1.1 Purpose. The purposes of the reports management program are to provide a Servicewide system for the control, evaluation, and improvement of reporting requirements, and to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
1.2 Objectives. The objectives of reports management are to:
A. Provide officials within and outside the Service with timely information in a clear, useful manner;
B. Collect, process, transmit, and store national reports and report information through economical use of staff, funds, and equipment;
C. Use, to the extent feasible, appropriate automation and data communications procedures to minimize information collection and processing efforts;
D. Maintain management control over the promulgation and use of national reports, and avoid the imposition of unnecessary, invalid, or inefficient reporting requirements; and
E. Coordinate reports management with overall records management activities, such as forms and directives, internal controls, and with Service and Departmental automated data processing and information systems.
1.3 Authorities.
A. 41 CFR 201-45.102, Federal Information Resources Management Regulations.
B. 381 DM 6, Reports Management Program.
1.4 Descriptive Terms.
A. Report Control Symbol. An alphanumeric identifier assigned to all reports.
B. Report. Data or information that is transmitted for use in determining policy; planning, controlling, and evaluating operations and performance; making administrative determinations; establishing and maintaining official records; or preparing other reports. This data may be in narrative, statistical, graphic, or in another form, and may be displayed on paper, magnetic tape, or other media.
C. National Report. A report transmitted to or through Headquarters in order to meet a reporting requirement.
D. Reporting Requirement. The statement, directive, or request which mandates that a report be submitted from one official or organization to another.
1.5 Responsibilities.
A. Assistant Directors ensure compliance with all provisions of this chapter within their respective programs.
B. Regional Directors are responsible for ensuring that the Regional reports management program is in accordance with requirements of this chapter.
C. Deputy Director - Staff (DD-S). The DD-S has oversight responsibility for the Service Reports Management Program on behalf of the Director. The DD-S is assisted by the Policy and Directives Management Staff.
D. The Policy and Directives Management Staff:
(1) Receives, reviews, and analyzes recommendations for establishment and/or modification of national reports.
(2) Maintains and updates the national reports appendix as necessary.
(3) Assigns a report control symbol to all approved internal reports.
(4) Maintains control records for all national reports.
(5) Assists the DD-S in periodic reviews of the Servicewide Reports Management Program.
1.6 Description of National Reports. A national report is established in response to a national reporting requirement which is either contained in a law; requested by the Congress, another agency of the Government, or by the Department of the Interior; and/or is determined by the Director as necessary in carrying out the Service's programs or responsibilities.
A. Internal Reports. These are national reports that
(1) Originate in a field or Regional Office with the final destination being Headquarters, or
(2) Originate in Headquarters and have a final destination within Headquarters.
B. External Reports. These are national reports that:
(1) Originate in a field or Regional Office, are sent to Headquarters, but have a final destination outside the Service, or
(2) Originate in Headquarters and have a final destination outside the Service.
C. Excluded Reports. The following are not considered to be national reports and will not appear in the appendix of national reports.
(1) A single report requested on a one-time basis, unless required by statute.
(2) Records and reports that provide notification of incidents; e.g. accidents, oil spills, complaints.
(3) Records and reports necessary for routine accounting, auditing, and evaluation activities, including information entered directly into automated management information systems.
(4) A form or other document used to facilitate, accomplish, or provide a description or record of a transaction; e.g., application, purchase order, bill of lading, personnel action, requisition, or voucher. Such forms must comply with provisions of 281 FW 2.
(5) Comments requested on proposed text, responses to audits and investigations, and testimony and hearings.
(6) Information requested to develop and justify the Service's budget.
(7) Regional or field reports not transmitted to or through Headquarters.
1.7 Establishment of National Reports.
A. Service officials desiring to establish a national report should submit to the Director, through the Deputy Director - Staff, a request for establishment of the report citing the necessitating reporting requirement. The request should consider the items in the Report Analysis, Exhibit 1.
B. The submittal must:
(1) Cite the proposed title of the requested report;
(2) Identify the office of primary responsibility (OPR) for preparation of the report;
(3) Identify the recipient of the report;
(4) Identify all reporters (Service offices reporting information to the OPR for inclusion in the report);
(5) Cite the frequency with which the report is due;
(6) Cite the date the report is due to the requester; and
(7) Include any instructions on preparation of information for the report, including the Service directive containing the specific requirement for the report.
C. As a general rule the establishment of a national report should be included in the Service manual. Accordingly, OPRs should submit a new or revised manual chapter with (or in place of) the request for establishment of a national report in order to facilitate its approval.
1.8 Modification of National Reports.
A. Service Officials Having Responsibility for National Reports may modify an approved report anytime to ensure that the reporting requirement is met. However, such modifications must not increase the frequency of the report or in any way increase the existing reporting burden of Service reporters.
B. Service employees may request modification or deletion of reports through appropriate channels to the responsible Assistant or Regional Director at any time. The Assistant or Regional Director reviews the reasons for the requested modification or deletion and makes recommendations to the Director through the Deputy Director - Staff.
C. Any proposed modification to national reports which could increase the frequency of reports or in any way increase or add to the reporting burden of Service reporters must be submitted to the Director through the Deputy Director - Staff.
1.9 Assignment of Report Control Symbols. All national reports are assigned a Report Control Symbol.
A. The first character is the letter "R", and the next three characters are the numerals of the Service Manual part that identifies the subject matter followed by a hyphen. The next character(s) is the number of the specific chapter that covers the subject, and the last character is a letter assigned to each report falling within the purview of that chapter.
B. Examples:
(1) R107-4A The subject of this report is covered in chapter 4 of part 107 of the manual.
(2) R320-10B The subject of this report is covered in chapter 10 of part 320 of the manual.
(3) R223-0A The subject of this report is not covered by a chapter, but falls within the coverage of part 223 of the manual.
(4) R100-0A The subject of this report is not covered by a chapter or a part, but falls within the 100 series of the manual.
1.10 National Reports Directory. A list of all national reports is included in Exhibit 2. This Exhibit will be periodically updated by the Policy and Directive Management Staff.