United States Department of Agriculture 

Food Safety and Inspection Service

ANNUAL PLAN 

FISCAL YEAR 2021 

Protecting Public Health and Preventing 

Foodborne Illness 
Contents 

Message From the Administrator ii 

Acronyms and Abbreviations iii 

Introduction iv 

Agency Performance Management and Governance v 

Goal 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 1 

Goal 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches 4 

Goal 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 6 

Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 9 

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN i 
Message From the Administrator 

I am excited to publish the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Annual Plan of the United 

States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection 

Service (FSIS). This Annual Plan builds upon the last four years of 

accomplishments under the Food Safety and Inspection Service Strategic 

Plan 2017-2021. Fiscal Year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges 

associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, but FSIS personnel in the field, 

laboratories, human resources offices in Minneapolis, policy development 

offices in Omaha, and headquarters have continued to advance our strategic 

goals while ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. 

FSIS is a science-based, data-driven organization focused on our public 

health mission. In FY 2021, we will continue our progress toward improving 

the quality and analysis of external and internal data and information 

technology (IT) systems.

Major initiatives include improvements to the Label Submission and Approval System, expansion of the Public 

Health Information System (PHIS) export component, and upgrades to the IT infrastructure at FSIS field laboratories. 

Strengthening data-driven decision making by improving FSIS internal assessment and analytics capability is another 

priority, and to that end, we will develop new, interactive data visualizations to evaluate and disseminate data.

Sample analysis at our three field service laboratories has always been a critical part of how inspection program 

personnel verify food safety requirements. We will modernize both sample collection processes and laboratory methods 

and procedures, while expanding pathogen testing programs in FSIS-regulated products. In FY 2021, we will continue 

to assess food safety performance standards in establishments that slaughter and process meat and poultry products 

by proposing new pathogen-reduction performance standards for Salmonella in pork and Campylobacter in poultry, and 

implementing new pathogen-reduction performance standards for Salmonella in beef.

With a focus on delivering excellent customer service to promote food safety, we will implement targeted outreach 

programs to small and very small establishments, international partners, and consumers. The Agency will fully utilize 

Direct-Hire Authority and implement retention incentive programs for certain hard to fill in-plant positions and improve 

training opportunities and programs for current employees. 

As we close out the Food Safety and Inspection Service Strategic Plan 2017-2021, we will continue to adapt to the new 

realities and lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food and agriculture sector and remain focused on our 

strategic goals by regularly monitoring the results and measures outlined in this annual plan. I look forward to working 

together to advance these goals and to collaborating across diverse sectors of the Agency to fulfill our mission of 

protecting public health.

Paul Kiecker 

Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service

ii FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 	 	 	

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acronyms and Abbreviations 

ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution 

AP Annual Plan 

APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

CAP Cooperative Agreement Program 

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

CFP Conference for Food Protection 

DJE Dual Jurisdiction Establishment 

eCert	 Electronic Certification

E. coli Escherichia coli 

EG Enterprise Governance 

EEO/CR Equal Employment Opportunity/Civil Rights 

EWA Early Warning Alert 

FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

FERN Food Emergency Response Network 

FSA Food Safety Assessment 

FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service 

FY Fiscal Year 

Gen-FS Genomics for Food and Feed Safety 

HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 

IT Information Technology 

IFSAC Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration 

Lm Listeria monocytogenes 

LSAS Label Submission and Approval System 

MPI Meat and Poultry Inspection 

NACMCF National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods 

NACMPI National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection 

NARMS National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria 

NSSE National Special Security Events 

OPM	 U.S. Office of Personnel Management	

PHIS Public Health Information System 

PHR Public Health Regulation 

PHRE Public Health Risk Evaluation 

PHV Public Health Veterinarian 

RPA Robotic Process Automation 

RTE Ready-to-Eat 

SP Strategic Plan 

STEC Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 

USDA United States Department of Agriculture 

WGS Whole Genome Sequencing 

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN iii 
Mission: Protecting the public’s health by ensuring the safety 

of meat, poultry, and egg products

 

 

 

Introduction 

FSIS is the public health agency in USDA whose mission is to ensure the safety of the Nation’s commercial supply 

of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. FSIS ensures food safety through the authorities of the Federal Meat 

Inspection Act,1 the Poultry Products Inspection Act,2 and the Egg Products Inspection Act,3 as well as humane animal 

handling through the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act4. FSIS employs approximately 9,000 workers who collectively 

conduct a broad range of food safety activities to achieve FSIS’ overall vision -- that everyone’s food is safe. 

FSIS employees are highly trained, motivated, and skilled professionals working as “one team with one purpose.” FSIS 

activities contribute to the USDA Strategic Plan FY 2018-2022 Goal 7, Objective 7.1, “Prevent Foodborne Illness and 

Protect Public Health,” and FY 2021 marks the fifth and final year of the Food Safety and Inspection Service Strategic 

Plan 2017-2021. The goals, outcomes, and objectives set forth in the Food Safety and Inspection Service Strategic Plan 

2017-2021 directly align with the Agency’s annual plans and provide an integrated framework for understanding how FSIS 

fulfills our mission and addresses 21st century public health challenges.

