We must have a workforce with the knowledge and skills to support our food safety programs. FSIS is also exploring our training and education partnerships with other interested parties, including industry, academia, state and local agriculture and public health agencies, and other Federal agencies. Also as part of our next steps, FSIS has begun correlation reviews to determine the range and consistency of actions taken by plants and by inspectors. The team will evaluate their findings and focus on those matters about which training and information are most needed, and then return to the district and provide that training and information. Separate and apart from this correlation effort, FSIS has also developed and refined over the last several years a process for in-depth verification reviews.
Communication also plays an important role in carrying out our responsibilities.
We are seeking to improve the methods we use to communicate within the Agency, with the regulated industry and with all of our stakeholders. We are also committed to improving the workplace environment for our employees. Workplace environment includes issues such as worker safety, quality of worklife, and workforce diversity. Improving the environment will also aid in our ongoing efforts to recruit and retain qualified inspectors, so as to maintain our inspection staff of approximately 7,600. Congress has also asked us to take another look at the scientific basis for our Salmonella performance standard for raw products.