Administrative Support Centers Need Functional Realignment and Focus on Essential Services

摘要

In 1983, the Department of Commerce's Administrative Support Centers (ASC's) were created to provide more cost-efficient administrative services for the Department's numerous field units. In our evaluation of the ASCs, we sought to examine their efficiency and effectiveness in supporting the Department's field units, with a special empahasis on asessing (1) the management oversight and leadership provided by NOAA and the Department and (2) the efficiency and effectiveness of the ASC's current operations, as well as their future viability. In this report, we highlight many of the issues and problems facing the four centers, NOAA, and the Department.