Vision: Everyone’s food is safe 

GOAL 1 

Prevent Foodborne 

Illness and Protect 

Public Health 

GOAL 2 

Modernize Inspection 

Systems, Policies, and 

the Use of Scientific 

Approaches 

GOAL 3 

Achieve Operational 

Excellence 

OUTCOME 

1.1 - Prevent Contamination 

1.2 - Limit Illness From Regulated 

Products 

2.1 - Improve Food Safety and 

Humane Handling Practices 

Through Adoption of Innovative 

Approaches 

2.2 - Enhance Access to 

Complete and Accurate 

Information to Inform Decisions 

3.1 - Maintain A Well-Trained 

and Engaged Workforce 

3.2 - Improve Processes and 

Services 

OBJECTIVE 

1.1.1 - Drive Compliance With Food Safety Statutes and Regulations 

1.1.2 - Strengthen Sampling Programs 

1.1.3 - Ensure Establishments Are Meeting Pathogen Reduction Performance Standards 

1.1.4 - Promote Food Defense Practices 

1.2.1 - Improve Food Safety at In Commerce Facilities 

1.2.2 - Enhance Response to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and Adulteration Events 

1.2.3 - Increase Public Awareness of Recalls, Foodborne Illness, and Safe Food 

Handling Practices 

2.1.1 - Modernize Scientific Techniques and Inspection Procedures 

2.1.2 - Increase Adoption of Humane Handling Best Practices 

2.2.1 - Improve the Reliability, Access, and Timely Collection and Distribution 

of Information 

3.1.1 - Improve Recruitment and Retention for Mission Critical Positions 

3.1.2 - Enhance Training and Development Opportunities Across Competency Areas 

3.1.3 - Ensure Equal Opportunity and a Diverse and Inclusive Environment 

3.2.1 - Enhance Efciency and Efectiveness of Key Business Processes and Systems 

3.2.2 - Improve Service Delivery 

ACCOUNTABLE • COLLABORATIVE • EMPOWERED • SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED 

1 Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA, P.L. 90-492).

2 Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA, P.L. 90-492).

3 Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA, P.L. 91-597).

4 Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA, P.L. 85-765).

iv FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
Agency Performance Management and Governance 

FSIS will implement this FY 2021 Annual Plan by utilizing its performance management framework, which includes

monitoring and reporting processes supported by the Agency’s enterprise governance (EG) process. FSIS fosters

a performance-based environment with executives and senior staff assigned to regularly track and monitor progress,

ensure FSIS meets intended targets, and make timely and necessary adjustments to key activities or approaches.

FSIS uses its EG process to present public health and other mission-related topics to executive leadership, particularly 

those topics that cut across programs and/or have Agency-wide implications, for the purpose of collaborative decision 

making and implementation. All new investments, major projects, proposed policy initiatives, and major changes to 

existing policies go through the EG process.

Three governance boards regularly meet to deliberate and, along with their associated workgroups and committees,

provide key analysis, evaluation, and recommendations regarding program enhancements to support data-driven 

decision making. To this end, the Agency is continuing to focus on compliance with the Foundations for EvidenceBased Policymaking Act of 2018 and the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular No. A-123, Management’s 

Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control to enhance evaluation and enterprise risk 

management capabilities to better inform decisions regarding Agency performance and risks that may impact the 

mission. Linking strategic initiatives, metrics, and desired outcomes to data and analytics will foster a more productive, 

results-driven environment and accelerate and advance the use of modern analytics.

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN v 
 

GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 

For FY 2021, efforts under Goal 1 will continue to focus on activities performed by FSIS inspection program personnel 

across the United States who verify industry compliance with applicable food safety regulatory requirements, which 

extends to both imported and domestically produced food products. Key areas of emphasis to drive compliance and 

reduce the risk of contaminated FSIS-regulated product will include: 

• Verifying that regulated establishments have developed and implemented food safety systems that reduce food 

safety hazards or prevent them from occurring through conducting Public Health Risk Evaluations (PHRE) and 

Food Safety Assessments (FSA); 

• Ensuring an effective international equivalence process for determining initial equivalence and verifying ongoing 

equivalence through document review, onsite audits, and point-of-entry product reinspection; 

• Reviewing State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) Programs; 

• Educating small and very small establishments and other domestic stakeholders about food safety requirements 

through enhanced outreach; and

• Continuing to deploy innovative approaches to develop and deliver outreach regarding technical, scientific, and 

regulatory compliance information to small and very small establishments. 

In addition, FSIS has developed an internal international outreach and technical consultation plan that will help continue 

to ensure the safety of imported FSIS-regulated products and facilitate effective foreign country equivalence. Outreach 

plays a major role in ensuring the safe international trade of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, and FSIS looks 

to implement outreach activities in its international outreach and technical consultation plan in FY 2021. 

FSIS will also continue to expand its sampling programs to better address gaps in testing for pathogens and will use 

pathogen-reduction performance standards to assess the food safety performance of regulated establishments that 

slaughter and process meat and poultry products. Other planned activities include:

• Expanding non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) testing beyond beef manufacturing trimmings 

to ground beef and other raw ground beef components;

• Implementing new pathogen-reduction performance standards for Salmonella in raw ground beef and beef 

manufacturing trimmings; 

• Proposing new Salmonella standards for raw comminuted pork and intact or non-intact pork cuts; 

• Proposing new Campylobacter standards for young chicken and turkey carcasses and for chicken parts; 

• Implementing new Campylobacter standards for comminuted chicken; and 

• Publishing new guidelines on the destruction of Salmonella and other pathogens in ready-to-eat (RTE) products 

and the control of pathogen growth in heat-treated RTE and not-ready-to-eat products during cooling and hotholding (stabilization).

1 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
 FY 2020 TARGETS

GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 

In FY 2021, FSIS will implement the Interagency Retail Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Action Plan based on findings 

from focus group sessions, including developing outreach materials to encourage retail delicatessens (delis) to follow 

FSIS recommendations for mitigating contamination with Lm. FSIS will also continue to assess the extent to which 

retail delis are following FSIS recommendations for handling RTE meat and poultry products to mitigate contamination 

with Lm. Other planned activities include monitoring compliance with the grinding log recordkeeping requirements and 

conducting targeted outreach to retail industry organizations that can share information with their members. 

