TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Topics | Sections |
|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | 1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? 1.2 What is the scope of this chapter? 1.3 What are directives? 1.4 What are the authorities for the Service’s directives system? |
| RESPONSIBILITIES | 1.5 Who is responsible for Servicewide directives? 1.6 Who must comply with Servicewide directives? |
| SERVICE DIRECTIVES SYSTEM | 1.7 What are the components of the Service directives system? 1.8 Where can employees find the documents that make up the Service directives system? |
OVERVIEW
1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) directives system.
1.2 What is the scope of this chapter? This chapter is applicable to national directives. Regional directives are allowed, but they must not conflict with or be less restrictive than national directives.
1.3 What are directives? A directive is a written communication that states internal Service policies, and initiates or governs action, conduct, or procedures that employees must follow.
1.4 What are the authorities for the Service’s directives system?
A. Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
B. Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 3101-3102).
C. 381 Departmental Manual (DM) 1, Directives Management.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1.5 Who is responsible for Servicewide directives? See Table 1-1.
Table 1-1: Responsibilities for Service Directives
| These employees… | Are responsible for… |
|---|---|
| A. The Director | Approving or declining to approve Service directives. |
| B. The Assistant Director – Management and Administration | Overseeing management of the Service directives system. The Division of Policy, Economics, Risk Management, and Analytics (PERMA) Policy and Regulations Branch (PRB) assists the Assistant Director in carrying out this responsibility. |
| C. Directorate members of the program offices in Headquarters | (1) Writing policy and procedures for their respective areas of responsibility (see 011 FW 2), (2) Working with the PRB and the Directorate to refine them, and (3) Seeking the Director’s approval on them. |
1.6 Who must comply with Servicewide directives?
A. Service divisions, offices, and employees must follow Servicewide directives that apply to them.
(1) Employees seeking waivers of Servicewide policy must request them in writing through their chain of command from the Director.
(2) The Director will consider waivers on a case-by-case basis. A waiver in one instance does not necessarily mean the same directive will be waived in the future.
B. Servicewide directives are intended only to improve the internal management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are not intended to, and do not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
SERVICE DIRECTIVES SYSTEM
1.7 What are the components of the Service directives system?
A. The Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.
(1) The Service Manual:
(a) Contains the Service directives with which employees must comply.
(b) Puts into place standards for complying with statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and Departmental directives.
(2) You can find detailed information and instructions for developing chapters for the Service Manual in 011 FW 1 through 3.
B. Director's Orders. Director’s Orders are limited to temporary delegations of authority, emergency directives, special assignments, and initial policy or guidance for evolving activities. Originating offices must convert Director’s Orders as soon as possible into the Service Manual. You can find additional information about preparing Director's Orders in 012 FW 1.
C. Handbooks. We use handbooks to explain how to comply with directives; they are procedural in nature. The originating office writes a handbook, when necessary, and cross-references it in an accompanying Service Manual chapter. When the Director approves the chapter, the Director is also requiring affected employees to use the handbook. PRB posts handbooks on the internet. You can find more information about preparing handbooks in 011 FW 4.
D. Memorandums. We may promulgate directives in memorandums, but we should limit their use to operational, incident-specific, project-related, or one-time (non-continuing) matters. Originating offices should not use memorandums to convey instructions that have general and continuing applicability to Service activities—they should use the Service Manual instead. PRB tracks the memorandums program offices provide by their issue date.
E. Regional Directives and Law Enforcement Directives. Regional Directors and the Chief, Office of Law Enforcement have the authority to issue directives that supplement the Service Manual, Director’s Orders, memorandums, and handbooks, or that pertain to matters that they do not cover. Regional and Law Enforcement directives must be consistent with the Service Manual and other Servicewide directives.
1.8 Where can employees find the documents that make up the Service directives system? Most of our directives are available in the Centralized Library on the Internet.