SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION WITH ASSISTANT SECRETARIES GROUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 5, 2005
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: May 16, 1979
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
FROM: James H. 'McDonald
Director of Logistics
SUBJECT: Subjects for Discussion with
Assistant Secretaries Group
Before you left on your trip, you asked that the Office
of Logistics pull together a list of subjects or problems
that we currently have in CIA with GSA and which are also
common to other agencies. The intent, I believe, was to
surface these in the subject forum and perhaps through a
unified approach institute changes or impel GSA into action.
The following is a series of problems which we believe are
presently shared by most agencies who deal with GSA and we
believe worthy or the attention of the Assistant Secretaries
Group.
who utilize their own cars
S',TATINTL for official business, suffer from this low rate.
Both the per diem and the POV rates are set by
GSA and, within authorized Congressional limits,
can be increased if they approve.
b. Gasoline Shortages - All predictions indi-
cate that the gasoline shortages will continue to
increase and spread. As Government agencies find
a. Domestic Per Diem Rates and POV Mileage
Rate of .17 Cents Per Mile - Our employees who
travel domestically on official business are more
and more out of pocket due to soaring hotel rates
and meal costs. The naximum of $50 in certain
cities does not begin to cover actual costs.
The same is true of the current limitation of
.17 cents per mile for use of POV. The cost of
gasoline, repairs, and depreciation is far in
excess of this rate. Our employees, particularly
Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
 Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
SUBJECT: Subjects for Discussion with
Assistant Secretaries Group
it increasingly more difficult to obtain commer-
cially available gasoline, they are turning to GSA
for relief. GSA's ability to respond is limited
by base period gasoline allocations and limited
storage and dispersing facilities. The problem
which needs immediate consideration is the one of
allocation and distribution to meet Government-
wide needs.
c. GSA's Ability to Provide Leased Space -
Our experience, both here at Headquarters
in obtaining leased space throug
has been less than satisfactory in recent years.
More recently, or since the GSA scandals, it has
been intolerable. Whether through its own bureau-
cracy a.:d inefficiencies and/or limitations imposed
by the Congress, we have found them almost unrespon-
sive and extremely time consuming in any space
acquisition. Consideration should be given to
delegating authority to agencies to obtain small
parcels themselves as well as improving the whole
acquisition time process.
d. Renovations or Alterations to Leased Space
by GSA - Similar to the problem being encountered
with leased space acquisition, the time involved
in alteration or renovation of leased space is
ridiculous. GSA, by its own admission in a letter
to all agencies, has asked for 4-5 months advance
planning notice and 8-13 months to accomplish the
work. A year and a half to move a wall or two is
totally unacceptable. GSA must speed up its pro-
cedures and perhaps increase its manpower. The
alternative is to permit agencies to contract for
their own modifications.
e. GSA General Support to Agencies - Even
in Government-owned buildings, efforts by GSA
forces leave a lot to be desired. We find them
slow and costly. Building managers have little
authority to get things done. Purchase of materials
or services over $500 must be competed and/or go
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 Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
SUBJECT: Subjects for Discussion with
Assistant Secretaries Group
"down town" for approval. The same is true for
overtime approvals for their own forces. When,
material purchases go "down town," they take
forever. In many cases, we have taken to the
practice of buying the materials ourselves and
providing them to GSA. While some of the above
practices have been with us for years, they have
been greatly exacerbated since the scandals, par-
ticularly the watering down of building managers'
authority. In addition, our facilities require
design, installation, operation, and maintenance
of utility systems vital to support critical and
environmentally sensitive equipment. The installa-
tion of these systems has created requirements that
exceed those found in a standard office building
and GSA's capabilities. GSA's organization inher-
ently cannot meet the standards for reliability
and professionalism that are necessary to provide
high probability of continuity for these systems.
Our own engineers must continuously help translate
our requirements for GSA, and on new requirements
and design efforts the ponderous GSA bureaucracy
only serves to flatten our efforts and GSA produces
their normal product in their own time frames.
Needless to say, efforts in this area have also
been exacerbated by the scandals.
f. Charges for Government Employee Parking -
Since this newly announced policy will be applicable
to just about all Federal agencies, the Assistant
Secretaries Group would be an excellent forum to
discuss uniform applicability, rates, and admin-
istrative procedures. A common position of these
issues by agencies located in similar areas or
having similar problems with security, availability
of public transportation, or extended use of POV's
by its employees would be helpful.
I believe you are familiar with most of the above subjects
that I mentioned and have experienced the same in agencies that
you have workexd4t'prior to CIA. However, if you wish additional
background data-on any of these items, we would be glad to
provide it.
3
Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
 Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
Distribution:
Orig & 1 - Addressee
1 - OL Official
c OL/P&PS
1 D/L Chrono
D/L:j (16 May' 1979)
Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
 Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6
Approved For Release 2005/07/14: CIA-RDP87-01146R000200080026-6