Audit Report 

Farm Credit Administration’s 

Employee Separation Process

A-20-01

Farm Credit Administration

Office of Inspector General

February 9, 2021
1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 22102 703-883-4030 www.fca.gov/about/inspector-general

February 9, 2021 

The Honorable Glen R. Smith, Board Chairman 

The Honorable Jeffery S. Hall, Board Member

Farm Credit Administration

1501 Farm Credit Drive

McLean, Virginia 22102-5090

 

Dear Chairman Smith and Board Member Hall:

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) completed an audit on the Farm Credit Administration’s 

(FCA or Agency) employee separation process. The objective of this audit was to determine 

whether FCA has an efficient and effective process for separating employees. In order to address 

the objective, we analyzed the efficiency and effectiveness of the separation processes currently 

in place, such as the notification and checkout processes, and also reviewed the number, type, 

and other details of separating employees, to understand the impact of such data on the Agency. 

Our audit found that the Agency had made enhancements to the separation process, including 

establishing policies and procedures and improving the checkout record form. There were also

more employees completing the exit survey questionnaire than in previous years. However, we 

identified certain areas that will improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the separating 

process, including: improvements to the Personnel Action Report process, clarifications on the exit 

survey and interview process, and a more consistent application of the checkout documentation 

and retention of checkout records requirements. 

We made six recommendations in our audit. Management agreed with the first recommendation. 

Although management only partially agreed with recommendations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the actions 

completed or planned address the weaknesses found in our report and the corresponding 

recommendations. Due to the corrective actions implemented over the course of our audit, we 

consider recommendations 1, 2, 3, and 5 closed.

We appreciate the courtesies and professionalism extended by FCA to our staff during the audit, 

especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions about this audit, we would be 

pleased to meet with you at your convenience. 

Respectfully,

Sonya K. Cerne 

Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Farm Credit Administration’s Employee Separation 

Process

Report No. A-20-01 February 9, 2021

FCA is an independent federal agency responsible for regulating, 

examining, and supervising the Farm Credit System (System) and 

the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac). 

The Agency’s mission is to ensure that System institutions and 

Farmer Mac are safe, sound, and dependable sources of credit

and related services for all creditworthy and eligible persons in 

agriculture and rural America. The most important part to 

achieving the mission is the FCA employees. Hiring and 

maintaining a workforce is imperative to fulfilling the mission.

FCA generally has about 312 employees. Each year, the Agency 

loses employees to separations for a variety of reasons such as 

retirements, transfers, and resignations. During this audit, we 

found the Agency had established policies and procedures for 

the separation process. The Agency also made improvements to 

the checkout record form and more people were completing the 

exit survey questionnaire than in previous years. The Agency also 

established access controls for the exit questionnaire data and 

performed an analysis in 2019 using exit survey data. 

While the Agency has made certain enhancements, there are 

opportunities to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency 

of the separating process. We identified improvements that need 

to be made to the Personnel Action Report process. We also 

found clarification is needed on the exit survey and interview 

process and that there is an inconsistent approach to properly 

separating employees. Therefore, we made six recommendations 

to improve documentation, enhance controls, and clearly 

document the Agency’s use of the exit survey and interview data. 

Strengthening the process can reduce the amount of errors 

relating to the out-processing of employees. Enhancing the data 

collection and analysis efforts can allow the Agency to 

understand potential strengths and weaknesses of the work 

environment.

Objective

The objective of this audit was to determine whether 

the Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency) has 

an efficient and effective process for separating 

employees.

Recommendations

Based on our review, we made six recommendations 

to improve the separation and data collection 

process:

1. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services update Policies

and Procedures Manual 834 to reflect the

Personnel Action Report process, update

responsibilities and references, and document

the exit interview process.

2. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services update the Office

of Agency Services Directive 007 to reflect

current processes in the separation process.

3. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services implement

additional controls over the Personnel Action

Report entries and the employee checkout

forms. This may include annual reviews,

inclusion in the internal control review cycle,

supervisory review, or other controls deemed

necessary by the Office of Agency Services.

4. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services determine

records retention practices for information

kept on exiting personnel including, but not

limited to, checkout forms, exit surveys, and

interview documentation, and update record

retention policies and procedures as needed.

5. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services evaluate the exit

survey and interview process to assess the

efficacy of the questions and the feedback.

6. The Office of Inspector General recommends

the Office of Agency Services implement a plan

on how the Agency will use the exit survey and

interview data to include analyzing and

comparing trends in employee separations and

reporting or briefing the information to key

Agency officials at a designated interval.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Background.................................................................................................................................... 1

Prior Reviews ................................................................................................................................................................2

Audit Results.................................................................................................................................. 3

Employee Separation Process................................................................................................................................3

FCA Employee Data...............................................................................................................................................5

PAR Data ...................................................................................................................................................................6

Exit Surveys and Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 12

Checkout Records............................................................................................................................................... 17

Contributing Factors............................................................................................................................................... 18

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................. 19

Recommendations 1-6 .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Management Comments ............................................................................................................ 22

Objective, Scope, and Methodology ......................................................................................... 24

Appendix A: Exit Survey Questions ........................................................................................... 26

Appendix B: One-on-One Interview Questions........................................................................ 39
1 

ACRONYMS

Agency or FCA Farm Credit Administration

Farmer Mac Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation

FY Fiscal Year

HR Human Resources

MCP Management Control Plan

OAS Office of Agency Services

OCFO Office of the Chief Financial Officer

OE Office of Examination

OGC Office of General Counsel 

OIT Office of Information Technology

OIG Office of Inspector General

PAR Personnel Action Report

PPM Policies and Procedures Manual

System Farm Credit System

BACKGROUND

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency) is an independent federal agency responsible for 

regulating, examining, and supervising the Farm Credit System (System) and the Federal 

Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac). The Agency’s mission is to ensure that System 

institutions and Farmer Mac are safe, sound, and dependable sources of credit and related services 

for all creditworthy and eligible persons in agriculture and rural America. 

