HUD's FY 99 Budget
Congressional Justifications
Management and Administration

Salaries and Expenses

BUDGET ACTIVITY 7: DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY

The Departmental Management activity includes the Office of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary and other staff offices under the Secretary's immediate direction, except the Office of Lead-Based Paint and the Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity. The responsibilities of the Department are administered under the supervision and direction of the Secretary, who is responsible for the administration of all programs, functions and authorities of the Department. The Deputy Secretary assists the Secretary in the discharge of his duties and responsibilities, and serves as Acting Secretary in the absence of the Secretary. In addition to the Office of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, this activity includes seven small offices of highly specialized staff with Departmentwide responsibility for the following functions: management of field operating policies and procedures; labor relations matters; participation of small and disadvantaged businesses in the contracting activities of the Department; public affairs; Congressional and intergovernmental relations; and administrative judicial proceedings. Collectively and separately, these offices are essential to the independent formulation and review of Departmental policy and the promotion and interpretation of that policy.

WORKLOAD

The Secretary, as head of the Department and as a Cabinet Member, is responsible for the administration of all programs, functions, and authorities of the Department; for the regulation of the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation; for enforcing Federal Fair Housing law, educating the public on the rights and duties created by that law, and encouraging State and local governments and the private sector to assist the Federal Government in guaranteeing equal housing opportunities; and for advising the President on Federal policy, programs, activities relating to housing and community development, and equal housing opportunity. The Secretary formulates recommendations for basic policies in the fields of housing and community development and works with the Executive Office of the President as well as other Federal agencies in keeping economic and fiscal policies in housing and community development consistent with other economic and fiscal policies of the Government.

The Secretary meets with governors, mayors and other State officials, county executives and other local officials, and regional and neighborhood leaders, and assists the President in achieving maximum coordination among the various Federal activities which have a major effect upon urban, suburban, metropolitan, or rural housing and community development. The Deputy Secretary assists the Secretary in the performance of his duties and responsibilities, and serves as Acting Secretary in the absence of the Secretary.

The Office of the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management advises the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and other principal staff of the Department on the adequacy and effectiveness of field operating policies and procedures, and is the Secretary's principal management official in all matters dealing with the Field Offices of the Department. The Office of the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management directs task forces or special projects for the Secretary/Deputy Secretary on program policy and management recommendations to improve Departmental effectiveness; and coordinates the recruitment of key personnel in Field Offices.

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is responsible for providing technical direction and coordination on all matters relating to the Department's participation in small and disadvantaged businesses in the contracting activities of the Department. The Office oversees the Department's small and disadvantaged business set-aside activity, and has Departmentwide responsibility for carrying out relevant authorities for the Department's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) programs, including monitoring, evaluating and reporting MBE activities to the Secretary, the Congress, the President, and the general public. The Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization represents the Secretary before Congressional committees and at meetings on related program activities with Federal, State and municipal or private organizations. This Office was established in 1989 pursuant to the provisions of Section 15(k) of the Small Business Act, as amended (Sec. 221, P.L. 96-507).

The Office of the Assistant to the Secretary for Labor Relations provides for effective coordination of the functions involved as the Secretary's representative on significant policy objectives relating to labor relations matters. The Office has overall responsibility for the efficiency and effectiveness of HUD's labor relations/labor standards enforcement functions and serves as principal policy advisor to the Secretary on labor relations matters, labor standards enforcement, and organized labor, particularly in the building and construction trades. The Office seeks affirmative relationships with and support from contractor organizations and organized labor for the housing and community development goals of the Department.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs advises the Secretary and Departmental staff on public and media relations, and coordinates the Department's efforts to keep the public informed of its actions. The basic mission of the Public Affairs staff is to publicize HUD policies and programs and to respond to inquiries from the press and the public. This mission is accomplished through the Office's two main operational arms: the Office of Press Relations, which coordinates liaison between the Department and members of the media; and the Office of Policy Support, which researches and prepares a diverse range of written communications including speeches, articles, reports, scripts, and public statements.

The Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations provides services and information to the Congress concerning all programs and activities of the Department. The Office coordinates development of the Department's legislative program in cooperation with the General Counsel, and oversees the progress of the Department's legislative program in the Congress, assisting in resolving intra-departmental policy differences and differences between the Department and the Office of Management and Budget on legislative matters. The Office

coordinates policy formulation and implementation, and serves as the principal contact with State and local governments, as well as public interest groups, to provide information regarding the Department's programs and initiatives.

The Administrative Law Judges are independent, impartial triers of fact in on-the-record

hearings similar to trial judges conducting civil trials without a jury. Their jurisdiction includes housing discrimination cases arising under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988; civil money penalties and Mortgagee Review Board cases arising under the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989; fraud cases arising under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act; statutory and regulatory debarment cases; and a variety of other cases arising under laws and regulations providing for the Secretary or an administrative law judge to be the presiding official.

