OMB Requires Federal Agencies to Cut Workforce

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney issued a memorandum requiring all federal agencies to begin taking immediate actions to achieve near-term workforce reductions and cost savings based on the President Donald Trump’s FY18 Budget Blueprint. The memorandum also requires agencies to submit a high-level draft of an Agency Reform Plan by June 30, with a full plan by September, which includes workforce reductions over the next four years. Memorandum (M-17-22) dated April 12 provides guidance on fulfilling the requirements of President Trump’s Executive Order 13781 from March 13 (see Memo, 3/20).

President Trump’s Budget Blueprint would eliminate the HOME Investment Partnerships program, Community Development Block Grants, Choice Neighborhoods grants, and the Self Help Homeownership Opportunities Program.  It would also require significant cuts to other HUD programs and end funding to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and NeighborWorks America (see Memo, 3/20).

When preparing an Agency Reform Plan, the memorandum instructs agencies to conduct an analysis that results in proposals to eliminate activities, restructure or merge activities, improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, and maximize employee performance. The memorandum recommends eliminating activities that are not core to an agency’s primary mission, that are “needlessly” redundant, or that are more appropriate for the private sector or state or local government.

Regarding restructuring or merging activities, the memorandum suggests improving coordination and information-sharing across silos within and between agencies. Regarding improving efficiency and effectiveness, the memorandum suggests shifting to alternate service delivery models, such as delegating responsibilities to state, local, and Tribal governments. Without funding to carry out these responsibilities, however, other levels of government are not likely to undertake them.

OMB will work with agencies to develop cross-cutting reform proposals that involve multiple agencies in order to address situations in which multiple agencies appear to interact in fragmented or duplicative ways with state, local, and Tribal governments or other stakeholders.

The memorandum requires government-wide management councils (CXOs) to identify policy and regulatory reporting requirements that are of low value, duplicative, or no longer necessary. In addition, OMB will identify reporting activities that could be immediately stopped or modified. 

OMB will release a final, government-wide reform plan as part of the president’s FY19 budget request.

Memorandum M-17-22 is at: http://bit.ly/2oXuCHn