The most important part to achieving the mission is the FCA employees, and hiring and 

maintaining a workforce is imperative to fulfilling the mission. FCA generally has about 312 

employees. Each year, the Agency loses employees for a variety of reasons such as retirements, 

transfers, and resignations. In its Strategic Plan for 2018-2023, the Agency states that human 

capital challenges, including the need to recruit and retain a diverse, talented workforce, will 

continue. The Strategic Plan also states that FCA may lose many seasoned, knowledgeable 

employees because of retirements and attrition over the planning horizon. 
2 

The Office of Agency Services (OAS) manages and delivers human capital and administrative 

services for FCA through three teams: Human Resources (HR) Division, Operations Division, and 

Learning and Organizational Change Team. Services provided by OAS include staffing and 

placement services for the Agency. For employee separations, OAS also completes personnel 

actions and enters information into the Personnel Action Report (PAR) to initiate the overall 

separation process. OAS also provides information to employees when leaving the Agency and 

maintains most separation documentation. 

FCA documents the process for separating employees in three primary documents: 

• Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM) 834, Exit Procedures, March 7, 2003. PPM 834 

outlines responsibilities for supervisors, employees, and OAS1 during the employee 

separation process.

• OAS Directive 007, Separating Employees Clearance Process, April 21, 2009. The directive 

outlines internal responsibilities within OAS for the checkout process.

• FCA Form 302, Employee Checkout Form, December 2019. The form outlines the checkout

process and instructs employees, and others with a checkout role within the Agency, on 

proper steps to take relating to Agency separations.

Prior Reviews

In February 2016, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) completed a related audit, Human Capital 

Planning at the Farm Credit Administration. The objectives of this audit were to assess the 

adequacy of the Agency’s human capital planning and the effectiveness of its implementation. 

The audit focused on three areas of human capital planning: key person dependencies and 

succession planning, employee hiring and separation, and workplace diversity and inclusion. 

Our report made the 11 recommendations listed below that the Agency agreed to, implemented, 

and closed by September 2016. 

1. Formalize the human capital planning process. 

2. Track data on succession planning efforts. Document the strategies to mitigate the risks. 

Monitor and follow-up to capture and utilize results. 

3. Assess organizational leadership and development programs and modify to promote, 

enhance, and improve initiatives within the Agency. 

4. Coordinate and revise the network distribution list for FCA job announcements.

5. Increase coordination between the Office of Management Services and the Office of Equal 

Employment Opportunity and Inclusion on special emphasis programs and outreach.

1 PPM 834 references the Office of Management Services, which existed prior to the Office Agency Services 

and housed HR functions. In 2016, the Office of Management Services was reorganized into the Office of 

Agency Services and Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
3 

6. Implement a plan to improve the exit interview process and disperse exit interview data to 

gather consistent, useful information for comparison and trends. 

7. Consider a veterans’ representative for Agency veteran efforts.

8. Provide training to all personnel involved in the recruiting and hiring process on potential 

biases and barriers to employment.

9. Conduct an assessment of FCA hiring practices to identify potential barriers and areas of 

improvement. 

10. Establish a policy that includes the plan for requesting and analyzing applicant flow data 

for FCA job announcements. 

11. Conduct a survey, or use other information-gathering tools, to gather additional targeted 

information on workplace diversity and inclusion.

The OIG also identified human capital in the 2020 OIG Management Challenges Report as a 

challenge area. The OIG report noted that a significant management challenge for FCA is 

maintaining a safe, well-trained, sustainable workforce while facing challenges in retirement 

eligibilities, succession planning and training, and diversity. The report also stated that the 

Agency’s success depends greatly on its ability to recruit, retain, and develop a capable workforce.

AUDIT RESULTS

The objective of this audit was to determine whether FCA has an efficient and effective process 

for separating employees. In order to address the objective, we analyzed the efficiency and 

effectiveness of the separation processes currently in place, such as the notification and checkout 

processes, and also reviewed the number, type, and other details on separating employees, to 

understand the impact of such data on the Agency. Overall, we found there are opportunities to 

improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. 

The Agency established policies and procedures for the separation process. The Agency also made 

improvements to the checkout record form and more people were completing the exit survey 

questionnaire than in previous years. The Agency also established access controls for the exit 

questionnaire data and performed an analysis in 2019 using exit survey data. While the Agency 

has made certain enhancements, there are certain steps that need to be addressed to improve 

the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the separating process. We identified improvements 

that need to be made to the PAR process. We also found that clarification is needed on the exit 

survey and interview process and that the checkout documentation and retention of checkout 

records requirements were inconsistently applied.

Employee Separation Process

There are a variety of reasons an employee would leave the Agency. Employees may have reached 

the end of their career and elect to retire, or others may leave for a different job opportunity. 

When an employee elects to separate, the Agency initiates a separation action. The Agency’s 
4 

separation actions are coded using Office of Personnel Management guidelines. The following are 

the types of separations found during our review of Agency personnel actions:

Death-an employee 

passes away while in 

Federal service

Resignation-a separation 

initiated by the employee 

who is leaving Federal 

service

Retirement-an employee 

is retiring from Federal 

service

Termination of 

Appointment-the 

employee is leaving the 

Agency after a temporary 

appointment or during a 

probationary period

Termination 

Appointment In-an 

employee is leaving for 

another Federal agency

Removal-a separation 

initiated by the Agency, 

the Office of Personnel 

Management, or the 

Merit Systems Protection 

Board under certain 

provisions.

When an employee plans to separate, OAS is notified by the employee’s office within the Agency. 

The office provides written notice stating an employee is leaving or provides a Standard Form-52, 

which is a request for personnel action, to HR. HR then completes the required documentation, if 

not provided by the office, and assesses the effective date when the employee will be leaving the 

Agency. An HR Specialist then enters the information into the PAR listing.

2

 

The PAR documents certain personnel actions such as hiring, resignations, promotions, 

separations, and reassignments. The Agency began using an electronic version of the PAR in July 

2016. The information is housed internally and those with access can see all PAR actions. The PAR 

contains effective dates of the action, names of the employees, organizational data, titles, and 

other important information. Offices involved in the checkout process, such as the Office of 

Information Technology (OIT) and the ethics staff in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), use the 

information in the PAR to initiate their own actions, including interviews and account terminations.

