Army Corps releases final agency reorganization plan

The Army Corps of Engineers released its final agency reorganization plan Tuesday, leaving out a recommendation that urged lawmakers to change the budget process for studies conducted by the agency.

In a draft plan, the Corps outlined two recommendations that would have required legislative action. One was a request to lawmakers to change the way they go about authorizing and appropriating funds for certain agency studies, while another urged lawmakers to strike rules requiring communities to share some study expenses. The final strategy does not include either of these provisions.

They were "not in our prerogative to pursue," Corps Chief Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers said. "We want to focus on our internal reorganization and on the processes over which we have control."

Aside from the two missing provisions, the final reorganization strategy looks much like several draft plans-the most recent of which was published in late August.

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers criticized Flowers for failing to gather adequate union input on the final plan, and for seeking to centralize Corps operations. Flowers "hasn't really worked with the union" on the plan, creating skepticism, said union spokesman Matt Biggs.

The union, an AFL-CIO affiliate representing 75,000 technical and administrative workers, is seeking legislative means of halting the overhaul, Biggs said. Such means could include convincing lawmakers to attach a provision to budget bills that would prohibit funds from going toward the restructuring. But he noted that it is too late to pass such measures in this round of budget bills.

By increasing efficiency, the restructuring will result in a roughly 20 percent reduction in staff at the Corps headquarters and eight division offices. "We are currently operating at the Washington and division levels with about 2,100 people and anticipate that we may have 1,970 people in those organizations at the end of the reorganization," Flowers said. He said he hopes to reduce staff through early retirements and other workforce shaping tools.

The overhaul, called "USACE 2012," revolves around the "team of teams" concept, Flowers said. The plan calls for headquarters staff, currently organized in four layers beneath the chief, to regroup into eight "integration teams" acting as liaisons to the agency's regional offices.

Corps staff will also group into "communities of practice" based on areas of expertise. This approach helps workers develop professionally and keep up-to-date on advancements in their field, according to Flowers.

The final plan still requires approval from the Army, but the Corps will begin outlining implementation strategies in the meantime. Flowers said he hoped to see agency employees grouped into new teams by May 2004.

The Corps has gone through a number of restructurings since 1988. In 1997, leaders consolidated 12 divisions into eight.