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Department of the Interior

Effective Date: 12/24/75

Series: Departmental Management

Part 308: Committee Management

Chapter 1: General

Originating Office: Immediate Office of the Secretary

1.1 Purpose and Authority. These instructions establish policies and procedures for the use of committees in connection with operations of the Department. In addition, this part outlines the authority and responsibilities of the heads of the bureaus and offices within the field of committee management and the procedures necessary for the establishment of, participation in, and termination of committees. The objectives of the Department=s committee management program are:

A. Compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463); Executive Order 11769, Advisory Committee Management; Executive Order 11222 (Prescribing Standards of Ethical Conduct for Government Officers and Employees); Public Law 87-849 (An Act to strengthen the criminal laws relating to bribery, graft, and conflicts of interest); and Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-63 (Revised), Advisory Committee Management.

B. Promotion of more efficient committee management through the avoidance of duplication among committees.

C. Avoidance of the establishment of unnecessary committees, and assurance that committees no longer serving a useful purpose are terminated.

D. Provision for the systematic recording and immediate availability of basic information concerning committees.

1.2 Definitions.

A. Committee. Any commission, council, board, conference, panel, task force, or other similar group, established by the Department or used by it for the rendering of advice or for any other purpose

B. Advisory Committee. As defined in Section 3(2) of Public Law 92-463: advisory committee means: Aany committee, board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or other similar group, or any subcommittee or other subgroup thereof ..., which is B (A) established by statute or reorganization plan, or (B) established or utilized by the President, or (C) established or utilized by one or more agencies, in the interest of obtaining advice or recommendations for the President or one or more agencies or officers of the Federal Government, except that such term excludes ... any committee which is composed wholly of full- time officers or employees of the Federal Government.@ Criteria and procedures for advisory committees are provided in 308 DM 2 and 308 DM 8.

C. Interagency Committee. The term Ainteragency committee@ means a committee made up of full-time officers or employees of two or more departments or agencies of the Federal Government, which is expected to be in existence more than twelve months. Criteria and procedures for interagency committees are provided in 308 DM 3.

D. Departmental (Intra-agency) Committee. Any committee (excluding ad hoc or informal committees) established by a Secretarial officer or other official authorized to create a Departmental committee, and composed wholly of employees from two or more bureaus or offices of the Department. Criteria and procedures for Departmental committees are provided in 308 DM 4.

E. Intrabureau Committee. Any committee (excluding ad hoc or informal committees) established by the head of a bureau or office of the Department and composed entirely of employees of that bureau or office. Criteria and procedures for intrabureau committees are provided in 308 DM 5.

F. Intergovernmental Committee. Any committee composed of representatives of State and/or local governments. Criteria and procedures for intergovernmental committees are provided in 308 DM 6.

1.3 Responsibility. The responsibility for committee management is assigned as follows:

A. The Department Committee Management Officer, Immediate Office of the Secretary, directs and supervises the Department=s committee management effort and is responsible to: provide staff leadership and support for the committee management program; review proposed committee management actions that require Secretarial approval; establish methods and procedures for the maintenance of necessary records; gather data on and coordinate determinations of continuances of advisory committees and required reports; maintain liaison with the Office of Management and Budget on these determinations and reports; and oversee the implementation and compliance with the provisions of OMB Circular A-63.

B. The Assistant Secretary - Management furnishes administrative support as follows:

(1) Office of Organization and Personnel Management. The Office of Organization and Personnel Management is responsible for prescribing standards and procedures regarding: (1) uniform pay guidelines; (2) basic orientation of advisory committee members; and (3) review of statements of employment and financial interests submitted by advisory committee members who are special Government employees.

(2) Office of Audit and Investigation. The Office of Audit and Investigation is responsible for conducting audits of advisory committee activities, records, and program management as part of its continuing Departmentwide audit program. It also prescribes criteria for the preparation and review of statements of employment and financial interests required of committee members as provided in 308 DM 8.3.

C. The Office of the Solicitor is responsible for providing legal advice on possible conflicts of interest; and furnishings liaison with the Department of Justice concerning the application of Public Law 92-463, Executive Order No.11222, and Public Law 87-849.

D. The head of each bureau and office shall be responsible for:

(1) Appointing a committee management officer to be responsible for the bureau or office committee management program, and notifying the Department Committee Management Officer of such appointment and any subsequent redesignations.

(2) Establishing a committee management program within the organization and incorporating within it the objectives set forth in this chapter.

(3) Maintaining required information concerning all committees functioning within the bureau or office, and all committees in which the bureau or office participates.

(4) Reviewing annually, or as requested, the operations of interagency and advisory committees for which the bureau or office is responsible.

(5) Submitting periodic reports as prescribed by the Department and Office of Management and Budget directives on advisory and interagency committees.

(6) Adopting a written statement of policy which specifies the procedures for establishing and terminating intrabureau committees.

(7) Prescribing written internal procedures for the management of advisory committees if the bureau or office is responsible for any such committees. A copy of any such procedures, and arty changes to such procedures, will be forwarded to the Department Committee Management Officer, Immediate Office of the Secretary, for review purposes.

1.4 Authority. The authority to conduct committee operations (establishment, appointment of members, utilization, revision, abolishment) is as follows:

A. Authority relating to advisory committees shall be exercised only by the Secretary, except as otherwise delegated in 205 DM 16.

B. Authority relating to Departmental, interagency and intergovernmental committees shall be exercised as follows:

(1) Committees dealing with matters affecting more than one program area, and Presidential and Cabinet level committees--the Secretary.

(2) Committees dealing with one program area within the jurisdiction of one Assistant Secretary--the appropriate Assistant Secretary. The program Assistant Secretary may authorize heads of bureaus and offices under their jurisdiction to conduct committee operations in this category.

(3) Committees dealing with administrative management matters--the Assistant Secretary - Management.

(4) Committees dealing with legal matters--the Solicitor.

C. Authority relating to intrabureau committees may be exercised by the head of the bureau or office.

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12/24/75 #3513

Replaces 12/24/75 #1822