The Agency requires separating employees to complete a Form 302 as a record of the checkout 

process. The form states that employees are responsible for obtaining the clearances in the form 

before their final day in the office. Employees in the field offices or on permanent flexiplace collect 

required signatures by circulating the checkout form via email to the appropriate offices. The form 

2 The PAR listing is not the official separation documentation. The PAR is an internal listing specific to FCA 

that provides notification of separation actions to those persons or offices in the Agency with a need to 

know. The official documentation of separating employees is completed by OAS with the National Finance 

Center, which is a service provider for the Agency for finance and human resource management services.
5 

provides instructions for employees and supervisors and includes numerous signoffs for various 

offices, including OAS, OIT, OGC, and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). The 

employee signs and certifies the following on the form: 

“I certify I have removed all FCA owned software, documents and data from my 

personal devices (personal computer, phone, USB drive, etc.), and that I have 

submitted my completed checkout form and government ID badge to the 

appropriate Field Office Administrative Assistant (field offices) or the Human 

Resources Office (McLean).” 

Once the form is complete, HR personnel, or another authorized official, provides a final signature 

on the form. The Payroll Officer in HR collects the form and files the hard copy in a storage cabinet. 

For those received electronically, the forms are printed and placed in the cabinet.

During the checkout process, employees are also given two separate opportunities to provide 

feedback on their employment at FCA. The first is a voluntary exit survey. When an employee is 

leaving the Agency, an exit survey link is issued to employees with other separation information. 

The survey contains 25 questions and, if the employee elects to participate, the survey responses 

are placed in an internal site. The site contains survey responses from March 2014 to present. 

Employees may also request a one-on-one interview with HR personnel to discuss their 

experiences.

3 In a compilation sent to the OIG, the document showed 14 questions were asked to 

employees that requested the interview. These interviews are not entered into a system and are 

maintained in hard copy form.

FCA Employee Data

In order to put employee separations into perspective, it is important to understand the overall

organization of the Agency. HR provided the OIG with historical employee statistics for the 

number of employees by office. On average, the Agency has about 312 employees, with the 

majority of staff in the Office of Examination (OE). The following chart shows the number of 

employees by office as of the end of each fiscal year over the last four years.

4

3 Employees are also given information to contact the OIG if they suspect or have knowledge of fraud, 

waste, abuse of authority, mismanagement, or other wrongdoing. 4 The numbers presented in the chart include part-time employees but do not include vacancies within 

offices .

Number of Employees by Office and Fiscal Year End for 2017-2020

Office 9/30/2017 9/30/2018 9/30/2019 9/30/2020

Office of Agency Services 19 21 22 16

Office of Congressional and

Public Affairs

8 6 5 6
6 

Office of Data Analytics and 

Economics N/A N/A N/A 7 

Office of Examination 178 194 182 192

Office of General Counsel 13 14 10 11

Office of Information 

Technology 26 30 31 31

Office of Inspector General5 6 5 6 6 

Office of Regulatory Policy 26 25 28 20

Office of Secondary 

Oversight

Market 5 6 5 4 

Office of the Board 7 10 10 9 

Office of the Chief Executive 

Officer 3 4 3 4 

Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer 8 8 8 11

Totals 299 323 310 317

PAR Data

During the audit, we identified improvements that need to be made to the PAR process due to 

errors in the listing. We reviewed and analyzed the PAR data to test for accuracy and understand 

the separation process and the impact separations have on the Agency. We exported the PAR

data and limited our analysis to 2017, 2018, and 2019 data6 with resignations, retirements, 

terminations, deaths, and removal actions.7

 

The PAR data was compared to FCA’s Employee Reports for 2017, 2018, and 2019. FCA’s Employee 

Reports show changes in the workforce each year and recognize employees who left the Agency. 

For each entry on the PAR data, employees were compared to the employee report to determine 

if employees were listed on the report and not the PAR. For 2017 and 2018, there were no 

exceptions. For 2019, however, there were three employees that separated from the Agency that 

5 The OIG was not included in the audit. 

6 The data was analyzed by calendar year, not fiscal year. The overall scope of the audit covered three years, 

from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019.

7 All OIG actions were removed from the data set. In addition, no interns or student trainees were included. 

The data includes the FCA Board and their personnel.
7 

had not been included in the PAR. When discussed with HR, the missing actions were identified 

as errors in the PAR.

8

 

In total, there were 79 separations within the scope of the audit (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 

2019) based on the PAR listing and information from HR on the three employees missing from 

the PAR. In addition to the three missing employees, 27 separations contained missing PAR 

information, although most of the missing elements were grade levels and/or job series.9 There 

was also a duplicate entry for an employee that had been entered on the PAR twice for the same 

separation action.

10 For the missing and incorrect PAR data, HR provided the correct information 

that was then added to the OIG analysis.

Employee Separations

In order to understand the impact of employee separations on the Agency, we analyzed the 

separations by year, type of separation, office, series, and location, using data from the PAR and 

HR personnel. The analysis showed that the overall number of employees separating varied each 

year but increased in 2019. In 2017, the data showed 25 separations, 18 in 2018, and 36 in 2019. 

The number in 2019 doubled from the number of 2018 separations, accounting for 46 percent of 

the separations over the 3-year period. 

Number of Employee Separations for 2017-2019

Year Number of Separations

2017 25

2018 18

2019 36

Total 79

8 Although the employees were missing from the PAR, HR personnel stated that the official separation 

paperwork for these employees was completed with the National Finance Center.

9 The OIG exported the data directly from the internal site that houses the PAR data. Although we retrieved 

this information directly from the site, the missing information shows a lack of integrity in the data. The OIG 

requested the missing information from HR and analyzed the data with the original PAR data and the 

supplemented information from HR. While we requested and discussed the missing information, we did not 

validate the existing data in the PAR with other source documentation; therefore, the analysis is limited.

10 After confirmation with HR, the duplicate entry was removed from the analysis.
8 

We analyzed the data set to determine the types of actions most prevalent for separation actions. 

The data showed that most separations at the Agency were due to resignations, where an 

employee resigns from federal service, and retirements. Resignations were the most common type

with 32 of the 79 separations, or about 41 percent of all separations reviewed. Retirements 

accounted for 28 out of the 79 separations, or about 35 percent. The other types of separations 

that accounted for the remaining 24 percent of departing employees included 1 removal, 4 

terminations of appointment (where an action is initiated to end a probationary or other 

temporary appointment and is identified as Termination of Appt), 10 terminations where the 

employee left for another government agency (identified as Termination Appt In), and 4 deaths.

