DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT

* Includes 700 FTE in FY 2000 and 719 in 2001 for the Working Capital Fund and 45 FTE in FY 2000 and 35 FTE in FY 2001 for DM reimbursable activities.

The Departmental Management (DM) appropriation provides funding for the following activities: Program Direction and Support, Legal Services, International Labor Affairs, Administration and Management, Adjudication, Disability Policy which includes the Office of Disability Policy, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (ODPET) and the Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities, Women's Bureau, Civil Rights, Chief Financial Officer and a centralized Information Technology Activity administered by the CIO office. These activities are responsible for formulating and overseeing the achievement of Departmental policy, for the overall management of Departmental programs and resources, and for providing a variety of unique services in ensuring equal employment opportunity in Departmental programs, in supporting the rights of workers and promoting issues involving women in America's workplaces and in promoting the employment of people with disabilities nationwide.

The budget for the DM appropriation is $459.1 million and 1,715 FTE for FY 2001, an increase of $193.4 million and 74 FTE over FY 2000. In addition, the Working Capital Fund, which is a no-year revolving fund that provides centralized administrative support services financed through assessments of DOL agencies, will be increased by a total of $963 thousand and 19 FTE.

Program Direction and Support
The Program Direction and Support (PDS) activity includes a total budget request of $46.5 million and 164 FTE for FY 2001. PDS activity includes the immediate Offices of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, provides leadership and direction for all Department-wide initiatives, programs and functions assigned to the Department. In addition, PDS provides guidance for the development and implementation of government policy to protect and promote the interest of the American worker toward achieving better employment and earnings, to promote productivity and economic growth, safety, equity and affirmative action in employment, to collect and analyze statistics on the labor force, to monitor and evaluate emerging economic and international and national labor market trends and events and to promote lifelong learning in the 21st century. PDS activities are central to the Departmental mission and not simply an adjunct to autonomous DOL programs. Under the direction of the Secretary, the agenda for major program initiatives in such areas as pension protection, child labor, universal re-employment, and unemployment insurance reform is forged.

The FY 2001 Budget includes a comprehensive initiative, $1 million and 2 FTE, for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) to: 1) ensure that the Department meets the Secretary's directive to meet the government-wide procurement activity goal as it applies to small businesses, and; 2) implement the Executive Orders as they relate to Minority Colleges and Universities.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), provides coordination, research, and policy leadership pivotal to the success of many DOL programs. In FY 2001, $20 million is included for a Making Family Leave More Affordable initiative to fund roughly 15 competitive planning grants for states and other interested entities to explore ways to make parental leave and other forms of family leave more affordable and accessible for American workers. These grants will help interested States and other entities to identify in more detail the workers who need financial assistance to take parental/family leave and to evaluate and develop options to aid these workers.

Legal Services
The Office of the Solicitor (SOL) includes a total budget request of $81.4 million and 726 FTE for FY 2001. The SOL office independently litigates cases in the U.S. District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and before administrative law judges and administrative appellate bodies; serves as the co-counsel to the Solicitor General in Department-related litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court; assists the Justice Department and local U.S. Attorneys offices in case preparation and trial; supports regulatory reform through the review of rules and regulations; provides oral and written interpretations and opinions to the client agencies concerning the statutes which the Department enforces; coordinates the Department's legislative program; reviews proposed legislation and assists in drafting legislation; prepares testimony and reports on proposed legislation as requested by the Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, as well as annual reports to the Congress; provides legal advice to interagency groups responsible for U.S. trade matters; assists in negotiating international agreements; and participates in international organizations including the International Labor Organization (ILO). The Office of the Solicitor also serves as "House Counsel" to the Department on a variety of matters, including labor management relations and ethics.

This budget includes increases totaling $3.034 million and 26 FTE to provide legal services in support of enhancements to several programs such as ERISA, OFCCP, Wage Hour, MSHA, OSHA and ETA programs. Included in this funding is support to help the Department of Justice in connection with criminal enforcement of worker-protection laws.

International Labor Affairs
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) coordinates the Department's international responsibilities and provides expert support for many of the Administration's international initiatives. The total request in FY 2001 is $167 million and 109 FTE, an increase of $97 million. The mission of the Bureau is to assist in formulating the U.S. international policies and programs of concern to American workers. The importance of this mission has grown due to the priority placed upon trade and economic liberalization initiatives by the Administration. Other long-standing responsibilities of the Bureau include representing the U.S. government at the International Labor Organization (ILO) and on the Employment, Labor and Social Affairs (ELSA) Committee of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), participation in inter-agency trade policy working groups, research on labor related trade issues, analysis of international labor developments, co-management with the Department of State of the Labor Attache Corps of the Foreign Service, management of cooperative programs with foreign labor ministries, and operation of the Department's technical assistance programs. Also included in this activity is funding for commitments under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), including the U.S. National Administrative Office and the U.S. contribution to the International Secretariat.

An estimated 250 million children between the ages of 5 to 14 years, are working in developing countries, and millions of these children work under abusive or dangerous conditions. The Administration has accomplished two major Child Labor milestones in recent years - dramatic growth in the International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC), and ratification of ILO convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

The FY 2001 request recommends taking these efforts to the next level by supporting educational opportunities that not only encourage the removal of children from these abusive and dangerous working environments, but that provide them with real opportunities and real hope for a better future. The request includes a total of $100 million to support international efforts to eliminate child labor through a comprehensive strategy with two inter-related components: first, the U.S. contribution to IPEC will increase by 50% ($45 million) for multilateral assistance which will increase the number of abused children served, in more industries and in more countries; second, a new bilateral assistance program funded at $55 million will help countries establish an accessible, affordable and decent education as a viable alternative to child labor.

The budget includes funding for several multilateral initiatives designed to help the ILO with its multilateral technical assistance program. In support of the Secretary's commitment to raising labor standards throughout the world, the budget includes $10 million in increased funding for DOL's bilateral technical assistance program designed to raise core labor standards and improve the social safety net programs of our trading partners. The budget also includes $10 million and 3 FTE for a new Global HIV/AIDS Workplace initiative targeted at providing multilateral assistance to the ILO to support health education and HIV prevention in the workplace. In addition, the budget includes $4.25 million and 17 FTE to DOL for a joint DOL, EPA, and State Department $10 million effort to monitor labor and environmental related concerns about global economic integration through the development of better public information and technical assistance with respect to enforcement of domestic labor laws in developing countries.

Administration and Management
The FY 2001 budget includes $24.8 million and 114 FTE for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM) to provide leadership and policy guidance in the areas of budget, human resources, information technology, management and administration to the Department's program agencies. OASAM's mission also includes providing centralized administrative and support services through the Working Capital Fund to the program agencies and Departmental employees to achieve efficiency and cost effectiveness in the provision of such services.

Three initiatives in this activity in FY 2001, include: 1) $793 thousand to enable the Chief Information Officer to ensure that DOL meets the legislative mandates of the Clinger-Cohen Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and the Computer Security Act, and; 2) $650 thousand for Alternative Dispute Resolution programs and; 3) $350 thousand for Lifelong Learning Activities for DOL employees.

Adjudication
The Adjudication activity consists of four components: the Office of Administrative Law Judges, the Benefits Review Board, the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board and the Administrative Review Board. In FY 2001, the total budget requested for these four agencies is $40 million and 342 FTE. These components preside over either formal hearings and render timely decisions, or review and decide appeals, on claims filed under numerous statutes, including the Black Lung Benefits Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its extensions, the Federal Employees' Compensation Act and numerous other acts involving complaints to determine violations of minimum wage requirements, overtime payments, health and safety regulations and unfair labor practices. Final decisions are prepared for the Secretary, Deputy Secretary and other deciding officials in adjudicated administrative decisions. In FY 2001, the Department requests $325 thousand and 2 FTE in this area to continue to promote greater use of alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Disability Policy
This budget provides $23 million and 57 FTE to fund the Department's organizations that work toward eliminating policy barriers that impede the employment of people with disabilities.

The FY 2001 budget includes $20.446 million and 47 FTE to establish the Office of Disability Policy, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (ODPET). The creation of the new office was recommended by the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Under the leadership of an Assistant Secretary, ODPET's mission is to bring a heightened and permanent disability focus within DOL through policy evaluation, technical assistance and development of best practices. ODPET will subsume the responsibilities of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD) in terms of working with employers to encourage them to create opportunities for people with disabilities. The office will work within the Department to increase participation of people with disabilities in DOL training programs, with a targeted emphasis on those serving youth. In addition, ODPET will subsume the PCEPD workforce recruitment program and High School/High Tech program and other various programs and projects designed to break new ground in the employment of youth with disabilities. Finally, first year activities will also include the provision of grants and technical assistance to increase access for people with disabilities to the One-Stop Career Centers.

Through the creation of ODPET, there will be established a Federally chartered corporation known as the National Disability Business Development Board. The National Disability Business Development Board membership will be comprised of America's business leaders, organized labor, rehabilitation and service providers, and disability-related organizations currently advising the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Specific functions will include: improving the access of individuals with disabilities to financial institutions, commercial and business enterprises; providing incentives to, and collaborating with, both public and private sectors to ensure the necessary levels of resources/investments in employment initiatives for individuals with disabilities; and leveraging funds for public awareness about disability and employment.

The Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities will continue its efforts during FY 2001 to create a coordinated and aggressive national policy to bring adults with disabilities into gainful employment at a rate that is as close as possible to that of the general population. The Secretary of Labor and the current Chairman of the President's Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively. The Task Force includes heads of several Cabinet agencies as well as other Federal agencies responsible for addressing disability issues. The budget includes $2.556 million and 10 FTE to support the work of the Task Force in FY 2001. The Task Force is analyzing the barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities and will report its findings with policy recommendations to the President on a periodic basis. The Task Force will submit its next report to the President on November 15, 2000 and a final report on July 26, 2002.

Women's Bureau
The Women's Bureau is the only Federal agency with primary responsibility for promoting the welfare and interests of working women. The FY 2001 budget includes $9.596 million and 72 FTE for the Women's Bureau. The mission of the Bureau is to seek to improve women's working conditions, to eliminate the barriers that restrict women in reaching their full potential in the workplace, to advance their opportunities for profitable employment and to operate a clearinghouse of information to address issues facing working women and their families. The Bureau continues its focus on areas including the importance of equal pay and benefits, balancing work and family, and valuing women's work through job training and career development.

In FY 2001, the budget provides $1 million for the Women's Bureau to participate in DOL's efforts to expand the President's Equal Pay initiative. This request includes funding for the Women's Bureau to: conduct a research symposium for human resources professionals, women, disability and civil rights organizations to focus on equal pay issues; undertake a public service campaign on equal pay issues, and; develop and disseminate materials to One-Stops to inform customers about high paying careers in non-traditional employment as well as train One-stop staff. The Women's Bureau will also work with ETA's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training on the $1 million women in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations (WANTO) initiative, also included in the President's Equal Pay Initiative, to increase women's participation in non-traditional apprenticeships and jobs.

Civil Rights
The Civil Rights activity is responsible for ensuring full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other regulatory nondiscrimination provisions in programs receiving or benefitting from financial assistance from DOL. In addition, this activity ensures equal employment opportunity for all DOL employees and applicants for employment.

The total proposed funding in the FY 2001 budget for this activity, $ 6.384 million and 57 FTE, includes $536 thousand to support the President's civil rights agenda and the development and administration of compliance training of program administrators specifically as it relates to the employment of adults with disabilities in programs receiving financial assistance from DOL, and; assistance for compliance of Job Corps centers to ensure that they are in full compliance with the Civil Rights Act and other nondiscrimination regulations.

Chief Financial Officer
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for enhancing knowledge and skills of Departmental staff working in financial management operations, developing comprehensive accounting and financial management policies, assuring that all Departmental financial functions conform to applicable standards, providing leadership and coordination to the Department's trust and benefit fund financial actions, monitoring the financial execution of the budget in relation to actual expenditures, and managing a comprehensive training program for accounting and financial support staff. The budget includes $5.972 million and 46 FTE for this organization in FY 2001.

Information Technology Activities
This is a new activity which establishes a permanent, centralized IT investment fund for the Department of Labor (DOL) managed by the Chief Information Officer. As required by the Clinger Cohen Act, in 1996, the Department established a Chief Information Officer accountable for IT management in the DOL, and implemented an IT Capital Investment Management process for selecting, controlling, and evaluating IT investments. The Department also began developing an information technology architecture to establish a baseline of existing information technologies and provide a target environment as a framework for future information technology investments. In 2001, this activity includes $54.4 million for the acquisition of Departmental information technology, architecture, infrastructures, equipment, software and related needs which will be allocated by the Department's Chief Information Officer in accordance with the Department's capital investment management process to assure a sound investment strategy. These information technology resources will ensure overall program effectiveness and communication among DOL employees nationwide.

Working Capital Fund
The Department's agencies finance the Working Capital Fund (WCF) for centralized services provided at rates that return in full all expenses in operation, including reserves for accrued annual leave and depreciation of capitalized assets. For FY 2001, the Working Capital Fund's operating level totals $113 million and 719 FTE to support administrative and management services nationwide. This budget includes requests for additional funding to: provide operational support services for DOL's new personnel system; enhance resources available in the national and field offices to continue to provide efficient, quality support services; increase funding for DOL's internal safety and health program to assure safe and healthy workplaces for DOL employees, and; provide technical assistance, resources and loaner assistive devices to promote the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities within DOL.