A New Headquarters/Field Structure Could Provide a Better Framework for Improving Department of Energy Operations

Gao ID: EMD-81-97 September 3, 1981

The Department of Energy (DOE) field structure is a collection of the field offices associated with the various agencies which were consolidated to form DOE. GAO examined the DOE headquarters/field organization structure to determine its impact on the agency's ability to carry out its mission and evaluated the effectiveness of the organizational structure as it relates to lines of authority between headquarters and field offices.

GAO believes that the recent reorganizations DOE has made will not capitalize on the benefits that are available under the direct line authority organization structure. Currently, the DOE program Assistant Secretaries do not have the authority to control and direct the field staff who implement their program requirements. As a result, programs are not implemented as effectively, efficiently, and economicaly as possible. Because of the potential for conflict between functional and program goals and objectives, functional offices often are and should be independent of program offices. In the DOE field offices, most functional offices report to the field office managers on the program, not the functional side of the organizational structure. Headquarters functional office managers generally do not have direct line authority over functional staff in the field. Direct lines of authority between headquarters functional managers and field functional staffs could provide a framework for getting a better staff assignment mechanism in the field, more consistent implementation of departmental requirements, and better evaluation of functional activities and staff performance and control to take corrective actions.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Daniel C. White Team: General Accounting Office: Energy and Minerals Division Phone: (301) 353-4761


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