The Executive Office for Administration and Finance, through the various agencies under the auspices of the Office of the Secretary, oversees the fiscal and administrative activities of the Executive Branch of state government. The Executive Office ensures the financial stability of state government by producing and managing balanced operating and capital budgets.

The Office of the Secretary manages reserve accounts for unemployment health insurance payments for state and local employees and provides subsidy payments to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications and the Massachusetts Information Technology Center. The Office of the Secretary also manages the reserve account for incentive payments to agencies participating in revenue maximization projects.

Through its four administrative services divisions, (the Information Technologies Division, the Fiscal Affairs Division, the Operational Services Division, and the Human Resources Division), the Office of the Secretary enables line agencies to focus their energy on program development and delivering quality services to the Commonwealth. To that end, the Office provides line agencies with centralized expertise and processing in the technical support areas of information technology, fiscal policy, procurement, and human resources.

Other major functional areas under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary are: tax collection, child support enforcement, support to local municipalities, group insurance evaluation, state facilities construction and maintenance, and veteran services. Also located within the Office of the Secretary is the Central Business Office (CBO). The CBO provides central administrative services to Executive Office for Administration and Finance agencies, which allows those agencies to focus more resources on their core service delivery areas.

In Fiscal Year 1998, the Office of the Secretary will ensure that the Commonwealth ends the year in fiscal balance; continue its effort to streamline government operations by reducing unnecessary or duplicative regulations; develop and maintain a five-year capital management plan; implement the Commonwealth's Sexual Harassment Education and Training in the Workplace Act; and monitor the implementation of the new Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission.

Budget Recommendations

The amount recommended for Fiscal Year 1998 will enable the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to achieve its missions as outlined above.