FSIS will continue to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to promote food safety in food recovery efforts, 

including outreach to food banks, and to provide information on food donation via askFSIS. This aligns with the USDA/

Environmental Protection Agency goal of a 50-percent reduction in food waste by 2030 to improve overall food security 

and conserve natural resources. In addition, the Agency will use experience from the COVID-19 response to add a 

food safety section on food recovery to the FSIS Retail Guidance webpage. Lastly, FSIS will continue to increase 

public awareness of recalls, foodborne illness, policies, and safe food-handling practices through a broad range of 

communication channels to empower consumers to make safe decisions about handling, cooking, and storing their 

food. 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Objective 1.1.1: Drive Compliance with Food (SP) 1.1.1.1: % of establishments 1.09%

80

FSIS will continue to perform PHREs and FSAs based on public 

Safety Statutes and Regulations scheduled for a PHRE due to public health health risk determinants. FSIS will develop internal reports that 

risk determinants other than performance will help monitor the progress of the measure and trends of 

standards. specific public health risk determinants. 

(SP) 1.1.1.3: # of engagements with FSIS has become increasingly aware of the significance 

foreign countries where the international outreach can play to ensure the safe international trade of 

outreach and technical consultation plan is meat, poultry, and processed egg products. Using the FY 2020 

implemented. international outreach and technical consultation plan, FSIS 

will continue to implement outreach activities by conducting a 

minimum of 80 technical engagements with foreign countries. 

(AP) 1-1: # of international audits 

conducted based on FY 2021 schedule. 

16 FSIS plans to conduct at least 16 international equivalence 

verification audits. 

(AP) 1-2: # of planned onsite State MPI 12

Program system audits completed.

FSIS plans to conduct at least 12 onsite State equivalence 

verification audits. 

(AP) 1-3: % of planned State MPI 

laboratory audits and reviews of State selfassessments completed. 

96% FSIS will continue to provide oversight of laboratories 

conducting State MPI food testing. Oversight is accomplished 

through completion of onsite laboratory audits and off-site 

records reviews, covering analytic methods and supporting 

documentation.

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 2 
 FY 2020 TARGETS

GOAL 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Objective 1.1.2 – Strengthen Sampling 

Programs

88%

Objective 1.1.3 - Ensure Establishments Are 

Meeting Pathogen-Reduction Performance

Standards 

(SP) 1.1.3.1: % of establishments that meet 

pathogen-reduction performance standards.

88%

Objective 1.1.4 - Promote Food Defense 

Practices 

85%

Objective 1.2.1 - Improve Food Safety at 

In-Commerce Facilities

64%

92%

Objective 1.2.2 - Enhance Response 

to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and 

Adulteration Events

83%

Objective 1.2.3 - Increase Public Awareness 

of Recalls, Foodborne Illness, and Safe

Food-Handling Practices

(SP) 1.2.3.1: % increase in public 

awareness of safe food-handling guidance 

and recalls through communications 

channels.5

1%

(SP) 1.2.3.2: % of total yearly outreach 

target from all communications channels 

is based on safe food-handling behaviors 

research.6

40%

(SP) 1.1.2.1: % of eligible poultry 

establishments that are categorized.

(SP) 1.1.4.1: % of establishments that 

maintain food defense practices.

(AP) 1-4: # of surveillance testing samples 

performed at Food Emergency Response 

Network’s (FERN) Cooperative Agreement 

Program (CAP) laboratories. 

(SP) 1.2.1.1a: % of retailers following all 

eight of the most important FSIS Deli Lm 

guidelines.

(SP) 1.2.1.1b: % of retailers following the 

majority of the 33 recommendations in the 

FSIS Deli Lm guidelines.

(AP) 1-5: % of surveillance activities that 

are conducted at the highest risk firms. 

71%

(SP) 1.2.2.1: % of State partners that 

indicate that they routinely notify FSIS of 

illness outbreaks that may be associated

with FSIS-regulated products.

4,000

In FY 2020, the percentage of categorized establishments 

increased from 72% overall to more than 86% overall, a 14% 

improvement in the percentage, and the percentage of chicken 

parts establishments categorized increased from 62% to more 

than 86%, which is a 24% improvement. FSIS intends to 

continue improving upon this rate of categorization in FY 2021.

FSIS will continue to use pathogen-reduction performance 

standards to assess the food safety performance of 

establishments that slaughter and process poultry products.

FSIS will continue to promote Agency preparedness, as well as 

that of the regulated industry, to drive enhanced capabilities and 

capacities to respond to and recover from threats and hazards 

of greatest risk. The Agency will also update critical food 

defense policies and resources, as needed.

The FERN CAP laboratories will continue to perform targeted 

food defense surveillance testing of FSIS regulated food by 

analyzing retail samples for various chemical, biological, and 

radiological agents. This testing program enables the FERN 

CAP laboratories to strengthen their readiness capabilities in 

response to a food defense event affecting FSIS regulated 

products.

FSIS will implement the Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan 

based on findings from focus group sessions, such as creating 

outreach materials to encourage retail delis to follow FSIS 

recommendations for mitigating contamination of Lm and 

revisiting some of the guidelines, taking new studies into 

FSIS will continue to assess the recommendations being 

followed for handling RTE meat and poultry products to mitigate 

contamination with Lm. These recommendations cover product 

handling; cleaning and sanitizing; facility and equipment 

controls; and employee practices.

