Strategic Change Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 14:17:53 -0400 To: "USGS Employees" From: "Director's Office" Subject: STRATEGIC CHANGE NOTE: SUPERVISORS, MANAGERS, AND TEAM LEADERS: PLEASE ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES WITHOUT ACCESS TO E-MAIL RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS MESSAGE. August 10, 1999 MEMORANDUM To: All USGS Employees From: Chip Groat Director Subject: Strategic Change The success of the USGS depends on the quality and objectivity of our science and its demonstrated relevance to the Nation's needs. For our science programs to be preeminent we must ensure that our organizational and management structure -- and our use of our time, people, and financial resources -- are focused on doing science, not just meeting about it. Organizational and operational barriers to collaboration among our scientists must be eliminated. We are one bureau with one mission and need to act accordingly. I recently distributed a list of my priorities and stated that I would be making some changes to implement them. The actions presented here begin to address these priorities and the imperatives stated above. To increase the efficiency and accountability of our decision-making processes, I am immediately discontinuing our councils at all organizational levels. I will have discussions with the leadership about alternative ways to continue appropriate levels of participation in decision-making and coordination. To improve our interaction with our customers and facilitate the management of our programs by those closest to our customers and cooperators, I am increasing the line and administrative authority of our USGS regional directors over programs, budgets, and personnel. I will be filling these regional positions, at the SES level, as soon as possible. To enhance our USGS bureau identity and to provide bureau-wide leadership for our programs rather than focus on division-based interests, the division chiefs will function as members of the Director's Office. They are being re-titled as associate directors for biology, geology, mapping, and water. They will continue in their overall responsibility for their scientific discipline areas, but will also have bureau-wide duties. They and the regional directors will function at the same administrative level. To enhance the effectiveness of our communications with our constituent groups and the public, I am significantly reorganizing my own office. I am combining our congressional and public affairs functions and personnel into an Office of External Affairs. The responsibilities of the offices in the Director's Office, especially in the annual budget preparation process, will be increased. The associate director for programs position will be discontinued and the deputy director's responsibilities will be redefined. Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) will be reconstituted and will consist of the associate directors, regional directors, and six office chiefs. The office chiefs are the Chief, Office of External Affairs; the Chief, Office of Progam Planning and Coordination; the Chief, Office of Program Operations; the Chief, Office of Program Support, and the Geographic Information Officer. In addition, I am establishing an Office of Human Resources Management; that office chief also will be a member of the ELT. A Strategic Change team will be appointed to make recommendations about additional actions necessary to implement and strengthen the role of the regions and regional centers, establish consistent business practices throughout the bureau, and define the growth corridors and integrated science centers that best serve our science and customer needs. This team also will examine how to distribute administrative and program functions in a way that consolidates processes and responsibilities to best serve a bureau-centered approach to fulfilling our mission. We will provide email access to the Strategic Change Team to allow you to make suggestions and recommendations. Also, as we move through this process, I will continue to communicate with you personally through email and a variety of other methods. I want to assure you that there will be no lay-offs and, wherever possible, we will work to avoid involuntary relocations resulting from the actions I have described. Again, appointments will be made as soon as possible to the regional director positions. The specific changes listed above will be effective immediately or, where paper needs to be processed, as soon as possible. A small team will be named in the near future to facilitate the implementation of these immediate actions. I believe these changes will strengthen our programs and position USGS for a productive future. I will be visiting regional offices and centers over the next several weeks, as well as meeting with headquarters employees, to provide you with more details and to answer questions.