OMB Tackles 'Inherently Governmental'

Public Employee

On Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed new guidelines for outsourcing government work to contractors. The proposed policy letter attempts to clarify the thorny issue of what exactly constitutes an inherently governmental function, or a task that only a government employee should perform. This guidance is long in coming, as the president's memorandum on contracting directed OMB to release a plan late last summer.

Of course, that's not to say that the effort isn't welcomed. Just glancing over the proposal, it seems to hew closely to the current guidelines, but does seem to make some improvements with oversight through accountability within the executive agencies.

Public comments on the proposed policy letter are due June 1. Look for OMB Watch to submit comments and provide a full analysis of the issue in the near future.

Image by Flickr user Seattle Municipal Archives used under a Creative Commons license.

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