DHS outlines progress of efficiency drive

DHS outlines progress of efficiency drive    The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday it has launched a new round of its efficiency review process to scrub the department of wasteful spending and direct the savings to core mission operations.
   Officials have begun to:
   ' Develop a plan designed to improve retention of skilled employees and minimize turnover expenses.
   ' Increase coordination between headquarters and component agencies.
   ' Standardize content for new employee orientation and annual training.
   ' Implement energy efficiencies in facility management projects.
   ' Expand the acquisition and leasing of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles.
   DHS said the efficiency review has already resulted in millions of dollars in cost avoidance, including:
   ' U.S. Customs and Border Protection expects to eliminate $640,000 in travel costs in fiscal year 2009 by posting training materials online and hosting Web-based training sessions instead of in-person classes.
   ' Consolidating more than 487,000 Microsoft software and maintenance licenses into one department-wide license, at a savings of $87.5 million for six years.
   ' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) streamlined more than 200 licenses for Oracle software to one unlimited license for a savings of $1.5 million during the next year.
   ' The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center recently held its biennial leadership conference for senior managers at its office instead of a private facility, saving $104,000 in travel and per diem costs.
   ' The Coast Guard has started utilizing a free electronic invitation system to manage the distribution of invitations for major events, which is expected to save about $95,000 per year in printing and mailing costs.
   ' ICE will save more than $90,000 by redeploying fleet vehicles where needed instead of buying new vehicles.
   The department has rolled out a handful of new initiatives each of the last four months, but will now focus on institutionalizing the 20 initiatives announced so far. It will launch future efficiency efforts at six-month intervals.