Building on improvements from FY 2020, FSIS will continue to 

maintain the rate of surveillance activities conducted at Tier 1 

(warehouses and distributors) and high and medium “risk” firms 

based on compliance history. 

FSIS will conduct its annual Foodborne Illness Outbreak 

Investigation Survey of State and Territorial Public Health 

Partners. As in past years, FSIS will use the results of 

this survey to inform FSIS outreach efforts to strengthen 

collaborative outbreak investigations.

FSIS will increase public awareness of safe food-handling 

guidance and recalls through simple, easy-to-understand 

communications using diverse tools including the web, social 

media, proactive outreach, and the Meat and Poultry Hotline.

Consumer research will continue to be the backbone of 

FSIS’ communications. Insights from recent research will 

be incorporated into consumer engagement and additional 

research will be conducted.

5 This indexed measure includes weighted metrics primarily of impressions, including direct connections, website traffic, application downloads, event participation, 

physical and digital educational material distribution, social media engagement, media impressions, and emails distributed. The percentage represents more than 50 

million weighted impressions as its target for FY 2021. 

6 This measure is a subset of the index measure used in 1.2.3.1. This measure tracks the component of our overall public outreach that applies the lessons learned from 

consumer research to improve our messages (40 percent of measure 1.2.3.1.).

3 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
Goal 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches

In FY 2021, Goal 2 efforts will focus on continuing the Agency’s modernization efforts. Specifically, FSIS will continue 

implementation of the Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection regulations and begin implementation of the Egg Products 

Inspection regulations. The Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection regulations created a new inspection system for 

market hog slaughter establishments that provides additional flexibility and allows inspectors to focus on verification activities 

related to food safety. The Egg Products Inspection Regulations will require egg product plants to develop Hazard Analysis 

and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems and meet sanitation requirements consistent with meat and poultry regulations.

FSIS will continue to modernize labeling evaluation and approval procedures to minimize label turnaround time. This will be 

achieved by:

• Expanding the categories of labels that can be approved generically through rulemaking;

• Deploying innovative approaches to improve the label evaluation process; and

• Making improvements to the Label Submission and Approval System (LSAS).

In addition, FSIS will prioritize modernization of the PHIS Import and Export Modules by:

• Including higher-volume countries;

• Enhancing the export component’s functionality for government-to-government electronic certification (eCert); and

• Increasing the number of countries that can electronically submit inspection certification data using PHIS’ government-togovernment eCert functionality for import reinspection.

In FY 2021, FSIS will continue to modernize sample collection processes, and laboratory methods and procedures. 

Activities will include:

• Evaluating alternatives to the N60 destructive sample collection for beef;

• Evaluating alternatives to carcass swabbing method for turkeys;

• Piloting long-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) for further characterization of microbial isolates;

• Modernizing the Campylobacter enrichment and screening methodology;

• Evaluating Campylobacter enumeration technologies;

• Extending per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances method to additional species including pork, poultry, and Siluriformes fish;

• Expanding analytical capabilities to include allergens; and

• Expanding the Accredited Laboratory Program to include microbiological and chemical methods of analyses.

Lastly, FSIS will continue to improve access to data. FSIS will finalize a new website design that centralizes its public data 

sets to improve customer experience and will also continue to publish new and update existing establishment-specific 

datasets. In addition, FSIS will continue to use and develop data visualizations that improve FSIS’ analysis and assessment 

of establishment performance, as well as strengthen data-driven decision making and response to emerging public health and 

food safety concerns.

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 4 
 FY 2020 TARGETS

Goal 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches

Table 2. Goal 2 SP and AP Performance Measures, Targets, and Expected Accomplishments for FY 2021 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Objective 2.1.1 - Modernize Scientific 

Techniques and Inspection Procedures

Objective 2.1.2 - Increase Adoption of 

Humane Handling Best Practices

Objective 2.2.1 - Improve the Reliability, 

Access, and Timely Collection and 

Distribution of Information 

(SP) 2.1.1.2: % of establishments 

whose Public Health Regulation (PHR) 

noncompliance rate decreases below the 

early warning cut point 120 days after 

receiving an Early Warning Alert (EWA).

(AP) 2-1: Expand WGS technologies to 

analyze additional isolates to complement 

existing capabilities. 

(AP) 2-2: # of days to evaluate a label, from 

improved outreach and LSAS enhancement 

methods. 

(AP) 2-3a: # of countries added to the PHIS 

export module.

(SP) 2.1.2.2: % of all eligible slaughter 

establishments that District Veterinary 

Medical Specialists visit and perform 

outreach or verification activities.

(SP) 2.2.1.1: # of master FSIS datasets 

developed and available for use by FSIS 

analysts.

(SP) 2.2.1.2: % of employees that have 

online access to FSIS-approved systems.

100%

(SP) 2.2.1.3: # of establishment-specific or 

other FSIS datasets made publicly available 

(one new data set per quarter).

74%

43

10

The Agency will continue to monitor the percentage of 

establishments whose PHR noncompliance rate decreases 

below the early warning cut point 120 days after receiving 

an EWA. FSIS will utilize existing data to assess individual 

establishment performance over time. 

Prior to FY 2021, the Agency relied on WGS technology that 

limited the amount of detailed information about virulence 

and antimicrobial resistance. FSIS will leverage newer WGS 

technology to significantly and more effectively identify and 

differentiate microbial isolates that can cause illness. In FY

2021, FSIS will analyze at least 43 isolates using the newer 

long read sequencing technology.

FSIS will continue to modernize its labeling evaluation and 

processing system. FSIS intends to begin rulemaking to expand 

the categories of labels that can be generically approved. 

