Family Independence Agency director Marianne Udow today announced a series of changes in structure designed to provide enhanced services to Michigan's children and families. The new organizational chart emphasizes a cleaner, leaner structure with changes in overall programmatic management.

"My goal is to be more responsive to our customers and stakeholders and achieve a clearer, simpler structure," Udow said. "The new organization separates children and adult services, elevates adult services to the bureau level, putting new emphasis on children's services. It also links financial integrity to legal affairs and raises planning to the top level of our organization."

"I anticipate the new organization structure will save the FIA about $200,000 in full year costs from administrative job deletions in Central Office. My goal is to redirect these funds to field services."

Udow said FIA client perspective and employee recommendations were considered in defining the new administrative picture. "We made changes to the organizational structure based on employee input and we are reviewing suggestions related to the structure inside county offices."

Specific changes to the FIA organization include:

• Elevating adult and children's services to the bureau level. "It is important that our stakeholders know who is accountable for policy related to these critical areas," Udow said.


• The Bureau of Adult and Family Services includes income support and disability programs as well as adult services. "It is important to emphasize the connection of income assistance recipients to the work place and other support services to help customers become as independent as possible," Udow said. "This goal remains an important priority of this agency."


• A new Bureau of Children's Services will focus on adoption, foster care and protective services. "There is little we could do that could have more impact on those we serve than by assuring that vulnerable children start life with as many opportunities as possible to become contributing, competent and productive citizens," Udow said.


• Special service groups – including migrants and Native Americans – are specifically cited in the new organization. "I believe it is important that we acknowledge the diversity of the populations we serve and that our special groups receive particular attention at the leadership level," Udow said.


• FIA administrative areas for financial integrity – such as Office of Inspector General – are aligned with legal affairs. "Good administration separates areas that provide checks and balances from areas that are responsible for policy development and program administration," Udow said. "It is important that the public trust our ability to monitor our services, both those we provide directly and through contract agencies."


• Strategic planning and professional development are combined and identified as a separate administrative area. "Strategic planning needs to be a fundamental underpinning for this agency and must be linked to how we develop and evaluate leaders," Udow said. "It is essential that we identify clear priorities for employees and perform an extensive assessment of what is working and what is not. We also need to evaluate what is not working and consider how we can best serve the citizens of Michigan."

The reorganization eliminates several positions at the senior leadership level within FIA Central Office resulting in saving of more than $200,000. "I have asked field services management to work with field staff to determine how best to reallocate this savings with a particular focus on how to increase our prevention efforts," Udow said. "Once I have recommendations, I will advance them through the Legislature with the goal to use this savings to better support the work in the field."

Udow said the FIA field structure remains essentially the same, with the addition of training functions that support the needs of field staff. The organization chart is attached.