Department of Agriculture

Mission: To provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science and efficient management. The Department of Agriculture's broad range of responsibilities also include the food stamp program, anti-poverty programs, conservation and natural resource protection, and an array of rural development programs.

Scores and Rankings

• 2009
• Previous Years

• Previous Years

Best in Class Scores	2007 Score	2005 Score	2003 Score
Employee Skills/Mission Match	78.4	78.6	79.6
Strategic Management	53.9	54.2	56.8
Teamwork	70.7	70.4	68.8
Effective Leadership	50.6	50.6	49.3
Performance Based Rewards and Advancement	43.4	42.8	42.1
Training and Development	61.3	63.2	60.1
Support for Diversity	63.6	63.3	65.6
Pay and Benefits	66.7
Family Friendly Culture and Benefits	48.4
Work/Life Balance	60.9	64.0	63.5

• 2009

• Previous Years

Scores by Demographic	2007 Score	2005 Score	2003 Score
Female
Male
40 and over
Under 40
Asian
Black or African-American
Hispanic or Latino
Multi-racial
White

Year	Department of Agriculture Index Score	Large Agency High Performing Average	Large Agency Average Index Score	Large Agency Low Performing Average
2003	60.8	65.0	60.8	55.9
2005	62.7	72.4	62.4	51.4
2007	61.6	71.8	61.7	50.6
2009	60.6	73.8	64.1	55.5

Comparative Data — Large Agency Averages

High Performing Average Scores	2003	2005	2007	2009
High Performing Average - Employee Skills	80.7	80.6	80.7	83.0
High Performing Average - Management	62.1	63.9	62.4	64.0
High Performing Average - Teamwork	71.6	76.5	75.9	77.6
High Performing Average - Leadership	54.1	58.3	58.2	60.7
High Performing Average - Rewards and Advancement	50.5	53.5	53.3	56.3
High Performing Average - Training and Development	63.7	68.2	66.7	68.8
High Performing Average - Support for Diversity	67.0	67.4	66.7	68.8
High Performing Average - Pay and Benefits			74.3	72.9
High Performing Average - Family Friendly			56.4	57.6
High Performing Average - Work/Life Balance	69.5	70.0	69.5	69.4

Average Index Scores	2003	2005	2007	2009
Average for Employee Skills	78.1	77.4	77.5	78.9
Average for Management	58.1	56.8	56.1	57.8
Average for Teamwork	68.3	71.3	70.7	71.7
Average for Leadership	49.1	50.2	50.3	52.1
Average for Rewards and Advancement	44.4	44.7	45.1	46.8
Average for Training and Development	57.5	59.9	58.6	60.7
Average for Support for Diversity	61.3	59.1	58.3	60.7
Average for Pay and Benefits			66.2	66.8
Average for Family Friendly			45.7	47.2
Average for Work/Life Balance	64.4	63.7	64.4	62.7

Low Performing Average Score	2003	2005	2007	2009
Low Performing Average - Employee Skills	74.9	73.3	72.8	75.7
Low Performing Average - Management	53.9	49.4	49.1	50.9
Low Performing Average - Teamwork	65.4	66.9	66.0	67.2
Low Performing Average - Leadership	45.6	42.7	42.5	45.4
Low Performing Average - Rewards and Advancement	39.3	36.6	36.6	40.1
Low Performing Average - Training and Development	51.4	50.3	49.0	53.4
Low Performing Average - Support for Diversity	57.6	52.5	51.1	54.4
Low Performing Average - Pay and Benefits			58.8	60.5
Low Performing Average - Family Friendly			36.4	38.2
Low Performing Average - Work/Life Balance	59.7	56.3	59.7	55.6

Workforce Size and Trends

Number of Employees

Number of Employees in 2001: 86,257

Number of Employees in 2002: 88,886

Number of Employees in 2003: 87,870

Number of Employees in 2004: 88,323

Number of Employees in 2005: 86,909

Number of Employees in 2006: 85,236

Number of Employees in 2007: 83,438

Number of Employees in 2008: 83,092

Employees joined (2008): 4,436

Percentage joined (2008): 4.47%

Average joined (2004-2008): 4,213

Employees left (2008): 6,174

Percentage left (2008): 7.47%

Average left (2004-2008): 6,431

Rookie ratio (percentage of workforce with less than three years of service): 7.60%

More About the Agency

Headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Other Locations: Administrative offices in Alexandria, VA and Beltsville, MD, plus state and county offices nationwide

http://www.usda.gov/

Demographics source: FedScope, OPM

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