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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREWASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
DEPARTMENTAL REGULATION
Number:
 
1010-001
DATE:
July 20, 2006
 
SUBJECT
:
Organization
OPI:
 
Office of Human Capital Management
 1 PURPOSEThis regulation describes the delegations of authority and procedures for makingchanges to organizational structures within USDA.2 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS/CANCELLATIONSThis regulation cancels DR 1010-1 dated June 11, 2003.3 DEFINITIONSAGENCY: Agency means the entire Department of AgricultureBUREAU: A Bureau is a large organization with a headquarters and asubstructure that reports to an Under or Assistant Secretary. The Forest Serviceand the Agricultural Research Service are each examples of Bureaus.MISSION AREA: A Mission Area is a Bureau or group of Bureaus with relatedfunctions that report to the same Under or Assistant Secretary.OFFICE: For purposes of this regulation, an office is a permanent facility in acounty or city or on a National Forest that is recognized as a discrete entity by bothmembers of the public and the agency, and to which Federal employees arepermanently assigned. Offices are described by separate listings in public oragency phone books and websites. The Farm Service Agency unit in a NorthDakota Service Center Office, an Agricultural Research Service laboratory inFlorida, a Food Safety and Inspection Service District Office in Colorado, and aDistrict Ranger Office in the Superior National Forest are examples of offices.Temporary or short- term duty locations (e.g., a Forest Service fire camp, anAnimal and Plant Health Service emergency project office, etc.) are not covered bythis regulation.REVIEWING OFFICE: A Departmental Staff Office, Mission Area, or Bureauthat has been asked by the Office of Human Capital Management to review andcomment on a proposed organizational change subject to approval by the AssistantSecretary for Administration under this regulation.
 
DR 1010-001 July 20, 2006
DEPARTMENTAL STAFF OFFICE: A Departmental Office, other than the Office of theInspector General, with a specialized support function that reports directly to the Secretary.The Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of the Chief Information Officerare examples of Departmental Staff Offices.4 BACKGROUNDThis regulation is intended to streamline and simplify the process of organizational changein order to facilitate the implementation of optimal organizational structures throughout theagency.5 AUTHORITYThe authority to approve the creation, elimination, or transfer of an entire Bureau orDepartmental Staff Office is reserved to the Secretary. In addition, any reduction in force,whether associated with an organizational change or not, must be separately approved bythe SecretaryUnder Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, the Inspector General, and Departmental Staff Office Executives may approve organizational changes within Mission Areas, Bureaus, theOffice of the Inspector General, or Departmental Staff Offices when such changes do notrequire any or all of the following: (1) additional budgetary authority, including additionalFTEs, (2) reprogramming of appropriated or other funds, (3) a net increase in physicalspace, (4) any management-initiated reductions in staff, (5) closure of an entire office orthe effective curtailment of office operations (e.g., reduction or transfer of a majority of anoffice’s staff), (6) transfer of an entire office across Congressional District lines, or (7) thetransfer of a function across Mission Area, Bureau, or Departmental Staff Office lines.This authority may not be redelegated to the heads of Bureaus or other subordinate levelswithin the Mission Area or Departmental Staff Office. The Secretary may withdraw thisauthority from any individual Under Secretary, Assistant Secretary, or Departmental Staff Office Executive at any time he or she finds that withdrawal is in the best interest of theDepartment.The Assistant Secretary for Administration must approve organizational changes thatrequire any or all of the following: (1) the transfer of a function across Mission Area,Bureau, or Departmental Staff Office lines, (2) additional budgetary authority, includingincreases in FTEs, (3) reprogramming of appropriated or other funds, (4) a net increase inphysical space, (5) any management-initiated reductions in staff, (6) the closure or of anentire office or the effective curtailment of office operations, or (7) the transfer of anentire office across Congressional District lines. If a proposed organizational change inthis category involves either Departmental Administration or the Office of the InspectorGeneral, the Secretary must approve the change.2
 
July 20, 2006 DR 1010-001
6 POLICYOrganizational changes should be based upon sound principles of organizational design.Organizational structures should be designed to be economical and efficient, to avoidunnecessary management layers, to reduce administrative overhead, and to establish clearlines of authority and accountability. The Assistant Secretary for Administration mayrequire modifications to any proposed organizational change that fails to incorporate theseprinciples.7 PROCEDURESOrganizational changes that are authorized or ordered by the Secretary will be documentedin the form of a Secretary’s Memorandum.Organizational changes that can be authorized by Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries,the Inspector General, and Departmental Staff Office Executives must comply with theprocedures described in Appendix A of this regulation.Organizational change proposals requiring the approval of the Assistant Secretary forAdministration will be submitted to the Office of Human Capital Management inaccordance with the instructions contained in Appendix B of this regulation.In reviewing proposed organizational changes under this regulation, the AssistantSecretary for Administration will seek advice and counsel from the Office of Budget andProgram Analysis, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of the Assistant Secretaryfor Civil Rights. The Assistant Secretary for Administration may seek advice and counselfrom any other source within the agency. In order to expedite the review of proposedorganizational changes, simultaneous clearance procedures will be followed. Reviewingoffices will limit comments to their areas of expertise and will furnish comments within60 calendar days of the date of the Assistant Secretary’s request for review. Reviewingoffices that do not respond within 60 calendar days will be deemed to have concurred inthe proposal8 RESPONSIBILITIESa Under and Assistant Secretaries, the Inspector General, and Departmental Staff Office Executives are responsible for:(1) Incorporating sound principles of organizational design into decisionsaffecting organizational structures;(2) Submitting required documentation in proper form in accordance with thisregulation; and(3) Determining whether a proposed organizational transfer will crossCongressional District lines.3
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