FOR RELEASE:  July 7, 1994                  CONTACT:  John Barclay
                                                    (202) 208-5890

              MMS REORGANIZES TO DO MORE WITH LESS (#40050)

        The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS)
has begun to streamline itself to meet the objectives of the
Clinton Administration's Reinventing Government effort and the
National Performance Review (NPR) in its commitment to invent a
leaner government that better serves its customers.

        "This reorganization reflects MMS's determination to
respond to the Administration's efforts to streamline government
while maintaining high quality performance and top-notch service to
our customers," MMS Director Tom Fry said.

        A new Office of Communications and Government Affairs
(OCGA) combines the duties and personnel of the former Offices of
Public Affairs, External Affairs and Congressional and Legislative
Affairs.  The office is responsible for communications strategy and
outreach to all customers and stakeholders of MMS.  Its goal is to
ensure a coordinated and consistent message and exchange of
information.  The new arrangement will allow for issue management
teams from all three areas of expertise to be formed.  Lyn Herdt is
the new OCGA Chief; the office phone number is (202) 208-3985. 
Customers should continue to contact the same staff persons they
have worked with in the past.  

        The establishment of the new office allows MMS to reduce
the supervisor-to-employee ratio in its customer support offices
from 1:4 to 1:12.  The new structure will allow the office to
maximize individual skills through cross-training, and the
establishment of project- and task-oriented teams.  The new
structure allows an immediate reduction in support staff, and
cross-training will allow MMS to further lower staff levels without
reducing customer service when present staff resign, retire or are
reassigned.

        MMS's Policy and Management Improvement (PMI) office
reduced layers of management, eliminating the position of Deputy
Associate Director for Management Improvement and consolidating
into three divisions:  Appeals, Offshore Minerals Analysis, and
Royalty Management Analysis.  Those replace the five divisions of
Program Review, Strategic Improvement, Quality and Productivity
Improvement, Appeals and Litigation Support, and Policy and
Planning.  The reorganized Associate Director's office will have a
Policy Coordination staff that will strengthen the agency's
commitment to NPR activities and provide a quick response to
cross-cutting agency issues.

        The reorganization of the Royalty Management Program (RMP)
will consolidate existing Divisions and Offices under the two
currently occupied positions of Deputy Associate Director (DAD) for
Compliance and for Valuation and Operations.  Formerly the RMP had
three DAD positions:  Compliance, Audit and Operations.  The
position of DAD for Operations had never been filled.  In addition,
Indian audit activities were streamlined by merging Indian audit
teams with the State and Indian Compliance office.  The Tulsa
office was combined with the Dallas Compliance Office, and
compliance offices were retitled Divisions.

        MMS has also closed its Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
regional office.  The move will result in a better use of staff and
available resources, Fry said, because MMS has focused its
resources increasingly in other areas in recent years.  Remaining
functions of the Atlantic office will be handled by the Gulf of
Mexico regional office in New Orleans and the Offshore Minerals
Management office in Herndon, VA. 

        "It's good government, just as it's good business, to step
back and look at ourselves, focus on our priorities and the needs
of our customers and determine whether the current structure still
makes sense," Fry said.  "We need to be responsive and
cost-efficient just as our customers and stakeholders who've been
challenged to restructure in today's business climate."

        Fry said MMS will continue to examine its structure and to
streamline where possible.

        MMS is the agency which manages and regulates the nation's
natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS), and which collects and disburses revenues
from OCS leases and from onshore leases on Federal and Indian
lands.

                              -MMS-

Subject: PR-07/07/94 Reorganization/MMS Reorganizes to do More with
Less (#40050)