7.9: Rightsizing/Regionalization

Implement the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) initiative on Overseas Rightsizing.

Other Information:

The Department’s Office of Rightsizing the United States Government Overseas Presence is a Congressionally-mandated office responsible for implementing the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) initiative on Overseas Rightsizing. This office is responsible for conducting rightsizing studies on all U.S. missions worldwide on a rolling five-year basis, and reviewing and approving the staffing projections for all capital construction projects. The rightsizing process includes: analyzing all mission activities to identify duplicative functions; analyzing competitive sourcing to determine whether it is in the U.S. Government interest to retain support services in house or to outsource them; examining the feasibility of converting U.S. direct-hire positions to locally employed staff; and regionalizing functions that need not be performed at post. Through the Joint Management Council, the Department and USAID have agreed to consolidate those administrative support functions at posts where the two agencies are or will be co-located when cost analyses demonstrate that consolidation to a single service provider is more cost effective to the respective agencies and the U.S. Government, and where quality services can be maintained. These efforts will result in the significant elimination of duplicative activity and redundant staff—particularly U.S. direct-hire staff, and strengthen both agencies’ regionalization efforts. This process, which is intended to result in the consolidation of some administrative functions at approximately half the posts where both the Department and USAID are present by the end of FY 2007, is planned to continue as new embassy compounds come online in subsequent fiscal years. It is also projected to save both agencies scarce resources by avoiding construction costs for separate annexes as well as ongoing personnel and related costs, and will simultaneously improve customer service. An important part of this effort is focused on consolidating regional administrative platforms—both those in the United States that support overseas functions and those in the field that service a number of posts from a regional center.

Stakeholder(s):

• Office of Rightsizing the United States Government Overseas Presence

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content