1998 Explanatory Notes USDA Forest Service Line Management GA finances the salary, benefits, travel, training, and secretarial support for Forest Service line managers in the Washington Office and field units, such as the Chief, Associate Chief, Regional Foresters, Research Station Directors, Forest Supervisors, District Rangers, and other specifically designated positions. Program Support GA finances salary, benefits, travel, and training for overall coordination and management of business management activities when financing by benefiting programs is not appropriate. Administrative functions financed mostly by GA include: program development and budget, civil rights, policy and management analysis, fiscal and accounting services, and office management. Other administrative activities are financed by benefiting programs to the extent possible. The first source of funding for all administrative costs is the direct project to the extent that a cost relationship can be identified. Only after all practical and justifiable means have been exhausted will these costs be charged to GA. Additional information on the array of administrative activities throughout the Forest Service organization funded in whole or in part by general administration follows: Legislative Affairs: The Legislative Affairs Staff has the primary responsibility for providing information to Congress and other parts of the Executive Branch to facilitate consideration and disposition of all matters of Congressional interest, except for appropriations. (The Program Development and Budget Staff has primary responsibility for appropriations.) Legislative Affairs tracks, analyzes, drafts, and clears positions on pending legislation; responds to Congressional oversight; and prepares the Department's legislative program for the Forest Service. These activities occur primarily at the Washington Office level and are financed by GA funds. Program Development and Budget: Program development and budget activities occur at all levels in the Forest Service and are financed primarily by GA. Budget staffs are responsible for developing, justifying, allocating, and managing annual Agency budgets which reflect overall policies and specific program priorities, objectives, outputs, targets, and work force and funding requirements. Program development and budget activities include: formulation of budget proposals reflective of national priorities and strategic direction; budget justifications to USDA, OMB, and Congress; budget execution in accordance with Congressional appropriations and direction; accountability and control; and an annual report that assesses achievement of Agency goals. Resources Program and Assessment: The Forest Service's resources program and assessment activities fulfill strategic planning and national resource assessment needs of the Agency and requirements of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974, and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. The activities undertaken for the RPA Program are funded by GA because they involve planning and coordination across all resource areas and Forest Service programs. The RPA Assessment activities are carried out and funded primarily by Forest Service Research and provide information essential to the strategic planning process. 193 Explanatory Notes USDA Forest Service relations, labor relations, training, work force information, personnel systems, management improvement, safety, health, security, suitability, and special employment programs such as cooperative education. Civil Rights: The civil rights program embraces the concept of a multicultural organization and strives to eliminate discrimination in employment and program delivery for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, marital status, age, and disabilities. The program objective is to ensure fairness in all Forest Service activities, including contracting, public access, grant, education, employment, public service, data collection, and employee rights. The Civil Rights Staff is responsible for current efforts focusing on training and development, work environment, standards for accountability, balancing career and personal needs, recognition, and outreach and recruitment. Three examples of outreach and recruitment programs are: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Service Institutions (HSI), and the Summer Intern Program. The HBCU program strengthens relationships with the 1890 Land Grant Institutions through cooperative projects that include research, teaching, and public service. HSI focuses on creating awareness and interest of Hispanics in natural resources and related fields. The Summer Intern Program places a culturally diverse group of students throughout the Forest Service. Activities are funded by both GA and benefiting programs. Information Systems and Technology: The information systems and technology program provides leadership and expertise in supporting information resources management and providing information systems technology that supports the business and mission of the Forest Service. The program provides enabling technology for the Agency to manage the Nation's land and natural resources in an ecologically sound manner. Program activities include: acquiring operating, and maintaining a modern telecommunications and distributed computing system infrastructure; administering a quality data and application standards program and repository; providing tools and expertise to support the Agency's need to reengineer and improve business processes; providing systems, standards, and protocols to support broad-scale information sharing, workgroup collaboration, decision support and policy formulation; and coordinating with Congress and oversight agencies. Information systems and technology activities