Paper Session II-B - Insights into the Process of Converging Inter-Agency Government Programs

With the decreased funding available for government programs, many agencies have converged or are contemplating converging their functions and personnel in order to be cost effective and more efficient in their processes.This study provides an overview of the organizational theory related to convergence process and the issues and impacts of creating joint programs from independent, long standing military and civil programs. The management aspects of the convergence process, with an emphasis on human and organizational issues, are presented and lessons learned highlighted.The methodology used to conduct this study included an extensive literature search and survey. The survey was completed by individuals at different levels of management selected from six converged and converging government programs.The results of the study revealed a strong tendency for converged government programs to violate basic organizational theory principles during their convergence experiences. Survey results showed individuals in these converged organizations generally had lower than average morale, were physically separated from key parts of the organization, faced serious bureaucratic roadblocks, and felt that there was a lack of communication within their organizations.Finally, suggestions for conducting successful converged programs are outlined including: establish agreement on mission need and requirements as soon as possible; establish clear chain of command; provide honest, direct and frequent communications; establish equitable management and procedures; articulate a vision; and endeavor to bring all levels of workers together within a common set of goals.