Recommendations designed to eliminate certain management practices and to strengthen the organizational structure of the Washington headquarters Office of Territories, Department of the Interior, have been approved by Under Secretary Ralph Tudor.
A four man survey team which was assigned the task of surveying the operations of the Office said in its report that its recommendations would correct internal operating procedures by clarifying lines of authority and improving organizational relationships.
The team recommended that the bulk of the recommendations should be carried out within 30 days by Director William C. Strand, who was appointed to that position by Secretary Douglas McKay last April 10. Other recommendations, the team declared should be referred to Under Secretary Tudor for his consideration and implementation as soon as possible.
A major recommendation is the elimination of 18 positions, including an assistant director, and the chiefs of the Alaska, Pacific and Caribbean Divisions. In their place a deputy director and two assistant directors with clear cut responsibilities and authority would be appointed. In addition to the strengthened organization and improvement in management, which would result, a saving of $61,465 in personnel costs annually would be accomplished.
Seven new positions would be created in the program to increase the efficiency of the Office. The expense of these positions would be $68,320, as compared to the $129,785 now being expended for the 18 positions recommended for abolishment. The present personnel numbers 72, when the recommendations are made effective, the roll will be 61, a net reduction of 11 positions.
Further savings of approximately $27,335 and six additional positions can be eliminated, the team stated, if the files of the Office are decentralized and the service of one attorney is dropped.
Other major recommendations include:
Retain the Alaska Division.
Abolish the Pacific and Caribbean Divisions and establish an Insular Division with responsibility for Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Canton and Enderbury Islands and other Pacific Islands under the jurisdiction of the Department.
Establish the position of deputy director of the Office who will assume the responsibility for general supervision of all units, to permit the director to be free to deal with major operations and policy matters.
Establish the position of assistant director of the Alaskan Division and an assistant director of the Insular Division.
The assistant in charge of the Alaskan Division will be responsible for policies and program for the Alaska Railroad, Alaska Road Commission and the Alaska Public Works office.
The assistant director in charge of the Insular Division will have responsibility for policies and programs for the Pacific Islands, the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration, and the Virgin Islands Public Works field office.
The Division of Public Works will be abolished and a position of public works advisor, with a small staff will provide technical services now rendered by Public Works Division. The advisor will serve only as a staff advisor to the geographic divisions and to the director, who will be responsible for the policy direction of the works program.
Take steps to have the director of the Office of Territories appointed as secretary to the Board of Directors of the Virgin Islands Corporation. This post is now held by the Chief of the Caribbean Division which position will be abolished. Other positions recommended for abolishment are as follows:
The survey team recommended the legal authority, and the delegations of authority to the Secretary of the Interior and the Office of Territories should be codified and analyzed to determine whether these are adequate and well defined.
Organization and operating procedures of all activities of the Department in Alaska should be surveyed and related to the programs of other Federal agencies in the Territory for the purpose of attaining a geographic coordination of all Federal activities there. Similar surveys are recommended for other territories and a reexamination of existing Federal policies in Alaska and the island Territories to define more clearly the objectives of the Federal Government is urged.
No clear delineation between operational responsibilities and policy formulation was found by the survey team and divided responsibilities complicated and retarded operations of the Office.
It was found for instance that the chief of the Alaskan Division serves as chief in name only, with responsibilities for the Alaskan program divided among the assistant director, the chief of the Division of Public Works, the executive officer, the labor advisor and the chief of the Alaskan Division. An example of this fragmentation, it is pointed out, is that the executive officer has been held responsible for the headquarters operational guidance of the Alaska Railroad and Alaska Road Commission.
In discussing the Caribbean Division recommendations, the survey team said that it was performing certain functions on behalf of Puerto Rico which might better be performed by the resident commissioner or by the Office of Puerto Rico maintained at the Commonwealth's expense in Washington. It is pointed out also that in negotiations for transfer of the Point IV program in Puerto Rico to FOA, care should be taken that this specialized program for Puerto Rico does not lose its identity.
It is suggested also that the proposed Insular Division review the existing Virgin Islands public works program to determine whether it is in harmony with over-all objectives of the Federal Government. There is some question, the team pointed out, whether the program has created shortages in the labor market available to the Virgin Islands Corporation and to the Virgin Islands government, all of which are heavily subsidized by Federal funds. There is also the question, whether the system of public works being built in the islands without adequate consideration that the island government will be able to maintain and operate the facilities.
In addition to continuing surveys in Alaska and the other Territories, the team recommended further analysis of functions in the headquarters and in the field.
Members of the survey team were chairman, John Bennett, assistant director, Technical Review Staff, Raymond Davis, assistant to the Secretary, Robert G. Efteland and George E. Robinson, members.
