List of Toxic Federal Agencies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given all of the posts about DS and USAID, would I be crazy to consider applying to be a GEO overseas? I won’t be able to continue my current career at our new post. DH is military working out of an embassy for the first time. I am not sharing these posts with him.

Not crazy, but realize you are doing it to stay employed, gain a new skill, or for another reason. You also have a light at the end of the tunnel if you don't like it - your spouse will move and so will you.

I appreciate the perspective. I was just gently discouraged from applying since there is another candidate they like who has fewer relevant qualifications than I do. I am now debating if it would be worth the drama if I managed to get hired.

[Anonymous]

Office of Federal Student Aid is a mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True, USAID OIG could be FUBAR. The OIG community as a whole holds itself to high standards but not this office. USAID OIG is a hot mess of blind careerists, cliques, and clueless managers. I wish I could call the IG Hotline on some of the stuff I see.

You could make a hotline complaint, but that probably wouldn’t go very far since that goes to Investigations and the DAIGI would squash it as disgruntled employees. If you have actual, solid, proven by evidence complaints, I’d recommended sending a letter to the Congressional committee’s that oversee USAID and also to the CIGIE Integrity Committee. CIGIE’s committee reviews complaints against OIG execs, it is led by 2 IGs and overseen by the FBI. You could also send a complaint to GAO. DHS OIG was investigated by both and it didn’t turn out very well for them, they are still in shambles.

If the issues are just gripes and disagreement on how they are managing the agency, I’d recommend finding a new place to work because sometimes you just have to leave what you perceive as toxic because your thoughts there will not change for the better, regardless of who is in charge. I’ve been there, done that, and never looked back.

100% A lot of the complaints amount to people not liking that a certain decision was made. Fine. Maybe a better one could be made or there are multiple options that are good or bad, but was the choice unethical? Illegal? Did you just not like it? Usually it amounts to the last one. If you know your leadership was violating the law, policy, or regulation AND YOU PROVIDE WITNESS NAMES AND WHERE TO GET PROOF, even a reluctant DAIGI will move that forward. Saying someone hires people you don't like and doesn't take your advice is not a punishable offense; providing a generic sky is falling and everyone is corrupt complaint also won't go far.

You are right. USAID OIG Senior leadership decisions are not exactly illegal. "Unethical" is really hard to prove. There is always a justification for every decision. For example, all those senior leaders hired by the former IG was done through panels. While she made the final decision, she can hide behind the panel sending those names forward. But we are not dumb. we know how this works. That's why nobody actually files the hotline complaint. It's rubbish...and it's all subtle. The appearance of these decisions and actions is another thing, but OIGs only use the appearance argument against the auditee, not internally. The former IG knows some of her executive hires were really bad. If not, two of them would not have been demoted/removed from their position and another chased out the door. And now her bad decision to hire AIGM is wrecking havoc on the organization.

The point that multiple posters are making is that the leadership decisions made have led ZERO IMPROVEMENTS. ZERO! And morale continues to decline. As another poster said, 5 years of survey results show the dissatisfaction. The lack of real leadership is driving the organization into the ground. BTW, you sound like one of our lackluster executives. If by chance this is true, then answer this: why can't we keep good talent? Every good employee leaves this organization after 2-3 years, if they make it that long? the good employees that do stay are mostly foreign service. They are stuck stick it out for the FS benefits. We've had quite a few employees leave after being here just a couple of months, especially in the management office. You know this organization is toxic. You know that our management office and their leaders are trash. Don't act like you don't know the truth!

I was speaking as someone who sees a lot of hotline complaints, not to your situation. Most complaints don’t have the information needed to start an investigation and then people complain nothing gets done. You sound very unhappy. Why stay if you are unhappy?

[Anonymous]

Hotline person: What in your view makes for an actionable complaint?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The statistical agencies can be toxic.

Thank you for posting about something other than OIG

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hotline person: What in your view makes for an actionable complaint?

