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Management and budget organization
Q: During your tenure, the planning and budgeting functions were consolidated into one AA'ship. What do you think the strengths and weaknesses of this arrangement were, and what is your perspective on the evolution of these functions into two AA'ships?
MR. ALM: The strength of a consolidated planning and budgeting AA'ship was that it almost created a number three person in the agency. With the right kind of person, you could get a lot of things done - in the areas of administration, resource management, planning and evaluation. However, the scope of duties under such an organization is simply too big for one Assistant Administrator. It really makes sense to break it into two AA'ships. One persistent issue has been where the budgetary function should be. Should it be in administration, as it is now, or should it be in the policy shop? That debate, I assume, will go on for a long time.