CRITERIA FOR DECENTRALIZING FEDERAL ACTIVITIES FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00244R000100040059-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 59
• Publication Date: July 18, 1963
• Content Type: MEMO

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July 18, 1963
EXECUTIVE OFFICE C)F THE PRESIDENT
?BUREAU OF THE BUDGET
WASHINGTON 25, d. C.
CIRCULAR N0. A-60
TO THE HEADS OF EXECUTI VE DEPAR~aNTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS
SUBJECT: Criteria for decentre.].izing Federal activities from the
National Capital 'region
1. fur se. Section 3(d) of Executive Order 11035 of July 9,-1962,
directs agencies to review continuously their needs for space in and
near the .District of Columbia, taking into account the feasibility of
decentralizing services or activities which cs,n be carried on elsewhere
without excessive costs or significant loss of efficiency." This Cir-
eular establishes general criteria to assist Federal d-epartments and
agencies in determining the desirability of decentralizing agencies or
agency activities from the National Capital region.
2. ..Background. In a memorandum of November 27, 1962, to the heads of
executive departments and establishments and to the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, the Presf dent set forth development policies to
serve as guidelines for the agencies of the executive branch in fulfilling
.the objectives of the Year-2000 plan developed by the National Capital
Planning Commission and the National Capital Regional Planning Council.
The plan projected~a total regional population of five million by the
Yew' 2000? Among the assumptions on which that projection was based
were that Federal employment in the region would not exceed 450,000
and, secondly; that Federal activities not essential to the seat of
government would be located outside of the National Capital region.
The President's ad hoc Committee on Federal Office Space initially
proposed criteria for decentralization of activities from the National
Capital.. region. These criteria are refined and clarified in this
Circular.
.The criteria are designed to provide practical tests for determining
whether agencies, new or expanding activities, or existing activities
should be located in the National Capital region or located outside
'af the region through decentralization or delegation of responsibility
to existing-field facilities. The National Capital region includes the
District of Columbia, Montgc~rnery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland,,
and Arlington, Fairfax, Louuoun and Prince William Counties in Virginia;
the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia; and all cities
now or hereafter existing in Maz`ylanii or Virginia within the. geographic
area bounded by the outer boundaries of the combined area of aforesaid
counties.
(No. A-60)
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Ik velopment of awell-informed ,judgment on the most desirable location
of an agency or activity under review will require balanced consider-
ation of all applicable criteria; no one criterion can be considered
conclusive. In such an evaluation, consideration must be given to the
needs of the Government as a Whole, the relation of the work of the
agency to other agency headquarters, and the needs of persons served
or affected by the agency or activity.
3. Criteria for location of a envies ar activities. In formulating
and applying criteria regarding the proper location of an agency or
an activity, consideration must be given to its mayor purpose, its.
principal working relatianship5 with other governmental and non-govern-
Mental activities, and tv costs and special-requirements.
a. An agency or an agency activity is generally susceptible to
location outside of` the National Capital region when:
(1) It performs functions or provides services to clientele
in a particular region of the country other. than Washington.
(2) It is engaged in operations to carry out well-defined
policies and programs which require only 13.m3.ted day-to-day headquarters
supervision.
(3) It is a regional, district or other field office (unless
it can, be demonstrated that the workload of the office is pred~minantly-
concerned with the National Capital region).
(~+)~ It provides large-scale supporting services of a rela-
tively repetitive or routine nature, such as records maintenance; procure-
went and inventory control; training, including the operation of schools;
administration of-real property and related engineering services; manu-
fac~uring; financial accounting and disbursing activities; or statistics
.and data collection, and related fact-gathering and processing operations.
{~) It is a review function or administrative service activity
which could be performed equally well by field offices exercising general
supervision over operating offices.
(6) It operates in a relatively self-sufficient manner, which
does not require it to have close infra-agency or interagency working
.relationships.
(7} It~requi.res close coordination with other governmental
(Federal, State and .local) rind non-governmental activities or individuals
within a given geographical area other than the National Capital region.
(No. A-60)
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(8) It requires dose coordination or working relationships
with other Federal activities which are also susceptible to decentral-
ization or delegation to a common new location or to existing field
offices in a cozmnon location outside the National Capital region.
(9) ~ua1.1 liaison offices in Washington could effectively
meet headquarters needs.