4

32

28

10

4 1

Separation Actions by Type for 2017-2019

Death

Resignation

Retirement

Termination Appt In

Termination of Appt

Removal
9 

The number of separations by office over the three-year period was also analyzed. In order to 

show the sizes of the offices within the Agency, the following chart lists each FCA office’s number 

of employees as of September 2020. Although this number is a point-in-time snapshot of 

employees, it shows the general percentage of employees by office in relation to the total Agency 

size.

11

Number of Employees by Office and Percent of Total Agency Size

FCA Office

Total Number 

of Employees

Percent of

Total

Employees 

for Agency

(Rounded)

Office of Agency Services 16 5%

Office of Congressional and Public Affairs 6 2%

Office of Data Analytics and Economics12 7 2%

Office of Examination 192 61%

Office of General Counsel 11 3%

Office of Information Technology 31 10%

Office of Inspector General

13 6 2%

Office of Regulatory Policy 20 6%

Office of Secondary Market Oversight 4 1%

Office of the Board 9 3%

Office of the Chief Executive Officer 4 1%

Office of the Chief Financial Officer 11 3%

Totals 317

11 The numbers in the chart include part-time employees but do not include vacancies within an office .

12 The Office of Data Analytics and Economics was established in 2019. 13 OIG personnel were not included in the audit samples. 
10

For separations, the OE accounted for the most separations with 46 of the 79, or about 58 percent 

of the total separations. As shown above, OE, on average, accounts for about 61 percent of total 

Agency personnel. OAS accounted for the next highest number of separations with 13 of the 79, 

or about 16 percent of the total separations. OAS generally accounts for about 5 percent of total 

Agency personnel. The Office of the Board and the Office of Regulatory Policy each accounted for 

8 percent of the total separations and the separations from all other offices accounted for the 

remaining 10 percent. 

13

6

1

2

46

2

2

6 1

Separations by FCA Office for 

2017-2019

Office of Agency Services

Office of the Board

Office of the Chief Financial

Officer

Office of Congressional and

Public Affairs

Office of Examination

Office of General Counsel

Office of Information

Technology

Office of Regulatory Policy

Office of the Chief Operating

Officer
11

The data was analyzed to determine the job series of separated employees at the Agency based 

on the data provided. The data showed that the 42 of the 79 separations were in the 0570 series

(Financial Institution Examining Series). The next highest separations, with 9 of the 79 separations, 

were in the 0301 series (Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series) and 7 of the 79

separations were in the 0201 series (Human Resources Management Series). The other 21 

separations were in 13 different series listed in the chart below. 

1 3

7

9

3

1

1

42

1

1

11

3

2 1 2

Separations by Job Series for 2017-2019

VH-0080

VH-0110

VH-0201

VH-0301

VH-0303

VH-0318

VH-0342

VH-0570

VH-0599

VH-0905

VH-1035

VH-1083

VH-1101

VH-2210

VH-0308

EX-0301
12

We also analyzed the data on separations by location of staff. FCA has its headquarters and one 

field office in McLean, Virginia. FCA also has field offices in Bloomington, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; 

Denver, Colorado; and Sacramento, California. The data showed that the majority of separations, 

49 of the 79 separations, or about 62 percent of the total separations, were from Mclean. The 

Denver office accounted for 11 of the 79 separations, and the Bloomington, Dallas, and 

Sacramento offices each had 5 separations. The remaining 4 separations were from “other” 

locations. These are locations of individuals that are not assigned to one of the offices, such as 

those employees on permanent flexiplace.

4

5

11

5

49

5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Other

Bloomington, MN

Denver, CO

Dallas, TX

McLean, VA

Sacramento, CA

Separations by Location for 2017-2019

Exit Surveys and Interviews

We also found that clarification is needed on exit survey and interview processes. When an 

employee is leaving the Agency, an exit survey link is issued to the employee with other separation

information. Employees can voluntarily complete the survey and their responses are housed in an 

internal listing created in 2014. The exit survey contains 25 questions about employee experiences, 

reasons for leaving the Agency, and other important information (see the question list at Appendix 

A). However, we were unable to locate documentation describing the exit survey process, what 

the Agency is doing with the data, and when the data would be purged from the system based 

on record retention.

14

14 As noted in subsequent sections of this report, there has been significant turnover and restructuring in 

OAS over the last few years. The lack of documented processes and turnover in staff creates a lack of 

historical knowledge on how processes were designed and implemented. For example, OAS did not know 

whether the survey questions were originally developed internally or by an outside consultant.
13

We reviewed the exit survey responses submitted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019.

15

We found that employees were not always completing the exit survey. In fact, there were 21 total 

responses for the three-year period, with only two entries each year in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, 

there were 17 survey responses. While the increased participation in the survey is a positive trend,

additional measures can be taken within the checkout process to further encourage employees 

to complete the questionnaire. 

OAS completed an analysis of the exit survey information submitted by 45 former employees from 

March 24, 2014 through September 11, 2019 in a 2019 report. The report was sent to the Chief 

Human Capital Officer and then to the Chief Operating Officer. However, when asked if there were 

other reports or analyses performed on a regular basis on the exit survey or separating employees’ 

interviews, multiple personnel stated they were unaware of any other analyses or reports. In 

addition, OAS personnel were unaware of any requests for the exit survey data. During our 

interviews, it was unclear if the Agency had intentions of using the data collected in the surveys.

Exit Survey Data

We analyzed the exit survey questionnaire data. We judgmentally sampled16 5 of the 25 questions 

from the exit survey responses for analysis. In addition, because the 2019 report by OAS covered 

a larger data set, we limited the analysis in this area. The following shows some of the information

provided from the survey responses of the 21 employees: 

• When asked how many years they had worked at FCA, 3 employees responded that they

had over 30 years of service at FCA, 16 of the 21 had five years or less at FCA, and 2 had

11-25 years at FCA. 

Responses by Number of Years at FCA

How many years 

have you worked at 

Responses17 FCA?

