USDA Administrative Services: Streamlining Efforts Ongoing, but Actions Needed to Monitor Progress, Identify Benefits, and Share Lessons Learned
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) efforts to streamline and improve administrative services began in mid-2011 and have evolved since then. Initially, USDA launched a department-wide initiative to improve administrative services and selected 27 recommendations for implementation. USDA officials said 25 of the 27 had been implemented, and 2 were in progress, as of October 2015. For example, USDA has centralized investigations of equal employment opportunity discrimination complaints and has consolidated the departments 700-pluscellular phone contracts to roughly 30. In January 2012, USDA launched a broader initiative called the Blueprint for Stronger Service (Blueprint). The Blueprint includes efforts to streamline and improve administrative and program operations. USDA is now focusing on four priority areas: workers compensation, strategic sourcing (improving procurement and contracting), shared service centers for certain administrative services, and space utilization (improving space management of USDA-owned and leased property). In addition to departmentwide Blueprint efforts, agencies and staff offices have initiated their own efforts to streamline and improve administrative services. GAO found that there may be opportunities for USDA to strengthen the Blueprint in three areasmonitoring progress, identifying and tracking benefits, and sharing lessons learned.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1154711
Entities
People
- Anne Rhodes-kline
- Barbara El Osta
- Cheryl Avidson
- Christine Feehan
- James R. Jr Jones
- Josey Ballenger
- Kevin Bray
- Kiki Theodoropoulos
- Stephen Cleary
- Steve D. Morris
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office