Π Explanation of major items (1) Personal services ($1,561,064). The same level of staffing authorized for 1954 is proposed for 1955. Delays in filling positions in the new office created a lapse of $103,998 in 1954 salary costs which will be required in 1955 when only normal turnover in full employment strength is anticipated. The following table provides a 3-year comparison of positions by function in the Office of Administration: Administrative function Overall supervision and direction. Management services.. Budget operations.. Fiscal operations.. Personnel operations.. Central administrative services: Supervision and direction.. Allotment control... Procurement and property management. Travel and transportation. Space management.. Communications and records.. Total, administrative functions.. An (2) Travel ($75,000).—The estimate will provide (a) $5,000 for travel within the United States primarily for fiscal audit, contract procurement, and personnel recruitment; and (b) $70,000 for overseas travel to work with public affairs officers and embassy administrative officers on problems cf administrative support of USIS programs, manpower utilization, country program budgeting, financial reports, procedures, fiscal inspections, and other administrative activities. increase of $45,000 is requested to cover (1) travel costs incident to progressive development of the new internal audit program cverseas, including installation and testing phases and an increased tempo of overseas audits; (2) 1 additional trip for personnel utilization work; and (3) 1 additional trip for administrative support survey work overseas. The total increase for the Office is reduced to a net of $35,000 by elimination of $10,000 in domestic travel in anticipation that administrative consultation travel to New York will no longer be required when the Radio Broadcasting Service is moved to Washington. (3) Other administrative expenses ($491,200).-The estimate will provide for all headquarters needs in connection with miscellaneous administrative supplies, materials, and other contractual services at relatively the same level as 1953. An increase from 1953 to 1954 of approximately $50,000 for communications services has been necessary to meet mandatory payments for penalty mail. (Public Law 286, 83d Cong.) which is required of all Government agencies for the last 3 quarters of the current fiscal year and for all subsequent years. The $20,000 increase in 1955 permits provision for this same item on an annual basis. Listed below are the expenses under this item for the 3-year period: Other administrative expenses (4) Program liquidation costs ($13,670). This amount is payment of terminal leave and related costs in fiscal year 1954. as a special item, in fiscal year 1955. estimated for the It is nonrecurring, 45431-54-pt. 2-28 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT GENERAL STATEMENT As explained in the preceding section of the budget document, the Information Agency has established its own organization for central administration. However, the Agency is continuing reimbursable arrangements with the Department of State for (1) administrative support of the Agency's operations overseas, and (2) services in the United States which backstop the rendering of overseas support. These two categories are explained separately below. Overseas administrative support Administrative sections of Department of State overseas establishments provide administrative services to information staffs and program operations at individual posts; to the overseas radio relay bases and programing centers; to the European service center; and to the regional press production centers in the Near and Far East. Services provided include overseas personnel operations; local personnel and physical security services; rental, alteration, repair and maintenance of shared building space and provision of Government-owned or leased quarters; payrolling of local employees of the Agency; maintenance of overseas fiscal records and accounts; submission of budget and fiscal reports; local procurement and property management; communications services; maintenance and operation of motor pools; garage services for USIS mobile equipment; warehousing and provision of administrative supplies and equipment; warehousing of program materials and equipment; cleaning and custodial services; and similar servicing facilities required in support of the information program overseas. The estimate for overseas administrative support is in two categories: (1) reimbursements to the Department of State for shared services, including the Agency's part of the costs of shared facilities; and (2) direct allotments to public affairs officers to cover expenses of a fixed nature, such as rental and repair of buildings utilized entirely in the information programs. The two categories do not duplicate each other and are shown separately under overseas administrative support in the "Summary of requirements" table which follows. Support services in the United States Prior to the establishment of the United States Information Agency, the appropriate offices of the Department of State performed most of the central administrative functions for headquarters operations of the information program, and also provided administrative backstopping in connection with support of the information program overseas. Reimbursement was made to the Department of State appropriations for both types of services performed. The Information Agency is continuing reimbursable arrangements with the Department of State only for the provision of the backstopping services in the United States, and certain specialized services which can be more economically obtained by reimbursement. These arrangements provide for worldwide telegraph and cryptographic operations; foreign buildings operations relating to overseas office, residential and warehousing space; budget operations in connection with administrative support funds; headquarters direction of overseas fiscal support operations; translating and interpreting services; graphics; printing and reproduction in the Department's reproduction plant; diplomatic pouch and courier services, including delivery of mail to the Agency's offices in Washington; dispatch agency assistance in the overseas shipment of official materials, household goods and effects; procurement within the United States of administrative materials and equipment to be used overseas; telephone switchboard services; training facilities of the Foreign Service Institute; medical services and immunizations; and postmanagement services in connection with administrative support Overseas. The 1953 column of the summary of requirements table which follows reflects only the 1953 costs of those services which have been abolished altogether or which will continue as outlined above. The costs of functions which the Department of State is no longer performing, but which are now assigned to the public information, legal, security, and administrative offices in the United States Information Agency, have been converted to the 1953 columns for these offices as explained in the appropriate sections of the budget document, in order that proper comparisons may be made for the 3-year period. Summary of requirements Support services provided overseas: Reimbursements (shared support): To Department of State: Salaries and expenses appro- GOA appropriation. JAS, Athens.. Subtotal, reimbursements to Department of State. To Foreign Operations Adminis- Allotments to PAO's (direct support). Subtotal, overseas administra- Support services provided from Grand total, shared and direct NOTE.-The above table excludes indirect obligations for overseas administrative support of the exchangeof-persons program. These amounts for the 3-year period are: Actual, 1953. Estimate, 1955. EXPLANATION OF MAJOR ITEMS 2 (1) Overseas administrative support ($9,932,354) (a) Reimbursable support ($8,597,586).-The total level of overseas reimbursable administrative support costs is based on the level of the overseas program population to be serviced in each country, and reimbursement amounts are negotiated by the Department of State with sharing agencies on a weighted population percentage and range of services formula. Cost factors for specific services are determined by the Department of State on the basis of workload experience. The increase of $458,155 in 1955 for reimbursable support is attributable to the proposed increase in program levels to be supported. (b) Direct support ($1,334,768). As explained in the general statement, direct allotments are made to public affairs officers overseas to cover administrative costs which are allocable in their entirety to the information program. These requirements are almost entirely fixed costs (rents, utilities, etc.). An increase of $24,936 is requested to bring certain rental and utilities costs for the program in Italy under this account in 1955, and an increase of $10,000 is estimated for fixed cost expenditures in support of the new Central African Federation program proposed for 1955. (S) Support services in the United States ($800,505) This estimate is for continuation of the 1954 level of such services in 1955. |