Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 1/8/08
Series:
Departmental Management
Part 307: Department
Management Committee
Chapter 1: Management Initiatives Team
Originating Office: Office of Planning and Performance Management
307 DM 1
1.1 Purpose. This chapter provides policy and the charter
for the Department’s Management Initiatives Team (MIT). The charter is included as an Appendix to
this chapter.
1.2 Scope. The policy in this chapter applies to all bureaus and offices of the Department.
1.3 Policy.
It is the policy of the Department to have the MIT support the Management Excellence Council in improving the
transparency, efficiency, and accountability of the Department’s management and
operations.
1.4 Management Initiatives Team. The Management
Initiatives Team provides a Departmental forum for initiating, discussing,
recommending, planning, prioritizing, and implementing the President’s and the
Secretary’s management and administrative agenda and policies.
Appendix
Department of the Interior
Management Initiatives Team
Charter
The Management Initiatives Team (hereinafter MIT) is hereby chartered
in the Department of the Interior (DOI) to support the Management Excellence
Council (MEC) in improving the transparency, efficiency, and accountability of
Departmental management and operations.
1. Functions.
A. The MIT is a forum for initiating, discussing,
recommending, planning, prioritizing, and implementing the President’s and the
Secretary’s management and administrative agenda and policies.
B. The MIT is also a partnership. Critical to
the success of Department-wide improvement efforts is the formation of a
partnership among the Immediate Office of the Secretary, the Assistant
Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget, Program Assistant Secretaries, and bureaus
and offices.
C. The MIT will address ways to assure that
management initiatives are ongoing, in alignment with strategic goals and
commitments, and reflect best practices.
This includes:
(1) Encouraging the development of a corporate and
strategic sense of purpose within the Department;
(2) Providing a forum for collaboratively
identifying and resolving intra-Departmental management problems;
(3) Working with Program Assistant Secretaries
and heads of bureaus and offices to ensure timely implementation and
coordination of the President’s and the Secretary’s management initiatives and
administrative policies;
(4) Identifying specific Departmental
management and administrative improvements that may be applicable to bureau and
office crosscutting initiatives;
(5) Identifying crosscutting areas for
Departmental initiatives and strategies to implement those initiatives; and
(6) Serving as a forum for setting priorities
and discussing the implications of initiatives including funding, human capital,
and other issues.
D. Leading improvements in administrative
areas to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness whether the improvements occur
as a result of efforts undertaken Department-wide, among multiple bureaus/offices,
or by a single bureau/office.
E. Leading the Department in the development
and implementation of improved management and administrative systems for
Department-wide application. In
accomplishing this, the MIT will:
(1) Support, promote, and approve
recommendations for investments through the capital planning investment control
process;
(2) Encourage teamwork among Program Assistant
Secretaries, bureaus, and offices to develop sound, coherent management and
administrative policies; and
(3) Foster effective and efficient
administrative communications within the Department to devise, ease, and/or
improve implementation of new policies and programs.
2. Membership.
A. The MIT shall include the following members,
or their alternates, who shall attend all the meetings:
(1) Chair: Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and
Budget;
(2) Alternate Chair: Deputy Assistant Secretary - Human Capital,
Performance, and Partnerships;
(3) One Deputy Assistant Secretary from each Program
Assistant Secretary’s office as designated by the Program Assistant Secretary;
(4) One Deputy Director (or equivalent) from
each bureau/office as designated by the head of the bureau/office;
(5) Director, Bureau of Indian Education;
(6) Deputy Assistant Secretary - Business
Management and Wildland Fire;
(7) Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer;
(8) Chief Information Officer;
(9) Director, National Business Center;
(10) Director, Office of Budget;
(11) Director, Office of Acquisition and Property
Management;
(12) A designated senior representative of the Immediate
Office of the Secretary, as determined by the Chief of Staff;
(13) Associate Solicitor - Division of
Administration;
(14) A designated senior representative of the
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians; and
(15) Director, Office of Conservation, Partnerships
and Management Policy;
B. Responsibilities of the Chair. The Chair, or Alternate Chair, shall:
(1) Establish,
in consultation with the members of the MIT, operating procedures and the
agenda for the activities;
(2) Report
to the Secretary on the goals and results of the MIT on management projects and
advise the MIT with respect to the determinations of the Secretary;
(3) Provide the Program Assistant Secretaries
and heads of bureaus/offices with periodic reports or briefings of the
activities of the MIT;
(4) Establish sub-teams, both standing and ad
hoc, as may be deemed necessary for the efficient and necessary conduct of the
MIT functions;
(5) Preside over each MIT meeting; and
(6) Designate an Executive Director to the MIT.
C. Responsibilities
of the Executive Director. The
Executive Director shall:
(1) Work with MIT members and work groups
throughout the Department to identify management needs and challenges
appropriate for discussion;
(2) Develop MIT agendas;
(3) Develop appropriate discussion
documentation;
(4) Maintain records of decisions made by the
MIT; and
(5) Provide executive assistance to the Chair
and Alternate Chair.
D. Responsibilities of the Members: The Members, or their alternates, shall:
(1) Represent and make decisions on behalf of their bureau/office;
(2) Recommend agenda items for discussion as requested by the Chair,
Alternate Chair, or Executive Director;
(3) Present and discuss their bureau/office issues related to agenda
items;
(4) Inform their respective bureau/office of issues raised at the
MIT meetings; and
(5) Support implementation of MIT decisions within
their bureau/office.
3. Meetings.
A. Meetings will be held monthly for
approximately two hours, unless noted otherwise.
B. Agenda topics will be solicited from the
members and agendas will be planned to provide significant opportunity for
collaborative discussion and collective decision making.
C. Documents for decision will be circulated
prior to the meetings.
D. Decisions may be made by consensus or a simple
majority vote when a quorum is present.
E. A simple majority of members or alternates
present will constitute a quorum.
F. A member may designate an Alternate by
proxy, subject to approval by the Chair/Alternate Chair. A proxy will be valid for one meeting.
G. Robert’s Rules of Order will generally be
used to provide common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate.
4. Sub-Teams.
A. The MIT is authorized to establish Standing
Sub-Teams and Ad Hoc Work Groups. Standing Sub-Teams may be established when
needed to address multiple or long-term issues, programs, or objectives of the
MIT. Ad Hoc Work Groups may be
established for short-terms to address specific needs or projects of the MIT. An Ad Hoc Work Group must be disbanded after completion
of its responsibilities unless it is converted to a Standing Sub-Team. Standing Sub-Teams of the MIT include, and are
not limited to:
(1) Human Capital Team;
(2) Partners and Cooperation Team;
(3) E-Government Team;
(4) Investment Review Board;
(5) Competitive Sourcing and Procurement Team;
(6) Performance Improvement Team; and
(7) Asset Management Team.
B. A charter for each Standing Sub-Team will
be approved by the MIT and should include information regarding membership,
procedures, responsibilities, activities, and deliverables.
C. The responsibilities and duties of each Standing
Sub-Team or Ad Hoc Work Group include, and are not limited to, the following:
(1) Calling
on specialists within the Department and other agencies to assist the members
in preparing draft policies and procedures;
(2) Circulating
drafts of policies and procedures among its members and attempting to reach a
consensus in its efforts; and,
(3) Communicating and coordinating its work
with the bureaus not represented on the Standing Sub-Team or Ad Hoc Work Group.
D. Early in the fiscal year, each Standing Sub-Team
will present its annual goals, objectives, and action plans to the MIT for
approval. Periodic Standing Sub-Team
reports and briefings to the MIT will be included in the MIT monthly meeting
agendas.
E. At least once a year, and at the
discretion of the Chair/Alternate Chair of the MIT, the Chairs/Co-Chairs of the
Standing Sub-Teams of the MIT will meet to ensure integration of effort and
close coordination among the Standing Sub-Teams.
/s/ DIRK KEMPTHORNE
Secretary of the Interior
Date: JAN 8 2008