Question: You are combining three offices of the Operations and Finance division--Finance, Operation, and Automated Data Systems and characterize this act as "providing the potential" for savings. I note, however, that the budget of these activities will increase as a function of inflation-related costs, with no offsetting decreases for reductions in duplication or overhead. Is it fair to say that you, therefore, anticipate making no progress in promoting efficiency in this area in FY 1979?

Answer: We do expect to achieve greater efficiencies and economies in terms of the services provided to the agencies. We are now in the process of identifying complimentary and duplicative functions that can be combined or eliminated. the fiscal year 1979 budget cannot be fully ascertained at this time. However, the precise impact on

ADP SYSTEMS

Question: I notice that under the Working Capital Fund, a number of computer and other ADP systems procurements are proposed. Please summarize the overall USDA computer hardware and software acquisition proposals for FY 1979. Please outline the postion of GAO on these proposals, and are they being handled in substantial compliance with corrective actions recommended by that agency in the past?

Answer: The USDA computer hardware and software acquisition proposals for FY 1979 include competitively procured computers to replace existing systems in the Fort Collins Computer Center (FCC) and the Washington Computer Center (WCC). for FCCC was released to the industry on March 8, 1978 with award The Request for Proposal (RFP) scheduled for September 1978 and installation in January 1979.

The Requirements Analysis, Telecommunications Study, and A-76 Study for WCC has been completed and informally sent on March 2, 1978 to the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the House Committee on Government Operations Staff for review and comment before sending a formal request for a Delegation of Procurement Authority (DPA) to the General Services Administration (GSA). received from them as of this moment. position on either of these proposals. working closely with the House Committee on Government Operations Staff, GAO and GSA on all of the computer system procurements.

No comments have been
GAO has not taken a specific
The Department has been

REORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Question: The Office of Governmental and Public Affairs is another entity which represents a consolidation of several smaller offices "to eliminate duplication further and improve operations." Again, however, increased funding and staffing is requested. indicate what savings are expected to be made through this consolidation, and whether it is reflected in the budget request.

Please

Answer: The consolidation of three existing agencies into the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs will cut down on duplication and improve operations, but we do not anticipate that it will reduce the need for funds or staff.

The President's FY 1979 budget does not contemplate additional staff positions in GPA. All staff positions in GPA were transferred from positions which existed in the Office of Communication and the Office of the Secretary (intergovernmental affairs, and congressional and public affairs).

The five positions in the Printing Liaison Branch for which appropriations are requested are positions taken from other activities in GPA or which will come from other USDA agencies which previously performed printing liaison coordination.

The request for $810,000 for salaries and expenses of employees previously detailed from agencies to the Office of the Secretary, and who now are part of GPA, is not an increase. If the reorganization had not been undertaken, a like amount would have been requested for the Office of the Secretary, where these functions had been carried out in the past.

We are in the process of identifying overlapping and duplicating work and consolidating those functions. Efficiencies gained in this process will be used to improve operations in other functions which have, in the past, suffered from inadequate staffing particularly press, radio and television information programs.

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL

STATEMENT OF JOAN S. WALLACE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION

ACCOMPANIED BY:

SARAH C. WEDDINGTON, GENERAL COUNSEL, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL

HAROLD M. CARTER, ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, REGULATORY AND MARKETING, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL

RICHARD T. CERTO, ACTING DIRECTOR, BUDGET AND FISCAL SERVICES DIVISION, OFFICE OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCE

ROBERT SHERMAN, CHIEF, BUDGET DIVISION, OFFICE OF BUDGET, PLANNING, AND EVALUATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND PREPARED STATEMENT

[The complete statement and a biographical sketch of Ms. Sarah C. Weddington, General Counsel, follow:]

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STATEMENT OF SARAH C. WEDDINGTON

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am very happy to have this opportunity today to meet with you for my first time as General Counsel and to discuss with you our appropriation request for the 1979 fiscal year.

1979 BUDGET REQUEST

The 1979 budget request for the Office of the General Counsel is $10,325,000. The increase of $295,000 over fiscal year 1978 includes $152,000 for GSA space rental costs; $11,000 for annualization of pay costs effective in fiscal year 1978; and $132,000 for 6 man-years to meet the immediate pressing demands for legal services and to reduce the backlog of

cases.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Since assuming the position of General Counsel in September 1977, I have made an intense effort to raise the caliber of the staff and to evolve a more efficient law office.

We have reorganized some of the OGC divsions in order to transfer certain personnel to positions where they are most urgently needed. We have made reassignments of the responsibilities for certain legal work among some divisions and restructured some divisions for efficiency in operations and expedition in handling the work.

We are acquiring additional automatic typewriters with increased message storage capabilities for use in our word processing center and wherever savings can be identified in our other offices.

We are also making improvements in our attorney recruitment, interview, and hiring procedures in order to assure that we attract the highest caliber of attorneys for the office.

In order to assure that the time of attorneys is directed to complex legal matters and to lessen the backlog of work, we are moving toward greater use of paralegal personnel. Divisions which we have identified as suitable for paralegal work include: APHIS (minor or non-prosecution