The Interior Department’s persistent management issues now include coping with the upheaval brought by the Trump administration, according to the agency’s internal watchdog.
Citing Trump administration developments from staff reductions to bureaucratic consolidations, Interior’s Office of Inspector General in its latest annual report put handling the fast-paced departmental shake-ups at the top of the list of current management challenges.
“The pace and complexity of these large-scale organizational changes, including staffing changes and consolidation initiatives, present a number of risks and opportunities,” the OIG stated, adding that “such initiatives have the potential to reduce redundancy and improve efficiency but can also introduce challenges tied to scale, integration, and accountability.”
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the OIG assessment. In Capitol Hill hearings and in public and media appearances, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has repeatedly pointed to the benefits of reorganization.