To improve the label evaluation process, FSIS will continue 

to provide label tips in the Constituent Update and conduct 

outreach through webinars and presentations on new labeling 

policies. Improvements to LSAS will continue to ensure there is 

optimum use by internal and external users. 

60 FSIS will continue to increase the number of countries for which 

import and export information is processed electronically. 

(AP) 2-3b: # of agreements signed with 

other countries for exchanging electronic 

certificates.

1 In addition, FSIS will work with countries to increase the number 

of signed agreements for exchanging electronic certificates.

70% In FY 2021, FSIS will continue implementing its FY 2020 

education and outreach plan on humane handling best 

practices, which was enhanced to focus on small and very small 

establishments. 

FSIS plans to develop master datasets to allow for more 

consistency in reporting and analyses by FSIS analysts. These 

datasets will combine information from multiple data sources 

and tables within FSIS to ensure that all analysts are using the 

same core data to conduct analyses.

FSIS plans to complete the deployment of laptops to employees 

without them and will also continue its efforts for more 

employees to gain online access to FSIS-approved systems. 

FSIS will build on its library of establishment-specific datasets 

and add four more datasets. Sharing these data on an ongoing 

basis facilitates transparency and allows FSIS to better engage 

with its stakeholders.

2

4

5 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
 

 

FY 2020 TARGETS

Goal 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 

In FY 2021, FSIS will focus on optimizing the full scope of the Agency’s capabilities for providing high-quality services 

to its customers. FSIS will expand the use of the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Direct-Hire Authority to 

achieve a target frontline occupations fill rate of 97% by the end of FY 2021. The Agency will offer a comprehensive 

suite of incentives to attract and retain veterinarian talent for in-plant public health veterinarian (PHV) positions. Missioncritical classroom-based scientific and technical training of entry-level employees, as well as those promoted into 

inspection and enforcement occupations, will be transformed into a virtual format. The Agency will continue to develop 

and implement a consistent new employee orientation process focused on USDA FSIS program areas. Through the 

delivery of mandatory training, the Agency will also continue to educate the workforce on equal employment opportunity 

and civil rights (EEO/CR). 

In support of USDA’s IT Modernization objectives, FSIS will consolidate cybersecurity and end-user services, such 

as the IT Help Desk, with the Department; migrate critical applications to the cloud; extend online access to all FSIS 

users; and upgrade the IT infrastructure at FSIS laboratories. The Agency will continue to deliver innovative, effective, 

and efficient acquisition solutions. FSIS will significantly reduce contract processing time by promoting a shared 

understanding of procurement lead times, requirements, and roles/responsibilities through customer education and 

one-on-one consultations. Building upon progress achieved in FY 2020, FSIS will continue to implement budget and 

financial management system enhancements and optimize its internal controls. FSIS will continue to improve upon the 

Office of the Inspector General and Government Accountability Office audit recommendation closure rate. The Agency 

will do this by building upon a robust and transparent budgeting process and leveraging the Agency’s governance 

infrastructure. The Agency will also introduce new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capabilities, which will improve 

efficiency for administrative processes. By fully leveraging RPA capabilities, the Agency will make informed, data-driven 

decisions in support of its mission, effectively steward taxpayer resources, and further strengthen our accountability.

Table 3. Goal 3 SP and AP Performance Measures, Targets, and Expected Accomplishments for FY 2021 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Objective 3.1.1 - Improve Recruitment and 

Retention for Mission-Critical Positions

(SP) 3.1.1.1: % of mission-critical frontline 

positions that are filled.

97% FSIS will expand and continue the use of OPM’s Direct-Hire 

Authorities to increase the frontline occupations fill rate to 97%.

(SP) 3.1.1.2: % of employees that remain at 95% This measure focuses on nine Mission-Critical Occupations.7 FSIS for 2 years or more. The Agency will use existing human resource flexibilities, as 

well as leverage use of in-plant PHV retention incentives, to 

achieve its employee retention goal of 95%.

(AP) 3-1: % of PHVs remaining with FSIS 85% FSIS will maximize the use of OPM-approved recruitment and 

for > 2 years after acquiring a recruitment retention incentives and other initiatives to increase recruitment 

incentive. of veterinarians that will remain with FSIS for more than 2 years. 

FSIS will consistently evaluate the effectiveness of retention 

incentives and PHV job satisfaction to achieve long-term 

success in PHV retention. FSIS will explore the ability to utilize 

creative outreach initiatives to target veterinarians with career 

aspirations in food safety and increase awareness of career 

opportunities with FSIS.

7 Mission-Critical Occupations include the following series: 0110 (Economist), 0201 (Human Resources Management), 0511 (Auditing), 0696 (Consumer Safety), 0701 

(Veterinary Medical Science), 1102 (Contracting), 1862 (Consumer Safety Inspection), 1863 (Food Inspection), and 2210 (Information Technology Management).

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 6 
 FY 2020 TARGETS

Goal 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Objective 3.1.2 - Enhance Training and 

Development Opportunities Across 

Competency Areas

Objective 3.1.3 - Ensure Equal Opportunity 

and a Diverse and Inclusive Environment

Objective 3.2.1 - Enhance Efficiency and 

Effectiveness of Key Business Processes and

Systems 

(SP) 3.1.3.1a: % of Alternative Dispute 

Resolution acceptance rate for informal 

EEO complaints.

(SP) 3.1.3.1b: % of Alternative Dispute 

Resolution acceptance rate for formal EEO 

complaints.

(SP) 3.1.2.1: % increase in knowledge 85%

gained in key occupations within 180 days.

