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- Purpose and Scope. This Chapter outlines the process for
National Office accountability reviews of District Offices. It incorporates and
augments the procedures contained in Chapter 4-300, Accountability Reviews, of
the Federal (OWCP) Procedure Manual.
- Definitions.
- Accountability Review. An accountability review is an
assessment of the movement towards excellence, effectiveness, and efficiency of
an individual office. This assessment is made primarily by applying the
accountability standards contained in the Accountability Review Manual (ARM) in
terms of making findings and determinations about the quality, quantity and
timeliness of actual performance.
- Performance Period. The review focuses on performance over the
last four fiscal quarters preceding the review date, or the period since the
date of the last National Office accountability review, whichever is less.
- Schedule. Each year the Longshore Division issues the schedule
of District Offices to be reviewed during the fiscal year. The OWCP Procedure
Manual (Chapter 4-300) provides that each OWCP division should try to review
its district offices biannually with National Office review teams (contingent
on staff and funding availability). The following outline provides a schedule
of the pre and post accountability review activities:
- At least thirty days prior to the review the Regional Director
is provided with a notice of the review confirming the on-site review dates,
identifying the accountability review team members and providing any other
pertinent information concerning the review. The notice also transmits the
Off-Site Accountability Report, (Exhibit 25, PM 10-300) which contains relevant
statistical data about the office to be reviewed.
- At the on site close-out conference the review team will
provide a comprehensive oral report, a list of proposed corrective actions and
a completed copy of the Accountability Review Summary Sheet which contains the
sample size, errors, and percent correct for each of the standards reviewed. A
written accountability review report will be sent to the regional director
within 10 days of the on-site review completion date (see OWCP Procedure Manual
Chapter 4-300.6.b.).
- Within 15 days of receipt of the accountability review report,
the regional director reviews the report and provides the team leader with any
comments, including any reasons for disagreeing with the report. The team
leader has 15 days from receipt of the regional director's response to prepare
and issue a response to the regional director, district director, and National
Office program head over the signature of the Director, Division of Longshore
and Harbor Workers' Compensation. This response clearly states the reasons for
agreement or disagreement with the regional office's position. Copies of the
Final Report are sent to the Director, OWCP, the Division of Planning, Policy
and Standards, and the Office of Management, Administration and Planning
- Tracking of Corrective Actions. The AR-10, Corrective Actions
Report (Exhibit 54, PM 10-200), is a part of the final review report. The team
leader lists the final recommendations which resulted from the accountability
review. The reviewed office is then required to complete the AR-10 indicating
the actions taken to implement the accountability recommendations. The AR-10
should be submitted with the Quarterly Review and Analysis Report until all
recommendations have been implemented.
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