By now, most federal employees should know that the Trump administration wants to reorganize the federal government. The reorganization proposals are lengthy and very wordy. Here are those plans narrowed down into 13 proposals that federal employees should stay aware of and which department or agency of government they will affect.
Department of Interior
The department is moving forward with reorganization plans without the help of Congress. The Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says the Interior Senior Executive Service members will being to build his vision to create 12 new unified regions.
Department of Commerce
Reorganization of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics under the Commerce Department would increase cost-effectiveness and improve data quality while reducing the respondent burden on the public.
National Institute of Health
The agency is wanting to consolidate the research of 3 programs into NIH—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation research to improve research coordination.
Social Security Administration
The SSA wants to improve facility design to meet business requirements and reduce design and build costs for offices while also evaluating security at these offices. The agency will also continue to find ways to increase real property efficiency and reduce the size of its real property portfolio. They will continue to relocate offices and consolidate space while merging components and ensuring space savings when implementing telework.
Agency for International Development
The agency is planning a large, agency-driven structural reorganization of its headquarters Bureaus and Independent Offices as a part of its overall plan to better advance partner countries self-reliance, support national security, and ensure effectiveness and efficiency of foreign assistance.
National Background Investigations Bureau
The U.S. Statistical System is composed of 13 principle statistical agencies across the government. Three of these agencies—U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Bureau of Labor Statistics—account for 53% of the systems annual budget of $2.26 billion. Reorganizing these agencies under the Commerce Department would increase cost-effectiveness and improve data quality while reducing the burden on the public.
Department of Health and Human Services
The proposal moves the non-commodity nutrition assistance programs currently in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service into the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
It also renames HHS the Department of Health and Public Welfare. The proposal establishes a Council on Public Assistance, comprised of all federal agencies that administer public benefits, with statutory authority to set cross-program policies including uniform work requirements.
Department of Transportation
The proposal would reorganize DOT to better align the agency core missions and responsibilities, reduce transportation program fragmentations across the government and improve outcomes. It would also reassess the structure and responsibilities of the DOT’s Office of the Secretary.
Office of Personnel Management
Specifically, the proposal would move OPM’s policy function into the Executive Office of the President and develop certain operational activities, such as delivery for various fee-for-service human resources and IT services to other entities better positioned for transaction processing services that meet 21st century needs.
United States Postal Service
The proposal would restructure USPS to return it to a sustainable business model or prepare it for future conversion from a government agency into a private corporation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD spends $11.8 million a year on 4 leases within walking distance of its main headquarters. This department is in the process of consolidating these satellite offices.
Food Safety Oversight
The proposal would address the current fragmented federal oversight of food safety by reorganizing the U.S. Department of Agricultures’ Food Safety and Inspection Service and food safety functions of the U.S. Department of HHS’ FDA into a single agency within USDA. This proposal would cover most all foods Americans eat.
Labor and Education Departments
The proposal would merge the Education and Labor Departments into a single cabinet agency, the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW). The new agency would be tasked with meeting the needs of American students and workers, from education and skill development to workplace protection and retirement security.
