Memo, Subject: Advisory Committee Management

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of Field Offices Ry memo dated November 7 , 1972, the Associate General Counsel requested you to inventory and describe all committees, boards, panels, groups, etc. which provide advice o r recommendations i n connection with your programs and activities. advisory groups were reoorted. This did not include Project Officer Groups and Local Personnel Security Boards. I n response tothe OGC request, 71 different While none ofthe foregoing committees and groups were determined t o be “advisory committees“ as defined in FACA, the number and proliferation of these groups is disturbing, and in addition the reported Durposes, functions, and meeting frequencies indicate that a number of them might be difficult to justify in terms, of costs and benefits to this agency, These committees are costly to maintain, The Co kiss ion will determine the need to continue the chartered AEC advisory committees based on staff reviews and recommendations using the enclosed OMB guidelines in Attachment A, Although these guidelines were developed for review of agency formally established committees, they should serve equally as well in challenging the need for continuation of other committees not covered by FACA. I am, therefore,requesting each of the Headquarters Division Directors and hlanagers of Field Offices who reported committees and groups, i n response tothe OGC November 7 memo, to initiate a comprehensive review of these units in accord with Attacnthe Director, Division o f Personnel, to the Assistant General Manager for Administration, who has been designated a5 t h e Advisory Committee hianageinclude the following information: (a) names of the committees abolish eu ; (b) names of committees whose continuation has been determined t o be necessary along with justification for continuing each committee. reaching these de tenn i nations,the possibilities of merging committees whose functions are similar should be carefully examined; and (c) estimated total annual cost savings from the abolishment o r merger o f committees. The results of your reviews should be reported through These reports should be submitted by April 30, 1573, an3 Questions may be referred to the Division of Personngl.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF TME PRESIDENT OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES Subject: Implementation of the Federal Advisory Committee Public Law 92-463, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, becomes effective January 5, 1973. The implementing Executive Order 11686, Committee Management, dated October 7 , 1972, requires and management controls for advisory committees. Several related actions are required to implement the Act. Those actions are listed in the attachments: 1. Attachment A details the necessary procedures required by the agencies to initiate a comprehensive review of all advisory committees. provides interim guidance to the agencies effective immedifor agencies to charter all existing committees prior to the committee taking any action. mittees. It designates agencies to provide legal, administrative, and evaluative support for Presidential Advisory i. - A summary of the review is due 2. Attachment B is a draft of OMB Circular A - 6 3 . It It further asks for comments and highlights the need Your comments are requested A l l reports and comments should be directed to the Director, Office of Management and Budget, ATTN: OMSD, Committee ments should be addressed or telephoned to the Secretariat Questions concerning these attach-

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Section 7(b) of the Act, in detailing the responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, states Comprehensive review of advisory committees "The Director shall, immediately after the enactment of this Act, institute a comprehensive review of the activities and responsibilities of each advisory committee to determine: - whether such committee is carrying out its purpose: whether, consistent with the provisions of applicable statutes, the responsibilities assigned to it should be revised; whether it should be merged with other advisory whether it should be abolished. The Director may from time to time request such information as he deems necessary to carry out his functions While advisory committees are frequently a useful means of providing expert advice, section 7(b) requires each agency responsible for an advisory committee to make a careful and comprehensive review of the necessity for the continued existence of that committee, In order to insure that rigorous standards are observed for t h i s review, any determination for the continued existence of a committee should be made by a senior policy-making official, based on the provisions of section 7(b). As a general rule for the conduct of your review, you should assume that any advisory committee not expressly created by statute is not needed. Such an assumption will require the users of advisory committees to justify, individually, .the necessity for their exishence, Before accepting such justification, you should satisfy *ourself that the committee in question provides advice vital to the operation of your agency which you can g e t in no other way, or it provides vital advice at demonstrably lower cost than any other method available.

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Report of Agency Comprehensive Review . of Advisory Committees Four separate alphabetical lists should be submitted: Those committees which, in the agency's view, are to be continued, - Thpse committees which, in the agency's view, should have their current responsibilities revised; Those committees which, in the agency's view, should be merged with other committees. name of the committee to be merged, indicate the committee with which this committee shall merge.) Those committees which, in the agency's view, should advisory committee which the head of the department or agency determines necessary f o r continuance, a brief justification (a paragraph) will be submitted to the OMB . Committee Management Secretariat stating why the committee