Congressional Justifications for 2001 Estimates

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY

The Office of Administration provides general Departmental support such as management analysis, human resource management, training, correspondence and scheduling for the Secretary, staffing and performance analysis, general building and office services, as well as special activities directly assigned by the Secretary. Field Administration staff also provide management information services, including reports and statistics, as well as direct and essential daily administrative support to program operations.

WORKLOAD

1. HEADQUARTERS

The Assistant Secretary for Administration is responsible for the development and promulgation of policies, standards, procedures, systems and materials related to the resource and administrative management of the Department and for the execution of such policies and directives at Headquarters and in the field. The Office of Administration is headed by an Assistant Secretary who has a General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration and two Deputy Assistant Secretaries (DAS) who are responsible for delivery of all administrative Services. They are the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technical Services. The organization has eleven offices: Office of Management and Planning, Office of Executive Scheduling, Office of Executive Secretariat, Office of Special Actions, Office of Real Estate Management Support, Office of Grants Management and Compliance, Office of Departmental Policy and Oversight Support, Office of Administrative and Management Services, Office of Human Resources, Office of Information Technology, HUD Training Academy, and three Field Operating Units located in the cities of New York, Atlanta, and Denver. In addition, the Office of Administration provides consolidated administrative support to Administration employees, including budget formulation and execution. The Deputy Assistant Secretaries and associated offices are responsible for carrying out administration support functions that enable HUD's ability to execute its mission.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations is responsible for oversight, management, and quality delivery of all Office of Administration services provided to all internal HUD customers. This function is supported by three customer focused divisions at Headquarters and three customer focused Field operating units located in New York City, Atlanta, and Denver. Specifically, these organizational units carry out the following functions:

• The Office of Real Estate Management Support is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all Real Estate Management customers in the Department including such offices as: Housing, Public and Indian Housing, Enforcement Center, Real Estate Assessment Center, Ginnie Mae, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, and the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring. This Office is responsible for providing quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements for the above Departmental organizations. This Office is also responsible for providing Departmental customers "one stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, space management, and facilities management.
• The Office of Grants Management and Compliance is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all Grants Management and Compliance customers in the Department including such offices as: Community Planning and Development, and Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. This Office is responsible for providing quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements for the above Departmental organizations. This Office also provides its Departmental customers "one-stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, space management, and facilities management.
• The Office of Departmental Policy and Oversight Support is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all Departmental Policy and Oversight customers in the Department including such offices as: Office of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, Chief Financial Officer, Policy Development and Research, Chief Procurement Officer, Administration, Office of the General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of Lead Hazard Control, Office of Field Policy and Management, Public Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, and the Office of the Inspector General. This Office is responsible for providing quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements for the above Departmental organizations. This Office will also provide its Departmental customers "one stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, space management, and facilities management.
• Field Operations for New England, New York/New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest (ASC-1) is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all field offices in its geographical area. Field Operations provides quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements within its geographical area. This Office also provides its customers "one-stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, and other administrative resources as required by its field offices.
• Field Operations for the Southeast/Caribbean and Southwest (ASC-2) is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all field offices in its geographical area. Field Operations provides quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements within its geographical area. This office also provides its customers "one-stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, and other administrative resources as required by its field offices.
• Field Operations for Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Pacific/Hawaii, Northwest/Alaska (ASC-3) is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative customer service to all field offices in its geographical area. Field Operations provides quality and timely customer service and is the single point of contact for all administrative requirements within its geographical area. This office will also provide its customers "one stop shopping" for the following services: human resources, training, information technology, and other administrative resources as required by its field offices.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technical Services is responsible for providing technical services and deep specialty skills needs to support the Department's mission, and enable the DAS for Operations to provide quality customer-focused service delivery to all internal HUD customers. This function is supported by four offices which have overall responsibility for providing technical services in their organizational specialty areas. These offices provide the Office of Administration with the following core cross-functional services: statutory and regulatory support, training support, performance standards development, quality control, specialty skill leadership, and project support for Departmental national initiatives.

• The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is responsible for planning, developing, administering and evaluating all personnel programs for the Department except training. This includes overseeing the payroll processing services provided by the National Finance Center (NFC) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture; improving recruitment and selection procedures; maintaining the Departmental position management program; providing advice and assistance on performance and conduct problems; implementing and administering the HUD/American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) contract and overseeing implementation and administration of HUD/National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) agreements in several field offices; providing support of executive services activities, which includes the Executive Performance Appraisal System and Senior Executive Service Awards programs; implementing the Departmental Performance Management System; promoting a drug-free work place; and providing employee support through the Employee Assistance Program.

