually put technical skills as a lower priority.
      No matter how you slice it, you need to know which particular
      practice is the right one for the job and if it will work.

3122. None.

3123. Competition for highly qualified individuals entering the
      workforce is high. Increase salaries and benefits to compete with
      other employers.

3124. It\' too late! I plan to retire April 2006. Thank you very much.

3125. Thanks for asking

3126. #48 doesn\'t make sense if you are single, yet cannot submit the
      survey without answering.

3127. If we are going to rely on technology to help us be more
      efficient, the technology infrastructure must be greatly improved
      beyond its current state. This is one of the most frustrating
      aspects of technology with our field employees and partners. This
      can be easily achieved once we decide to actually do it. Some
      employees are actually deciding who to work for based on an
      agency\'s ability to function with new technology.

3128. invasive species are becoming more and more pronounced. We as an
      agency need to have more specialists dedicated to this!

3129. Should address the topic of living conditions in the area you
      work.

3130. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment!

3131. The Natural Resources Conservation Service needs to develop clear
      consise goals and objectives and communicate those to the
      employees. I asm sure I am not alone when I say that I have no
      clear understanding of our mission. What does it mean to enable
      conservation? How is that done? Who are we and what role do we
      have in American agriculture? If we only pass through money all we
      need are high school graduates with a few accountants. We do not
      need the science based techncial staff. The universities, ARS and
      others can develop techncial information and \"enable\" its
      dissimination better than we can. To look forward, we must also
      look back to know which way forward really is.

3132. Poor Mangement is my major concern. Management positions should be
      filled based only on experience.

3133. The qualifications required for some jobs have nothing to do with
      what the person actually does or is needed. Instead of needing a
      \"soils\" class in college, how about something relevant, like
      \"public speaking\"?

3134. Need to focus recruitment of employees on those with an
      agricultural background rather than cultural diversity.

3135. recent reorganization at the state level has driven many capable
      employees out of NRCS.

3136. The agency is in dire need to hire more workforce at the local
      level. We do not have enough qualified individuals to handle the
      tremendous workload the 2002 Farm Bill has placed on us. I am a
      soil conservationist by trade and in my opinion the District
      Conservationist has become the District Manager. There is no doubt
      that I do not have the opportunity to go to the field as in the
      past. I have to depend on other staff members for the field work.

3137. The recruitment strategy of the NRCS should have everything to do
      with the wide variety of career opportunities within the agency,
      along with the direct benefits (health care, retirement, etc\...)
      received by employees and their families. Spousal job placement,
      should not factor into the equation, nor should a prospective
      employees relationship to anyone within the agency. Hiring and
      promotion strategy should be based EXCLUSIVELY on ones techincal
      competence, ability to work effectively with others, communication
      skills etc\... In the coming years the NRCS will have an
      opportunity to recruit a diverse, technically knowlegeable, and
      highly motivated work force; I hope that the agency will develop a
      more effective strategy to recruit and retain these desireable
      individuals.

3138. We are overwhelmed with work. I realize contracting is a way of
      doing business. Farming, landowners ideas, and prices change
      constantly. Our system is not made to provide the speed needed to
      keep-up in a timely manner. I feel we need to streamline the
      system or hire more people to handle the case load. Our other
      partners have programs that we provide technical assistance and do
      other things which take time. Note: I do not mind change but often
      we are about to become proficient in completing a task, but then
      we go to something different which often does not supply a
      superior product to our clients., but possibly to the agency. Then
      we go on without adequate training of the new product which is
      often not ready for field use thus time is wasted.

3139. NRCS needs to get more realistic on training. Training needs to be
      more relevant to people\'s jobs. In-house formal training is not
      very well done. Need to have more training opportunities. Need to
      be able to work for the agency after retirement without losing
      retirement benefits. Many younger people aren\'t getting plant
      science training.

3140. Make Supervisors accountable. Allow employees more freedom of
      movement to expand their horizons. Demand the best, provide all
      the opportunity to be their best(without having to get permission
      from a supervisor or other individual who may be threatened by
      your ambition, intellegence, capabilities and eagerness).
      Supervisors should be critiqued by those they supervise, without
      fear of reprisal. Provide Freedom of Movement , a way to get out
      of an office thats accepts Intimidation and does not allow an
      employee to Work and Grow.

3141. There are many very good opportunities that our Agency has to
      offer. Management needs to be IMPORVED and not necessarily at the
      very top, but close. Priorities need to be on quality training of
      the staff while the well-experienced staffs are still around to
      share! Without quality training we will not have a future!

3142. n/a

3143. No comment

3144. get rid of management staff overload and hire more lower grade
      field oriented employees. Cut back funding the meetings and
      seminars(mainly used as social get togethers and vacations)and
      travel money available for these parties. Do the mentoring or
      discussions over the internet or by teleconferencing.

3145. I really enjoy my job but am starting to get frustrated with
      having too much to do and not enough time to do it well.

3146. The NRCS is a great family-friendly place to have a career. I hope
      that we continue our great traditions and improve in our areas of
      weekness.

3147. thanks for the opportunity to commetn!

3148. Some of my answers may appear contradictory. I have enoyed great
      support from my supervisor and have capitalized on the significant
      training opportunities offered. I have also benefited from
      relatively rapid advancement without relocating. I believe these
      are due more to my personal circumstance and luck than policy. The
      agency has invested much time and money in my development; I am
      appreciative and feel a sense of commitment and obligation to the
      agency. This, too, may be more my personal circumstance rather
      than the norm. Finally, while my technical skills continue to
      improve and I gain more experience, I will have few places to go
      within the agency. Higher grades within my series are typically
      more managerial rather than technical, and while I have experience
      and do enjoy management, this requires a skillset other than my
      primary interests and the focus of my training/experience with the
      agency.

