The ACTION Agency, the Peace Corps, VISTA, the Older American Volunteer Program and the Office of Administration and Finance could have been characterized over the past five years as five "agencies", each with a different mission. The unfortunate result of this was that volunteers received poor support and confusing direction. The new direction to the Office of Administration and Finance was to change this situation by working together as a team in assisting the volunteers. Specifically, the mission of Administration and Finance was to dramatically improve support to the volunteers. In eleven short months, Administration and Finance has accomplished this mission. Service to the volunteers is the clear goal of each of its eight divisions. It is the rationale behind all of the administrative improvements that have taken place in the last eleven months. Simple, direct, and straight forward administrative improvements have been made, Here are some of them: Problem Automated Data Processing (ADP) hac Leca handled by two divisions within the Aency. This led to poor coordination, inefficiencies and overlapping of ADP services. Solution ADP systems development and operation control were combined under one division with no loss of grade or career potential to any employee. ADMINISTRATION continued Problem It formerly took over 300 days to recruit, interview, clear, and hire a Peace Corps staff member for an overseas post. This resulted in a high vacancy rate for these posts. There existed a proliferation of fiscal codes, geared mostly to collecting detailed information. Moreover, some information required for external reports to OMB, GAO, and GSA was not readily available. The large number of codes frequently resulted in errors in data entry. Nearly 30 percent of the new domestic volunteers did not receive their initial subsistence check on time. This was because of the complicated procedure necessary to generate such a check. Because the Domestic Volunteer Payroll was linked to the Staff Payroll, administratively early cutoff dates were required in the field. Solution A new system was designed and implemented for Foreign Service Reserve overseas position selection, projected against a nine-month vacancy estimate. This system, which includes forecasting and planning of staff needs, will provide orderly processing of staff and thereby greatly reduce the vacancies. has already reduced hiring time to less than 90 days. In addition, because of this system and other efforts in the Peace Corps the overseas vacancies have dropped from 30 percent to 10 percent. is expected that the new rate will be about this level. It It A fiscal codes task force reduced the codes by 40 percent. Codes were adjusted and streamlined to collect the needed information easily and accurately. The system was modified to eliminate the mismatches which delayed the checks. Virtually every volunteer is now able to receive this vital check on time. These two dissimilar payrolls have been severed. This enables the field to submit later volunteer payroll information, resulting in greater accuracy. For FY 1979 $12,225,000 is requested for administrative services which include: -Management and Organization -Administrative Services -Accounting -Computer Services -Personnel Management -Health Services -Staff Training and Development A major savings of $151 thousand in Personnel Compensation and Benefits results from the fact that staff is being reduced from a level of 313 at the beginning of FY 1978 to 293 at year end. Since this reduction occurred over the entire year, a portion of the additional positions was funded in FY 1978. Although a savings is possible in personnel costs, Other Expenses will expand by $716 thousand in FY 1979 over their FY 1978 level. The major portion of this increase is for items which will further improve the administrative support provided to volunteers and staff so that the Agency's operating programs can most effectively meet basic human needs. These are: Installation of a microfiche system which will reduce space used for maintaining the Agency's extensive files; Additional staff training; Full-year rental of computer terminals (as opposed to part-year Additional rental of equipment for the automated data Minor increases in items such as supplies, equipment, The increase in Other Expenses is offset, in part, by the savings realized in Personnel Compensation and Benefits so that there is only a net increase in FY 1979 of $565 thousand over the FY 1978 level. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1978. CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITNESSES HENRY LOOMIS, PRESIDENT JAMES B. CARDWELL, VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND TREASURER Mr. FLOOD. We will take the 1979 request first and take the supplemental after that. I see there is a statement here by Henry Loomis, President. Do you think it is necessary to introduce anybody who is with you? Mr. LOOMIS. I think this is a gentleman you may have seen before, sir, Mr. James Cardwell, who for the last five or six weeks has been the Vice President of the corporation for Administration and Treasurer. Mr. FLOOD. What was he before that? Mr. LOOMIS. Social Security Commissioner. Mr. FLOOD. For how long? Mr. LOOMIS. Four years, and thirty-odd years in HEW in one form or another. Mr. Chairman, I actually have three separate requests. Mr. FLOOD. And three separate statements? Mr. LOOMIS. Yes. Mr. FLOOD. Do you propose to submit these for the record? Mr. FLOOD. They will be submitted for the record in the proper position, in the proper order. [The information referred to follows:] (461) |