Government Computer News
GSAs proposed merger of policy shops may create political tensions
Some say offices have different missions and goals
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Image: Rick Steele
GSA administrator Lurita Doan
And while officials emphasized that the decision to combine the offices is far from guaranteed, they seem to believe the choice to mix the offices will be an easy one.
“The consolidation of the two offices would make them more effective and efficient,” said Claire Dorrell, GSA’s deputy associate administrator for communications. “Both handle governmentwide responsibilities, and the Office of Governmentwide Policy will remain a core priority within GSA.”
But what GSA officials could be overlooking is the politics of the decision, according to at least one former Office of Management and Budget official.
The former official, who requested anonymity, said merging these offices would “gum up processes” because it would bring politics into administrative, operational and fiscal decisions traditionally made by career employees.
“Putting administrative policy under the leadership of congressional relations policy is absolutely a non-fit,” the former official said. “This is bringing in a set of political interests that are otherwise irrelevant to the interests of the structure, which is meant to balance the fiscal and operational interests of the government.”
The former official said smarter heads will prevail because “you don’t want legislative affairs making policy decisions.”
The Governmentwide Policy Office, which GSA created in 1996, always has played a behind-the-scenes role in a number of areas, including, most prominently, e-government. OGP long has been the operational arm of OMB’s Office of E-Government and IT.
The office also handles policymaking in the areas of personal and real property, travel and transportation, and regulatory information, and provides support to the federal advisory committees, such as the CIO Council.
Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs prepares and coordinates GSA’s annual legislative program; communicates GSA’s legislative program to OMB and Congress; works closely with OMB in the coordination and clearance of all proposed legislation impacting GSA and its programs; prepares comments and makes recommendations on all bills submitted by GSA to the president for final action; and initiates, coordinates and presents briefings to members of Congress and their staff on GSA programs and initiatives.
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