General Services Administration: Many Building Security Upgrades Made But
Problems Have Hindered Program Implementation
(Testimony, 06/04/98,
GAO/T-GGD-98-141)
GAO discussed the General Service's Administration's (GSA) progress in
upgrading the security of federal buildings under its operation,
focusing on: (1) what criteria GSA used to assess security risks and
prioritize security upgrades for its buildings; (2) the implementation
and operational status of GSA's security upgrade program and the costs
GSA has incurred by both funding source and type of security upgrade;
and (3) whether any problems have hindered GSA's implementation of the
security upgrade program.
GAO noted that: (1) GSA used the Department of Justice (DOJ) report's
criteria to assess risks and prioritize security upgrades in its
buildings; (2) despite the formidable challenges posed by this program,
GSA has made progress implementing upgrades in federal buildings
throughout the country, particularly in its higher risk buildings; (3)
GSA's data systems indicate that about 7,000 upgrades were completed and
it estimates that roughly $353 million were obligated from the Federal
Buildings Fund for the upgrade program nationally between October 1,
1995, and March 31, 1998; (4) however, mistakes made by rushing to meet
the timetables in the DOJ report because of GSA's sense of urgency to
upgrade security in its buildings, reduced staffing due to downsizing,
data reliability problems, and uncertain funding sources have hindered
GSA's upgrade program implementation; (5) because of data reliability
problems, neither GSA nor GAO can specify the exact status or cost of
the building security upgrade program, and because GSA has not
established program outcome measures, neither GSA nor GAO knows the
extent to which completed upgrades have resulted in greater security or
reduced vulnerability for federal office buildings; and (6) GSA is not
in a good position to manage its program to mitigate security threats.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: T-GGD-98-141
TITLE: General Services Administration: Many Building Security
Upgrades Made But Problems Have Hindered Program
Implementation
DATE: 06/04/98
SUBJECT: Crime prevention
Federal office buildings
Federal agency accounting systems
Data integrity
Facility security
Federal property management
IDENTIFIER: Federal Buildings Fund
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
Before the Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Economic Development,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives
For Release on Delivery
Expected at
9:00 a.m. EDT
Thursday
June 4, 1998
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION - MANY BUILDING
SECURITY
UPGRADES MADE BUT PROBLEMS HAVE
HINDERED PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION
Statement of Bernard L. Ungar
Director, Government Business Operations Issues
General Government Division
GAO/T-GGD-98-141
GAO/GGD-98-141T
(240255)
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
BSC -
DOJ -
FBF -
FPS -
GSA -
NEAR -
OIG -
OMB -
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION:
MANY BUILDING SECURITY UPGRADES
MADE BUT PROBLEMS HAVE HINDERED
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
====================================================== Chapter SUMMARY