are funded by both GA and benefiting programs. Procurement, Property Management, and Federal Assistance: This activity provides support to Forest Service managers for the acquisition, use, and disposal of a wide variety of goods and services within the framework of laws, regulations, and sound business practices. Activities include planning, directing and managing procurement, property, and grants and agreements programs to respond to Agency needs; delegating procurement authority to qualified individuals; staying abreast of new technology and market developments; assisting in the establishment and development of small, minority-owned and woman-owned businesses in coordination with the U.S. Small Business Administration; establishing and adjusting rental rates for about 5,000 housing units, including trailer space facilities each year, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5911; and managing the recycling program. Property management is funded by GA, unless the benefiting activity can be identified. Procurement and federal assistance is funded by both GA and benefiting programs. Fiscal and Accounting Services: Major work activities include: processing payments and collections; managing debt collections; conducting external and internal audits; operating finance and accounting systems through the USDA National Finance Center (NFC) consistent with requirements of GAO, OMB, and Department of the Treasury; providing oversight and direction for accounting guidelines; emphasizing fund accountability, collecting receipts, auditing vouchers and disbursements; and complying with Office of Inspector General (OIG) and General Accounting Office (GAO) audits and Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA), Chief Financial Officer Act (CFO), and Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requirements. Fiscal and accounting services are financed by GA except for activities such as claims, special use permits, concessionaire audits, fire suppression support, 1998 Explanatory Notes USDA, Forest Service working capital fund accounting, and timber sales accounting. Public Affairs: Public affairs activities provide information to enable the public to enjoy national forests, to understand Agency programs or actions, and to participate in Forest Service policy and resource management decisions. This program is funded by both GA and benefiting activities. Forest Service public affairs specialists: nurture and improve public relationships; support management in assessing the public impacts of decisions and activities; prepare and implement communication plans and actions, resulting in improved public knowledge of natural resources and human benefits; work with media and interest groups to explain Forest Service programs and activities; and support improved communication among employees to better accomplish the Agency's mission. Office Equipment and Supplies: Most general office supplies are charged to GA because they cannot be readily identified with the user at the time they are ordered. National Finance Center (NFC): NFC provides payment and accounting services for USDA agencies. The Forest Service obtains such services as: complete administrative payment processing, payroll computation, payment and related reports, and required accounting records and financial reports. NFC uses revolving fund financing principles and charges its users for services provided in order to recover its costs. Charges to users are based on an algorithm that considers such factors as volume of documents processed, number of errors, and number of inquiries. The NFC budget is included and justified in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Forest Service work at NFC is financed from GA. Other USDA Services: This covers the miscellaneous services provided to the Forest Service by USDA. Examples are security guards, central imprest, design center, printing plant, and the contract automation system. The costs are distributed to the agencies based on the volume of business generated by each agency and by the size of each agency. These activities are charged to GA and other benefiting activities as appropriate. • Program in FY 1998 At the proposed budget we will focus on improving financial management. We need to address major financial management weaknesses identified by the Office of the Inspector General and the General Accounting Office and to comply with ever increasing laws and regulations. We will strive to maintain other minimal core administrative functions and to make some progress on reengineering. Reengineering business processes, such as travel, purchasing, personnel, training, special use permits, and budgeting, is essential to enable us to do more with fewer dollars. Current upfront investments are necessary for future efficiencies and improvements. 1998 Explanatory Notes USDA Forest Service We expect delays in ongoing efforts to: reduce interest payments to vendors; automate personnel administration processes; expand and improve projects that promote employment of individuals in underrepresented groups; deliver services to the public and partners; and implement Project 615 hardware and software programs to the extent they are funded by GA. Project 615 is an effort to provide a modern open systems computing environment that meets business needs and replaces existing aging computer technology. Fixed costs are paid proportional to actual use. As GA declines and uses proportionally less of fixed services, resources and research programs will use and pay proportionally more. This realignment of costs will affect program outputs and results. Resource and research programs will also be affected by the need for program personnel to perform more direct administrative work while the general level of administrative support declines. 1 |