Office of the Deputy Attorney General
December 29, 1999
MEMORANDUM TO: Heads of Department Components (Except FBI and DEA)
FROM: Eric H. Holder, Jr.
SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority for Executive Resources
Currently, there are a large number of actions affecting members of the statutory Senior Executive Service (SES) which require my approval as Chair of the Senior Executive Resources Board (SERB). In addition, there are a number of actions involving members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration (FBI-DEA) SES which cross my desk. While there are similarities between the two SES systems, the authorities delegated to the Heads of various Department Components for review and approval of executive personnel actions vary somewhat.
At the request of my predecessor, the Justice Management Division (JMD) conducted an analysis and review of the delegations of authority for the statutory and FBI-DEA SES. This review concentrated on two issues: 1) how best to streamline the process of taking actions and allow the SERB to focus our efforts on matters of greater added value; and 2) whether there should be a greater degree of consistency in my and the SERB's review of actions departmentwide.
Based on JMD's review and subsequent briefing, I have decided to delegate certain authorities to you in the areas of:
Attached is a chart which identifies the specific executive personnel functions to be delegated and those retained by the Attorney General, me, or the SERB.
The delegation of authority will be effective March 1, 2000. It will permit greater flexibility in managing your executive resources. In addition, you will be able to serve as champions of change for the executive personnel program; develop innovative methods and procedures in executive resources management; exercise broader flexibility and control; improve timeliness of actions; reduce paperwork; and increase administrative efficiency.
In order to ensure program integrity, I have asked JMD to host meetings during February 2000 to discuss and resolve any questions prior to the March 1, 2000, effective date. JMD will also provide management oversight for the delegated authority and identify those program indicators and actions/documents it needs to perform its oversight role. During and after the transition period, the JMD staff will be available to provide your component management advisory services, and guidance in the SES and Senior Level areas.
If you have any questions regarding this delegation of authority, please have a member of your staff contact Joanne W. Simms, Director of Personnel, on (202) 514-6788, or Valerie M. Willis, Assistant Director, Executive Resources Group on (202) 514-6794.
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