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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