1 year or less 4

More than 1 but less than 2 

years 2 

2-3 years 6

4-5 years 4

15 The OIG pulled the survey responses directly from the internal site. All names were removed from the 

data and no responses from former OIG employees were reviewed. 

16 Judgmental sampling is a non-statistical technique that includes gathering a selection of items for testing 

based on the auditor’s knowledge and judgment.

17 The survey contained additional responses that covered years 0-34. However, years with no responses 

were not included in the list.
14

11-15 years 1

21-25 years 1

31-34 years 3

Grand Total 21

• When asked how many years, including military service, they had worked in the federal 

government, 12 employees responded with 5 years or less, 5 had been in the federal

government for 6-20 years, and 4 had completed over 30 years of federal service. 

Responses by Number of Years worked for Federal Government

How many years 

(including military 

service) have you 

worked for the federal 

Responses government?

1 year or less 3

More than 1 but less than 2 

years 2 

2-3 years 4

4-5 years 3

6-10 years 2

11-15 years 2

16-20 years 1

31-34 years 4

Grand Total 21

• When the 21 respondents were asked if they would like to return to FCA, 9 of the 

employees answered positively with “definitely yes,” “probably yes” or “possibly yes;” 7 

employees answered neutrally with “no answer” or “uncertain;” and 5 employees 

answered negatively with “definitely no” or “probably no.” 
15

Responses by Number of Employees that Would Like to Return to FCA

Would you like to 

Responses return to FCA?

Definitely no 2

Definitely yes 2

No answer 1

Possibly yes 6

Probably no 3

Probably yes 1

Uncertain 6

Grand Total 21

• When asked what they would be doing when they leave FCA, the 21 respondents 

answered in a variety of ways, including some with multiple answers: 

o 4 were attending school; 

o 4 were retiring;

o 6 were taking a private sector position;

o 2 were moving to another federal agency;

o 1 was moving to a state or local government position; and

o 4 selected more than one response. 

Responses by Plans After Leaving FCA

What will you be doing 

when you leave FCA?

(CHECK ALL THAT 

Responses APPLY)

Attending school 4

Resigning (but not accepting another position); 

AND Attending school 1 
16

Resigning (but not accepting another position); 

AND Transferring to a position in another federal 

agency 1 

Retiring 4

Retiring; AND Taking a position in the not-forprofit sector 1 

Taking a position in a state or local government 1

Taking a position in the private sector 6

Taking a position in the private sector; AND Don't 

know 1 

Transferring to a position in another federal 

agency 2 

Grand Total 21

• When asked their location, 9 respondents were from McLean, 2 from Bloomington, 4 from 

Dallas, 2 from Denver, and 3 from Sacramento. One employee did not respond to the 

question. 

Responses by Location of Employee

Responses Where are you located?

Bloomington 2

Dallas 4

Denver 2

McLean 9

Sacramento 3

Grand Total 20

In addition, HR gives an option to separating employees to request a one-on-one interview with 

the HR Supervisor. HR personnel stated the same set of questions is asked to all employees and 

the information is kept in hard-copy form. HR provided an example of a compilation of the 

questions that was completed for four employees’ interviews. The question set is listed in 

Appendix B. The HR Supervisor stated the responses are given to the Chief Human Capital Officer, 
17

if warranted. However, again, the process is not documented to explain how the Agency is using 

the information, what types of information would need to be elevated, and what happens to the 

information over time.

Checkout Records

Based on the testing performed during the audit, we found an inconsistent approach to properly 

separating employees. The Agency requires separating employees to complete a Form 302 as a 

record of the checkout process. The form provides instructions for employees and supervisors and 

includes numerous signoffs for various offices, including OAS, OIT, OGC, and OCFO. Once the 

form is complete, HR, or authorized officials, provides a final signature on the form. The Payroll 

Officer in HR collects the form and files the hard copy in a storage cabinet. For those received 

electronically, they are printed and placed in the cabinet.

Checkout records are especially important because they ensure that employees and those with 

certain roles and responsibilities in the Agency take proper steps prior to separation. For example, 

the checkout records contain a signoff by OAS that employees returned FCA property. The ethics 

staff also sign off that applicable ethics counseling was provided.18 Other signatures, such as the 

OIT signoffs, ensure the Agency removes the separating employee’s accesses and terminates 

accounts as necessary.

To test the current process with checkouts, we judgmentally sampled 18 employee checkout 

records from the PAR data from 2017-2019. The sampled checkout forms contained missing and 

incomplete information or, in some cases, were not found at all. Of the 18 sampled records, 10 

were provided to the OIG for the audit; however, the remaining 8 checkout forms were not 

provided to our office. OAS personnel stated the Agency follows the General Records Schedule 

and retains the checkout forms for one year after the employee separates from the Agency. Of 

the 18 checkout records requested, OAS stated 3 records were purged according to the records 

retention policy. All three separations were from 2017 and correspond to the applicable schedule 

given to the OIG. However, this was not consistently applied as four forms from 2017 and 2018 

were provided to us that should have been purged. 

Two checkout forms were not provided due to the employees’ deaths. OAS noted that in cases of 

a death-in-service, a checkout record is not completed. However, we disagree that a checkout 

form is not necessary since documenting returned property, access removals, and other 

information is still needed when an employee is no longer at the Agency. Although outdated, OAS 

Directive 007 states that a separation may occur where it is impossible for employees to complete 

the process and specifically lists an employee death as an example. The directive gives instructions 

on what personnel should file in these circumstances. OAS needs to clearly document how the 

separation process works if the employee is unable to complete the form.

Three other checkout forms from 2019 were not located. For one, OAS stated a form was not 

completed “due to the type of separation.” The type of separation should not dictate whether the 

checkout process is performed unless the employee is unable to do so. In such cases, OAS, or the 

18 FCA has several ethics policies and post-employment restrictions that may affect certain individuals.
18

field office personnel, should complete the form or designate someone to complete the process. 

HR was unable to find the two other forms.

In addition, for the 10 forms provided in the sample, important signoffs were missing, as noted 

below.

• 9 of the 10 were missing one or more authorizing officials required on the form. Missing 

information included property, employee, finance team and/or ethics certifications. 

• 8 of the 10 did not contain a final signature from HR or an OAS representative.

• 4 of the 10 were missing the employee’s final signature.

