Values

Center personnel are committed to the following core values.

Teamwork Sharing leadership, responsibility, accountability, and learning with each other

Growth Seeking opportunities for continual

learning to maintain a highly qualified

workforce

Science Focusing on science as the fundamental

basis for decisionmaking

Objectivity Developing and applying consistent criteria

which result in decisions that are defendable and appropriate

Balance Developing policies and decisions that

make the greatest sense given the entire

range of scientific, legal, and political

variables in effect

Service Helping stakeholders license and produce

high-quality veterinary biological products

for consumers

Providing courteous, timely, and professional responses to colleagues, customers,

and stakeholders

Fairness Providing evenhanded, consistent treatment

of colleagues, customers, and stakeholders, and focusing on solutions that provide

maximum benefits to all parties

Open Com- Seeking and valuing the opinions and conmunications cerns of colleagues, customers, and

stakeholders

Providing them with objective information

and analysis in a professionally sensitive way

Dedication Having a high level of commitment to the

CVB team and the success of the program

Diversity Seeking and appreciating contributions

from individuals with diverse backgrounds,

talents, and perspectives

Maintaining a workplace that provides

opportunities regardless of race, color,

national origin, sex, age, religion, disability,

political beliefs, and marital or familial

status or sexual orientation

Maintaining a work environment that gives

all employees a feeling of self-satisfaction,

pride in their performance, and pride in

their program

Innovation Finding creative and practical solutions to

difficult problems

Developing new scientific techniques and

applying existing techniques in new ways

Rewards Consistently recognizing the contributions

of individuals and teams

Safety and Ensuring a safe and healthy work environHealth ment for all employees

Meeting our environmental responsibilities

to the larger community

CVB Goals for 2003

CVB managers and employees identified the following longterm goals and a tentative deadline of 2003 for achieving

them.

 1. Significantly refine, replace, and reduce animal testing

of veterinary biologics.

 2. Maximize the use of electronics in the receipt, transmission, processing, and storing of information.

 3. Provide standard requirements for more products.

 4. Document more policy/procedures for internal and

external use and information.

 5. Complete the development of a CVB organization,

located in one facility.

 6. Continually review and validate current standards,

updating or eliminating where needed.

 7. Explore new methods to monitor the performance and

use of products in the field, implementing new programs as appropriate.

 8. Lead in the development of international harmonization

agreements to facilitate global trade in veterinary

biological products.

 9. Become an international center for veterinary

biologics:

—maintain a highly qualified workforce;

—base CVB training on needs;

—acquire state-of-the-art technology and laboratory

equipment;

—continually monitor and update core and noncore

functions;

—increase use of internationally recognized quality

assurance procedures throughout CVB and industry;

and

—anticipate and respond to application of new

biologics technologies.

10. Continually monitor customer needs and provide highquality, timely service to stakeholders.

11. Increase the use of risk-based analysis in meeting the

program mission.

12. Develop incentives for voluntary compliance among

stakeholders.

13. Develop innovative methods to handle core activities.
United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 1633

Center for Veterinary

Biologics

Vision, Mission, and

Strategic Goals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its

programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion,

age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status.

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who

require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600

(voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,

Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal

opportunity provider and employer.

Issued May 1998

Vision Statement

The Center plays a vital role in regulating products that

diagnose, prevent, or treat animal diseases. The Center uses

scientific information and regulatory processes to assure its

customers that the veterinary biological products available for

use are of high quality. It encourages open communication

with stakeholders as new products and standards are developed. The Center promotes the use of quality assurance

processes that inherently result in the production of pure,

safe, potent, and effective veterinary biologics and diagnostics.

It provides strong leadership in the development and international harmonization of standards for veterinary biological

products.

Mission Statement

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS)

Veterinary Biologics program implements the provisions of the

Virus–Serum–Toxin Act to ensure that the veterinary biologics

available for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of

animal diseases are pure, safe, potent, and effective. The

program, part of APHIS’ Veterinary Services unit, is based at

the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) in Ames, IA.