Department of the
Interior
Departmental
Manual
Effective
Date: 3/4/05
Series: Organization
Part
109: Secretarial Officers
Chapter
1: Secretary of the Interior
Originating
Office: Office of Planning and Performance Management
109
DM 1
1.1 Secretary. The Secretary of the Interior, as head of an
Executive Department, reports directly to the President and is responsible for
the direction and supervision of all operations and activities of the
Department. The Secretary also has certain
powers or supervisory responsibilities relating to U.S. affiliated insular
areas.
1.2 Secretariat. The Secretary is assisted in the management
and direction of the Department by the Secretariat. The Secretariat is comprised of the following
Secretarial Officers:
A. The
Secretary
B. The
Deputy Secretary, who assists the Secretary in supervising and administering
the Department and in the absence of the latter performs the functions of the
Secretary. With the exception of certain
matters specifically reserved to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary has the
full authority of the Secretary. The
Deputy Secretary is the Chief Operating Officer for the Department.
C. The
Solicitor (described in 109 DM 3)
D. The
Inspector General (described in 110 DM 4)
E. Assistant
Secretaries (described in 109 DM chapters following Chapter 3).
1.3 Assistants to the Secretary.
A. A
Chief of Staff serves as confidential advisor to the Secretary, supervises the
staff of the immediate office of the Secretary, and performs other duties as
assigned by the Secretary.
B. The
Director, Office of Communications serves as principal advisor to the Secretary
on public information matters (see 110 DM 5).
C. The
Director, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs serves as principal
advisor to the Secretary on the Department's legislative program and carries
out Congressional and intergovernmental liaison activities (see 110 DM 6).
D. The
Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs serves as
principal advisor to the Secretary on regulatory matters, monitors, reviews,
and coordinates all regulatory activities of the Department, and is responsible
for correspondence control and processing (see 110 DM 17).
E. Other
Assistants, Counselors, and Advisors to the Secretary serve in varying
capacities and as liaison with major program areas as specifically
assigned. All Assistants, Counselors,
and Advisors to the Secretary may work directly with Assistant Secretaries in
expediting and highlighting matters requiring immediate or specific
attention. Like the Assistant
Secretaries, they may issue guidance with the full authority of the Secretary.
1.4 Authority. Except for authority specifically delegated
otherwise by statute, authority to carry out Departmental functions is
delegated by the Secretary to the Secretariat who in turn redelegate
appropriate authority to heads of bureaus and offices which they
supervise. All permanent delegations
made by the Secretary and redelegations made by Assistant Secretaries are
issued and documented in the Departmental Manual. Program officials to whom authority has been
delegated are held directly responsible for organization and performance in
their assigned program areas.