The Office of Planning and Community Services (often called simply the Community Services Office) administered a wide range of programs designed to provide assistance to individuals or to community groups in the areas of human services, neighborhood revitalization, health, education, special education, human rights and women's issues, citizen volunteer efforts, and information and referral. The office also provided assistance to the Mayor in a number of special projects and task forces. Although the office underwent several organizational restructurings during the Morial administration, its basic programs remained relatively constant.

The office was composed of several major units: Citizens Action Center--itself further divided into the Women's Unit, the Intergroup and Anti-Discrimination Unit (previously called the Human Rights Office), and the Information and Complaint Assistance Unit (including the Answer Desk and the Spanish Answer Desk); VIGOR (Volunteers In Government Of Responsibility)--the city government volunteer program; Arts Coordination--administered through contract with the Arts Council of New Orleans; Neighborhood Planning--responsible for input into planning for and preparation of the city's Community Development Block Grant applications and for liaison with neighborhood organizations.

Community Services was also responsible for a number of long- and short-term special mayoral projects, among them the Clean City Committee, the New Orleans Neighborhood Police Anti-Crime Council (NONPACC), the Special Education project, Complete Count for the 1980 Census, the International Year of the Child Committee (1979, later restructured to become the Anti-Truancy Committee), and the Neighborhood Outreach Program. At various times, the office also handled programs relating to refugees, civil rights, gay and lesbian affairs, and community conflict mediation.

Internal evidence shows that after 1980, while retaining its own administrator, Community Services came under the supervision of the Office of Special Assistant to the Mayor, which utilized Community Services staff and oversaw special mayoral projects, Arts Coordination, the Clean City Committee, and NONPACC. Thus, there is considerable overlap between the records of these two offices (researchers should consult both).