Organizing Science at the
Southern Research Station

Appendix 4 - Original Organizational Concepts

Concept B

Concept B would also organize the Station research around the five Science Areas. Programmatic research planning, implementation, and review would occur at the Science Area level; however, Project Leaders would remain line officers and actively participate in research planning and allocation through more frequent participation in a smaller and more interactive Management Team.

The basic premise of Concept B is that a strategic reorganization of the Station research program into major Science Areas will improve the overall research program by (1) strategically consolidating RWUs into larger research teams, resulting in an adequate critical mass of scientific disciplines, (2) increasing research efficiency by reducing the number of units from 28 to approximately 14 RWUs, (3) creating a more coordinated, integrated, and flexible research structure able to respond to emerging issues and priorities, and (4) retaining a “loose enough” structure to allow individual creativity/entrepreneurship.

Structure and Roles

In Concept B, five Research Assistant Directors—replacing the current three Research Assistant Directors, and two Program Managers—would report to the Station Director. Each Assistant Director would be assigned a Science Area. The Assistant Directors would supervise two to seven Project Leaders who would lead research activities of a large research cadre that would be aligned with the Science Areas. The Project Leaders would be strategically located in Forestry Sciences Laboratories and have administrative and facilities responsibilities, with appropriate levels of support personnel. They would supervise scientists, either individually or in teams. Although Project Leaders would remain the science leaders in the Station, they could be in either the four-factor or nine-factor series (paneled scientists or not, as appropriate). Decisions regarding resource allocation among Science Areas and broadly defined problems would be led by the Assistant Directors with participation by Project Leaders and Research Team Leaders, as appropriate; budget allocation and execution within RWUs would be led by the Project Leader with participation by Research Team Leaders and scientists.

The Management Team would be comprised of the Leadership Team and Project Leaders working together in research planning and allocations and meeting more often than the current Management Team. A Science Advisory Team, consisting of the Management Team and Research Team Leaders, would meet less often than the current Management Team and would focus on science rather than administrative issues.

Concept B would utilize familiar positions but with shifts in responsibilities. Assistant Directors would convene teams of Project Leaders within their Science Areas to coordinate research planning and strategy. The team of Science Area Assistant Directors would be the point of contact for the SPAs and would determine how to deploy Station resources to address specific interdisciplinary problem areas. Attainment reporting would be done programmatically (Science Area) and therefore would be shifted up to the Assistant Director level with Project Leaders supervising the collection of scientist input but not processing. Project Leaders would have broader programs and more employees to manage and would need a higher level of administrative support. Budget execution and tracking and small-scale procurement would continue to be conducted at the RWU level, as would Grants and Agreements initiation, tracking, and accrual.

Administrative Support Structure

Each Assistant Director would be supported by an assistant, similar to the current support at Station Headquarters. Each Project Leader would be supported by a management analyst and an administrative assistant. Designated Directors Representatives may need an additional administrative assistant. Concept B would likely result in no net gain in administrative positions: only the re-allocation of administrative support to fewer and larger RWUs.

Implementation Requirements—Administrative Impacts

Implementation of Concept B would require development and approval of a new organization chart (including new RWU numbers), development of some new position descriptions, and some staffing and classification for reassignments. The deliberate creation of career ladder opportunities and related training for the new support positions would be important, and as would realignment of programs for civil rights, wellness, safety, and fleet.

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