52%

46%

(SP) 3.1.3.2: % of employees who complete 

mandatory EEO/CR training that satisfy 

competency requirements.

84%

(SP) 3.1.3.3: % increase in FSIS’ FEVS 70%

employee engagement survey index to 

70%.

(SP) 3.2.1.1: % of defined process times 

met for hiring, procurement, and IT.

(AP) 3-2: % of reviews conducted of 

Agency enterprise governance-approved 

projects to ensure they are operating within 

their authorized budget and are on track in 

meeting project goals and milestones.

80%

100%

(AP) 3-3: % of grievances and unfair 

labor practices complaints processed in 

accordance with the Labor-Management 

Agreement.

95%

FSIS will analyze training results and measure training 

outcomes. FSIS will also analyze test results, employee 

responses to training, and FSIS’ annual surveys to advance 

content development, strengthen training delivery, and measure 

outcomes.

FSIS will promote the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) 

Program through conflict management training, presentations, 

and webinars. EEO counselors will provide an overview of the 

Agency’s ADR program in the course of processing complaints 

and offer ADR as a means of resolving complaints at the earliest 

stage possible. 

The Agency will also assess the workforce’s awareness of the 

ADR program through annual compliance assistance, review, 

and evaluations of program areas and districts. Employees will 

be surveyed and asked questions regarding their familiarity 

with the ADR program. Survey results will be used to determine 

whether additional actions will be required to promote the ADR 

program. 

The Agency will continue to educate the workforce on EEO/CR 

through mandatory training. To assess employees’ proficiency 

with the core concepts, knowledge check questions will be 

included in the training.

FSIS will further develop and implement a consistent orientation 

process for newly hired employees. The process will focus 

on FSIS, USDA, administrative functions and systems, and 

benefits, which should contribute to increased employee 

engagement.

In FY 2021, the average time to hire from tentative offer to entry 

on duty will be reduced to 74 days, a 10% reduction from the 

prior 3-year baseline average. 

The Agency will reduce processing time for at least 80% of 

contracts in the FY 2021 cycle. FSIS Procurement will leverage 

the Department’s program management support contract 

to assist program areas on the development of program 

requirements that must be included in the contract solicitation. 

The team will ensure the quality and timeliness of procurement 

actions, develop tailored plans to communicate effectively with 

internal customers, and proactively manage the workflow. This 

initiative will strengthen FSIS’ ability to acquire critical resources 

to support Agency priorities.

For FY 2021, the Agency will meet or exceed IT project 

completion deadlines by 90% or greater.

The Enterprise Investment Board will conduct periodic reviews 

of the Agency’s EG-approved projects. This coordinated 

approach will promote sound fiscal stewardship and 

accountability for the Agency’s funds. Through the governance 

process, the Agency will monitor the progress to ensure that 

project milestones are met and implement corrective actions to 

bring projects back on track, if needed.

The FSIS Office of Human Resources/Labor and Employee 

Relations Division will leverage the alignment of specialists 

to districts to be able to more rapidly investigate the incidents 

giving rise to grievances, allowing for more expeditious 

responses. Specialists will prioritize grievance and unfair labor 

practice investigations immediately upon receipt. In addition, 

FSIS will be more proactive in asking the union for mutual 

agreement to extend timelines in cases that require more 

investigation or coordination. 

7 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
 FY 2020 TARGETS

Goal 3: Achieve Operational Excellence 

STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE SP/AP PERFORMANCE MEASURE FY 2021 TARGET EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

(SP) 3.2.2.1: % of client satisfaction with 

key FSIS services.

80% FSIS will analyze data from its annual customer service survey 

to inform investment decisions regarding potential future 

enhancements to customer service. FSIS will also use survey 

data on employee preferences related to training course access 

and delivery to strengthen customer satisfaction.

Objective 3.2.2 - Improve Service Delivery

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 8 
9 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2020 ANNUAL PLAN

Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 

FSIS collaborates with a multitude of partners to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of food safety outcomes. 

FSIS engages with Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies and stakeholders at meetings, conferences, 

and in working groups with the goal of improving prevention and response to foodborne illness and protecting public 

health. Each year, FSIS builds on its successes from existing partnerships and in initiating new relationships to further 

its strategic goals to prevent foodborne illness; protect public health; and modernize inspection systems, policies, and 

the use of scientific approaches. FSIS has highlighted 12 of the collaborations the Agency will be focusing on for FY

2021 below. A complete list of the Agency’s partnerships is provided in the Food Safety and Inspection Service FY 2020 

Annual Plan.

Conference for Food Protection (CFP): 

The CFP is a non-profit organization created to provide a formal process for representatives from the food industry, 

government, academia, and consumer organizations to identify and address emerging problems associated with food 

safety and formulate recommendations. Though the conference has no formal regulatory authority, it significantly 

influences food safety guidance, model laws, and regulations among all government agencies and minimizes disparate 

interpretations and implementation. FSIS will continue to participate on CFP committees and collaborate with the U.S. 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address recommended Food Code policy changes related to meat and poultry 

products. 

Consumer Research and Education Initiatives: 

Collaborative consumer education efforts, conducted in coordination with the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC), and the Partnership for Food Safety Education, are key to reducing foodborne illnesses, 

hospitalizations, and deaths nationally. FSIS works with these partners to educate the public with information on food 

handling best practices and food safety risks to empower them to make safe decisions about handling, cooking, and 

storing food. Consumer research is the backbone of this educational outreach. FSIS uses research to assess how 

consumers handle food and identify gaps and emerging opportunities for improved educational outreach. This research 

is conducted in close coordination with external partners to ensure all involved gain the knowledge required to reduce 

foodborne illnesses. In FY 2021, FSIS will continue this research partnership by testing the Partnership for Food Safety 

Education’s “Safe Recipes Style Guide,” which was first developed in 2019. This style guide provides easy edits to any 

recipe to improve food safety practices. In FY 2021, FSIS will test if a celebrity endorsement, used strategically with 

food safety instructions in recipes, can make an even greater impact on the public’s execution of these key safe food 

handling recommendations.

