John Pappalardo, Chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council, has written to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke requesting an independent and comprehensive systems analysis and efficiency review of the Northeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Northeast Science Center, and the New England Fishery Management Council, both individually and collectively.
It is anticipated that other organizations and individuals will sign onto the letter in the coming weeks.
In his letter, Mr. Pappalardo writes "the changes outlined in the reauthorized Magnuson Stevens Act have placed additional demands on each of these three entities, and it has become clear that our region’s bureaucracy is unable to efficiently meet its expanded obligations."
He asks the Commerce Secretary for "help in implementing a visionary pilot in New England that is a necessary first step in making these critical improvements."
He cites as one important area to be addressed "the communication and coordination among these institutions." Noting that "the leaders of each entity have repeatedly acknowledged significant challenges with inter-organizational communication, but these challenges appear to be increasing rather than improving.
He also observes that "our bureaucracy is often driven by process and protocol rather than by mission and outcome."
Over the last two decades, great strides have been made in our understanding of the design and realignment of public agency infrastructure to foster innovative, adaptive and effective management. In light of these advances, it is time to evaluate our current system, identify inefficiencies, and implement appropriate solutions.
He asks that the review be conducted by a management consultant, and include:
• Extensive interviews with leadership and staff of each organization as well as a wide range of fishery stakeholders to understand their respective views on the performance of the current system and their suggestions for reforms.
• An objective and thorough evaluation of the internal structure and management practices of each entity.
• A rigorous assessment of the coordination and communication among the three entities and specific suggestions for necessary improvements.
• A detailed and public summary of the findings of this initiative as well as the resulting recommendations.
Noting that Congress recently approved the Fiscal Year 2010 budget including a line item of $191 million dollars for Fisheries Management, he asks that his request be funded using those funds.
The letter was also delivered to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Margaret Spring, Patricia Kurkul, Dr. Nancy Thompson, and Paul Howard.