Update to GSA acquisition structure leaves questions

The General Services Administration on Wednesday announced an incremental step in its consolidation of two major procurement divisions into the new Federal Acquisition Service, but the notice did not resolve questions about how regional offices will be tied to the headquarters.

The notice described the acquisition sections and units that will operate out of GSA's 11 regional offices. Agency spokesman Jon Anderson said the announcement completes the initial phase of determining how FAS will be structured, and prepares the agency to move on to labor relations considerations and additional strategic planning.

But the reporting relationship between the regional offices and headquarters remains murky. In each region, a career assistant regional administrator will be responsible for FAS program direction and management and will report to the politically appointed regional administrator, Anderson said. But those administrators report directly to GSA Administrator Lurita Doan, bypassing FAS Commissioner Jim Williams.

Anderson said the assistant regional administrators will have some responsibility to FAS headquarters. He said they would have a coordinating relationship with Williams' office, as opposed to the reporting relationship to their supervisors, the regional administrators.

Another agency official, speaking on background, downplayed the likelihood of conflict between Williams and regional FAS heads, but suggested that Doan could step in to mediate if necessary. "If for any odd reason … there is something that cannot be resolved, ultimately it is with the administrator," the official said.

But referring to the two divisions being combined into the new FAS, he said, "Both [the Federal Supply Service] and [the Federal Technology Service] have a good track record of resolving things internally and not bringing things to the administrator."

Now that the basic FAS framework has been laid out, officials expect to complete a human resources plan before the end of this month that will be presented to the unions for negotiation, Anderson said.

"Upon FAS stand-up, every employee will have a job in the new organization," he said. He declined to specify what changes to existing positions will be included in the new organizational structure. Labor rules allow unions to review changes for potential adverse impacts to their members.

After that step has been completed, strategic planning would address other operational issues, possibly including a change to the number of GSA regions, according to Anderson. "We want to reserve the latitude to have the most efficient organization possible across the whole country," he said. "We're sticking with the 11 regions right now [because] that appears to be the most efficient for the customers."

Agency officials hope to complete that level of strategic planning in 2007, Anderson said.