Food Emergency Response Network (FERN): 

In 2004, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD-9) established FERN under the joint oversight of FSIS and 

the FDA. FERN is a network of food testing laboratories consisting of more than 160 Federal, State, local, and Tribal 

laboratories jointly administered by FSIS and FDA. Its members have the capability to test for microbiological, chemical, 

and radiological contaminants in foods. The network has worked to increase the food defense capabilities of food 

testing laboratories by training, method development, and method validation programs delivered through cooperative 

agreements. 

9 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 

The network has worked to protect the food system through targeted surveillance activities associated with imported 

foods, the school lunch program, retail samples, and National Special Security Events (NSSE).8

In FY 2021, FSIS intends to complete the following:

• Work with State partners to support targeted food defense analysis of FSIS regulated commodities sampled at retail 

establishments in 11 States (4,500-5,000 samples annually).

• Participate in three expected NSSEs.

• Conduct eight proficiency tests with partner laboratories.9 

• Upgrade the FERN portal, through a cooperative agreement with the State of Minnesota, to enhance 

communication with State food testing laboratories, to continue to standardize reporting of food testing results, and 

to maintain up-to-date information on the capability and capacity of food testing within the FERN network.

• Collaborate with States and FDA to maximize intelligence information and effectively prioritize threats.

• Add FSIS-regulated matrices to the new multi-lab validated Clostridium botulinum method. A multi-laboratory 

extension study will be developed to extend the validated method into additional FSIS-regulated products. States 

will perform the laboratory validation work, which will be overseen by the FERN National Program Office and the 

FERN Methods Coordinating Committee, a collaboration between FSIS, FDA, CDC, and States. 

FSIS-FDA Dual Jurisdiction Establishments Workgroup: 

In 2018, USDA and FDA entered into a formal agreement to increase regulatory and operational efficiency and improve 

program effectiveness through enhanced collaboration and coordination on areas of mutual interest. FSIS and FDA

established an interagency Dual Jurisdiction Establishments (DJE) Workgroup to bring greater clarity and consistency 

to jurisdictional decisions under FSIS’ and FDA’s respective authorities, and to identify and potentially reduce the 

regulatory burden on establishments subject to the dual regulatory requirements. In FY 2021, FSIS, in collaboration 

with FDA, will work to identify similar FDA and FSIS products and pilot a concept for utilizing a FSIS-style HACCP plan 

for these products. The results of this pilot will be used to further develop and refine the crosswalk tool.

Human Food Produced Using Animal Cell Culture Technology: 

In FY 2019, the USDA’s Office of Food Safety and FDA entered into a formal agreement on the regulatory oversight 

of human food produced using animal cell culture technology and established three workgroups to refine regulatory 

frameworks and develop more exact specifications, including (1) premarket food safety assessments by FDA, (2) 

inspections and the transition of oversight from FDA to FSIS during the cell harvest stage, and (3) labeling oversight by 

FSIS. In FY 2021, FSIS will publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to request comments pertaining 

to the labeling of meat and poultry products comprised of or containing cultured cells derived from animals subject 

to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA; 21 U.S.C. 601 et. seq.) or the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA; 21 

U.S.C. 451 et seq.). Issues raised in the comments submitted in response to this ANPR will inform future rulemaking 

to establish labeling requirements for these products. Additionally, FDA will be publishing a Request for Information 

to solicit comments on the labeling of cell-cultured seafood. The comments will be reviewed by FSIS and FDA, in 

developing the joint principles for the labeling of all cell-cultured food products. 

8 Through the FERN program, FSIS utilizes State food testing laboratories to perform food defense testing on FSIS products at NSSE. Planning includes input from other 

Federal agencies including the FDA, Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and public health officials from the State in which the event is being held. 

9 Through the FERN program, proficiency samples are offered to State food testing laboratories for both food safety and food defense purposes. Planning is carried out 

between FSIS, FDA, and CDC. 

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 10 
Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 

Interagency Collaboration on Genomics for Food and Feed Safety (Gen-FS): 

Gen-FS is an interagency group with agency leaders and scientists from FDA, CDC, FSIS, USDA Agricultural Research 

Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), and the National Center for Biotechnology 

Information at the National Institutes of Health. The collaboration’s primary objective is to coordinate, strengthen, 

and lead WGS efforts among Federal and State partners. In FY 2021, FSIS and Gen-FS partners plan to continue 

developing databases for Salmonella virulence and pathogenicity genes that will be incorporated into the publicly 

available analytic tool, AMRFinderPlus. AMRFinderPlus is the online tool that lists virulence and antimicrobial resistance 

genes identified in each genetic sequence. Through this effort, FSIS hopes to develop a conceptual framework for 

risk ranking Salmonella genotypes. FSIS will continue participating in the following Gen-FS subgroups: biomarkers, 

metadata, standards, harmonization, and training. Additionally, scientists from FSIS serve as the co-leads for the 

Biomarkers and Metadata subgroups.

Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC): 

Federal agencies and food safety experts rely on foodborne illness source attribution to inform strategic planning and 

risk-based decision making, estimate benefits of interventions, and evaluate the impact of interventions. Since 2011, 

CDC, FDA, and FSIS have collaborated via IFSAC, a working group that coordinates analyses from these three Federal 

agencies on attribution. IFSAC analysts enhance estimates of the sources of foodborne illness by developing sound 

analytical methods that bring together data from CDC, FDA, and FSIS. In FY 2021, IFSAC will continue to improve the 

methodology for illness attribution and will release an updated Annual Report on Foodborne Illness Source Attribution 

Estimates for Salmonella, E. coli O157, Lm, and Campylobacter using multi-year outbreak surveillance data.

Interagency Retail Lm Action Plan, Enhancing Outreach on the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Retail 

Delicatessens: 

FSIS convened a retail workgroup to develop an interagency retail Lm action plan to guide outreach to support the 

control of Lm at retail delicatessens in response to a recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Meat 

and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) to FSIS. FSIS, in collaboration with FDA and CDC, convened focus groups of retailers 

and State and local agencies in FY 2019 to gather input on the access to and usefulness of Federal outreach and other 

sources of information to support sanitation and safe handling of RTE foods at retail to mitigate the risk of listeriosis. 

In FY 2021, the retail workgroup will implement the project action plan to respond to focus group results. This plan 

includes putting all retail-related guidance in one place on the FSIS website and working with public health partners, 

such as the FDA, to share this webpage with retail stakeholders. 

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF): 

NACMCF provides impartial, scientific advice, and/or peer reviews to Federal food safety agencies for use in the 

development of an integrated national food safety systems approach that assures the safety of domestic, imported, 

and exported foods. The committee reports to the Secretary of Agriculture through the Under Secretary for Food Safety 

and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Assistant Secretary for Health. In FY 2021, FSIS will 

support NACMCF as the Committee recruits nine new members (half of the membership) for official appointment by the 

Secretary. 

11 FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 
Result 16: Enhance Collaboration With Our Partners 

FSIS also plans to support NACMCF in convening a plenary session. In this meeting, NACMCF will adopt reports and 

recommendations under the current Committee work charges and consider approving new Committee work charges.

National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI): 

NACMPI advises the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on matters affecting Federal and State inspection program activities, 

including food safety policies that will contribute to USDA’s regulatory policy development. 

In FY 2021, FSIS plans to announce Committee vacancies in the Federal Register and enhance its recruitment efforts 

to attract diverse candidates within consumer groups, the meat and poultry industry, academic institutions, the public 

health community, State departments of agriculture, and other organizations. FSIS is also planning to appoint new 

members, develop new charges, and hold a public meeting. 

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS): 

NARMS is a collaboration among State and local public health departments, CDC, FDA, and FSIS. This national public 

health surveillance system tracks changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility of certain enteric (intestinal) bacteria found 

in ill people (CDC), retail meats (FDA), and food animals (FSIS) in the United States. FSIS contributes two sources 

of antimicrobial susceptibility data to the NARMS program: non-food product and food product. The FSIS NARMS 

non-food product data come from cecal content samples from young chickens, young turkeys, dairy cattle, beef cattle, 

market hogs, sows, veal, sheep, goats, and lambs. FSIS NARMS antimicrobial susceptibility testing is conducted on 

Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococcus that are isolated from those cecal samples. 

NARMS antimicrobial susceptibility testing is conducted on Salmonella and Campylobacter that are isolated from food 

product samples. 

In FY 2021, NARMS surveillance will continue collecting antimicrobial susceptibility data from Salmonella, 

Campylobacter, E. coli, and Enterococcus isolated from animal cecal content and food products, as well as the 

expansion activities that were introduced in FY 2020. In FY 2021, FSIS will publish a NARMS multi-year (2014-2019) 

report to summarize FSIS-specific findings. The NARMS multiagency team will also publish the Integrated Report, 

which includes data from all the participating agencies in a single report. The NARMS biannual public meeting is 

scheduled for the first quarter of FY 2021.

Preharvest Food Safety: 

The goal of the One Health Partner Farm to Fork Food Safety Working Group is to enhance communication and 

collaboration among industry, animal, and public health officials along the farm-to-fork continuum. Participants represent 

USDA (FSIS and APHIS), CDC, State departments of public health and agriculture, and livestock and poultry industries. 

The overarching goal is to improve food safety -- specifically, to reduce pathogen transmission between animals and 

humans. In FY 2021, the annual meeting will be held to build upon the successes of the previous year and to discuss 

experiences regarding pre-harvest assessments conducted by industry during FY 2020. In addition, FSIS will work 

collaboratively with APHIS to create an online learning module on preharvest food safety targeted toward private 

practice veterinarians. The module will be housed on APHIS’ National Veterinary Accreditation Program website and will 

provide credit towards veterinary accreditation for licensed veterinarians.

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE 2021 ANNUAL PLAN 12 
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FSIS CORE VALUES

ACCOUNTABLE

FSIS holds itself accountable in fulfilling its regulatory mission and in 

serving the public interest.

COLLABORATIVE

FSIS actively promotes and encourages collaboration within our 

Agency and with our partners to prevent illness and protect public 

health.

EMPOWERED

FSIS employees are empowered with the necessary training, 

tools, and approaches they need to make and carry out informed 

decisions that protect public health and promote food safety.

SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED

FSIS is committed to deploying effective, evidence-based solutions 

to ensure that the Nation’s food supply is safe.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations

and policies, USDA, its Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, and institutions participating in or

administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion,

sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental

status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil

rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).

Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American

Sign Language) should contact the responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET Center at

(202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program

Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027,

from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain

the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action

in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged

civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C.

20250-9410; or

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

January 2021