National and Community Service Programs

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to strengthen the ability of programs 
                authorized under the national service laws to build and 
                reinforce a culture of service, citizenship, and 
                responsibility throughout our Nation, and to institute 
                reforms to improve accountability and efficiency in the 
                administration of those programs, it is hereby ordered 
                as follows:

                Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this order:

                    (a) ``National service laws'' means the National 
                and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et 
                seq.) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 
                (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.);
                    (b) ``National and community service programs'' 
                means those programs authorized under the national 
                service laws;
                    (c) ``Policies governing programs authorized under 
                the national service laws'' refers to all policies, 
                programs, guidelines, and regulations, including 
                official guidance and internal agency procedures and 
                practices, that are issued by the Corporation for 
                National and Community Service (Corporation) and have 
                significant effects on national and community service 
                programs; and
                    (d) ``Professional corps programs'' means those 
                programs described in section 122(a)(8) of the National 
                and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
                12572(a)(8)).

                Sec. 2. Fundamental Principles and Policymaking 
                Criteria. In formulating and implementing policies 
                governing programs authorized under the national 
                service laws, the Corporation shall, to the extent 
                permitted by law, adhere to the following fundamental 
                principles:

                    (a) National and community service programs should 
                support and encourage greater engagement of Americans 
                in volunteering;
                    (b) National and community service programs should 
                be more responsive to State and local needs;
                    (c) National and community service programs should 
                make Federal support more accountable and more 
                effective; and
                    (d) National and community service programs should 
                expand opportunities for involvement of faith-based and 
                other community organizations.

                Sec. 3. Agency Implementation. (a) The Chief Executive 
                Officer of the Corporation for National and Community 
                Service (Chief Executive Officer) shall, in 
                coordination with the USA Freedom Corps Council, review 
                and evaluate existing policies governing national and 
                community service programs in order to assess the 
                consistency of such policies with the fundamental 
                principles and policymaking criteria described in 
                section 2 of this order.

                    (b) The Chief Executive Officer shall ensure that 
                all policies governing national and community service 
                programs issued by the Corporation are consistent with 
                the fundamental principles and policymaking criteria 
                described in section 2 of this order. To that end, the 
                Chief Executive Officer shall, to the extent permitted 
                by law,

(i)

 amend all such existing policies to ensure that they are consistent with 
the fundamental principles and policymaking criteria articulated in section 
2 of this order; and

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(ii)

 where appropriate, implement new policies that are consistent with and 
necessary to further the fundamental principles and policymaking criteria 
set forth in section 2 of this order.

                    (c) In developing implementation steps, the Chief 
                Executive Officer should address, at a minimum, the 
                following objectives:

(i)

 National and community service programs should leverage Federal resources 
to maximize support from the private sector and from State and local 
governments, with an emphasis on reforms that enhance programmatic 
flexibility, reduce administrative burdens, and calibrate Federal 
assistance to the respective needs of recipient organizations;

(ii)

 National and community service programs should leverage Federal resources 
to enable the recruitment and effective management of a larger number of 
volunteers than is currently possible;

(iii)

 National and community service programs should increase efforts to expand 
opportunities for, and strengthen the capacity of, faith-based and other 
community organizations in building and strengthening an infrastructure to 
support volunteers that meet community needs;

(iv)

 National and community service programs should adopt performance measures 
to identify those practices that merit replication and further investment, 
as well as to ensure accountability;

(v)

 National and community service programs should, consistent with the 
principles of Federalism and the constitutional role of the States and 
Indian tribes, promote innovation, flexibility, and results at all levels 
of government;

(vi)

 National and community service programs based in schools should employ 
tutors who meet required paraprofessional qualifications, and use such 
practices and methodologies as are required for supplemental educational 
services;

(vii)

 National and community service programs should foster a lifetime of 
citizenship and civic engagement among those who serve;

(viii)

 National and community service programs should avoid or eliminate 
practices that displace volunteers who are not supported under the national 
service laws; and

(ix)

 Guidelines for the selection of national and community service programs 
should recognize the importance of professional corps programs in light of 
the fundamental principles and policymaking criteria set forth in this 
order.

                Sec. 4. Management Reforms. (a) The Corporation should 
                implement internal management reforms to strengthen its 
                oversight of national and community service programs 
                through enforcement of performance and compliance 
                standards and other management tools.

                    (b) Management reforms should include, but should 
                not be limited to, the following:

(i)

 Institutionalized changes to the budgetary and grant-making processes to 
ensure that financial commitments remain within available resources;

(ii)

 Enhanced accounting and management systems that would ensure compliance 
with fiscal restrictions and provide timely, accurate, and readily 
available information about enrollment in AmeriCorps and about funding and 
obligations incurred for all national and community service programs;

(iii)

 Assurance by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer 
in the Corporation's Management Representation Letter that its financial 
statements, including the Statement of Budgetary Resources, are accurate 
and reliable; and

(iv)

 Management reforms that tie employee performance to fiscal responsibility, 
attainment of management goals, and professional conduct.

                Sec. 5. Report. Within 180 days after the date of this 
                order, the Chief Executive Officer shall report to the 
                President, through the Assistant to

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                the President and Director of the USA Freedom Corps 
                Office, the actions the Corporation proposes to 
                undertake to accomplish the objectives set forth in 
                this order.

                Sec. 6. Judicial Review. This order is not intended to, 
                and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive 
                or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, 
                or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    February 27, 2004.