  The Employee Service Center (ESC) is part of the OHR. The ESC streamlines the delivery of benefits and processing services for the entire Department by consolidating these activities into one location. The primary services provided by the ESC are Benefits line, Employee Express, and personnel interface with the NFC which provides payroll services. Benefits-line provides 24-hour access to general benefits information and Employee Express provides the opportunity to directly change selected benefits and other designations by touch tone telephone. The Employee Service Center is located in Chicago, Illinois, and reports to the Director, Office of Human Resources, in Headquarters.

• The HUD Training Academy (HTA) is responsible for providing a cost-effective and coordinated strategy for the delivery of training and employee development programs which support the objectives and goals of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The HTA is the center for HUD staff training; provides mission and occupational training in support of Departmental priorities; provides for individual training needs through internal training programs and partnerships established with colleges and universities; provides needs assessments and evaluations for its programs and activities; and delivers training to Field locations using innovative technology such as distance learning and video conference systems. The HTA consists of two Institutes:
• The Program Technical Training Institute provides technical training, retraining of HUD employees for new and changing skills, and coordination of training with intermediaries. It also manages the distance learning/satellite system; and
• The Employee and Management Development Institute administers career enhancement and professional skills development at the general workforce and supervisory/management levels, for example: implementation of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) Program; administration of Learning Resource Centers; professional skills development programs for non-supervisory employees; and career counseling. It also manages the establishment of educational partnerships Departmentwide for achieving technical and cross training for all employees.
• The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has responsibility for Departmental information technology operations and services. Funding for this Office is provided in the Working Capital Fund. A more detailed description of the information technology activities is provided under the justification for the Working Capital Fund.
• The Office of Administrative and Management Services (OAMS) is responsible for the development, administration and evaluation of all administrative services for the Department. These services include, but are not limited to: Headquarters facilities management; Departmental space and telephone management; paperwork management; property management; mail and distribution services; transportation and safety services; and overall management of printing and visual arts activities.

The following offices report directly to the Assistant Secretary:

• The Office of Management and Planning (OMAP) is the Department's internal consultant organization. OMAP's principal responsibility is to provide leadership for productivity and management improvements in the Department. To do so, the Office assists in the development of performance plans and measures as required by the Government Performance and Results Act. It conducts studies and collects documentation of best practices and communicates this information within the Department. OMAP monitors progress on performance goals and initiatives, intervenes as needed to assist managers to resolve problems, and reports on items tracked in the Annual Performance Plan. In addition, OMAP provides management services to the Department, assisting HUD managers with team-building and decision support through management consulting and the use of the Collaborative Meeting Center.
• OMAP also provides oversight of contracts assigned to the Office of Administration. This oversight is conducted through the Contract Oversight Division which has a staff of Government Technical Representatives (GTRs). The GTRs provide contract oversight and monitoring functions to ensure that services and products delivered to the Department are efficient, effective and within cost. The staff coordinates with the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer and provides advice and guidance to program officials, Government Technical Monitors (GTMs), and contractor personnel in matters involving contract administration. Funding for a portion of the GTRs--those providing oversight and monitoring of Information Technology contracts--will be paid from the Working Capital Fund. The balance of funding for OMAP will be paid from the Salaries & Expenses, HUD account.
• The Office of Executive Scheduling consolidates Departmental executive scheduling, correspondence control and related activities under the Director of Executive Scheduling. The Office considers requests for meetings, appointments, and public appearances by the Secretary and senior Departmental officials, and prepares briefing papers for the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and other Principal Staff. The Office also provides related support for the Department's senior officials and acts as a liaison with key Departmental personnel, diverse external groups and officials, and national organizations requesting Secretarial appearances.
• The Executive Secretariat serves as the central coordinating office for all correspondence to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary, and is responsible for providing the following services:
1. reviewing for assignment of action all incoming official correspondence addressed to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary, as well as all incoming correspondence from Members of Congress addressed to Department personnel, and reviewing all outgoing correspondence prepared for the signatures of the Secretary or Deputy Secretary for responsiveness and timeliness;
2. maintaining current files on all matters involving the Secretary's and Deputy Secretary's mail, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records, White House mail, General Accounting Office (GAO) reports, Congressional reports, and Departmental policy;
3. disseminating requests for information emanating personally from the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary to key personnel for action, and monitoring these assignments in order to meet established deadlines;
4. providing assistance to program areas by: (1) developing responses of either a programmatic or policy nature in situations where large volumes of identical or similar correspondence is addressed to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary; and (2) preparing the responses for the signature of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary, or other members of the Department's staff as appropriate; and
5. performing special projects as assigned by the Secretary.
2. The Office of Special Actions is a small entrepreneurial staff which acts as a catalyst for the development of public/private partnerships which support economic development in communities across the United States. The Office functions as conveyer and expediter for new collaborations with foundations, educational institutions, corporations, non-profit groups, faith-based organizations, State and local governments, and other Federal agencies. This Office works with the Office of Congressional Relations to inform Members of Congress about HUD programs and initiatives. In addition, the Office of Special Actions maintains liaison with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to explore various partnership opportunities in the areas of community empowerment and economic development. Further, the Office handles special projects as designated by the Secretary to manage the Department's coordinated relief efforts for communities hit by Presidentially declared natural disasters. The Office of Special Actions coordinates HUD's response to national disasters involving both disaster preparedness and relief activities. Other principal initiatives coordinated by the Office include: church arson rebuilding project, veterans affairs, District of Columbia revitalization project, the faith community outreach initiative, and the St. Petersburg, Florida, Federal task force.
3. FIELD

