The policy applies directly only to the OSD and to the DoD agencies and field activities but instructs the military services to produce comparable policies within 60 days. Image: Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe Pentagon has set limits on executive assistant staffing, saying that while they “represent a modest overall cost, the effective use of EAs is as much about achieving savings as it is about fostering a mindset of fiscal discipline and warfighter focus.”
“Controlling EA-related administrative costs sets an example from the top reflecting the leadership’s commitment to operational efficiency,” says a memo from Secretary Pete Hegseth that creates an “application framework for EA allocation.”
That framework specifies targets for officials at certain levels – including, for example, one for each three senior executives who report to assistant secretaries of defense within the Office of the Secretary of Defense or to regional directors in defense agencies and field activities.
It defines an EA as “an individual with a preponderance of responsibility for tasks, such as scheduling, calendar management, travel coordination, personal reception, administrative phone and email communication, or similar administrative support functions. No other civilians or contractors may predominantly perform EA-type work for leaders to circumvent these limitations. The EA definition excludes positions such as office managers which provide services to an entire office, although such definitions shall not be used to circumvent the spirit of this document.”
The policy applies directly only to the OSD and to the DoD agencies and field activities but instructs the military services to produce comparable policies within 60 days. While exceptions can be allowed, officials are expected to act “in the fullest spirit and intent of cost efficiency,” it adds.
It adds: “Military members may continue to perform administrative support, but such work should be de-emphasized compared to the military specific and operational expertise they provide. Existing policy on the assignment of Military Assistant positions to PSA offices remain in effect. Nothing in this memorandum would prevent a military officer or senior enlisted from having military staff provide administrative support.”
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