04/30/07 Bureau of Rec's self examination

The Bureau of Reclamation's top official says he wants an agency that is more efficient and more transparent. Bob Johnson wants to give his customers better service and he says that can be accomplished through an action plan dubbed "Managing for Excellence." JOHNSON "We had the National Academy of Science come in a little over a year ago and take a hard look at Reclamation, gather a lot of data and information, give recommendations back to us on areas where we can improve." Johnson says they're looking at all of their operations in eight different areas; customer relations, policies, engineering services, major repairs, project management, asset sustainment, research and department employees. JOHNSON "How much technical expertise should we have? How much of our work should be done in house? How much should be done under contract? How can we make sure we're retaining the kind of continuity in our programs over time, that we have succession plans, that we have management plans in place to make sure that when people leave and retire that we've got people in place in the organization that can carry that on." A little more than a year and a half from now there will be a new administration in the White House and a new person holding Johnson's job at commissioner. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott