Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 3/3/00
Series: Departmental Management
Part 301: Major Program Issues and Decisions
Chapter 3: Circulation and Release of Reports
Originating Office: Office of Policy Analysis
301 DM 3
3.1 Purpose. This Chapter provides Department-wide guidelines regarding the review, circulation, and release of reports pertaining to important decisions and program issues.
3.2 Applicability. The provisions of this Chapter are applicable to reports that cross the program area jurisdictions of more than one Assistant Secretary, have major policy implications, are potentially controversial, or involve a significant amount of public interest and/or participation.
3.3 Definition. For the purposes of this Chapter, a report is defined as any document, including draft documents, produced by any Departmental organization which represents an important program issue or decision, and meets the applicability criteria prescribed in 301 DM 3.2. Excluded are:
A. Administrative and management information reports.
B. Reports on research findings, technical surveys and publications, and internal special studies.
3.4 Responsibilities.
A. Assistant Secretaries. Assistant Secretaries are responsible to identify those documents prepared within their program areas which will require Departmental review, and to establish procedures for notifying the Executive Secretariat as prescribed in 301 DM 3.5.
B. Heads of Bureaus and Offices. Heads of bureaus and offices are responsible for establishing criteria and procedures to identify documents which may require Departmental review as required by this Chapter. The criteria and procedures will include requirements for notifying their supervising Assistant Secretaries in a timely manner to satisfy the requirements in 301 DM 3.5.
C. Executive Secretariat. The Executive Secretariat will circulate for review and comment those documents provided by the Assistant Secretaries, arrange for any required briefings, and communicate results of briefings to originators and concerned officials.
3.5 Procedures. To provide sufficient lead time for reports to be circulated for review and comment prior to their release, the following procedures apply:
A. Two weeks before the targeted release dates, Assistant Secretaries will notify the Executive Secretariat of the anticipated release of major reports and indicate whether they are likely to require Departmental review.
B. The reports that require Departmental review:
(1) Must be submitted to the Executive Secretariat at least a week before the release date in sufficient quantities for circulation within the Department;
(2) Should be accompanied by transmittal letters and draft press release, if required; and
(3) May be the subject of briefing meetings with the Secretary, or with others, when appropriate.
3/3/00 #3296
Replaces 8/17/78 #2112