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[[underlined]] Changes to the Internal Planning and Budget Processes [[/underlined]]

Over the past several months, the Institution has begun to implement several changes aimed at integrating and strengthening the internal planning and budgeting processes. Accordingly, the bureau in office directors were asked to assemble and submit to members of the Secretary's Management Committee their plans and priorities for the next five years. In related and simultaneous efforts, the Secretary and the Management Committee undertook to (1) amplify the Institution's basic mandate to increase and diffuse knowledge, so as to develop more explicit statement of the purpose for the Institution and a set of long-term objectives and (2) develop a set of programmatic "areas of emphasis" based largely upon information submitted by the bureaus and offices. Other changes to the planning and budget process include: reassignment of the responsibility for the Five-Year Prospectus to the Office of Programming and Budget for improved coordination of the planning and budgeting functions; the new request to organization units to submit a development plan along with other annual budget materials for gaining overview of all efforts in the bureaus and offices to solicit outside support for priority projects; and an advanced budget cycle to provide time for extensive discussions about resource requirements between Management Committee members and their respective bureau and office directors.

[[underlined]]] Backlog of Essential Building Maintenance and Repairs [[/underlined]]

it was noted that the Secretary and the staff begun to take a comprehensive look at the condition and long-term maintenance requirements of the physical plant which has expanded so greatly in the last several decades. While it has been previously recognized that the allocation for repair and renovation must be more than doubled to meet long-term maintenance needs, only recently, he has come to light that many of the Institution's building will be needing major overhauls of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and other costly equipment replacements in the years ahead. The staff has been studying these needs with an eye to assessing the specific requirements, estimating their costs, and recommending priorities in terms of phases so that the Institution can maintain forward motion in its other essential activities, such as research, exhibitions, and collections maintenance. This program of cyclical replacements in major overhauls will be spelled out in the budget process and the first phase will be included in the requirement to OMB for fiscal year 1989, funding, at a level of approximately $9 – 10 million. It is now estimated that the entire program of work will total over $216 million in the years ahead.

[[underlined]]] Legislative Actions and Issues [[/underlined]]

Recently most of the Institution's legislative attention has been focused on issues associated with Native American materials in Smithsonian and other collections. The primary impetus for this has been S. 187, introduced on January sixth by the Senator John Melcher (D. – Montana), and subsequently cosponsored by several other members of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. A hearing on the measure was held on February 20. The Secretary submitted a lengthy statement in opposition to the bill and gave additional testimony at the time. Subsequently, he provided further information in a letter to Senator Inouye, the Select