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Delivering Government Solutions in the 21St Century Organization Design Principles and Recommendations

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Delivering Government Solutions in the 21St Century Organization Design Principles and Recommendations Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The Mandate for Reform .............................................................. 2 II. Organizational Reform Principles ����������������������������������������������� 8 III. Overview of Organizational Alignment Priorities ...........................14 IV. Looking Ahead ..........................................................................20 V. Government-wide Reorganization Proposals .................................22 Department of Education and the Workforce ���������������������������������������������������23 Consolidate Non-Commodity Nutrition Assistance Programs into HHS, Rename HHS the Department of Health and Public Welfare, and Establish the Council on Public Assistance �����������������������������������������������27 Consolidate Mission Alignment of Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works with Those of Other Federal Agencies �����������������������������������������������������������30 Reorganize Primary Federal Food Safety Functions into a Single Agency, the Federal Food Safety Agency ���������������������������������������������������������������������32 Move Select USDA Housing Programs to HUD �������������������������������������������������35 Merge the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) with the U�S� Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) �������������������������������������������������37 Consolidation of Environmental Cleanup Programs �����������������������������������������39 Optimization of Humanitarian Assistance ������������������������������������������������������41 Development Finance Institution �������������������������������������������������������������������45 Structural Transformation of Central Washington-Based Bureaus at the U�S� Agency for International Development �������������������������������������������47 Reorganizing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management ����������������������������������� 51 Consolidation of Federal Veterans Cemeteries �������������������������������������������������57 Reorganizing Economic Statistical Agencies �������������������������������������������������� 60 Consolidation of the Department of Energy’s Applied Energy Offices and Mission Refocus �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������63 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The Mandate for Reform .............................................................. 2 Divesting Federal Transmission Assets ���������������������������������������������������������� 66 II. Organizational Reform Principles ����������������������������������������������� 8 Restructure the Postal Service ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 68 III. Overview of Organizational Alignment Priorities ...........................14 DOT Mission Adjustments �����������������������������������������������������������������������������71 IV. Looking Ahead ..........................................................................20 Reform Federal Role in Mortgage Finance �������������������������������������������������������75 V. Government-wide Reorganization Proposals .................................22 Create the Bureau of Economic Growth ����������������������������������������������������������78 Department of Education and the Workforce ���������������������������������������������������23 U�S� Public Health Service Commissioned Corps ����������������������������������������������81 Consolidate Non-Commodity Nutrition Assistance Programs into HHS, Improving NASA’s Agility through Increased Use of Federally Rename HHS the Department of Health and Public Welfare, Funded Research and Development Centers ���������������������������������������������������83 and Establish the Council on Public Assistance �����������������������������������������������27 Management Consolidation of Federal Consolidate Mission Alignment of Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Graduate Research Fellowships ���������������������������������������������������������������������85 with Those of Other Federal Agencies �����������������������������������������������������������30 Rationalize the Federal Real Property Approach ����������������������������������������������87 Reorganize Primary Federal Food Safety Functions into a Single Agency, Consolidate and Streamline Financial Literacy Efforts ������������������������������������ 90 the Federal Food Safety Agency ���������������������������������������������������������������������32 Streamline Small Business Programs �������������������������������������������������������������93 Move Select USDA Housing Programs to HUD �������������������������������������������������35 Consolidation of Certain Protective Details ���������������������������������������������������� 96 Merge the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Small Grants Consolidation �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 98 with the U�S� Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) �������������������������������������������������37 Transition to Electronic Government ������������������������������������������������������������ 100 Consolidation of Environmental Cleanup Programs �����������������������������������������39 Customer Experience (CX) Improvement Capability ���������������������������������������� 103 Optimization of Humanitarian Assistance ������������������������������������������������������41 Next Generation Federal Student Aid Processing & Servicing Environment ������� 106 Development Finance Institution �������������������������������������������������������������������45 Solving the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage ������������������������������������ 108 Structural Transformation of Central Washington-Based Bureaus at the U�S� Agency for International Development �������������������������������������������47 The GEAR Center ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 112 Reorganizing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management ����������������������������������� 51 Transfer of Background Investigations from the Office of Personnel Management to the Department of Defense ����������������������� 115 Consolidation of Federal Veterans Cemeteries �������������������������������������������������57 Strengthening Federal Evaluation ����������������������������������������������������������������� 118 Reorganizing Economic Statistical Agencies �������������������������������������������������� 60 Appendix: Agency-Specific Reform Proposals .................................. 122 Consolidation of the Department of Energy’s Applied Energy Offices and Mission Refocus �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������63 Bibliography ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 128 I. THE MANDATE FOR REFORM INTRODUCTION When America’s Founders wrote the Constitution, they laid out a clear vision for the United States Government: to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty. Moreover, they established Executive Branch organizations and structures to deliver on the Federal mission in ways appropriate to America’s needs at the time. Over successive generations, our Federal Government has evolved by expanding in scope and complexity to try to meet Americans’ needs. However, the organizational structures that underpin the Executive Branch have not always kept pace. REFORM PLAN AND REORGANIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS 3 Two decades into the 21st Century, the public still believes To that end, Executive Order (EO) 13781, entitled “Com- that the Federal Government serves critical roles, and prehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch,” in some areas performs them well.1 However, public highlights the need to evaluate the organizational con- trust in the Federal Government has declined over the structs that support today’s mission delivery objectives. last decade,2 calling into question how well the current Building on a history of bipartisan Government reform organizational constructs of Government are aligned to initiatives, the EO focuses specifically on the role of orga- meet Americans’ needs in the digital age. Government nizational alignment in reducing “duplication and redun- in the 21st Century is fundamentally a services business, dancy,” and improving “efficiency, effectiveness, and and modern information technology should be at the accountability of the executive branch.”4 heart of the U.S. Government service delivery model. And yet, today’s Executive Branch is still aligned to the This report outlines the Administration’s analysis and stove-piped organizational constructs of the 20th Cen- recommendations for structural realignment of the Exec- tury, which in many cases have grown inefficient and out- utive Branch to better serve the mission, service, and of-date. Consequently, the public and our workforce are stewardship needs of the American people. While some frustrated with Government’s ability to deliver its mission of the recommendations identified in this volume can be in an effective, efficient, and secure way. achieved via Executive administrative action, more signif- icant changes will require legislative action as well. At times of great change, the need to reinforce this common commitment to “government of the people, By sharing key findings, the Administration offers this by the people, and for the people”3
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