The Fish and Wildlife Service Directives System includes the current policy and management directives that affect the daily activities of the Service and our employees. The Directives include:

The Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.

We put the latest policy affecting our employees in the Service Manual. The Manual describes:

• The structure and functions of our organizational units, and
• The requirements and procedures for administrative activities and program operations.

When a Service Manual chapter has extensive procedures, we may use a Handbook to supplement the chapter.

Director's Orders.  

We use Director’s Orders for:

• Temporary policy and procedures,
• Delegations of authority,
• Emergency policy,
• Special assignments or functions, and
• Initial statements establishing new organizational units.

We convert the content of Director's Orders into Service Manual chapters as soon as practical, or we remove them.

We also issue policy memorandums to release policy quickly.

Planning to write a policy? 

• Check out:
• 011 FW 2, Format and Text for Writing Service Manual Chapters,
• Our PowerPoint Presentation on writing Service Manual chapters, and
• Call Krista Holloway in PDM at (703) 358-1914.

You can find Department of the Interior policy and management guidance (Secretarial Orders, Departmental Manual, and more) in the Electronic Library of Interior Policies.

PDM Contact: Krista Holloway, (703) 358-1914, Krista_Holloway@fws.gov