Directive
Management
USDA FOREST SERVICE
Pacific Southwest R5 Vallejo
California
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CONSTITUTION
Article I
Legislative
Branch
Authorizes
Congress to make
laws
LAWS
(U.S. Statutes
and
U.S. Code)
Article II
Executive Branch
Article III
Judicial Branch
Authorizes President to execute
laws
Authorizes
courts to
interpret laws
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
(Issued by President; codified in
Title 3, Code of Federal
Regulations (3 CFR))
LEGAL
DECISIONS
(Case Law)
REGULATIONS
(Issued by Federal agencies;
published in Federal Register and
codified in CFR)
ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT-WIDE
GUIDANCE
INTERNAL AGENCY POLICY AND
PROCEDURES
Department of Agriculture
- Departmental Manual (DM)
- Departmental Regulations (DR)
- National Finance Center
External Procedures
Forest Service
- Issues regulations at 36 CFR
Chapter II, Parts 200-299
- Issues internal policies and
procedures in Forest Service
Manual (FSM) and Forest
Service Handbooks (FSH)
- Negotiates master agreement
with union
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36 CFR 200.4
TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE DEPARTMENT, OF AGRICULTURE
PART 200--ORGANIZATION, FUNCTIONS, AND PROCEDURES
Subpart B--Functions and Procedures
Sec. 200.4 Administrative issuances.
(1) Directives are issued through the Forest Service Directive System, which is
comprised of the Forest Service Manual and related Forest Service Handbooks. The
Directive System codifies the agency's policy, practice, and procedure affecting more
than one unit and the delegations of continuing authority and assignment of
continuing responsibilities; serves as the primary administrative basis for the internal
management and control of all programs; and is the primary source of administrative
direction to Forest Service employees.
(2) In contrast to direction issued through the Directive System, guidance issued to
one or more organizational units through letters and memoranda relate to decisions or
interpretations on specific activities, cases, or incidents or to other matters of agency
business, especially those matters of short-term duration or immediate interest.
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1103 - POLICY
1b. The Directive System is the only place where Forest
Service policy and procedures are issued. Direction
issued via letters, bulletins, e-mails, telephone calls, and
any other form outside of the Directive System framework
does not constitute agency policy. See FSM 1107, exhibit
01 for key principles about Forest Service policy. See
paragraph 7 of this section for exceptions to this policy.
7. In the event of an emergency or for reasons of safety, a line
officer may issue immediate direction to employees, which
should then be incorporated into the Directive System
within 15 days for an interim directive or 30 days for an
amendment or supplement (FSM 1107, ex. 01).
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Components of Directive System
Manual – provides all continuing, basic,
board program direction needed by line
officers and primary staff (1111.02)
Handbooks – contain detailed procedures,
standards, practices, and techniques
needed primarily by technicians and
specialists (1112)
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Forest Service Policy & Direction
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Purpose of the Directive System
Provide clear instruction for
all employees for consistent
performance
Code and store current continuing
instructions that govern Forest Service
programs and activities
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Issuance Types (FSM 1113)
Parent Material …… Issuing Unit may
add to, revise, and
remove
Supplements ….……. Subordinate unit may
issue (Region and
Forest)
Interim Directives . Temporary issuance 18
months,
reissued only once
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Supplements (FSM 1113.2)
• May be more restrictive but may not
expand established authorities or relax
restrictions
• Content and coding must conform to
policies and standards governing whole
directive system
• To conform the activities of the
subordinate unit to directives issued
by higher echelons
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Interim Directives (FSM 1113.3)
• Promptly convey direction urgently
needed for immediate use or needed
more quickly than the material can be
issued as amendment or supplement
• Meet statutory or court-ordered
deadlines
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Interim Directives (FSM 1113.3)
continued
• Ensure employees promptly receive
essential direction required to
implement a new statute or program, to
comply with court decision, or to effect
a major
policy change
• Transmit new instructions on a
trial basis
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Forms
• Must be referenced in a directive and
have a signed FS 1300-28 on file
•Are a temporary document
•Cease to exist when the parent
directive is removed
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Currency Reviews (FSM 1114)
• 41 CFR requires currency of directive
systems
• Field units must promptly conform their
supplements and ID’s to revisions issued by
the WO, or RO within 60 days of receipt of
new direction
• General reviews shall be conducted at least
once every 3-5 years
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Integrated Records Mgmt System
• Directives
• Forms
• Reports
• Correspondence
• Files
Carry same
basic codes and
captions
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FSM - Manual
• Basic Laws
•
Regulations
•
Delegation of Authority
•
Standards/Procedure
• Line and Staff --> Administer
Programs
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FSM Structure & Coding
SERIES:
1000 – Organization and
Management
TITLE:
FSM 1900 – Planning
CHAPTER:
FSM 1920 – Land & Resource
Mgmt Planning
SECTION:
FSM 1922 – Forest Planning
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Number/Subject Structure
1000 – Org & Mgmt
2000 – NF Resource
3000 – S&PF
4000 – Research
5000 – Fire/Law Enforcement
6000 – Administrative
7000 – Engineering
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Responsibility for Currency
Field Directive Manager:
 Report to the approving line officer
 Regional Foresters and their
deputies/assistants,like wise for Forest
Supervisors
 Document completion
 Establish a process
 Alert authoring units
Regional Forester, Forest Supervisor:
 Ensure that responsible staffs conduct
reviews and revise direction
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Zero Code
01
Authority
Laws, Regulations and Executive Orders
02
Objective(s)
Aim or goal of program or activity
03
Policy
Governing principle, plan or course of action
04
Responsibility
Delegates specific authority & assigns duties
05
Definitions
Defines terms necessary to understand text
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07
08
09
May be used for subject-wide material
Handbooks
Lists Handbooks
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FSH Coding
--09.11
--09.21
--09.31
--09.41
--09.51
--09.61
Service-wide
Region-wide
External
External
Service-wide
Service-wide
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Page Posting Order for FSM
Sequence
Level and Type of Issuance
Color
1
Parent Text
White
2
Washington Office ID’s
Pink
3
Region, Station, or Area
Supplements
Blue
4
Region, Stations, or Area ID’s
Pink
5
Forest Supplements
Green
6
Forest ID’s
Pink
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Page Posting Order for FSH
Sequence
Level and Type of Issuance
Color
1
Parent Text
White
2
USDA Supplements
Yellow
3
Washington Office Supplements
Buff
4
Washington Office ID’s
Pink
5
Region, Station, or Area
Supplements
Blue
6
Region ID’s
Pink
7
Forest Supplements
Green
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FS 1100-2 Signatures
• Signature of Author, Supervisor, Forest
Supervisor.
• Signatures where other staff/program
areas involved.
• RF/Forest Supervisor signature required
(See Delegation of Authority)
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Create Master Folder
• Signed R5/FS 1100-2
(all signatures)
• Original Directive
• Label File
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Questions ?
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