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Agency's
Websites
One way to find out information about what an
agency does and the types of products and services procured by that
agency is by exploring the agency itself.
Agency websites offer vast amounts of information about the
agency, including its mission, locations, programs, and,
increasingly common, procurement activities, forecasts and lists of
agency small business specialists. You may also find contact
information for the agency's Office of Small Disadvantaged Business
Utilization (OSDBU).
DEPARTMENTS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH:
DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
USDA
remains committed to helping America's farmers and ranchers. But
they also do much more....
- USDA leads the Federal anti-hunger effort with the Food
Stamp, School Lunch, School Breakfast, and the WIC Programs.
- USDA is the steward of our nation's 192 million acres of
national forests and rangelands.
- USDA is the country's largest conservation agency,
encouraging voluntary efforts to protect soil, water, and
wildlife on the 70 percent of America's lands that are in
private hands.
- USDA brings housing, modern telecommunications, and safe
drinking water to rural America.
- USDA is responsible for the safety of meat, poultry, and egg
products.
- USDA is a research leader in everything from human nutrition
to new crop technologies that allow us to grow more food and
fiber using less water and pesticides.
- USDA helps ensure open markets for U.S. agricultural products
and provides food aid to needy people overseas.
DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE
The mission of the Department of
Commerce is to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable
development, and improved living standards for all Americans by
working in partnership with business, universities, communities, and
workers to:
- Build for the future and promote U.S. competitiveness in the
global marketplace by strengthening and safeguarding the
Nation's economic infrastructure;
- Keep America competitive with cutting-edge science and
technology and an unrivaled information base; and
- Provide effective management and stewardship of our Nation's
resources and assets to ensure sustainable economic
opportunities.
DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE
AcqWeb is the official web site of
the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology, and Logistics. It
is a publicly accessible site and contains vast amounts of
information about their functions, activities, and projects. Their
mission is to advise the Secretary of Defense on all matters
pertaining to the Department of Defense's acquisition process,
research and development; advanced technology; test and evaluation;
production; logistics; military construction; procurement; economic
security; and atomic energy.
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
The
Department of Education administers programs authorized and funded
by Congress. These programs provide financial aid for eligible
applicants for elementary, secondary, and college education; for the
education of individuals with disabilities and of those who are
illiterate, disadvantaged, or gifted; and for the education of
immigrants, American Indians, and people with limited English
proficiency.
DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY
The Department of Energy’s overarching mission is to
advance the national, economic and energy security of the United
States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in
support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of
the national nuclear weapons complex.
DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The Department of Health and Human
Services is the United States government's principal agency for
protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human
services, especially for those who are least able to help
themselves.
DEPARTMENT
OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
HUD's mission is to increase
homeownership, support community development and increase access to
affordable housing free from discrimination. To fulfill this
mission, HUD will embrace high standards of ethics, management and
accountability and forge new partnerships--particularly with
faith-based and community organizations--that leverage resources and
improve HUD's ability to be effective on the community level.
DEPARTMENT
OF THE INTERIOR
The Department of the Interior
protects America’s treasures for future generations, provides
access to our nation’s natural and cultural heritage, offers
recreation opportunities, honors its trust responsibilities to
American Indians and Alaska Natives and its responsibilities to
island communities, conducts scientific research, provides wise
stewardship of energy and mineral resources, fosters sound use of
land and water resources, and conserves and protects fish and
wildlife.
DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE
The
Department of Justice enforces the law and defends the interests of
the United States according to the law; ensures public safety
against threats foreign and domestic; provides Federal leadership in
preventing and controlling crime; seeks just punishment for those
guilty of unlawful behavior; administers and enforces the Nation's
immigration laws fairly and effectively; and ensures fair and
impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
The Department of Labor fosters and
promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees
of the United States by improving their working conditions,
advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting
their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find
workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking
changes in employment, prices, and other national economic
measurements. In carrying out this mission, the Department
administers a variety of Federal labor laws including those that
guarantee workers’ rights to safe and healthful working
conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from
employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income
support.
DEPARTMENT
OF STATE
The Department of State protects and assists U.S. citizens
living or traveling abroad; assists U.S. businesses in the
international marketplace; coordinates and provides support for
international activities of other U.S. agencies (local, state, or
federal government), official visits overseas and at home, and other
diplomatic efforts; keeps the public informed about U.S. foreign
policy and relations with other countries and provides feedback from
the public to administration officials.
DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION
The mission of
the Department of Transportation is to serve the United States by
ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient
transportation system that meets our vital national interests and
enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into
the future.
DEPARTMENT
OF THE TREASURY
Treasury seeks to maximize growth and stability in the U.S. and world
economies.
