§ 0.735-3 - Counseling and advisory service.

(a) The General Counsel shall designate an employee of the Office of the General Counsel to serve as the Department Counselor and designee to the Civil Service Commission on matters covered by the regulations in this part. Employees shall be notified semiannually of the name and title of the Department Counselor and also upon the designation of a new employee to that position. The Department Counselor shall have overall responsibility for coordination of the Department's counseling and advisory service, and for assuring advice and interpretations on questions of conflict or apparent conflicts-of-interest and other matters covered by the regulations in this part are available to Deputy Counselors and Assistant Deputy Counselors hereinafter designated.

(b) The Director of Personnel and the Chief, Security and Employee Relations Division, Office of Personnel, shall be Department Deputy Counselors.

(c) Agency Heads will be Agency Deputy Counselors. If necessary, in order to assure that counseling and advisory service is available to all Washington and field employees, the Agency Head may designate as Agency Assistant Deputy Counselors such employees as are qualified and in a position to give authoritative advice and guidance on most matters covered by this part.

(d) All employees are to be notified of the availability of counseling and by whom this service is provided. Initial notification must be made within 90 days after issuance of this part, and perodically thereafter. A new employee or new special Government employee must be notified at or before the time of his or her entrance on duty.

(e) Each new employee shall be furnished at the time of hiring a copy of this part. Current employees shall be furnished a copy of these regulations within 90 days following issuance. Subsequent changes to these regulations will be furnished employees upon issuance. Each employee shall be reminded of the regulations in this part semiannually.

(f) The regulations in this part will be discussed with each employee annually in conjunction with the employee's performance evaluation. Each employee will certify on the performance evaluation form or other Agency form that he or she has a copy of this part and has discussed it with his or her supervisor.

(g) In addition to the counseling service set forth in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, 5 CFR 738 prescribes the naming of a Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) to administer Title II of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, to coordinate and manage the agency's ethics program, and to provide liaison with the Office of Government Ethics with regard to all aspects of the Ethics program. The Director of Personnel has been designated by the Secretary of Agriculture to serve as DAEO for USDA. The responsibilities and duties of the DAEO can be found in 5 CFR 738.203.