A Model for Defining the Structure of the Executive Branch

We recommend that the organizational structure provided here be used as a guideline for understanding where you are positioned vertically and horizontally in your organization and as a guide for assessing how your activities interact inside your organization.

The federal government generally has four vertical levels: governmentwide, agency, bureau or business unit, and projects and programs. There are primarily two categories horizontally: line and staff (or support).

• How much do you invest at each level and in each area for line and staff functions?
• How much do you centralize or decentralize line and staff functions — and at what levels of the organization?
• How are the staff functions organized: as a component of a line function, separate support staffs or centralized staff support?
• How do you train the first-line managers who often have the responsibility for both line and the application of staff functions?

Role of government: Constitution, mission areas, sectors (health, agriculture, etc. — "portals" or functional classifications).

• Strategic management: Mission, business board (line and staff).
• Line functions: Operations, programs, central services.
• Staff functions: Personnel management, legal, etc.

• Business units: Manager.
• Line functions: Operations, programs, central services.
• Staff functions: Personnel management, legal, etc.

Tactical management:
• Operations managers (line and staff functions).
• Program managers (line and staff functions).
• Managers of central services (line and staff functions).
• At this level, there is direct management of resources (people, time, assets, technology, processes and knowledge/information) and direct responsibility for implementing policies and other legal requirements.

• Clinger-Cohen Act.
• Government Performance and Results Act.
• Government Paperwork Elimination Act of 1998.
• Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.
• Paperwork Reduction Act.
• Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act.
• Sector- or mission-specific legislation.

• Architectures: Business, asset management (IT architectures, buildings, etc.).
• Business: Budgeting, capital planning, financial management.
• Leadership: Leadership, culture.
• Management: Planning, organizing, business processes.
• Policies: Security, privacy.
• Relationships: Marketing, participative government, suppliers, customers, unions.
• Technology: Web data centers, legacy systems.