The Office of Administration field staff are located in three Administrative Service Centers (ASCs). The ASCs service all of HUD's program field office locations and staff located in the field. The ASC Directors are responsible for directing and monitoring administrative activities in their jurisdictions and for insuring coordinated delivery of all administrative services to field managers and employees. The ASCs provide human resource services, administrative resource services, and information technology services, which are described below.

The Human Resources Services function consists of the full range of personnel services, such as recruiting, position classification, implementing and administering the Department's agreements with AFGE and NFFE, and the provision of quality advisory services to managers about these human resources functions. These services are conducted through the three ASCs for the HUD field staff. Besides these services, the Employee Service Center (discussed under the Office of Human Resources) provides benefits and payroll services for HUD employees nationwide.

The Administrative Resources Services consists of a wide variety of support activities including procurement of goods and services, mail handling, communication services, space management, transit subsidy services, inventory controls, printing support, and property and paperwork management. The management function consists of a wide variety of activities, principally organization and management analysis, coordination of Departmental management plan systems within the former regional areas, and the monitoring and analysis of resource utilization within the ASCs. Staff providing these services are distributed among both the Administrative Service Centers and State and Area field offices, with policy guidance and management provided by staff at the Service Center level.

Information Technology Services are principally related to automated data processing systems including setting up ADP equipment in accordance with system architecture and the subsequent maintenance of ADP equipment. The services also consist of data management, reporting and information services, hardware and software installations for PCs and servers, trouble-shooting on all hardware and software in each field office, web page updates, developing local systems, and providing monitoring and technical assistance in the areas of data quality, special studies, and reports and statistics. The services are provided in both State and Area field offices, with the responsibility for policy guidance and technical assistance residing at the Service Center level. Funding for this activity, implemented through the ASCs in the field, will be paid from the Working Capital Fund.

TRAVEL

The table below identifies travel requirements unique to this activity.



The requested travel funding principally reflects the Department's continued efforts to provide a cost-effective and coordinated strategy for the delivery of training and employee development programs. It is integral to the success of HUD's Management Reform Initiatives which requires that the occupational performance of all HUD employees be raised to a level of excellence. The amount requested for training reflects the need to train employees in skills needed to perform new duties to implement HUD 2020.

CONTRACTS

The table below identifies contract requirements unique to this activity.



Management Studies. These funds assist HUD management in assessing the quality and impact of recommendations for implementation of HUD 2020. No change to the fiscal year 2000 level is proposed for fiscal year 2001.

Technical Services. These funds are for specialized technical support which are not identified in other categories, such as payroll processing services provided by the National Finance Center (NFC) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. An increase of $50 thousand is requested for fiscal year 2001.

Data and Statistical Services. These funds principally reflect HUD's share of the costs of preparing the Single Audit Clearinghouse Report, prepared by the Department of Commerce. No change to the fiscal year 2000 level is proposed for fiscal year 2001.

General Support Services. This category includes a variety of contractual services which are not covered under the other major contract types. Some examples of these contractual services are: facilities management, space alterations, mail services, administrative hearing and court services, visual arts, and credit information services. These funds also cover the cost of cross-discipline activities such as conferences, meetings, regional summits, marketing and outreach activities, and workshops held for current and potential HUD customers, local officials, housing providers and organizations to develop and implement strategic plans related to accomplishing the Department's mission. These funds would also cover associated costs such as rental of video and audio equipment and exhibit space. An increase of $601 thousand is requested in fiscal year 2001.