Promoting Efficient Spending

Executive Order 13589 of November 9, 2011

Promoting Efficient Spending

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, and in order to further promote efficient
spending in the Federal Government, it is hereby
ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. My Administration is committed to
cutting waste in Federal Government spending and
identifying opportunities to promote efficient and
effective spending. The Federal Government performs
critical functions that support the basic protections
that Americans have counted on for decades. As they
serve taxpayers, executive departments and agencies
(agencies) also must act in a fiscally responsible
manner, including by minimizing their costs, in order
to perform these mission-critical functions in the most
efficient, cost-effective way. As such, I have pursued
an aggressive agenda for reducing administrative costs
since taking office and, most recently, within my
Fiscal Year 2012 Budget. Building on this effort, I
direct agency heads to take even more aggressive steps
to ensure the Government is a good steward of taxpayer
money.

Sec. 2. Agency Reduction Targets. Each agency shall
establish a plan for reducing the combined costs
associated with the activities covered by sections 3
through 7 of this order, as well as activities included
in the Administrative Efficiency Initiative in the
Fiscal Year 2012 Budget, by not less than 20 percent
below Fiscal Year 2010 levels, in Fiscal Year 2013.
Agency plans for meeting this target shall be submitted
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 45
days of the date of this order. The OMB shall monitor
implementation of these plans consistent with Executive
Order 13576 of June 13, 2011 (Delivering an Efficient,
Effective, and Accountable Government).

Sec. 3. Travel. (a) Agency travel is important to the
effective functioning of Government and certain
activities can be performed only by traveling to a
different location. However, to ensure efficient travel
spending, agencies are encouraged to devise strategic
alternatives to Government travel, including local or
technological alternatives, such as teleconferencing
and video-conferencing. Agencies should make all
appropriate efforts to conduct business and host or
sponsor conferences in space controlled by the Federal
Government, wherever practicable and cost-effective.
Lastly, each agency should review its policies
associated with domestic civilian permanent change of
duty station travel (relocations), including
eligibility rules, to identify ways to reduce costs and
ensure appropriate controls are in place.

    (b) Each agency, agency component, and office of
inspector general should designate a senior-level
official to be responsible for developing and
implementing policies and controls to ensure efficient
spending on travel and conference-related activities,
consistent with subsection (a) of this section.

Sec. 4. Employee Information Technology Devices.
Agencies should assess current device inventories and
usage, and establish controls, to ensure that they are
not paying for unused or underutilized information
technology (IT) equipment, installed software, or
services. Each agency should take steps to limit the
number of IT devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones,
desktop and laptop computers, and tablet personal
computers) issued to employees, consistent with the
Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-292),
operational requirements (including continuity of
operations), and initiatives designed to create
efficiency through the effective implementation of
technology. To promote further efficiencies in IT,
agencies should

consider the implementation of appropriate agency-wide
IT solutions that consolidate activities such as
desktop services, email, and collaboration tools.

Sec. 5. Printing. Agencies are encouraged to limit the
publication and printing of hard copy documents and to
presume that information should be provided in an
electronic form, whenever practicable, permitted by
law, and consistent with applicable records retention
requirements. Agencies should consider using
acquisition vehicles developed by the OMB's Federal
Strategic Sourcing Initiative to acquire printing and
copying devices and services.

Sec. 6. Executive Fleet Efficiencies. The President's
Memorandum of May 24, 2011 (Federal Fleet Performance)
directed agencies to improve the performance of the
Federal fleet of motor vehicles by increasing the use
of vehicle technologies, optimizing fleet size, and
improving agency fleet management. Building upon this
effort, agencies should limit executive transportation.

Sec. 7. Extraneous Promotional Items. Agencies should
limit the purchase of promotional items (e.g., plaques,
clothing, and commemorative items), in particular where
they are not cost-effective.

Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head
thereof;

(ii) functions of the Director of OMB related to budgetary, administrative,
or legislative proposals; or

(iii) the authority of inspectors general under the Inspector General Act
of 1978, as amended.

    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
    (c) Independent agencies are requested to adhere to
this order.
    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 9, 2011.