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Agency: Department of CommerceTitle: Restructuring Our Organization
Background Information
The Department has taken several actions to transform the organization into a flatter, more efficient organization.
Our streamlining plan includes substantive planned actions to flatten the organization. Many concrete accomplishments can be reported now.
The Office of the Inspector General flattened the organizational structure of their Office of Investigations by closing the Atlanta regional office, eliminating two GS-15 supervisory positions, and creating a field structure that can be supervised by lower-grade personnel. Last fiscal year, OIG combined their Financial Management Audit Division with other units to eliminate a GS-15 supervisory position. They are now consolidating their Systems Evaluation Division and Computer Systems Division to achieve greater efficiencies in examining major systems.
The Patent and Trademark Office reorganization, approved on April 28, 1994, has reduced the layers of management reporting to the Commissioner by eliminating two Assistant Commissioner positions and restructuring the PTO organization for an increased management span for the Deputy and Associate Commissioners. More importantly, the reorganization established "one stop shopping" for the patent and trademark examination processes by locating under the Assistant Commissioner for Patents and the Assistant Commissioner for Trademarks, respectively, all of the functions involved in the processing and examination of a patent or trademark application.
The International Trade Administration's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service has reduced its domestic regional Directors from nine to five. Since 1992, Trade Development has reduced the number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries from eight to five and further streamlined its organization by realigning its Basic Industries program. All branch chief positions were eliminated and the number of division directors reduced.
Main NPR Category: Cutting Back to Basics
Related NPR Categories: Employee Empowerment
Contact Person: Steve Browning
Contact Phone: (202) 482-3707
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