Appropriations, seccing forth in detail the Institution's com- 

 mitment to celebrating our nation's diverse historical and cul- 

 tural achievements. The annual Accomplishment Report for 

 Diversity Anion Plans informed senior management of each 

 unit's diversity initiatives. 



OEEMA published the third edition of its office news- 

 letter, "Opportunities," during this period. This publicanon 

 assists employees and managers to deal with and resolve 

 human relations issues. The current issue features information 

 on OEEMA personnel and services, the Workers' Compensation/ 

 Americans with Disabilities Act, and the nature of sexual harass- 

 ment in the workplace. The publication is distributed pan- 

 Instirucionally and has consistently received positive reviews. 



OEEMA has established and maintains effective lines of 

 communication with every major office in the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution. Customer service is our goal, and it can be seen in 

 every project we undertake. We believe that our success 

 results from embracing a common vision around which we 

 galvanize our total work efforts "to be valued as a highly effec- 

 tive service organization that provides impartial, pro-active 

 guidance and assistance to our customers." 



Office of Environmental Management 

 and Safety 



F. William Billings ley. Director 



The Office of Environmental Management and Safety con- 

 tinued to ensure a safe and healthful environment for all 

 Smithsonian employees, volunteers, and the visiting public. 

 The office provided consultation services, training, and tech- 

 nical support in the areas of environmental management, fire 

 protection, and occupational health and safety. The office also 

 informed the Smithsonian of applicable fire, safety, and 

 environmental management laws and conducted inspections 

 of all Smithsonian facilities. FY 1997 marked the sixth annual 

 Secretary's Safety Awards Ceremony. The Smithsonian 

 Astrophysical Observatory won the large facility award, and 

 the National Postal Museum won the small facility awatd. 



Office of Facilities Services 



Richard H. Rice. Jr., Senior Facilities Services Officer 



The Office of Facilities Services, along with other organiza- 

 tions in the Facilities Services Group, continued to focus on 

 collaborative efforts to improve service to the Institution. 

 Among these were several specific organizational develop- 

 ment initiatives, focusing on internal relationships, com- 

 munications and leadership. 



Office of Physical Plant 



Michael J. Sofield. Director 



The Office of Physical Plant exists to create, pteserve, restore, 

 and protect a physical environment that enables the Smith- 

 sonian and its Museums and Research Institutions to achieve 

 their goals. Physical Plant has a staff of approximately 422 

 employees. The Office strives to achieve the following goals: 

 to be the leader in creating functional, pleasing, safe, and ac- 

 cessible physical environments that are the benchmark of 

 quality and innovation; to be tesponsible and proactive in 

 meeting our customer's needs; to be a steward for the Institu- 

 tion's resources, which are dedicated to achieving our mission. 



Horticulture Services Division landscaped and designed the 

 planters surrounding the NASM Building. Completing the 

 project in-house saved literally hundreds of thousands of dol- 

 lars. The landscape designs and plans were completed by Paul 

 Lindell and Karen Swanson. 



More than $65 million in Repair and Restoration funding 

 was committed and forwarded for bidding and awarding (a 

 record!) Of that total, $27 million was obligated into design 

 and construction contracts. Physical Plant was responsible for 

 the following projects: 



• Openings — Reed Education Building, SERC; Cooper- 

 Hewitt, National Design Museum Miller/Fox Houses; 

 Geology, Gems, and Minerals Hall, NMNH 



• Completions — Facade restoration, NASM; HVAC master 

 plan, NMAH; Ft. Sherman forest canopy crane, STRI 



• Groundbreaking — Discovery Center, NMNH 



Office of Protection Services 



David F Morrell, Director 



Deriving its legal authority from Title 40, U.S. Code, Section 

 193, the Office of Protection Services (OPS) has the following 

 as its mission: protecting and securing the National Collec- 

 tions and other properties entrusted to the Smithsonian 

 Institution and ensuring the safety and security of staff and 

 visitors, while permitting an appropriate level of public access 

 to collections and properties. 



During this year OPS entered into a contract with Wacken- 

 hut Services Incorporated to perform a task analysis for Museum 

 Protection Officer (MPO) positions and security supervisor 

 positions. The task analysis was completed in March 1997 and 

 assisted OPS in determining training needs for the security 

 staff. 



During this yeat OPS recruited and hired 69 MPOs; OPS 

 directed Wackenhut to train all 69 MPOs. The two-week 



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