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]