Important Ethics Rules Every IPA Detailee Must Know

Are you a private citizen working for a Federal agency under the authority of Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). The IPA is a personnel law that allows the Federal Government to bring in outside experts and others to work on a temporary detail. As an IPA detailee you are subject to all applicable Federal laws, include the Ethics laws. The Ethics rules are based on criminal statutes and require you to avoid conflicts of interest. Adhering to Ethics laws as well as the Hatch Act rules limiting partisan political activities helps maintain the American people’s trust in their government. This video provides a quick overview of some of the important rules applicable to IPA detailees. The video also provides practical advice that you can use right away to avoid potential Ethics problems and uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality. These are core functions of the USDA Office of Ethics as we help U.S. Department of Agriculture employees and IPA detailees safely navigate Federal Ethics requirements. If you are a USDA employee, or a USDA IPA detailee, and have any questions contact the Office of Ethics at: www.usda.gov/oe. To learn even more about the Federal Ethics rules, you can play the new interactive USDA-NASA Ethics Training Game which combines space exploration and food sustainability with real-life Ethics issues. You can find the Ethics Game at www.usda.gov/oe. And, as a ready reference, download the innovative, and free, USDA Ethics App. Search “USDA Ethics” available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.