I.II: Organizational Structure

Realign the BBG Organizational Structure

Other Information:

As the BBG moves to establish the worldwide U.S. international broadcasting system, some internal realignments will be necessary. One might view this as marrying the mission with our own organization. Any adjustments will build on current practice, so the degree of change will be moderate. · Stress the roles of VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, and OCB as content providers for the U.S. International Broadcasting System (USIBS). The broadcasters are in fact today content providers. Their role is to produce high-quality, mission-driven news and information programming. However, they have also sought a role in programming distribution and marketing. In the evolving U.S. international broadcasting system, the broadcasters will focus on content, integrated as described above and professionally formatted so as to enhance its appeal to diverse audiences worldwide.· Re-affirm IBB as the network manager responsible for program delivery, combining all transmission and local placement. IBB is now the manager of BBG worldwide programming,distribution and marketing. As it has done well for the Middle East Radio Network, IBB’sresponsibility to gain new and better transmission systems will grow.· Consolidate the Board’s role as CEO to lead and manage change. The Board is the head of agency with a host of non-delegable authorities. It plays the lead role in shaping overall BBG strategic direction, in setting expectations and standards, and creating the context for innovation and change. As it consolidates its role as the collective CEO, the Board will seek to create better and stronger linkages among the entities, getting everyone united in a common purpose and program. Vital to this effort is developing effective internal communications. Communications in an organization must be good in all directions – which the BBG will strive to improve. At the same time, the Board will assume the role of helping the broadcasting organizations to develop radio formats to package and better present the broadcasters’ content. This becomes a major responsibility, as professional formatting is vital to BBG competitiveness and effectiveness. There is no one format that will serve BBG interests going forward; rather,there will be a variety of formats, some music and some news and some in between, that will enable BBG programs to reach wider audiences.· Institute annual strategic review. Language service review is currently the sole systematic oversight mechanism that the Board of Governors uses to consider the value and effectiveness of broadcasting. Instituted to fulfill the legislative requirement that language services be evaluated for additions and deletions at least annually, it has also fulfilled the requirement that effectiveness be measured. We will improve language review as a management tool by adding a budget review component. Language review now considers only part of the picture. The support services within IBB, which have a major impact on language service effectiveness, are not evaluated as part of the existing process. They should be.· Institute annual reviews by each language service. Language services will develop annual plans, set targets, and state the resources they need to achieve those targets. Decision-making should start at that level, where generally the resource needs are clearest. Their conclusions should be vetted at the next higher level and so on up the organization. All of these individual plans should come together at the top, through broadcast entity management to the BBG, to be considered and evaluated against strategic requirements and resource availability organization-wide.

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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