NCJ Number
197135
Date Published
April 2002
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This report provides information on, examination of, and preliminary comparisons among Federal interagency coordinative devices.
Abstract
Federal interagency coordinative mechanisms have become more prominent and prevalent over time. Examples of these devices are the Office of Homeland Security, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security ,and the “drug czar.” A fundamental rationale for interagency coordinated mechanisms is to provide a basis for coordination among Federal entities, located in different departments or agencies that share responsibilities and jurisdictions in a policy area. Objections raised in regards to these devices include: (1) interagency coordinative entities may be seen as adding another layer of bureaucracy to a policy area and (2) interagency coordinative entities may be seen as too weak or too strong. In addition, variations exist due to interagency coordinated entities not being an identical match and their lack of standardization and uniformity. They can differ in location, leadership, and membership characteristics, enabling authority and permanency, and powers, responsibilities, and jurisdictions. However, the combination of these characteristics has produced a variety of coordinative mechanisms and arrangements. There are seven broad and different types of interagency coordinative devices discussed and include: (1) councils consisting of the President, who is the chairman, the Vice President, and specified department and/or agency heads; (2) committees made up of department and agency heads, along with, in some cases, officials from the Executive Office of the President; (3) specially created positions or offices; (4) agency heads or other officers with qualified authority over other entities; (5) sub-cabinet boards, committees, and councils; (6) transfers of personnel, resources, or units among new or existing entities; and (7) transfers of authority between and among agencies. The prevalence and prominence of Federal interagency coordinative mechanisms foster cooperation and support among government agencies. These diverse arrangements and devices collectively number in the hundreds and extend across a broad range of policy areas, exist in a wide variety of institutional locations, consist of different echelons of members and categories of leaders, carry out different types of responsibilities, perform different operations and activities, and vary in terms of their capabilities, resources, and powers.