3149. I would have liked more opportunities to comment on different
      sections of the survey either to clarify answers, make
      recommendations, etc. I look forward to hearing the results.

3150. A Regional Leadership Development should be developed to help
      train and develop potential leaders for the future. We should
      consider a leadership development program that offers a technical
      and or management direction option.

3151. I hope this information will be used as I stated earlier to make a
      stronger agency and improve efficiency and not just to make an
      impression.

3152. Over the years and more resently, our agency has changed from
      service to more program driven in assisting our clients.

3153. I do not like the categories listed for martial status, I am a
      widow, not married, divorced, single or never been married.

3154. I feel the leadership at higher levels do not understand the needs
      at the state level as to work being done, skills needed to do
      work,program support needed to do work, etc

3155. Need to ask about how many employees are \"married with parents\",
      not just married with children.

3156. The Human Resources should be more familiar with the technical
      apects of NRCS.

3157. none

3158. There is no placed for widow or widower. I have no spouse, but I
      have 2 minor children.

3159. The changes in technology/systems have and are occurring rapidly
      and are necessary. The training has been poor at best to bring
      these technologies on line due to unfunded training expectations.
      Particularly with the increased work loads and decreases in staff.
      The quality of the training needs to be the best money can buy to
      accomplish it while maintaining the same goal expectation.
      Otherwise staff is put into a position of being \"creative \" with
      goal reporting. This sends the wrong message to new employees and
      is demoralizing to long term staff. Pride in the job we do must be
      maintained by allowing for realistic and honest goal reporting
      realizing during these times of transition there are impacts on
      production.

3160. The ability to be flexible with office location for multiple
      county employees would boost moral and retention. I will retire as
      soon as I can because I can not work from an office I cover but am
      made to go to a distance office. If I worked from the closer
      office, it would save the govt miles and dollars

3161. I think fustration with vague vision and confusing agency
      direction is shortening many senior employees continuing
      employment interests

3162. I hope this does some good and is not just another survey that
      management will ignore.

3163. Assistance on locating spousal employment would be a benefit
      during a relation, but only if it is offered equally applied to
      all employees. Currently, it appears that only minorities have
      this offered through their employee organizations.

3164. One of my biggest challenges is completing all the jobs and
      activites required by my position. With the workforce shrinking,
      and I find myself putting in a lot of after hours time wrapping up
      projects or playing catch up on jobs put on hold while on official
      travel. Since we now have the ability to work from home
      (electronic office), I find myself working in the evenings and on
      weekends. An example of this such this survey as it is Saturday,
      December 10, 2005, 2:35PM. I was checking government email and saw
      the notice of this Human Capital Survey. I generally donate a week
      or two annual leave each year to those who need it, but it seems
      the unused leave increases each year.

3165. I look forward to seeing the compiled results of this survey.

3166. Mobility is extremely important in order for employees to build
      more diverse experience, and therefore become more valuable
      employees. I hope that we do not divert from encouraging mobility,
      especially when it comes to promotions. I have worked in three
      states and the combination and variety of experiences gained is
      invaluable.

3167. NRCS is not sensitive to the impact of moving on spousal careers.

3168. Our agency is spreading its Field Office staff too thin. Since the
      1985 farm bill, we are trying to do everything for anyone who
      asks, and we are stretching our personnel to the limit. We are
      heavily encumbered by existing programs, yet USDA continues to add
      more programs. If we turned much of our engineering-heavy TA jobs
      over to private sector, and give them full responsibility (just as
      they would if we were not involved) to see that the job is done
      right, the staff could then concentrate on being good contract
      administrators. Due to the large number of programs, we are
      turning our scientists into contract administrators. Either get
      rid of our vast array of programs, or turn over much of the TA
      over to private sector and let us handle the contracting.

3169. Mobility is generally a non-issue for young and/or single, but it
      is much more of an issue for older more established employees. I
      am also very disheartened by the changes from field work and
      hands-on conservation to the trend of doing adminstrative and
      reporting. In the last 8 months, I get into the field about once a
      month. With all the adminstrative duties, I have very little time
      to spend with landowners.

3170. It is very difficult to find job placement for significant (within
      agency or other agency) others if a move is made. It seems a
      couple, both employeed within the federal system, has little to no
      options for moving and promotion without making the other
      individual take a step down or not be placed at all.

3171. #1.The demographic make up of the agency today remains virtually
      similar to that of its early years; although the agency and its
      leadership has indicated it wish to diversify its workforce. With
      the advent of large numbers retiring from the agency and an
      increase the minority demographics in the civilian workforce, the
      agency is at crossroads where it really can set the standard and
      lead other agencies in diversifying its workforce. I hope Chief
      Knight and his national leadership team would really step up to
      the plate to make this happen. Never again will it be so easy to
      achieve diversification similar to that of civilian workforce.
      With out a strategy and sincere committment to diversify, it would
      certainly prove the current stance of the NRCS leadership its
      committment to diversification. #2. To be fair and to obtain a
      decent response from the employees, the two weeks this survey is
      made available in December to NRCS staff is not long enough as
      this is a time when many employess currently find themselves away
      from the office. #3. In order to compete with the civilian
      workforce with state of the art technology, we must consistanly
      update/upgrade the field staff tools to become more efficient will
      certainly require a myriad training tooles needed to provide the
      best technical advice.