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- 5 - the same time, the Secretary has responsibilities that he must fulfil to the Regents, to the Congress and Administration, and, indeed, to the public -- for all of whom the Institution is in the end singular and not plural. TOWARD A UNIFIED COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The Smithsonian has been exploring with a corporation the concept of developing a unified collections management system for the Smithsonian. It focuses on a distributed system which allows unique functions and features at thelocal level but draws all common informational data of the collections through a hierarchy to a central system which would be accessible to the public, researchers and other institutions. The present collections environment includes over twenty different systems, most of which are incompatible with each other. A unified system would present an opportunity for addressing the Institution's vast information resources in a coherent and rational manner. Staff are working in small groups focused on the collections, and Property Management are paying particular attention to avoiding a non-competitive situation with other potential system providers. STRI 2000 COMMISSION With the expiration of the Panama Canal Treaties less than nine years away, all U.S. entities in Panama have been examining their operations in terms of future status. By the year 2000, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) is likely to be the largest U.S. presence in the Republic of Panama, both in terms of budget and manpower. Given the shifting economic, social, and political circumstances in Panama, it is clear that significant changes will need to occur to facilitate STRI's operation in the Republic beyond the Year 2000. Hence, the Institution has established an internal commission to examine which issues need to be addressed for STRI in the post-Treaty era, and to make recommendations on laws, regulations, and procedures necessary to accommodate the new era of relations with the Republic. STUDY OF CONSOLIDATION AND POTENTIAL RELOCATION OF SMITHSONIAN BUSINESS FULFILLMENT OPERATIONS In response to a Congressional inquiry, the Institution conducted a preliminary study to determine the feasibility of locating a fulfillment center outside of the Washington metropolitan area to house mail order and, perhaps, other Institutional fulfillment activities. This summer, the Institution contracted with Coopers & Lybrand for three studies to satisfy the requirements of Congress and internal business concerns. These studies are: (1) a pan-Institutional inventory of major Smithsonian fulfillment requirements to determine what activities can be consolidated in a single location and management structure and a five-year projection of Smithsonian mail order operations, with special attention to fulfillment needs in the future, as well as future savings and benefits that might be realized in a new, modern location; (2) a detailed relocation study to reserach and prioritize the complex criteria required of a fulfillment center to service customers throughout the United States and in foreign countries from outside the Washington area; and (3) based on the results of the first two studies, a comparative analysis of business expenses, taking in consideration (a) current location vs. a remote one, (b) acquisition costs, (c) operation costs,