1) provide witness names
2) be very specific: list the contract, office, personnel, etc involved. Grade may help because OIGs need to report out senior official misconduct. That’s usually GS-15 or above.
3) what law, policy, or regulation do you think is being violated? You don’t have to be correct, but a lot of complaints just say “this is waste, fraud, and abuse” because OIGs investigate list that on their hotline.
4) don’t be anonymous. It helps if I can reach back to you when I read the complaint and can go back to you. You also have more protection as a named complainant that an anonymous reporter if you think you face retaliation

We get this kind of complaint, “John Doe said we had to fund the whatever project. He wants the funding to go to his buddies who work there. There is no reason to fund this project! I want to stop the waste, fraud, and abuse”

We will not refer this to an investigator or their bosses won’t take it if we do.

Better: “John Doe, Senior Executive for Widgets, Office of Widgets, wants us to fund the Widget Reduction Program. This is not an agency priority, but Doe is pushing for a sole source contract to Good Old Boy Widgets because he used to work with John Smith, CEO. John Doe has mentioned he is interested in returning to the private sector and may use this contract to get a job at GOBW. The value of this program means we cannot issue a sole source contract. You can find more information by talking to Jane Doe, Contracting Officer, Joe Jones, Subject Matter Expert for Widgets, and Mary Smith, who overheard Doe say how he would like to work for GOBW.”

[Anonymous]

Hotline person: thank you for that very specific and helpful response.

[Anonymous]

back in 2018 I applied for and accepted a job at USAID OIG in HR. A friend of mine told me not to leave my job for USAID OIG. She connected me with her friend that works there and I am so glad she did.

My jaw dropped from everything the employee told me. They specifically went into detail about one of the consultants that is best friends with the former IG. Apparently this consultant had more authority than the actual HR director and was known to bully staff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The employee connected me to another USAID OIG employee that confirmed these accounts. Also, that consultant was on my interview panel. I thought that was strange, but didn't think too much about it until hearing from the employees.

I pulled out a week before starting. I felt really bad about doing that, but I did not want to work in a toxic environment. The USAID OIG job would have been a promotion. It's true what they say. Every promotion is not a good promotion. Reading these posts, I know I dodged a bullet. I feel like this thread will spare someone else from making a bad decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:back in 2018 I applied for and accepted a job at USAID OIG in HR. A friend of mine told me not to leave my job for USAID OIG. She connected me with her friend that works there and I am so glad she did.

My jaw dropped from everything the employee told me. They specifically went into detail about one of the consultants that is best friends with the former IG. Apparently this consultant had more authority than the actual HR director and was known to bully staff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The employee connected me to another USAID OIG employee that confirmed these accounts. Also, that consultant was on my interview panel. I thought that was strange, but didn't think too much about it until hearing from the employees.

I pulled out a week before starting. I felt really bad about doing that, but I did not want to work in a toxic environment. The USAID OIG job would have been a promotion. It's true what they say. Every promotion is not a good promotion. Reading these posts, I know I dodged a bullet. I feel like this thread will spare someone else from making a bad decision.

How is it okay for nonagency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position?

I was just questioning what a colleague told me: he is interviewing for a position in a different area and his boss and her boss on the interview panel. I have never heard of this happening before and wonder about the propriety. But having a nonfederal employee on the panel is even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True, USAID OIG could be FUBAR. The OIG community as a whole holds itself to high standards but not this office. USAID OIG is a hot mess of blind careerists, cliques, and clueless managers. I wish I could call the IG Hotline on some of the stuff I see.

What's a blind careerist and why is it bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:back in 2018 I applied for and accepted a job at USAID OIG in HR. A friend of mine told me not to leave my job for USAID OIG. She connected me with her friend that works there and I am so glad she did.

