The House Appropriations Committee, expressing concern
about several aspects of Forest Service management,
has written several restrictive provisions into a
pending appropriations bill for fiscal 2006 (HR-2361)
covering the agency.
In a report, the committee said it “remains very
concerned” about how the Forest Service has implemented
the competitive sourcing initiative, saying it was
“mismanaged” in the past. The measure limits the use of
funds for competitive sourcing efforts to $2.5 million,
a 25 percent increase over the fiscal year 2005
limitation. In comments on the bill, the Bush
administration asked that the restriction be removed,
saying the agency is using competitive sourcing in a
“strategic and responsible manner.”
The committee also expressed concern that the Forest
Service has an “inadequate ability to obtain and
produce reliable performance data that the Congress
and the public can utilize to assess management
effectiveness.” It noted a recent inspector general
audit that assessed the agency’s long-term challenges
regarding the Government Performance and Results Act,
and presented findings on the lack of adequate
performance data. The committee ordered the Forest
Service to develop and implement a system of internal
controls to ensure improved agency performance data
in fiscal year 2006 and to include a presentation on
this improvement as part of the next budget
justification.
The committee said the agency should “implement
policies that hold agency line officers accountable
for reporting more accurate performance data in 2006
and establishing an independent review process to
validate the reported information. Measurable
indicators should be maintained for line officer
progress on programs and accomplishments. This
information should be readily available to Congress
and the public.”
The panel also expressed concern that the Forest
Service’s efforts to improve administrative functions
through detailed and expensive business process
reengineering of financial services and human
resources “may not be adequately documented and
open to public scrutiny” and ordered the agency to
provide quarterly reports on business process
reengineering efforts and transmit the reports to
Congress and post them on the agency’s Web site.
“The committee expects the Forest Service, working
closely with the Department of Agriculture, to
provide adequate Congressional notification at key
benchmarks in these processes, and directs the Forest
Service to document the funding requirements and
accomplishments in subsequent budget justifications,”
the report said.