Contributing Factors 

During the audit, we identified several causes that contributed to the inconsistencies and 

exceptions in the separation process. First, we found that policies and procedures were outdated, 

did not document current processes, and contained conflicting information. PPM 834 sets forth 

the procedures to be followed when employees leave the Agency. However, the PPM contains 

outdated references to the Office of Management Services (now OAS) and is inconsistent with the 

Agency’s Checkout Form 302. PPM 834 lacks detail for employees, supervisors, and authorizing 

officials in the checkout process to fully understand the roles and responsibilities of those 

involved. For example, PPM 834 does not discuss the electronic PAR process or how the

information will be stored or maintained. OAS Directive 007 also contains outdated references to 

procedures that no longer exist and is inconsistent with the Agency’s Checkout Form 302. Neither 

PPM 834 nor OAS Directive 007 describe the exit survey process or how information will be 

maintained, analyzed, and reported. 

In addition, there has been significant turnover and restructuring in OAS over the last five years. 

In 2016, the Office of Management Services was split into OAS and OCFO. In addition to the major 

restructuring, OAS had several HR Specialists and Payroll Officers that separated from the Agency. 

The attrition in staff may have contributed to the inconsistencies noted in our audit and 

underscores the importance of having updated, documented processes in place at the Agency. 

As far as weaknesses in the PAR data and checkout forms process, we found a lack of controls in 

place to ensure that separations are accurate and complete. For example, the PAR listing relies on 

entries that are generally performed by one HR Specialist (with no review). Similarly, the checkout 

completion is generally performed by the Payroll Officer (with no review). The Agency needs to 

implement a review process, audit, or other type of control to ensure that the entries are accurate, 

and the separation process is followed.

Each FCA office is required to develop and maintain a Management Control Plan (MCP) that 

provides reasonable assurance that the internal controls over operational, reporting, and 

compliance objectives are designed and operating effectively and efficiently. The MCP 

summarizes each office’s area of responsibility that have been identified as requiring assessment 

(assessable units), corresponding review elements, risk ratings, and review cycles. When reviewing 

OAS’s portion of the MCP, we found that OAS did not list an assessable unit specific to the
19

separating employee process. However, there was one unit that appeared to be relatable to the 

separating employees process, which was the personnel records and electronic official personnel 

folder unit. This area is rated as low, which means an internal control review would be conducted 

every three years. Although the separation process was not included in the reviews conducted in 

this area, OAS could consider adding testing of the separation process to the internal control 

review process. 

We also identified that a lack of planning and requirements for the analysis and reporting of the 

data collection efforts contributed to some of the data collection, storage, retention, analysis, and 

reporting concerns. The Agency follows the General Records Schedule for exit forms with a oneyear retention period, but it is unclear how long the exit surveys and interview information will be 

maintained. The documentation and data collected will need to be collected and maintained in a 

manner that is consistent with the records retention schedule and with clearly identified business 

needs. Without a clear plan for the data sets, processes become inconsistent and potentially 

unusable. The Agency made advancements in the data collection by establishing an internal site 

for the surveys and having a consistent approach to one-on-one interviews for comparisons and 

trending purposes. However, not having a plan for analyzing and reporting the data, such as an 

annual reporting or briefing requirement on analyses performed, to senior management, the Chief 

Operating Officer, and the FCA Board, brings into question whether the Agency’s collection and 

storage of separation data information is useful. The Agency will need to reevaluate the exit survey 

and interview questions to ensure the overall process from question design to debriefing the 

results is effective and documented.

Conclusion 

The employee separation process is an important function to ensure FCA equipment is returned, 

accesses are terminated, employees are properly counseled before leaving, and employee 

feedback is collected, analyzed, and reported. Strengthening the process can reduce the amount 

of errors relating to the out-processing of employees. The separation process also gives the 

Agency a unique opportunity to capture employees’ thoughts and experiences while at FCA.

Enhancing the analysis and reporting of separation data to key Agency officials enables the 

Agency to better understand the potential strengths and weaknesses of the work environment, 

including: fostering more effective recruitment and retention efforts; spotting red flags in 

management problems, such as a culture of fear, a cavalier attitude towards abiding by the rules, 

and a lack of ethical compasses; and improving productivity and morale. 

Recommendations 1-6 

To strengthen the separation process, we made the following recommendations:

1. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services update 

Policies and Procedures Manual 834 to reflect the Personnel Action Report process, 

update responsibilities and references, and document the exit interview process. 

2. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services update the 

Office of Agency Services Directive 007 to reflect current processes in the separation 

process.
20

3. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services implement 

additional controls over the Personnel Action Report entries and the employee 

checkout forms. This may include annual reviews, inclusion in the internal control 

review cycle, supervisory review, or other controls deemed necessary by the Office of 

Agency Services.

4. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services determine 

records retention practices for information kept on exiting personnel including, but 

not limited to, checkout forms, exit surveys, and interview documentation, and update

record retention policies and procedures as needed. 

5. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services evaluate 

the exit survey and interview process to assess the efficacy of the questions and the 

feedback.

6. The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of Agency Services implement 

a plan on how the Agency will use the exit survey and interview data to include 

analyzing and comparing trends in employee separations and reporting or briefing the 

information to key Agency officials at a designated interval.

FCA Response

FCA management agreed, or partially agreed, with the six recommendations. Management revised 

PPM 834 to include guidance on the required entries for separating employees into the PAR; the 

roles and responsibilities of Agency staff; updated references and associated hyperlinks for ease 

of reference; and an annual reporting requirement to the Chief Executive Officer through the Chief 

Operating Officer on exit survey and interview data. OAS will also develop a reporting template 

and issue a report on agency exit data no later than March 31, 2021, and annually thereafter. OAS 

will also solicit feedback from appropriate office contacts on the exit data analysis performed by 

OAS. 

 

In addition, OAS management stated it successfully coordinated and piloted the electronic routing 

of Form 302 using an internal routing system. Management stated the electronic routing of the 

form will support Agency staff with more expeditiously obtaining required signatures and 

effectively controlling routing and retention of the required documentation consistent with 

records retention policies. Management also stated that the Associate Director for Human 

Resources will continue to work with staff on appropriate process enhancements identified 

through periodic supervisory reviews. References to the exit questionnaire were also added to 

PPM 834 and Form 302 to reinforce the significance of employee feedback. 

