Science and Technology in the National Interest Ensuring the Best Presidential and Federal Advisory Committee Science and Technology Appointments (2005) / Chapter Skim
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Science and Technology Appointments to Federal Advisory Committees
Science and Technology Appointments to Federal Advisory Committees
Pages 39-50
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From page 39... ...
, have a wide variety of missions (such as review of research proposals, policy for the S&T enterprise, and use of scientific and technical advice to inform policy decisions) , vary in the classification of their membership (such as representative, regular or special government employee, and consultant, whose status varies by agency)
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From page 40... ...
And, for all the challenges that this approach presents, this uniquely American emphasis on public input has served our nation well. The use of advisory committees by the federal govern ment is a critical aspect of participatory government.
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From page 41... ...
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From page 42... ...
Scientific and technical advice must be based on professional judgment and the best evidence available. The committee identified three mechanisms where reform or illumination could improve the federal advisory committee appointment process: adhering to an appropriate set of criteria in the selection process, clarifying and making more public the appointment process itself, and ensuring that the federal adminis trative units responsible for committee appointments are suffi ciently staffed, trained, and expert in the process.
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From page 43... ...
Many factors -- including societal values, economic costs, and political judgments -- come together with technical judgments in the process of reaching advisory committee recommendations. Essential viewpoints needed for appropriate committee balance and scope should be represented by accomplished people in that policy arena, but scientists, engineers, and health professionals nominated primarily to provide S&T input should be selected for their scien tific and technical knowledge and credentials and for their profes sional and personal integrity.
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From page 44... ...
concluded that a number of provisions in federal personnel law prohibit agencies from discriminating against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of political affiliation. GAO noted that whether these provisions apply to a particular advisory committee candidate depends on the candidate's federal employment status (or what it would be if selected)
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From page 45... ...
Clarify the Advisory Committee Appointment Process and Make Its Outcome Public Despite the importance of advisory committees to S&T policy and national policies in general, many members of the scientific and technical communities are unaware of or misinformed about the processes used to create such committees or to appoint or nominate people to serve on them. As a result, they sometimes feel shut out of a process that can result in decisions that affect the nation.
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From page 46... ...
provides information on its Web site on the method and selection criteria related to its advisory committees and places Federal Register notices requesting nominations for a particular committee and later describing how a particular committee was formed. It also posts biographic and some general financial information (such as sources of research support)
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From page 47... ...
They must disclose financial conflicts of interest and are subject to severe criminal penalties for advising the government on matters in which they, their family members, their company, or their institution may be found to have a particular interest. A fourth category of people serving on federal agency committees is "Consultant." Consultants serve for only one com mittee meeting under agency conflict-of-interest rules or possibly several committee meetings under OGE conflict-of-interest rules when designated as SGEs.
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From page 48... ...
Administration officials should broadly announce the intent to create an advisory committee or appoint new members to an existing committee and should provide an opportunity for relevant and interested parties to suggest nominees A model for this process is that used by the EPA Science Advisory Board, which provides information on its Web site on the method and selection criteria used to select the members of its advisory committees. In addition, EPA places Federal Register notices requesting nominations for a particular committee, provides forms on its Web site so nominations can be easily suggested, and later describes how a particular committee was formed.
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From page 49... ...
Improve the Advisory Committee Appointment Process in the Bureaucracy The Committee Management Secretariat (CMS) was created in 1972 under FACA to monitor and report on executive branch compliance with FACA.
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From page 50... ...
Staff who process advisory committee membership nomi nations and who manage advisory committee operations should be properly trained senior employees familiar with the importance and nuances of the advisory committee process, including a clear understanding of the appropriateness of the questions that candi dates should and should not be asked. In its discussions with experts on the current status of the committee-management system, the present committee found that the GS level of the staff who process committee-nomination packages for the secretary or administrator of an agency has been decreasing.
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