Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 3/31/98
Series: Organization
Part 112: Policy, Management and Budget
Chapter 18: Office of Educational Partnerships
Originating Office: Office of Educational Partnerships
112 DM 18
18.1 Office of Educational Partnerships. This office is responsible for implementing Departmental policy and designing, organizing and managing programs and initiatives that are responsive to or required by Executive Orders on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI's), and Tribal Colleges and Universities and fulfilling associated planning and reporting requirements. Other program and service functions of the office include, but are not limited to: Goals 2000 Educate America; the Youth Environmental Service (YES) program; and other Departmentwide educational and youth-serving partnerships. The office is headed by a Director who reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Human Resources.
18.2 Functions. The office develops and implements policies, procedures, programs and services to facilitate the successful implementation of the described initiatives on behalf of the Office of the Secretary. The office is responsible for helping to carry out the mandates of the above Executive Orders by providing guidance and support to Department agencies seeking to form partnerships with the institutions as prescribed by the Executive Orders. The Office is responsible for providing professional consultation and technical assistance; preparing legislative testimony; responding to congressional inquiries and other official requests; developing and maintaining public information programs that effectively articulate the Department and office achievements; representing the Department on committees and advisory groups; and in interagency coordination and liaison activities; serving as principal Department liaison with public and private organizations and agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium; working with Interior bureaus/offices and other agencies in obtaining private sector support such as professional/technical assistance and equipment for enhancing and extending the Department's minority college and university, educational and youth-serving programs.
18.3 Director. The Director of the Office of Educational Partnerships serves as the principal policy advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Human Resources for all matters pertaining to office functions. The Director is also responsible for: review of interagency agreements with agencies, organizations and interest groups and development of new agreements; development of sufficient controls to provide the Secretary with information needed to ensure responsiveness to Congress, and the public; the review and evaluation of program performance to identify deficiencies and prescribe corrective measures; and implementation of management systems and procedures necessary to achieve office and program goals.
3/31/98 #3202
Replaces 6/9/95 #3041