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December 27, 2001
| To: |
IC Directors |
| From: |
Director, Executive Secretariat |
| Subject: |
IC Directors' Meeting Highlights —
November 29, 2001 |
I. Update on the NIH Business and Research
Support System (NBRSS)
Ms. Barros gave an overview of the NBRSS.
It is one of three NIH enterprise systems and is itself composed of two
administrative systems, the NIH Business System (NBS) and the Enterprise
Human Resources and Planning System (EHRP). She explained that DHHS is
taking a very different approach to centralizing DHHS-wide administrative
systems, and this will pose some challenges for NIH. Ms. Barros reported
that DHHS has agreed to allow NIH to serve as a prototype for the DHHS
Unified Financial Management System. The human resources portion poses
problems because the DHHS approach calls for a position-based system,
while the NIH system is employee-based. Ms. Barros reviewed the oversight
of the NBRSS (375 NIH employees are participating currently) as well as
the proposed NBS deployment schedule and EHRP implementation strategy.
She distributed copies of her slides.
II. Update on Restructuring Plan and Meetings
with Dr. Sontag
Dr. Kirschstein and a small group of IC Directors
met last week with Dr. Sontag on the NIH restructuring plan and will meet
with him again late next week. Dr. Maddox noted that DHHS is giving us
a one-week extension, but the OMB is pushing for these plans. Mr. Leasure
noted that several groups are collecting data. He distributed several
handouts, including the budget restructuring piece. The procurement piece
will be distributed shortly. The overall theme is that NIH management
exists to support our science. Mr. Leasure is working on drafting a comprehensive
document, which he will send to all IC Directors as quickly as possible.
He will try to weave the NBS throughout the final document. Mr. Leasure
also discussed the issue of layering and distributed a chart. We may have
to adopt the specific terms that DHHS is using for certain management
levels. Dr. Maddox said that the budget format is a good model. We need
to come close to a final document by the time the group meets again with
Dr. Sontag. Such a nearly final document plus talking points will be needed
for the meeting. Dr. Kirschstein asked IC Directors to obtain feedback
from their staffs in these areas and to get those comments to Mr. Leasure
no later than tomorrow morning. He will put all portions of the document
into the budget format before the meeting with Dr. Sontag.
III. Information Items
This was Dr. Hyman's and Dr. Leshner's last
IC Directors' meeting. Dr. Kirschstein led the group in saluting them
with a round of applause.Dr. Ruffin, Mr. Smolonsky, Dr. Maddox, and a
few IC Directors met recently with staffers from the offices of Senators
Kennedy and Frist and Representatives Charles Norwood, J. C. Watts, and
John Lewis about the implementation of P.L. 106-525, the Minority Health
and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000, which created
the NCMHD. Representatives from AHRQ, HRSA, and the DHHS Office of Minority
Health also attended. Dr. Ruffin reported on what has been done so far
and his plans for the future. He included remarks about the health disparities
loan repayment program and the centers of excellence endowment program.
Some of the staffers were concerned about collaboration between other
ICs and the Center. The rest of the meeting dealt with the NCMHD strategic
plan. Dr. Ruffin hopes to send the strategic plan to Dr. Kirschstein within
the next few weeks. Dr. Spiegel asked about the Department's health disparities
initiative. Dr. Ruffin will represent NIH at the December 5 meeting.Dr.
Vaitukaitis said the GAO representatives are meeting with NIH staff Monday
for their entrance conference with NIH regarding the review of our implementation
of the Clinical Research Enhancement Act. She would welcome any information
on this topic from the other IC Directors.
Karen Pelham O'Steen
cc: OD Staff
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