Skip to main content

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Administrative Streamlining Is Expected to Continue Through 2002

RCED-99-34 Published: Dec 11, 1998. Publicly Released: Jan 11, 1999.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) progress in streamlining its administrative operations, focusing on USDA's efforts to: (1) reduce the number of administrative staff departmentwide; (2) consolidate and streamline administrative support structures for seven field-based agencies, particularly at the state office level; and (3) measure the savings and efficiencies realized as a result of its departmentwide reorganization and streamlining efforts.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture To measure the economies and efficiencies gained by the departmentwide administrative streamlining, the Secretary of Agriculture should require the leaders for the seven mission areas, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Administration, the Chief Information Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer, to develop and implement performance measures for the Department's administrative operations that assess service delivery, efficiency, and quality.
Closed – Not Implemented
USDA concurred with GAO's recommendation, but noted that the "dynamics of the organization make it difficult to establish performance measures at the Department level that apply equally to all mission areas." The response also noted that some mission areas were investigating the use of software packages to increase their administrative efficiency and have streamlined administrative processes. The Department thought it prudent to observe and document progress and results of ongoing efforts before attempting to develop Department-wide measures for administrative streamlining.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Undersecretaries for the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, Natural Resources and Environment, and Rural Development to develop cost estimates for the complete implementation of administrative convergence.
Closed – Not Implemented
USDA agreed to determine the total estimated cost for the implementation of the Support Services Bureau. However, on October 1, 1999, Congress passed a moratorium on the implementation of USDA's Administrative Convergence Plan for fiscal year (FY) 2000. The same language is also in the FY2001 appropriation bill. Therefore, no action has been or is likely to be taken on this recommendation through at least FY2001.
Department of Agriculture To facilitate the effective implementation of the Administrative Convergence Plan, the Secretary of Agriculture, after approving the implementation plan, should move quickly to fill key leadership positions for the Support Services Bureau and charge the appointed officials with the responsibilities to carry out the plan.
Closed – Implemented
On February 3, 1999, the Secretary approved the Support Services Bureau Organizational Structure, naming an Acting Executive Director. Under the direction of the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, the Acting Executive Director directed the selection of key leadership and emphasized the importance of the team having the authority and responsibility to implement the new organization. A congressional moratorium on funds for the Support Services Bureau--initiated in the fiscal year (FY) 2000 appropriation, and continued in the FY2001 appropriation--prevented USDA from fully implementing this program.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

CentralizationFederal agency reorganizationFederal downsizingStaff utilizationPerformance measuresPersonnel managementReductions in forceStreamlining governmentReorganizationRural economic development