Congressional Justifications for 1998 Budget Estimates
Field Direction and Operational Support
Salaries and Expenses
Scope of Activity
The Field Direction and Operational Support activity funds staff
which: (a) direct and manage the Department's Field programs and
(b) provide cross-program technical support in the areas of economic
and market analysis and labor relations. Specifically, the Field
Direction function includes the staff required for the coordinated
administration of the Department's Field programs and activities
in accordance with delegated authority and with policy and other
directives of the Secretary or principal officials. Operational
Support presently includes two functions: economic and market analysis
(EMA), and labor relations. EMA and labor relations directly support
Housing and Community Planning and Development, and Public and Indian
Housing workload processing.
Field
Under the restructuring of HUD's Field organization, the 80 existing
Field Offices will continue to be maintained in 1997. However, many
of the traditional regional review and management oversight functions
have been eliminated, with as much authority and responsibility
as possible shifted to the Field Offices.
Fifty-two HUD offices have been designated as State Offices to
ensure the coordination of HUD programs to the states, including
the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These
offices will also serve individual communities and surrounding localities.
Another 29 HUD es hes��ave been designated as Area Offices, to serve
individual communities and their surrounding localities.
A. Field Direction Staff
1. Secretary's Representative
The position of Secretary's Representative was established in
the new organizational structure. There are 10 multistate jurisdictions,
each coordinated by a Secretary's Representative. They report
to the Secretary/Deputy Secretary and provide management oversight
and evaluation of the State/Area Coordinators. They also coordinate
the accomplishment of program and management priorities within
their multi-state jurisdictions. The groupings of states served
by each Secretary's Representative have been named after their
geographic regions, both for greater clarity and customer service.
Secretary's Representatives: (1) serve as the Secretary's "eyes
and ears" for their geographic area, and represent the Secretary
with governors, mayors, state officials, private sector groups
as well as broad-based interest groups; and act as the State Coordinator
for the state in which they are physically located; (2) take lead
responsibility for the implementation of the Customer Service
Plan, required by Executive Order; (3) evaluate the efficiency
and effectiveness of HUD programs within their jurisdiction, both
externally and internally; (4) serve as the primary point of contact
for coordination of HUD and other Federal programs within their
jurisdiction; and (5) coordinate disaster assistance activities.
Secretary's Representatives also provide management direction
to the operational support staff within their offices.
2. State/Area Coordinators
The State/Area Coordinator reports to the Secretary's Representative
within the appropriate geographic grouping. They coordinate the
accomplishment of management and program priorities within their
respective offices and make sure HUD customers are well served
by the Department.
State/Area Coordinators: (1) represent the Department for all
HUD programs within their geographic jurisdiction; (2) serve as
the Department's liaison with State and local officials, private
sector organizations and public interest groups; (3) coordinate
and implement the Customer Service Plan for their geographic jurisdiction;
(4) evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of HUD programs
within their geographic jurisdiction, both internally and externally.
State Coordinators also serve as the point of contact with State
and Federal Officials for their jurisdiction.
Salaries and Expenses, Housing and Urban Development
Budget Activity 12: Field Direction and Operational Support
B. Operational Support Staff
1. Labor Relations
The Field Office Labor Relations staff is responsible for ensuring
the proper and uniform administration and enforcement of construction
labor standards pertinent to all HUD programs within the office
jurisdiction and for advising the State/Area coordinator and program
managers on labor relations matters. Specific functions of a Labor
Relations staff include: processing wage requirements; conducting
labor standards investigations and compliance reviews; determining
maintenance wage rates for public housing agencies; providing
technical assistance and guidance to local public agencies on
labor standards/labor relations matters; promoting employment
and training opportunities for the disadvantaged in HUD programs;
preparing recommendations for sanctions against labor standards
violations; and conducting Davis-Bacon residential wage surveys.
2. Economists
The Field Office Economist supervising the Economic and Market
Analysis (EMA) staff is the principal economic advisor to the
office coordinator and program managers. Depending on workload
requirements, EMA staffs in the various Field offices generally
range from two to five professional economists and statistical
assistants. EMA provides critical economic and market analysis
reviews of all major housing and CPD program applications. As
a result of these cross-program responsibilities, EMA plays a
key technical support role in program delivery efforts.
Travel
The table below identifies travel requirements unique to this activity.
|
Actual
1996 |
Budget Estimate
1997 |
Current Estimate
1997 |
Estimate
1998 |
Increase
+ Decrease -
1998 vs 1997 |
(Dollars
in Thousands)
|
Travel
(Field) |
$456
|
$634
|
$500
|
$500
|
...
|
Travel costs reflect the representational obligations unique to
Field Management's function. Substantial travel is required to effectively
represent the Department throughout each of the Field Office jurisdictions,
in addition to supporting the operational support functions managed
by the Secretary's Representatives and State/Area Coordinators.