[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 175 (Friday, September 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46784-46786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21930]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Request for Comments on the Strategic Plan Framework as Input for 
Revision and Updating of the Departmental Strategic Plan

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior is seeking public comment as 
part of its process to revise and update its current strategic plan.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before November 10, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    E-mail: [email protected].
    FAX: 202-208-2619.
    Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary--
Planning and Performance Management, Attention: DOI Strategic Planning 
Coordinator, 1849 C Street, NW., Mail Stop 5258, Washington, DC 20240-
0001.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made public under certain circumstances. While you 
can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LeRon E. Bielak, DOI Strategic 
Planning Coordinator at (202) 208-5340 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Government Performance and Results Act 
of 1993 (GPRA) requires periodic updating of agency strategic plans. 
The first Interior GPRA Strategic Plan was published in 1997. 
Subsequent revisions were published in 2000, 2003 and 2006. In 
producing the plan published in 2003, Interior took a major departure 
from its past approaches to GPRA planning. In 2003, Interior reversed 
an approach of publishing separate strategic plans for each bureau by 
developing its first unified, Department-wide strategic plan.
    The 2003 plan formulated common goals and performance measures 
among bureaus and placed a greater emphasis on specific results to be 
achieved. In creating this integrated plan, Interior employed a model 
in which it committed to outcome goals to be achieved and a supporting 
set of strategies for helping achieve the desired outcomes. Both 
outcome goals and strategies have been accompanied by specific 
performance measures that indicate the progress toward the intended 
results.
    The integrated Departmental plan approach specifies long-term 
quantitative targets for results to be achieved while annual 
performance expectations are laid out in Interior's annual Performance 
Budget. Bureaus and offices are also expected to integrate operational 
plans into their budgets that link and align directly with the 
Departmental strategic plan. The operational plans are also used to 
help confirm the relevance and cost of work conducted and to guide 
future budget formulation, justifications, and decision making.
    The process for revising and updating our plan has been time-
intensive as adequate time must be allocated for soliciting and 
analyzing public comment, providing for consultations and meetings to 
generate extended conversations about the nature and content of the 
plan, and progressing through a careful evaluation and approval process 
prior to publication.
    This revision process has been complicated by the transition to a 
new Administration and the need for new Departmental senior leadership 
to be appointed and confirmed. Because of the duration of the 
transition process, and the need to avoid pre-empting decisions that 
fall to new leadership, preliminary revision work was restricted to 
analysis of existing performance metrics, identifying potential gaps or 
problems in program coverage in the plan, narrative and statistical 
updates, and preparation of initial options papers and schedules.
    Interior Secretary Salazar considers it important to proceed with 
the revision process and obtain public input that will be instrumental 
in helping establish a plan that will focus more clearly on areas of 
critical concern. Secretary Salazar also views this revision as a 
timely opportunity to emphasize important priorities and commitments of 
the Administration. Among these priorities are (1) achieving greater 
energy independence and promoting the development of clean alternative 
energy sources, (2) protecting treasured landscapes, (3) addressing the 
issue of global climate change, (4) meeting our commitments to Native 
Americans and Alaska Natives, (5) addressing critical water issues, (6) 
creating opportunities for youth in the outdoors, and (7) insuring the 
integrity of science in support of Interior's decision making.
    This is your invitation to present your views on the framework of 
missions, strategic goals, and performance measures the Department 
considers for revision and updating of its strategic plan. These 
include significant structural changes and priorities that are being 
proposed by the Secretary as well as your views on how to better define 
the results the Department should achieve and how to effectively 
measure our progress toward those outcomes. Input will not be sought on 
specific performance measure targets (also known as performance goals).
    There are also several problematic areas for which your ideas are 
specifically being solicited: (1) Establishing a specific strategic 
plan goal and performance measure(s) for Indian Self-Government and 
Self-Determination and for Indian economic development; (2) addressing 
areas where the Department wants to improve existing measures, 
particularly metrics relating to wildland fire and endangered species 
conservation; (3) developing measures for gauging the effectiveness of 
scientific research; and (4) addressing performance measurement gaps 
that have been identified (shown with TBD in the measure charts of the 
proposed framework which can be found at the Interior Web site).
    In addition to soliciting written comments, Interior is selecting 
several locations around the country where open meetings will be held 
within the next two months to discuss the strategic plan framework for 
revision of the plan. As with the written comments, input will not be 
sought on specific performance measure targets. At each location, one 
or more separate sessions will be held for the general public, 
stakeholders, the Tribes, or Interior employees. The probable meeting 
locations include Anchorage AK, Phoenix AZ, Portland OR, and 
Washington, DC. Additional Tribal meetings are likely to occur in 
Minneapolis, MN and Oklahoma City, OK. An additional public stakeholder 
and employee meeting site may be Denver, CO. Please monitor the Federal 
Register or the Department of the Interior Web site http://www.doi.gov/strategicplan for final details in the near future. We also intend to 
offer an on-line conferencing opportunity for those who cannot attend 
one of these meetings. Other on-line opportunities are being explored 
to expand the opportunities for discussion.
    There is no prescribed format for submitting written comments, 
however, it would be very helpful to separate your comments into those 
that apply to mission, goals, and performance measures versus those 
that apply to any other plan content (as described in items #3-5 
below). An optional format for submitting your comments is available on 
line at the Interior Web site, (http://www.doi.gov/strategicplan) as 
well as other viewable or downloadable files of the proposed framework, 
the current plan, reference documents such as the GPRA, frequently 
asked questions and other helpful information. (These are also 
available through the contact point listed earlier.) Comments that may 
refer to funding, legislation, procedural issues, or other questions 
more peripheral to the planning effort will receive separate 
consideration and may not be directly factored into the revised plan.
    Although the format for an agency strategic plan is discretionary, 
you should know that GPRA requires that the following content be 
included in any such final plan:
    (1) A comprehensive mission statement,
    (2) Goals and objectives for major functions,
    (3) Means and strategies for meeting goals,
    (4) Key factors that could affect results achieved, and
    (5) A listing of program evaluations used in revising the plan.
    GPRA also requires that an Agency consult with Congress and obtain 
the views of affected and interested parties.


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    Dated: September 8, 2009.
Rhea Suh,
Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget.
[FR Doc. E9-21930 Filed 9-10-09; 8:45 am]
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