CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT The role of a Public Works Department at a Navy activity includes diverse and complex luties. It cannot be properly visualized without some knowledge of where responsibility for polcy guidance, construction, public works, coordiation of programs, and so forth, rests in the overall Navy organization. In order to perform is work properly, the Public Works Officer nust have this knowledge, and must understand he several areas of technical direction, mangement control, and military command. To enable the student to see the individual illet in its relation to the overall organization or defense, a very brief discussion of the role f the Navy in this connection is necessary. THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY The National Security Act of 1947 created he National Military Establishment under the Secretary of Defense. In 1949, amendments to his Act changed the title to the Department of Defense, and made this Department one of the xecutive departments of the U. S. Government. As a result, the erstwhile Departments of the rmy, the Navy, and the Air Force became ilitary rather than executive departments, and part of the Department of Defense. The composition of the Defense Department, s currently established, is illustrated in figure -1. In the lower right hand portion of this chart, ou will see the three military departments. The rganization chart for the Department of the avy, the military department with which the ubject matter of this text is concerned, is shown 1 figure 1-2. The Secretary of the Navy is responsible, nder the direction, authority, and control of the ecretary of Defense, for the efficient operation f the Department of the Navy, including policy, dministration, and control. SecNav exercises his responsibility for the epartment of the Navy through what we may rm a bilinear system of organization. On the ne hand, there is the military direction, con cerned with the training and development of the military forces, with the planning and determining of support requirements for these forces, and with the general area of military administration. On the other hand, there is the "business direction," concerned with providing equipment, material, and services necessary to meet the support requirements of the military forces. Through this business direction line, the Civilian Executive Assistants, and the chiefs of the bureaus and offices, carry out their assigned tasks of business administration, and of logistic administration and control. The Bureau of Yards and Docks (like the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts) is in the nature of a service organization, with important responsibilities in the vital area of shore facilities. BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS Briefly stated, the mission of the Bureau of Yards and Docks involves Navy-wide responsibility for public works, public utilities, transportation, and weight-handling equipment, including repair, upkeep, and operating standards, at shore activities. It exercises management control over Navy family housing (with certain exceptions that will be explained in the later chapter, Family Housing), and technical direction of all housing facilities. It is responsible for the acquisition and disposal of real estate, except that covered by Marine Corps leases. The duties and responsibilities of the Bureau are more specifically defined in a later section, Duties and Responsibilities. Before going into detail on this matter, however, it may be advisable to show the organization setup of the Bureau. ORGANIZATION OF BUDOCKS The overall organization of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, at the Department and at the field level, is illustrated in figure 1-3. The chart |