The HUD Board of Contract Appeals, pursuant to the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-563), acts for the Secretary as an independent forum for hearings and for the issuance of final decisions in all appeals by contractors from final written decisions of contracting officers. The decisions of the Board in these appeals are binding on the Department and the contractor, but can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition, the Board hears and makes determinations on behalf of the Secretary on administrative appeals relating to the debarment and suspension of contractors, Mortgagee Review Board decisions, and Departmental actions related to IRS offsets of tax refunds of individuals indebted to the Department. The Board has the flexibility to provide either a full trial with discovery, subpoenas, and formal trial procedures, or more informal, expedited hearings for appellants with small claims against the Department. All final decisions are written, and more than half of the Board's hearings are held in the appellant's city to accommodate small business and pro se appellants.

The Office of Departmental Operations and Coordination (ODOC) was established in 1997 and consists of a small cadre of senior level staff who have a broad range of cross-program experience in Departmental operations and management planning expertise to assist the Secretary and Deputy Secretary in their efforts to ensure that HUD policies and actions are consistent with the Department's continued management improvement. ODOC serves as staff support for the Deputy Secretary in discharging his duties for the Department. The Office also acts as a catalyst for the operational management agenda of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and ensures that improvement initiatives and management of daily operations are consistent with Departmental efforts to foster excellence in the delivery of program services to HUD customers.

TRAVEL

The table below identifies travel requirements unique to this activity. All travel for this activity is by Headquarters' staff.

The travel funding requested is in support of the travel by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and other senior staff in meetings with State and local officials and regional and neighborhood leaders. Travel by these officials promotes and assists the Administration and the President in achieving the President's and the Secretary's goals and priorities for the Department and in promoting maximum coordination among the various Federal activities in urban, suburban, and metropolitan, or rural housing and community development. It is necessary for officials to visit cities across the country to explain HUD's new organization and the directions being taken through reinvention and management reform.

CONTRACTS

The table below identifies the specific contracts unique to this activity and is followed by a brief description of each item.

a.Data and Statistical Services

The service includes data gathering for specialized housing programs. This contract provides for outside assistance in obtaining architectural, engineering or related studies of cost-efficient housing suitable for those with special needs. The data will be used to prepare recommendations based on an extensive amount of research required to obtain statistical and related data on specialized housing and community development programs.

b.Technical Services

Data services provide important and timely information and assistance to senior staff in various offices such as: (1) Public Affairs--for preparation of press releases, speeches, background and briefing papers, "op-ed" pieces and other written material produced by the Office of Public Affairs; (2) HUD Board of Contract Appeals--to enable the staff to conduct legal research in the most cost efficient manner; (3) Office of the Administrative Law Judges--for legal research to assist the Department's Administrative Law Judges in making rulings on pending court decisions; and (4) Labor Relations--an electronic subscription to laws and regulations governing Davis-Bacon Wage determinations. This will reduce the overall cost to the government for this information which was supplied prior via printed subscription. The increase in funds for Technical Services in the Current Estimate reflects actual costs in 1997.

The Office of Public Affairs must provide transcripts and electronic duplicates of media appearances by the Secretary, senior HUD officials, and top level executives of the Administration for analysis, and review by program, policy and field staff. The need also exists for services which enable the Office to communicate using current electronic technology. In an effort to provide a greater measure of news wire access, the Office has expanded coverage to include the Federal News Service. These kinds of services demand expertise in technology and constitute a special requirement for contract funds. The expanded areas of electronic news resources are expected to require additional funds to meet the Department's need for full coverage of issues regarding governmentwide reinvention and new directions.

Funds are also used to cover costs of the Washington Alert, a legislative tracking service, which provides the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations with the ability to more effectively track legislation, obtain information on hearings, mark-up sessions, conferences and Floor Action. The service also makes available up-to-date vote analysis and member profiles, along with a daily summary of housing issues under consideration and contained in the Congressional Record.

c.Training Support--Non-Federal Employees

Professional services are needed by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) to provide expert support for outreach on behalf of small, minority and women business owners. The engagement of outside contractual services will include, but not be limited to, conference management, development and dissemination of materials, and other logistical assistance.

d.Public Information Services

These funds are to provide for the distribution of news materials to media outlets within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In addition, funds will provide for information outreach to the public with respect to the provisions of the Fair Housing Amendments of 1988. This public education program will include new and expanded categories of discrimination, handicapped and familial status.

These funds also provide for the development of audio-visual, print, and other communication materials to support the public communication needs of the Department. The funds are administered by the Office of Public Affairs in consultation with the program offices. The objective is to coordinate Departmental communication efforts for consistency with HUD goals and priorities, to ensure that all communication efforts are coordinated effectively, and to make sure that the vehicles produced reach their intended audiences with relevant and useful information.