6 to 24 months at USDA/FNS on Studies & Evaluations

[Jay Hirschman]

My office, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis and
Evaluation is seeking 2 to 5 individuals interested in Intergovernmental
Personnel Act (IPA) positions for 6 to 24 months in the salary range of
$39,270 - $72,758 per year. The IPA requires approval from your current
employer, and a guarantee that you will have a job when you return after
the 6 to 24 months. (details on this are agreed to in writing up front)
USDA pays your salary while you're working with us at national
headquarters in suburban Washington, DC.   The government job title
"program analyst" in this case really means individuals interested in
helping us conduct the analyses, studies and evaluations that support
the nation's 15 major food assistance programs (e.g., Food Stamp
Program, WIC, School Lunch and School Breakfast, etc.).  Interest,
training and/or experience in project management, research methodology,
statistics and/or quantitative analysis, and writing skills are a big
plus.  The full vacancy announcement can be found at the following
address: 

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/wfjic/jobs/TA6763.HTM                                                          
I've copied some the key portions of the description below for easy
reference. APPLY NOW, [that is, don't wait until near the closing date!]
as positions may be filled before the closing date.     
If you have questions, please call either Dr. Ted Macaluso or Dr. Leslie
Christovich at (703) 305-2019.   
JAY HIRSCHMAN
jaynvera at erols.com         
------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
                                      US DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE                   
                                       FOOD AND NUTRITION
SERVICE                    
                                        HUMAN RESOURCES
DIVISION                     
                                     3101 PARK CENTER DRIVE, RM
620                  
                                          ALEXANDRIA, VA 
22302                      
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                          VACANCY
ANNOUNCEMENT                       
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                 Announcement #:  
AE-059-98-O                                       
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                 Position:         PROGRAM
ANALYST                                   
                                   GS-0343-11/12/13
Equivalent                       
                                   (Approximately 2 to 5
positions                   
                                    may be
filled)                                   
                                   $39,270 - $72,758 per
annum                       
                                   Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)
Assignment, 
                                       not-to-exceed 6 months to 2
years             
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                 Location:         USDA, Food and Nutrition
Service                  
                                   Office of Analysis and
Evaluation                 
                                   Alexandria,
VA                                    
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                 Opens on:  08/24/98                          Closes
on:  12/31/98   
                                                                                     
            **This announcement closes when the positions are filled,
or             
            12/31/1998, whichever is
sooner.                                         
                                                                                     
            Area of Consideration:  Individuals eligible for an IPA
assignment.      
            Includes employees of State and local government agencies
or             
            institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments,
and other   
            eligible organizations in instances where such assignments
would be of   
            mutual benefit to the organizations
involved.                            
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
            INFORMATION ABOUT ASSIGNMENT:  The Office of Analysis and
Evaluation     
            (OAE) of the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA invites
letters of         
            interest for Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA)
Mobility              
            Assignments during 1999/2001.  OAE is seeking two-to-five
experienced    
            researchers and/or State/local program staff to serve as
policy          
            analysts and evaluators for periods ranging from 6 months to
2 years     
            from the effective date of the assignment.  Individuals
may              
            participate in studies and evaluations of the nation's
domestic food     
            and nutrition assistance programs (including Food Stamp,
School Lunch    
            and Breakfast, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women,         
            Infants and Children, and the Child and Adult Care Feeding
Programs),    
            policy development on those programs, or special projects. 
The          
            individual will remain an employee of the home institution
and           
            cost-sharing arrangements are generally negotiated between
the Food      
            and Nutrition Service and the home
institution.                          
                                                                                     
            OAE provides program analysis and policy support to the
Administrator    
            of the Food and Nutrition Service, Congress, the Office of
Management    
            and Budget, and the policy research community.  OAE offers
researchers   
            and analysts the opportunity to contribute to major
developments in      
            food assistance policy and program evaluations; it further
offers        
            State and local program staff the opportunity to work with
policy and    
            program staff at the national
level.                                     
                                                                                     
            We particularly encourage applications from individuals with
interests   
            in one or more of the following broad
areas:                             
                                                                                     
            1.  Food security, dietary and nutrition outcomes among
low-income       
            populations (e.g., food security measurement/analysis; the
effects of    
            participation in FNS programs - such as Food Stamp, School
Lunch, and    
            Child Feeding - on access to and choice of healthful diets,
nutrition    
            and health status; and tools/techniques for nutrition
education          
           
evaluation)                                                              
                                                                                     
            2.  Program operations, targeting and delivery (success at
servicing     
            needy, at-risk populations; program gaps and overlaps;
urban-rural       
           
delivery)                                                                
                                                                                     
            3.  Program integrity (reducing waste, fraud and abuse;
improving        
            detection and sanctioning systems, appropriate application
of            
            biometrics and alternative
technologies)                                 
                                                                                     
            4.  Program forecasting and budget analysis (program
participation       
            dynamics, program interactions, projections of budgetary
needs).         
                                                                                     
            Interested candidates should be
either:                                  
                                                                                     
            1.  College or university faculty members or policy analysts
in          
            nonprofit organizations with appropriate substantive
expertise and       
            methodological skills, with training in such areas as public
policy,     
            public health, nutrition, public administration,
statistics,             
            sociology, economics, econometrics, public finance and other
related     
           
disciplines;                                                             
                                                                                     
            2.  Staff in State or local departments of human service,
social         
            service, welfare, public health, or Indian tribal government
with        
            expertise in food assistance or nutrition program delivery
and some      
            training or experience with social science research
methods.             
                                                                                     
            In most instances, a selected candidate's salary and
benefits at the     
            home organization will remain in place and will be
reimbursed in whole   
            or part by the Federal Government according to the
Intergovernmental     
            Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program.  Following completion
of the       
            mobility assignment, selectee(s) return to their home
organization to    
            the position he or she occupied at the time the agreement
was entered    
            into or a position of like seniority, status and
pay.                    
                                                                                     
            Please address letters of interest
to:                                   
                                                                                     
               U.S. Department of
Agriculture                                        
               Food and Nutrition
Service                                            
               Office of Analysis and
Evaluation                                     
               ATTN:  Theodore F. Macaluso,
Ph.D.                                    
               3101 Park Center Drive, Room
208                                      
               Alexandria, VA 
22302                                                 
                                                                                     
            Please include a curriculum vitae/resume, list of
publications and/or    
            relevant accomplishments, names, telephone numbers and
addresses of      
            three references, and a brief description of one or two of
the above     
            mentioned broad areas in which you would like to work. 
Please also      
            explain why you would like to spend time in a policy
analysis/program    
            evaluation/policy-making environment and the particular
contributions    
            you hope to make.  Positions are open until filled. 
Applications will   
            be reviewed as they are received.  If you have questions,
please call    
            either Dr. Ted Macaluso or Dr. Leslie Christovich at (703)
305-2019.     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
            Equal Employment
Opportunity:                                            
           
----------------------------                                             
            The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in   
            all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national    
            origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political
beliefs, sexual     
            orientation, and marital or family status.  (Not all
prohibited bases    
            apply to all programs.)  Persons with disabilities who
require           
            alternative means for communication of program information
(Braille,     
            large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET
Center at    
            202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).                                            
                                                                                     
                                                                                     
            To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director,
Office of   
            Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and
Independence        
            Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964
(voice or   
            TDD).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and
employer.