Program Management

(Dollars in thousands)

2005 Authorization Indefinite

Purpose and Method of Operation
The Program Management budget supports the majority of SAMHSA staff who plan, direct, and administer Agency programs and who provide technical assistance and program guidance to States, mental health and substance abuse professionals, clients, and the general public. Agency staffing represents a critical component of the budget request. Staff not financed directly through the Program Management budget provide direct State technical assistance and are funded through the five percent Block Grant set-asides. There are currently 57 FTEs dedicated to Block Grant technical assistance.

Funding and staffing levels for Program Management for the past five fiscal years were as follows:

Funding¹ FTEs²

FY 2000........ 59,054,000........ 541
FY 2001........ 67,130,000........ 540
FY 2002........ 70,342,000........ 526
FY 2003........ 73,983,000........ 504
FY 2004........ 75,915,000........ 516

¹ Excludes the following amounts for data collection activities which are shown elsewhere in the budget: 2001 and 2003, $12.0 million; 2002, $21.0 million; 2004, $16.0 million.

² Includes direct FTEs supported by the two Block Grant set-asides and excludes FTEs at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

Rationale for the Budget Request
The budget request includes a net increase of $.5 million for built in and program increases, offset by savings from one fewer days of pay. The budget requests that SAMHSA's staffing complement remain level at 516 FTEs given the consolidations, reductions, and FTE savings already achieved. A description of certain of the cost increases and a discussion of the staffing proposal follow.

HHS Unified Financial Management System (+$1,011,000)
The Unified Financial Management System (UFMS) is being implemented to replace five legacy accounting systems currently used across the Operating Divisions. The UFMS will integrate the Department's financial management structure and provide HHS leaders with a more timely and coordinated view of critical financial management information. The system will also facilitate shared services among the OPDIVs and thereby, help management reduce substantially the cost of providing accounting service throughout HHS. Similarly, UFMS, by generating timely, reliable and consistent financial information, will enable the component agencies and program administrators to make more timely and informed decisions regarding their operations. SAMHSA requests $1.193 million to support this effort in FY 2005.

HHS Information Technology System (+$213,000)
SAMHSA request includes funding to support the President's Management Agenda E-Gov initiatives and Departmental enterprise information technology initiatives identified through the HHS strategic planning process. Agency funds will be combined with resources in the Information Technology Security and Innovation Fund to promote collaboration in planning and project management and to achieve common goal such as secure and reliable communication and lower costs for the purchase and maintenance of hardware and software. The enterprise IT investments enable HHS programs to carry-out their missions more securely and at a lower cost. Examples of HHS enterprise initiatives currently being funded are Enterprise E-mail, Network Modernization, and Public Key Infrastructure.

Facility Relocation/GSA Rent Costs (+$926,000)
Plans to move to a new facility are on schedule for FY 2004. The FY 2005 budget request includes increased rental payments to be made to GSA consistent with the 10 year building lease arrangement. The move has been supported by the Administration and adequate funding continues to be provided by Congress. The agency will move to its new facility by July 2004. No additional funds have been requested for the move in FY 2005.

Staffing and Personnel Compensation
Even though the SAMHSA budget proposes a 6 percent increase in the dollars, the FTE level will remain at the FY 2004 Final Conference level. This plan reflects at least a 15 percent reduction in administration and management FTEs. They incorporate the following reductions from the FY 2003 level:

• Administrative Management: The 2005 request reflects a 26 percent reduction in staffing of the Office of Program Services, from 92 FTEs in 2003 to only 70 FTEs at the 2005 request level. The reduction has been achieved by outsourcing information technology, clerical, and grant review positions; transferring vacant budget positions to direct program operations; eliminating other vacant positions in administrative services, equal employment opportunity, and grant and contract management, and restructuring administrative and management responsibilities as a single office, which will eliminate the need for some management positions.
  

• SAMHSA will be working in concert with the HHS-wide administrative management consolidation efforts in 2004 and 2005.
  

• The St. Elizabeths FTEs will be reduced by 15 FTEs from 45 in FY 2003 to 30 in 2004 and 2005.

Summary of Changes:

Increases:

FTEs

See Also:

Detail of Positions