 

Management stated Directive 007 has been redirected to OIT. As of 2020, the records 

management function for the Agency moved to OIT and due to the nature of Directive 007 with 

records management, OAS will no longer maintain the directive. However, OAS will ensure 

separation related documentation storage is consistent with the Agency record retention policies 

and will purge existing records accordingly. 
21

OIG Response

The OIG finds the actions responsive to our recommendations. Management agreed with 

recommendation 1. Although management only partially agreed with recommendations 2, 3, 4, 5, 

and 6, the actions completed or planned by OAS address the weaknesses found in our report and 

the corresponding recommendations. Further, due to the corrective actions implemented over the 

course of our audit, we consider recommendations 1, 2, 3, and 5 closed.

Management comments can be found in the subsequent section of the report. The Agency waived 

an exit conference.
22

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS
23
24

OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY

The objective of this audit was to determine whether FCA has an efficient and effective process 

for separating employees. We performed this audit remotely from May 2020 through February 

2021. The scope of our audit was limited to employees that separated from the Agency from 

January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019.

We performed the following steps to accomplish the audit objective: 

• Identified and reviewed laws and regulations related to the audit objective;

• Identified and reviewed related policies, procedures, directives, and guidance;

• Reviewed access controls for the exit survey listing through verification of accesses with 

OIT personnel; 

• Sampled employee separations based on data in the PAR listing.

19 The scope was limited 

to separations from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. Analyzed the PAR data set for 

the number of employees separating from the Agency, the number of separating 

employees by office, location, and series, and the number of separating employees by type 

of separation. Because the sample was judgmental, it cannot be projected to the entire 

population of Agency separations;

• Retrieved exit survey data from entries dated January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. 

Reviewed the 21 responses that were within scope for 5 of the 25 questions on the survey. 

The sample was judgmental and cannot be projected to the population; 

• Sampled 18 employee checkout forms. The sample was judgmental and based on date, 

office, and type of separation action. The sample was judgmental and cannot be projected 

to the population; 

• Requested and received a compilation of one-on-one interviews conducted and reviewed

questions asked by OAS personnel; 

• Reviewed an OAS analysis performed in 2019 on exit survey data;

• Reviewed supporting documentation from Human Resources personnel; and

• Interviewed selected OAS personnel.

We conducted this audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient and appropriate 

evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit 

objective. We assessed internal controls and compliance with laws and regulations to the extent 

necessary to satisfy the objective. Because our review was limited, it would not necessarily have 

disclosed all internal control deficiencies that may have existed at the time of our audit. We also 

19 All OIG employee information, checkouts, and surveys were not included in the audit.
25

assessed the reliability of data relevant to our audit objective and determined that the data was 

sufficiently reliable. We assessed the risk of fraud related to our audit objective while evaluating 

audit evidence. Overall, we believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objective. 
26

APPENDIX A: EXIT SURVEY QUESTIONS

The following are the questions asked in the exit survey questionnaire:

Background Information Concerning Your Departure From FCA 

1. How many years have you worked at FCA? 

1 year or less

More than 1 but less than 2 years

 2-3 years

 4-5 years

 6-10 years

11-15 years

16-20 years

21-25 years

26-30 years

31-34 years

35 or more years

No answer

2. How many years (including military service) have you worked for the federal government? 

1 year or less

More than 1 but less than 2 years

 2-3 years

 4-5 years

 6-10 years

11-15 years

16-20 years

21-25 years

26-30 years

31-34 years

35 or more years

No answer

3. What will you be doing when you leave FCA? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) 

Retiring

Resigning (but not accepting another position)

Transferring to a position in another federal agency

Taking a position in a state or local government

Taking a position in the private sector

Taking a position in the not-for-profit sector
27

Enlisting in the military

Self-employed

Attending school

 Other 

Don't know

4. Would you like to return to FCA? 

Definitely yes

Probably yes

Possibly yes

Uncertain

Possibly no

Probably no

Definitely no

No answer

Factors Influencing Your Decision to Leave Your Position at FCA 

Work environment at FCA 

5. Please indicate the extent to which each of the following work environment conditions was a 

reason for your decision to leave FCA. (Please check one in each row.) 

5a. Nature of work you were doing 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

5b. Light workload 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

5c. Heavy workload 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 
28

5d. Lack of opportunities for career advancement 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5e. Level of administrative support (equipment, supplies, assistance, etc.) 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5f. Physical environment (space, temperature, furniture, noise level, etc.) 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5g. Co-workers 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5h. Immediate supervisor 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5i. Your team or unit's management 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

5j. Changes occurring in FCA's philosophy and structure 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 
29

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5k. Changes occurring in FCA's products and work processes 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

5l. Other work environment conditions 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

If you checked "Minor Reason" or "Major Reason" for "Other work environment conditions," 

please describe them below. 

6. Overall, how much influence did these work environment conditions have on your decision to 

leave FCA? 

Very great influence 

Great influence 

Moderate influence 

Some influence 

Little or no influence 

No answer 

Opportunities and benefits available at other organization(s) 

7. Please indicate the extent to which each of the following opportunities and benefits available 

at other organization(s) was a reason for your decision to leave FCA. (Please check one in each 

row.) 

7a. Higher salary 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7b. Better benefit package 

Not a reason 
30

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7c. Opportunity to make better use of skills and abilities 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7d. Opportunity to work more independently 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

7e. Less stress 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7f. More flexibility in hours 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7g. More flexibility in place of work 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7h. Different organizational philosophy and structure 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 
31

 

7i. Different products and work processes 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7j. Different size (larger/smaller) organization 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

7k. Other opportunities and benefits 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

If you checked "Minor Reason" or "Major Reason" for "Other opportunities and benefits," please 

describe them below. 

 

8. Overall, how much influence did opportunities and benefits available at other organization(s) 

have on your decision to leave FCA? 

Very great influence 

Great influence 

Moderate influence 

Some influence 

Little or no influence 

No answer 

Personal factors 

9. Please indicate the extent to which each of the following personal factors was a reason for your 

decision to leave FCA. (Please check one in each row.) 

