VIRGINIA GOVERNMENT
WHOSE JOB IS IT

IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA IT’S GOVERNMENT (GENERAL ASSEMBLY [GA]) HAS TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS QUESTION. THE GA IN VA CODE SECTION 2.2-604 ADDRESSED THE QUESTION;

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

THE GA CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING SOLUTION;

Title 2.2 Administration of Government
Chap. 6 General Provisions, §§ 2.2-600 — 2.2-621
Art. 1 In General, §§ 2.2-600 — 2.2-614.5

§ 2.2-604. Performance of duties assigned to an agency. — The chief executive officer shall be responsible for any duty or task imposed upon his agency. The chief executive officer may delegate or assign to any officer or employee of his agency any tasks required to be performed by him or the agency and, in the case of an agency with a supervisory board, such board may delegate or assign the tasks. Except as otherwise provided by law, the chief executive officer may also delegate to any officer or employee of any state or quasi-state agency nondiscretionary duties conferred or imposed upon the chief executive officer or his agency by law where the delegation of duties is necessary to achieve efficiency and economy in the administration of government. The chief executive officer or supervisory board delegating or assigning tasks shall remain responsible for the performance of such tasks.

Any delegation pursuant to this section shall, where appropriate, be accompanied by written guidelines for the exercise of the tasks delegated. Where appropriate, the guidelines shall require that agency heads receive summaries of actions taken. Such delegation shall not relieve the chief executive officer or supervisory board of the responsibility to ensure faithful performance of the duties and tasks. (1988, c. 273, § 2.1-20.01:2; 2001, c. 844; 2005, c. 839.)

Virginia Code § 2.2-604