An appropriation of $29,300 thousand is requested, which, together with funds from other sources, will make a total of $47,140 thousand available for Regional Management and Services. This appropriation bears the major burden of the new law requiring Departments and agencies in FY 1975 to budget for mandatory space rental costs to the General Services Administration. Of the $15.5 million increase requested, $14.2 million is for this purpose.

Increased pay rates are estimated to cost an additional $1,254 thousand in 1974 and an additional $289 thousand in 1975.

Within-grade increases are estimated to be $313 thousand in 1974, and $321 thousand in 1975.

Regional Management and Services

Centralized communications and space rental account for cost increases of $1,229 thousand in 1974, and an additional $14,870 thousand in 1975. This item includes the field share of mandatory payments to General Services Administration for costs of the Federal Telecommunications System, mandatory payments to Postal Service for penalty mail, and required payments to General Services Administration for space rental (The Central Office costs are budgeted under Administration and Staff Services.). The large increase in these costs in 1975 is due to the effect of a new law, P.L. 92-313, the Public Buildings Amendments of 1972. Under this law, each Department is required to pay rental costs to GSA for all building space which it occupies.

A summary of centralized space and communication costs chargeable to Regional Management and Services follows.

Space and communication costs for the Central Office are included in the "Administration and Staff Services" appropriation and explained in section E of this part of the Justification.

Miscellaneous increases and decreases of a wide variety, including an extra day's pay, temporary typing help during field staffing adjustments, changes in overtime, etc., are estimated to result in an increase of $624 thousand in 1974 and a decrease of $4 thousand in 1975.

STAFFING SUMMARY

No changes in staff levels are proposed in this account as indicated in the following tabulation.

Virtually all of the programs of the Department are administered on a decentralized basis through the Department's Regional, Area, and Insuring Offices under the direction of the ten Regional Administrators. The Regional Administrator is directly responsible to the Secretary for execution of Department programs, the overall management of the Department's Regional program, and supervision and direction of Regional, Area, and Insuring Office functions.

The Regional Administrator represents the Department within his region for both operational and coordinating purposes. He speaks for the Secretary and other top officials of the Department in dealing with field officials of other Departments and agencies on all matters involving relationship of their urban programs to HUD programs and activities.

An important function of the Regional Administrator is to serve as principal liaison with State governors and other government units on matters involving more than one program or requiring Department-level participation and coordination. In order to be fully effective in the critical task of coordinating the network of relationships between HUD offices and other State, local and citizen groups and individuals which they serve, it is vital that the Office of the Regional Administrator have an adequate staff.

The Regional Administrator is assisted in carrying out these functions by a Deputy Regional Administrator and a small staff of secretarial and specialist aides. These include: a Public Affairs Officer who is responsible for Region-wide public affairs services; and a Labor Relations Officer who is responsible for Region-wide labor relations advice and services, functional supervision of wage-rate determinations, and labor provision compliance functions of Area and Insuring Offices.

A typical staffing pattern for the Office of the Regional Administrator

follows:

1974.

Staff requirements for 1975 are anticipated to remain about the same in

Working closely with the Regional Administrator is a small Program Planning staff. This staff enables each Regional Administrator to evaluate long term potential for HUD programs, regional objectives and special aspects of the various HUD activities. This staff is responsible for Region-wide program evaluation of needs, funding and goal relationships, and demonstration and research projects advice and monitoring. The Program Planning staff includes the Regional Economist, who gives functional direction to the Area Office Economic and Market Analysis Division.

No additional staff is requested in 1975.

A typical staffing pattern for the Program Planning Staff follows:

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Administration is the principal advisor to the Regional Administrator and Deputy Regional Administrator on matters of administrative management, including personnel management and training, organization and management, budget, accounting and financial reporting, program accounting assistance to local agencies, reports and statistics, and general services. A typical office is staffed by the Assistant Regional Administrator and his secretary. Depending on the size of the region, an additional position may be required to assist the ARA in carrying out his duties. No change in basic staffing pattern is proposed for 1975.

The Personnel Operations Division of each Regional Office is responsible for all aspects of personnel management such as classification, recruitment, training and liaison with subordinate field installations.