- In the
domestic arena, Treasury develops policies and provides guidance
affecting fiscal matters, financial institutions, financial
regulation, and capital markets. Treasury also oversees the
activities of the Offices of the Comptroller of the Currency and
Office of Thrift Supervision, whose primary missions are to
ensure the safety and soundness of National Banks, Federally
Chartered Savings Associations, and Federally Chartered Savings
Banks.
- Additionally,
through the program of the Community Development Financial
Institutions Fund, Treasury promotes economic growth in
distressed communities by increasing the availability of
business capital and financial services.
- In
international affairs, Treasury is a key Cabinet agency charged
with developing policies and guidance on international monetary
issues, trade and investment policy, international debt
strategy, and leading U.S. participation in international
financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund
and the World Bank.
DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans
Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to
veterans and their dependents. Headed by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and
operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance
and burial benefits.
INDEPENDENT FEDERAL AGENCIES:
AGENCY
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
USAID is the principal U.S. agency
to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying
to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.
USAID is an independent federal
government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from
the Secretary of State. Their work supports long-term and equitable
economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by
supporting:
- economic growth, agriculture and trade;
- global health; and,
- democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
The mission of the Environmental
Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment.
Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier
environment for the American people.
FEDERAL
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent
United States government agency, directly responsible to Congress.
The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is
charged with regulating interstate and international communications
by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's
jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and
U.S. possessions.
FEDERAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Disaster strikes anytime, anywhere.
It takes many forms -- a hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a
flood, a fire or a hazardous spill, an act of nature or an act of
terrorism. It builds over days or weeks, or hits suddenly, without
warning. Every year, millions of Americans face disaster, and its
terrifying consequences.
On March 1, 2003, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) became part of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within
the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for
all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery
efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates
proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and
manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire
Administration.
GENERAL
SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
GSA helps federal agencies better
serve the public by offering, at best value, superior workplaces,
expert solutions, acquisition services, and management policies.
NATIONAL
AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Expanding the realm of human
knowledge through a systematic program of exploration and discovery,
NASA’s work continues to benefit the nation:
- Virtually every aircraft in use today utilizes technology
pioneered by NASA. Aeronautics is one of the nation’s
strongest industries, employing almost 1 million Americans.
- The U.S. aerospace industry generates more than $40 billion
in annual exports and almost $30 billion in positive balance of
trade each year.
- New industries have been built on the technology that made
space exploration possible, including personal computers,
advanced medical equipment, communications satellites, weather
forecasting, and natural resource mapping.
- NASA’s high-technology research and development provide a
return on investment by generating jobs, the demand for goods
and services, and new opportunities as advanced technologies
spin off into the private sector.
National
Coordination Office (NCO) for Computing, Information, and
Communications
The National Coordination Office (NCO) for Information
Technology Research and Development (IT R&D) coordinates
planning, budget, and assessment activities for the Federal
Networking and Information Technology R&D (NITRD) Program. This
12-agency collaborative effort pioneers fundamental advances in the
critical technologies of the Nation's information infrastructure,
including high performance computing, large-scale networking, and
high assurance software and systems design.
NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes the progress
of science; advances national health, prosperity, and welfare; and
secures the national defense.
NUCLEAR
REGULATORY COMMISSION
NRC's primary mission is to protect
the public health and safety, and the environment from the effects
of radiation from nuclear reactors, materials, and waste facilities.
They also regulate these nuclear materials and facilities to promote
the common defense and security.
SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Social Security provides financial
protection to more than 152 million workers and their families, and
more than 45 million Americans receive monthly Social Security
retirement, disability or survivors benefits. The SSI program pays
monthly benefits to more than 6.6 million Americans who have little
or no resources and who are aged, blind or disabled.
US Government
Accountability Office (GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) studies how the
federal government spends taxpayer dollars. GAO advises Congress and
the heads of executive agencies (such as Environmental Protection
Agency, EPA, Department of Defense, DOD, and Health and Human
Services, HHS) about ways to make government more effective and
responsive. GAO evaluates federal programs, audits federal
expenditures, and issues legal opinions. When GAO reports its
findings to Congress, it recommends actions. Its work leads to laws
and acts that improve government operations, and save billions of
dollars.
US
Government Printing Office (GPO)
The
Government Printing Office (GPO) is an agency in the legislative
branch of the U.S. Government. Its mission is to produce and
distribute information products and services using both traditional
printing processes as well as electronic information technology.
Approximately 70 percent of this work is purchased from
commercial sources.
Louisiana State University Libraries has a
comprehensive directory of US Federal Government Agencies websites
listed alphabetically, by branch, or by type at http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/index.html
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