# Initial NACEPT Advice Letter 

# on EPA Workforce Planning

Scientific & Technical Competencies To Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges

# Topics Covered in the Charge
1. 

### Scientific & technical competencies to meet tomorrow’s challenges 2. 

### Strategies to obtain & retain scientific & technical expertise 3. 

### Strategies to attract & retain superior executive leadership talent 4. 

### Leadership capabilities & culture for “One EPA” 5. 

### Ensuring Diversity

# A Fundamental Question posed at the beginning of the charge “Given the complexity of EPA’s mission, the rapid pace of scientific and technological advances, and shifts in policy, science, 

## engineering... what are the scientific and technical competencies necessary to support EPA’s mission today and ten years 

## from now so that EPA is prepared for tomorrow’s challenges?”

# A Recommendation in the charge “Specifically, NACEPT should develop realistic future scenarios that capture 

## evolving mission priorities and their drivers, then identify the scientific and technical competencies required to successfully 

## accomplish developing mission areas.”

# 10 Scenarios of evolving mission priorities and their drivers
1. Resource Constricted 2. Big Cross Cutting Problems 3. Encouraging Technological Innovation 4. Climate Becomes a Top Priority 5. New Environmental Justice Issues 6. Focus on Nanotechnology 7. Getting in Front of Change 8. Sustainability Emphasis 9. Sensor Rollout 10. Convergence of Communication Technologies

# Implications for Needed Agency Competencies

- an example
Encouraging Technological Innovation キ Increase capacity to speak the language of

business and work cooperatively with entrepreneurs, corporations, venture capitalists, other sources of finance キ Increase ability to monitor and stay on the forefront of technological developments in green/clean technology キ Develop broader capabilities in computer science and IT, not just for internal program support but for understanding IT aspects of emerging clean technology, advanced environmental sensor systems allowing real

-time understanding and action, data visualization, simulations, and many other purposes

## EPA’s Mission Critical Occupations (MCOs) related to science & technology

 

### Toxicologists  

### Geneticists  

### Ecologists  

### Biologists  

### Economists  

### Chemists  

### Physical Scientists  

### Health Scientists  

### Environmental & Mechanical Engineers  

### Attorneys

# Recommended New MCOs or higher priority by other means
 

### Business & Finance  

### Social, Behavioral & Decision Sciences  

### Environmental Design  

### Computer Science/Information Technology  

### Environmental Foresight  

### Partnership Development  

### Public Outreach  

### Trans-disciplinary Systems  

### Statistical Analysis

# Changing Emphasis Within Existing MCOs

- 2 examples

Current MCOs Subfields to consider

for greater emphasis Economists Behavioral Economics Ecological Economics Environmental engineers/Mechanical engineers Ecological Design Industrial Ecology

# Recommendations

 

### Consider a broad range of changes in circumstances over the decade ahead [10 scenarios]  

### Consider adding new occupations to EPA’s list of MCOs or elevating them by other appropriate means [9 occupations]  

### Give new consideration to what subfields and specialties within the existing MCOs will become 

### increasingly relevant over the next 10 years [Several suggestions]