As the Lolo Administration begins its second four-year term, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga is moving to approve organizational charts for all executive branch departments and offices. This was an initiative the administration was hoping to complete in the last four years.

During last year’s fiscal year 2017 budget hearings lawmakers requested organizational charts for departments and offices, but were told by ASG directors that the documents are pending the governor’s approval.

And when Le’i Sonny Thompson, appeared last Friday for his confirmation hearing as Police Commissioner before the Senate Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee, he was asked about the organization chart, which Le’i said is not yet approved by the governor, as there are issues that need to be addressed from the previous term of the administration.

Some veteran lawmakers — in both the Senate and House — are interested in the DPS organization chart, so they can see for themselves the setup when it comes to rank-and-file of police officers and if it matches their current pay scale, which is something Le’i said is being reviewed.

In a Feb. 3 memo to directors, Lolo noted that the administration during the last term attempted to review organization charts of departments and offices “to determine sufficiency, effectiveness, and eliminate duplications to be aligned with... existing legal mandates.”

Completing this initiative is “crucial to the accomplishment of our commitment to accountability, productivity and prudent resources management,” the governor said, and noted that sufficient time has been accorded to many of the returning directors to fully understand their respective organizations.

“Accordingly, now is the most opportune time for us to finalize this activity,” he said and informed directors to revisit their organization charts and make changes as necessary. He gave directors until Feb. 28 to submit organization charts for his review and approval.

For new directors, they are asked to familiarize themselves with the agency’s chart. “Your organization chart should be driven by the mandated functions of your department or office,” Lolo said. “Each division, unit, sub-unit and position must gravitate to the accomplishment of your legal mandate.”

He reminds his cabinet members that the organization charts are “very important” and it “behooves you to invest time to review your organization chart and the functions being performed and then align these functions to the organization that you currently have in place to determine whether changes are necessary.”

In closing the governor told directors, “The operative words are ‘productivity’ and ‘efficiency’ in delivering services to the people of American Samoa.”

With the Fono currently in session, organization charts are expected to be requested if and when lawmakers review issues such as personnel and responsibility — which were also raised in the previous 34th Legislature.