My jaw dropped from everything the employee told me. They specifically went into detail about one of the consultants that is best friends with the former IG. Apparently this consultant had more authority than the actual HR director and was known to bully staff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The employee connected me to another USAID OIG employee that confirmed these accounts. Also, that consultant was on my interview panel. I thought that was strange, but didn't think too much about it until hearing from the employees.

I pulled out a week before starting. I felt really bad about doing that, but I did not want to work in a toxic environment. The USAID OIG job would have been a promotion. It's true what they say. Every promotion is not a good promotion. Reading these posts, I know I dodged a bullet. I feel like this thread will spare someone else from making a bad decision.

How is it okay for nonagency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position?

I was just questioning what a colleague told me: he is interviewing for a position in a different area and his boss and her boss on the interview panel. I have never heard of this happening before and wonder about the propriety. But having a nonfederal employee on the panel is even worse.

It's not ok for non agency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position. But that's the kind of shenanigans that go on at USAID OIG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The statistical agencies can be toxic.

Like which ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:back in 2018 I applied for and accepted a job at USAID OIG in HR. A friend of mine told me not to leave my job for USAID OIG. She connected me with her friend that works there and I am so glad she did.

My jaw dropped from everything the employee told me. They specifically went into detail about one of the consultants that is best friends with the former IG. Apparently this consultant had more authority than the actual HR director and was known to bully staff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The employee connected me to another USAID OIG employee that confirmed these accounts. Also, that consultant was on my interview panel. I thought that was strange, but didn't think too much about it until hearing from the employees.

I pulled out a week before starting. I felt really bad about doing that, but I did not want to work in a toxic environment. The USAID OIG job would have been a promotion. It's true what they say. Every promotion is not a good promotion. Reading these posts, I know I dodged a bullet. I feel like this thread will spare someone else from making a bad decision.

How is it okay for nonagency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position?

I was just questioning what a colleague told me: he is interviewing for a position in a different area and his boss and her boss on the interview panel. I have never heard of this happening before and wonder about the propriety. But having a nonfederal employee on the panel is even worse.

It's not ok for non agency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position. But that's the kind of shenanigans that go on at USAID OIG.

You are wrong about this. No rule or regulation against it. And in fact many people are now encouraging including people outside of the agency on interviews to encourage diversity of thought and outside perspectives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Office of Federal Student Aid is a mess

Yes it is. Department of ED was a terrible place to work. It's so politicized. Even though their main business is handling the back end of student loan programs, Repubs always trying to shut them down as though their functions won't continue elsewhere. Management was always so rude and condescending and looking around for scapegoats. It SUCKED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:back in 2018 I applied for and accepted a job at USAID OIG in HR. A friend of mine told me not to leave my job for USAID OIG. She connected me with her friend that works there and I am so glad she did.

My jaw dropped from everything the employee told me. They specifically went into detail about one of the consultants that is best friends with the former IG. Apparently this consultant had more authority than the actual HR director and was known to bully staff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The employee connected me to another USAID OIG employee that confirmed these accounts. Also, that consultant was on my interview panel. I thought that was strange, but didn't think too much about it until hearing from the employees.

I pulled out a week before starting. I felt really bad about doing that, but I did not want to work in a toxic environment. The USAID OIG job would have been a promotion. It's true what they say. Every promotion is not a good promotion. Reading these posts, I know I dodged a bullet. I feel like this thread will spare someone else from making a bad decision.

How is it okay for nonagency staff to be on the interview panel for a federal position?

I was just questioning what a colleague told me: he is interviewing for a position in a different area and his boss and her boss on the interview panel. I have never heard of this happening before and wonder about the propriety. But having a nonfederal employee on the panel is even worse.

Having your own boss on the interview panel can sometimes be unavoidable, depending on what you're applying for. It's not in itself a problem and at most agencies it's not a faux pas to openly apply for other jobs within the same agency. In fact, you can burn bridges by not telling your boss you're applying. We do look at the applicant list before choosing the panel, though, to try to avoid stuff like that if possible.