(10) Increased administrative economies, such as in travel,
communications, rental, and recruiting, and impxoved efficiency, as in
speed of decision-making or better service to the public, can be achieved
through relocation and its initial costs can be justified accordingly..
b. An agency or agency activity is generally not susceptible to
location outside the.National Capital region when:
.(1) It is directed to meeting the needs of the P~sident~
the Congress, or agency heads for continuing consultation, direction,
and fixing of responsibility for governmental action.
(2) It is concerned with establishing national policies or
developing broad principles and programs for nationwide application.
(3) It involves exercising general supervision aver agency
operations throughout the country to assure that those operations are
in accord with general national policies.-
(~+)~ It is an activity conducted by persons who require close
.,working relationships with those who make or direct major agency policy
and who themselves must be located in the National Capital region.
~, (5) It requires close coordination or~working relationships
or continual communication with othex headquarters agencies, the Congress,
or non-governmental organizations or~individuals located in the National
Capital region.
(6) The costs of decentralization (including replacement of
specialized physical facilities, loss of personnel with specialized skills,
special training, relocation, travel, camtnunications, and disruption of
current operations) would outweigh benefits to be gained.
(7) Workload would not ,justify development of additional
speciali~"ed~staffs solely in order to achieve decentralization or
delegation. ~ ~
4. Responsibility for implementation. Responsibility for implementing
the provisions of this Circu],ar is assigned as follows:
(~No . A-60 )
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..
a. Department and agency ,heads. Department and. agency heads will
utilize the criteria contained in.paragraph 3 in continuously reviewing
their needs for space in and near the District of Columbia, as required
by section 3(d) of Executive Order 11O3g, and in determining and ~uati-
Eying requests for additional space.
Whenever it~is determined that decentralization of an agency ox segments
of an agency is desirable, but not permissible under existing laws, the
department or agency head will request such amendments to these laws as
may be, required to carry out this objective. Department and agency heads
(in coordination with the Genera]. Services Administration when appropriate)
will also take such steps as may be required by applicable statutes?and
regulations to secure authorizations and appropriations for land acquisi-
tion, construction, alteration, or leasing of .facilities.
b. The General Services Administration. The General Services
Administration will utilize the criteria contained in paragraph 3 in
its continuing investigation and survey of public building needs in the
National Capital region under the Public Buildings Act of 1959 and Execu-
tive Order 11035 and in reviewing the requests of each agency for new '
space or facilities in the region.
to be desirable, the General Services Administration, in coordination
with the agency concerned, will take such steps as may be required by
applicable statutes and regulations to secure authorizations and appro- '
priations for land acquisition, construction, alteration, or leasing of
facilities .
c. The Bureau of the Budget. The Bureau of the Budget will pravi.de
assistance to agencies, upon request, in utilizing the criteria established
by this Circular and will further refine-and clarify these criteria as
.necessary. Zt will take into accuunt these criteria in xevi.ewing agency
reorganization proposals and in reviewing agency requests for funds for
new space or facilities iri the Ns.~tional Capital region.
d. Consultation with other agencies. Agencies considering
decentralization of one or more of their activities will consult with
.the Area Redevelopment Administration (Department of Commerce)., the
Civ3.l Service Commission and the Office of Eh~ergency Planning, on
matters affecting the responsibilities of these agencies. Agencies
considering relocation of existing activities involving the construction
of public works or the location. of new activities in the National Capital
region will consult with the National :Capital Planning Commission?on
matters affecting its responsibilities. The Bureau of~the Budget and
the General Services Administration will similarly consult with these
agencies in reviewing agency proposals for decentralization.
. Whenever decentralization of an agen~~y ar activity has been determined
(No. A-(0}
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5. Report to the Bureau of the Budget. Each department and agency
head will advise the .Bureau of the Budget not .later than September 9,
1.963, of the procedural-arrangements (including assignments of responsi-
~bil.ity) that he 12as made for the systematic utilization of these criteria
in reviewing and determining his organization's space requirements in the
National Capital region.
l~hlIT GORDON
Director,
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DATE
TRANSMITTAL SLIP I 1
25X1A ~-ro:
ROOM NO.
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EMAFf1E5: '
BOB A60 - Att to M/R Subject: Space
Management-Planning &
Program ,Seminar ~~~. k~9 ~
25X1A
App.roved For Release.2002/01/08 :.CIA-RDP86-0024480001-00040059-8