[NLA] Clarification: Giving the NIFL funding back....

[Gullion, Christy]

In response to Andrea's questions...  (Sorry this is a bit long, but I
wanted to provide thorough answers.)

1)  How does the Board govern?  What is it's role?
The authority and functions of the NIFL Advisory Board were established by
Congress through Title II, Section 242, of the Workforce Investment Act
(P.L. 105-220).  This legislation states that the board "shall consist of 10
individuals appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the
Senate."  The duties of the Board include (1) making recommendations
concerning the appointment of the Director and staff of the Institute; (2)
providing independent advice on the operation of the Institute; and (3)
receiving reports from the Interagency Group and the Director. 

This same act also established an Interagency Group.  In general, the
National Institute for Literacy is administered under the terms of an
interagency agreement between the US Departments of Education, Labor, and
Health and Human Services.  The Interagency Group must consider any
recommendations from the Advisory Group in "planning the goals of the
Institute and in the implementation of any programs to achieve the goals."
If the Board's recommendations are not followed, the Interagency Group must
provide a written explanation to the Board concerning actions the
Interagency Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board's
recommendations.  The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency
Group to discuss the Board's recommendations.  The Interagency Group, after
considering recommendations made by the Board, shall appoint and fix the pay
of the Director.  The current Advisory Board members and the Interagency
Group are listed at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/contact_nifl.html.

2)  Who does the day to day work?  Are these people government employees? 
The daily operations of the Institute are administered by the Executive
Director.  The Director and the staff are government employees, but do not
have the same protections as most civil servants.  NIFL staff serve at the
pleasure of the Director, Board, and Interagency Group.

3)  Is there a level of managers, like Sondra Stein, who are not technically

government employees, but hired for specific functions?
All NIFL staff are government employees, including Sondra Stein.  The
Institute staff are listed on our web site at
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/staffindex.html.  We also hire contractors to carry
out some of our work.

4)  I gather that NIFL's mission relates only to adult literacy. This 
apparently covers also family literacy.  The money that Andy wants to 
redirect is perceived by some as "alien" --it would distort the mission 
because it supports a different function.  Is this correct?  
I answered the funding and congressional mandate questions in an earlier
post.

5)  How did NIFL get the money for NCSALL?  How does NIFL get its operating 
funds? Are operating funds separate from NCSALL funds, Fellowship funds, EFF

funds?
The Institute has the authority to enter into contracts or provide grants to
entities to help carry out our work.  Our funds come from a Congressional
appropriation (see earlier post).  The fellowship funds and EFF funds come
out of the Institute's appropriation.  NCSALL has been provided funds
through grants and contracts with the Institute.  

5)  What other info is necessary to understand the structure of NIFL, who 
runs it, and how it gets money?
I suggest people read the law that created the Institute at
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/.  Scroll down and enter TITLE 20 and
SECTION 9252.  

I hope this helps.

Christy Gullion
Associate Director for Federal Policy
National Institute for Literacy
1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730
Washington, DC  20006-2417
ph. (202) 233-2033 
fax (202) 233-2050


-----Original Message-----
From: Awilderast at aol.com [mailto:Awilderast at aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 8:55 AM
To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [NLA] Clarification: Giving the NIFL funding back....


David and others,

OK, let me be the one to ask some really dopey questions about NIFL:

1)  How does the Board govern?  What is it's role?

2)  Who does the day to day work?  Are these people government employees? 

3)  Is there a level of managers, like Sondra Stein, who are not technically

government employees, but hired for specific functions?

4)  I gather that NIFL's mission relates only to adult literacy. This 
apparently covers also family literacy.  The money that Andy wants to 
redirect is perceived by some as "alien" --it would distort the mission 
because it supports a different function.  Is this correct?

5)  How did NIFL get the money for NCSALL?  How does NIFL get its operating 
funds? Are operating funds separate from NCSALL funds, Fellowship funds, EFF

funds?

5)  What other info is necessary to understand the structure of NIFL, who 
runs it, and how it gets money?

Thanks.

Andrea
_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/nla-nifl-archive/attachments/20020711/41351aaf/attachment.htm