9a. Opportunity to take an "early out" 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 
32

 

9b. Plan to pursue further education 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9c. Personal interests (e.g., hobby, starting own business) 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

9d. Family responsibilities (e.g., child care, elder care) 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9e. Personal health reasons 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9f. Family health reasons 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9g. Spouse or partner accepted position at another location 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9h. Want to be able to work at home 

 
33

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

9i. Want to be able to work closer to home 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

9j. Other personal factors 

Not a reason 

Minor reason 

Major reason 

No answer 

 

If you checked "Minor Reason" or "Major Reason" for "Other personal factors", please describe 

them below. 

10. Overall, how much influence did personal factors have on your decision to leave FCA? 

Very great influence 

Great influence 

Moderate influence 

Some influence 

Little or no influence 

No answer 

Supervision and recognition 

11. In your opinion, how much was your work at FCA supported and recognized by your 

immediate supervisor? By immediate supervisor we mean the one supervisor for whom you 

worked the most during the last 12 months. 

Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. 

(Please check one in each row.) 

11a. My immediate supervisor treated me fairly. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 
34

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

11b. My immediate supervisor gave me open and honest feedback about my job performance. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

11c. My immediate supervisor gave me the sense that my work was valued. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

11d. My immediate supervisor provided meaningful incentives for high performance. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

11e. If you have any additional comments about your immediate supervisor, please enter them 

below. 

Supervision and recognition 

12. In your opinion, how much was your work at FCA supported and recognized by your team or 

unit management? By team or unit management we mean the one team or unit management for 

whom you worked the most during the last 12 months. 

Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. 

(Please check one in each row.) 

12a. My team or unit management treated me fairly. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 
35

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

12b. My team or unit management gave me open and honest feedback about my job 

performance. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

12c. My team or unit management gave me the sense that my work was valued. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

12d. My team or unit management provided meaningful incentives for high performance. 

Strongly Agree 

Generally Agree 

Neither agree nor disagree 

Generally disagree 

Strongly disagree 

No answer 

 

12e. If you have any additional comments about your team or unit management, please enter 

them below. 

FCA as a Potential Employer 

13. Would you recommend FCA to a family member, friend, or professional colleague as a place 

to work? 

Definitely yes 

Probably yes 

Uncertain 

Probably no 
36

Definitely no 

No answer 

 

14. Which of the following are reasons you would recommend FCA as a good place to work? 

(CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) 

FCA's mission 

Nature of work 

Salary 

Benefits 

Job security 

Workload 

Opportunities for career advancement 

Co-workers 

FCA's philosophy and structure 

FCA's products and work processes 

Other reasons for recommending FCA 

None of the above; I would not recommend FCA as a good place to work 

 

If you checked "Other reasons for recommending FCA", please describe them below. 

15. If you would not recommend FCA as a good place to work, which of the following are reasons 

why? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) 

FCA's mission 

Nature of work 

Salary 

Benefits 

Job security 

Workload 

Opportunities for career advancement 

Co-workers 

FCA's philosophy and structure 

FCA's products and work processes 

Other reasons for recommending FCA 

None of the above; I would recommend FCA as a good place to work 

 

Information About You 

16. What is your position? 

Grade 30-33 

Grade 34-37 

Grade 38-40 
37

Grade 41-44 

Board Member 

No answer 

 

17. Where are you located? 

Bloomington 

Dallas 

Denver 

McLean 

Sacramento 

 

18. What is your sex? 

Male 

Female 

No answer 

 

19. What is your race/ethnicity? 

White 

Black or African American 

American Indian 

Asian or Pacific Islander 

Other 

 

20. Are you of Spanish/Hispanic origin? 

Yes 

No 

No answer 

Final Parting Words 

As you prepare to depart from FCA, we are interested in your opinions about FCA's products and 

services, about FCA's work processes and environment, or about any other aspect of FCA. Please 

use the questions below to give us your thoughts on these issues. 

21. What are the strengths of FCA's current products and services (written reports, testimonies, 

analyses of bills, questions for hearings, response to requests for data)?

22. What are the weaknesses of FCA's current products and services (written reports, testimonies, 

analyses of bills, questions for hearings, response to requests for data)?
38

23. What changes to FCA's products and services would you suggest?

24. Is there anything you would like FCA management (at any level) to know about FCA's work 

processes, personnel policies, physical work environment, computer services, support services, or 

any other aspect of FCA?

25. How would you describe the agency’s inclusiveness as it relates to race, color, religion, sex 

(including pregnancy), individuals with disabilities, sexual orientation or religious preference?
39

APPENDIX B: ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The following are the questions asked in the one-on-one interviews:

1. Did dissatisfaction with any of the following influence your decision to leave?

o Working conditions (setting, schedule, travel, flexibility)

o Pay

o Supervisor

o Location

o Cost of living in area

o Commute

2. Do you feel you had the necessary training to be successful in your role? If not, how could 

it have been better?

3. How would you describe employee morale?

4. Do you think the appropriate amount of communication between and senior management 

takes place?

5. Does the agency show interest and investment in its employees?

6. Were the administrative policies and procedures that in place helpful or can they be 

improved upon? If yes, please elaborate.

7. What is your opinion of your supervisor? Did he or she:

o Give usable performance feedback?

o Recognize accomplishments?

o Treat you fairly and respectfully?

o Resolve concerns promptly?

o Keep you informed?

o Support work life balance?

8. What were the positive aspects about your job, manager, and/or the organization that 

caused you to stay as long as you did?

9. What advice would you give your replacement?

10. What skills and qualifications do you think we need to look for in your replacement?

11. Did you witness any violations of laws or policies?

12. Do you have any objection to our sharing your comments with management?

13. Would you recommend the agency as a great place to work?

14. Is there anything else you would like to add?
REPORT FRAUD, WASTE, ABUSE, & 

MISMANAGEMENT: 

Phone: (800) 437-7322 (Toll-Free)

(703) 883-4316

Fax: (703) 883-4059

Email: fca-ig-hotline@rcn.com

Mail: 1501 Farm Credit Drive

McLean, VA 22102-5090

To learn more about reporting wrongdoing to the OIG, please visit our 

website at https://www.fca.gov/about/inspector-general.