Export Promotion: Personnel Management Issues in the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service
NSIAD-90-51
Published: Mar 16, 1990. Publicly Released: Jun 12, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed personnel management issues at the International Trade Administration's (ITA) U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS), focusing on: (1) an update of its 1987 review; and (2) identifying new issues affecting services to U.S. businesses.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | To improve the administration of the US&FCS personnel management system, the Secretary of Commerce should direct the Under Secretary, ITA, to revise US&FCS assignment policies on curtailments to require a written justification that explains why it is in the best interest of US&FCS to curtail an officer's assignment when other career officers are available to fill the position. |
Closed – Implemented
Although Commerce indicated, in a July 1990 letter, that the assignments panel is committed to avoiding curtailments, no indication has been given that the current assignments policy was revised. The agency contends that curtailments are no longer an issue with the expanded size of the Corps.
|
| Department of Commerce | To improve the administration of the US&FCS personnel management system, the Secretary of Commerce should direct the Under Secretary, ITA, to develop guidelines outlining the purpose, scope, and selection requirements for the ITA Exchange Program. |
Closed – Implemented
An operations bulletin addressing this issue was approved by the Director General and the Deputy Under Secretary for ITA in June 1990.
|
| Other | The Executive Director, AIT, needs to either seek through appropriate channels additional resources from Congress to ensure that commercial staff levels at AIT are equal with those in South Korea, as required by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, or seek legislative relief from this requirement. |
Closed – Implemented
US&FCS and AIT reached an agreement to establish a separate commercial section in Taiwan beginning in July 1991. Under the terms of the agreement, the section will be staffed by a complement of six officers and one secretary, in compliance with the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988.
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