OFFICE OF FIELD SERVICE 1^5 



Two types of personal-services contracts were utilized by OFS. One 

 involved the full-time services of the individual; 208 people were hired on 

 this basis. The other provided for the services of the individual on a peri- 

 odic or WAE (when actually employed) basis. In most cases this was 

 used to make available the services of people who had critical commit- 

 ments elsewhere and could give only a portion of their total working time 

 to OFS. Twenty-five people were procured on this basis. Salaries under 

 personal-services contracts were arrived at on a basis of negotiation which, 

 in general, followed the principle of "no-profit-no-loss" which OSRD had 

 adopted; salary arrangements were reviewed by the Scientific Personnel 

 Office from this standpoint. 



The delays and complications inherent in switching employment for 

 short intervals kept the personal-services contract plan from becoming as 

 effective as had been anticipated. A considerable number of OFS con- 

 sultants who were in the employ of OSRD contractors were merely bor- 

 rowed from their employers on the basis of a detail. As the pressure in- 

 creased and the OSRD contractors became the primary sources of field 

 men, the proportion of men loaned to the Services through detail to OFS 

 likewise increased. The total number of personnel procured on detail 

 constituted a little over one fourth of the OFS roster. Several OFS Con- 

 sultants were obtained by detail from other Government agencies. 



In some instances employers not under contract with OSRD were 

 unwilling to release their personnel to Government payrolls. They were 

 willing, however, to make them available provided the Government found 

 some mechanism for reimbursing salary, transportation, per diem and in- 

 cidental expenses, but leaving the individual legally on the payroll of the 

 original employer. This was particularly desirable if a change in employer 

 would mean a sacrifice in pension status or seniority schedule. It was also 

 desirable where there was some fear that the temporary separation ar- 

 ranged for service with OFS might encourage a more permanent one 

 afterwards. Accordingly, in April 1944, Bush authorized the execution of 

 contracts between OSRD on behalf of OFS and industrial firms or edu- 

 cational institutions on a basis comparable to that which had proved 

 successful in the operations of NDRC. The contracts were essentially sim- 

 ilar to the standard NDRC research and development contracts. Altogether, 

 OFS recommended fourteen such contracts covering a total of nineteen 

 technical men. 



Indoctrination 



The first responsibility of OFS, after arranging for the services of an 

 individual, was to ascertain that his orientation in OSRD was sufficient 

 to permit his being sent as one of its representatives. Unfortunately the 



