GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Washington, DC 20405
OAS 1804.1
July 14, 2016; Extended September 8, 2023
GSA ORDER
SUBJECT: General Services Administration (GSA) Executive Correspondence
1. Purpose. This Order establishes policy for managing executive correspondence and other official documents.
2. Background. The Office of Executive Secretariat (Exec Sec), Office of Administrative Services (OAS), pursuant to ADM 5440.640A, Change in GSA Organization (Office of Administrative Services), shall establish and ensure standards for official correspondence or documents requiring the involvement of the Administrator of General Services (Administrator) and/or the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs (OCIA).
3. Scope and applicability. This Order applies to GSA employees in the performance of their duties. The following are exceptions:
a. The Office of Inspector General per its independence under the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 (5 U.S.C. App 3); and
b. The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals due to its independent authorities pursuant to section 847 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006.
4. Policy.
a. GSA policy requires that official documents requiring the review, approval, or signature by the Administrator, Deputy Administrator or Chief of Staff, as well as congressional correspondence coordinated with OCIA, be transmitted through Exec Sec. Exec Sec manages the review, editing and agency-wide clearance of official correspondence for the Office of the Administrator and OCIA to ensure conformance with correspondence and records management standards and policies.
b. Exec Sec also drafts and edits official correspondence for heads of service offices as requested or required. This is done to ensure conformance with correspondence and records management standards and policies by these offices.
c. Executive correspondence will follow the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, the U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual, and the GSA Correspondence Guide, including the GSA Correspondence Style and Usage Standards[link: https://insite.gsa.gov/organizations/staff-offices/office-of-administrative-services/office-of-executive-secretariat-audit-mgmt/executive-secretariat#CorrespondenceGuide].
d. Exec Sec will manage executive correspondence and official documents through Exec Sec’s online document tracking system.
5. Responsibilities.
a. The Office of the Administrator is responsible for:
(1) Obtaining the authorizing signature for executive correspondence signed by the GSA Administrator, Deputy Administrator, or Chief of Staff; and
(2) Delegating the above responsibilities to appropriate GSA personnel.
b. Heads of Services and Staff Offices (HSSO) and Regional Administrators are responsible for:
(1) Establishing internal processes for drafting and clearing executive correspondence assigned to that office by Exec Sec;
(2) Ensuring their personnel comply with deadlines, policies, and procedures for drafting and clearing responses and for complying with records management requirements;
(3) Ensuring their personnel respond in a timely manner to questions and comments from Exec Sec, the Office of General Counsel (OGC), and the Office of the Administrator during the drafting and clearance process; and
(4) Ensuring that all appropriate personnel are properly trained to use Exec Sec’s online document tracking system.
c. OGC is responsible for reviewing all executive correspondence for legal sufficiency.
d. OCIA is responsible for clearing all executive correspondence to Members of Congress; Governors; State, county, local, and tribal officials; and representatives from foreign governments and other governmental bodies.
e. Exec Sec is responsible for:
(1) Developing and managing GSA’s executive correspondence policies and procedures and documenting them on its InSite page;
(2) Reviewing incoming executive correspondence; creating controlled documents for the approval or signature of the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief of Staff, or OCIA Associate Administrator; assigning controlled documents, using the online document tracking system, to appropriate GSA personnel for action; and overseeing agency-wide clearance of executive and official correspondence;
(3) Managing agency-wide clearance for documents that require the approval or signature of the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief of Staff, or OCIA Associate Administrator, working with subject matter experts and managers within and across service, staff, and program offices to resolve edits, comments, and issues to help ensure GSA policies and positions are effectively communicated and transmitted in a timely manner;
(4) Drafting and editing official correspondence for the Office of the Administrator and for service offices as requested or required;
(5) Serving as GSA’s clearinghouse to ensure all outgoing executive correspondence conforms with GSA’s policies and procedures and is responsive, clear, timely, accurate, and concise;
(6) Ensuring compliance with standards for grammar, punctuation, formatting, and style;
(7) Securing correspondence, files, and associated data; ensuring the maintenance of required systems and databases; and providing regular reports on the status of active executive correspondence to HSSOs and Regional Administrators;
(8) Monitoring and tracking deadlines for clearing executive correspondence;
(9) Coordinating and approving or denying internal extension requests for documents delayed in agency-wide clearance.
(10) Advising the Office of the Administrator of high-priority controlled documents or controlled documents with external deadlines;
(11) Training and familiarizing GSA employees with policies and procedures related to executive correspondence; and
(12) Serving as liaison to executive correspondence managers from the White House and other Federal agencies.
f. All offices are responsible for ensuring that executive correspondence and official documents that will be signed by the Administrator or any agency official are not made public before they are signed. Release and distribution decisions are based on the requirements of the original request and as required by the originating office, OCIA, OCFO, and/or senior leadership.
6. Definitions.
a. Clearance. This is the official process of submitting a draft document to Exec Sec for review and approval by the appropriate GSA officials. Throughout the clearance process, Exec Sec will check for accuracy, proper grammar and formatting, readability, and responsiveness.
b. Control. The electronic package for executive correspondence workflows used to assign, track, and record the workflow. The documents in this package requiring approval or signature are referred to as controlled documents.
c. Correspondence. Any type of written communication from GSA stakeholders or the public about GSA business, regardless of manner of delivery, e.g., letters, emails, and facsimiles.
d. Executive correspondence. This correspondence requires the signature or clearance of the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief of Staff, or OCIA Associate Administrator.
e. Official documents. These include all documents prepared, developed, reviewed, or used to carry out GSA’s or the Administrator’s official business.
7. Records management. Records generated from the executive correspondence process must follow OAS P 1820.1, GSA Records Management Program, and are to be managed and preserved by Exec Sec in accordance with the Federal Records Act and all appropriate regulations.
8. Signature.
/S/
CYNTHIA A. METZLER
Chief Administrative Services Officer
Office of Administrative Services
U.S. General Services Administration