(a) The Office of Government Ethics is divided into the following offices:
(1) The Office of the Director;
(2) The Office of General Counsel and Legal Policy;
(3) The Office of Government Relations and Special Projects;
(4) The Office of Agency Programs; and
(5) The Office of Administration and Information Management.
(b) Office of the Director. The Director of the Office of Government Ethics is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Director advises the White House and executive branch Presidential appointees on Government ethics matters; maintains a liaison and provides guidance on ethics to executive branch departments and agencies; and oversees and coordinates all OGE rules, regulations, formal advisory opinions and major policy decisions. The Director also serves as a member of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency; the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency; the Integrity Committee; and on such other boards, councils, and committees as may be required by statute, Executive order or regulation. The Director represents the agency in various public outreach initiatives.
(c) Office of General Counsel and Legal Policy. (1) The Office of General Counsel and Legal Policy develops regulations and legislative proposals pertaining to conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct applicable to executive branch officers and employees, and executive branch public and confidential financial disclosure requirements. In addition, this Office provides advice and counseling to agency ethics officials through formal and informal advisory opinions, policy memoranda, and consultations. This Office also manages OGE's review and certification of financial disclosure reports filed by persons nominated by the President for positions requiring Senate confirmation; oversees the creation and operation of qualified and blind trusts and the issuance of certificates of divestiture; and responds to press inquiries.
(1) The Office of General Counsel and Legal Policy develops regulations and legislative proposals pertaining to conflict of interest statutes and standards of ethical conduct applicable to executive branch officers and employees, and executive branch public and confidential financial disclosure requirements. In addition, this Office provides advice and counseling to agency ethics officials through formal and informal advisory opinions, policy memoranda, and consultations. This Office also manages OGE's review and certification of financial disclosure reports filed by persons nominated by the President for positions requiring Senate confirmation; oversees the creation and operation of qualified and blind trusts and the issuance of certificates of divestiture; and responds to press inquiries.
(2) The General Counsel is the principal deputy of the Director of OGE, except as the Director expressly provides by written delegation.
(d) Office of Government Relations and Special Projects. The Office of Government Relations and Special Projects provides liaison to the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congress regarding legislative matters, coordinates OGE's support of U.S. Government efforts concerning international anticorruption and ethics initiatives, and is responsible for certain OGE special projects.
(e) Office of Agency Programs. (1) The Office of Agency Programs provides services to, and monitors, Federal executive branch agency ethics programs through three divisions: the Education Division, the Program Services Division, and the Program Review Division.
(1) The Office of Agency Programs provides services to, and monitors, Federal executive branch agency ethics programs through three divisions: the Education Division, the Program Services Division, and the Program Review Division.
(i) The Education Division develops ethics-related, instructor-led and Web-based training programs for executive agency ethics officials. The division also develops training for ethics officials to deliver to their employees. The division conducts annual surveys to determine the training needs of ethics officials and tailors its program to address those needs.
(ii) The Program Services Division is OGE's primary liaison to ethics officials in executive branch departments and agencies. Through its desk officers, the division assists ethics officials in developing, maintaining and improving all systems within their ethics programs. The division also discloses upon proper request copies of public financial disclosure reports that are filed with OGE, collects semiannual reports of payments accepted under 31 U.S.C. 1353, and works closely with ethics officials to ensure that annual and termination public financial disclosure reports and ethics agreements comply with ethics laws and regulations.
(iii) The Program Review Division monitors compliance with executive branch ethics laws and regulations in executive branch departments and agencies, regional offices, and military bases through on-site ethics program reviews. Reviews are conducted to identify and report strengths and weaknesses of agency ethics programs according to an annual program plan.
(2) In addition to the functions performed by its three divisions, the Office of Agency Programs holds an annual ethics conference and collects annual reports concerning certain aspects of agency ethics programs.
(f) Office of Administration and Information Management. The Office of Administration and Information Management provides support to all OGE operating programs through two divisions: The Administration Division and the Information Resources Management Division.
(1) The Administration Division is responsible for personnel, payroll, fiscal resource management, travel, procurement, and the publishing and printing of materials.
(2) The Information Resources Management Division is responsible for telecommunications, graphics, records management, program management of information, and Web site technologies. [68 FR 41682, July 15, 2003, as amended at 68 FR 62213, Nov. 3, 2003]