Aviation Security
TSA's Cost and Performance Study of Private-Sector Airport Screening
GAO-09-27R, Jan 9, 2009
Additional Materials:
Contact:
(202) 512-3000
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
This report formally responds to Congress' request that GAO review the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Screening Partnership Program (SPP). In accordance with the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, TSA created the SPP to allow commercial airports an opportunity to apply to TSA to use private sector screeners through qualified private-screening contractors approved by TSA. In February 2008, TSA issued a report on its study comparing the cost and performance of screening services at SPP and non-SPP airports. Our briefing addresses the following questions: (1) To what extent did the design of TSA's study of the cost and performance of passenger and checked baggage screening services at selected SPP and non-SPP airports affect the usefulness of the study? (2) To what extent has TSA taken actions to identify and eliminate any unnecessary overhead/supervisory redundancies at SPP airports between TSA and contractor personnel? (3) What factors do airport operators cite as having contributed to airports' decisions about whether to participate in the SPP? We are recommending that if TSA plans to rely on its comparison of costs and performance of SPP and non-SPP airports for future decision making, the agency update its study to address the limitations we identified, for example, by including various cost elements that were excluded and conducting statistical tests to determine the level of confidence in any observed differences in screening performance. TSA generally agreed with our findings and recommendation.
Status Legend:
Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.
- In Process
- Open
- Closed - implemented
- Closed - not implemented
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: If TSA plans to rely on its study's comparisons of cost and performance of SPP and non-SPP airports for making future management decisions regarding the SPP, the Assistant Secretary, TSA, should update the study to address the methodological limitations that we have identified.
Agency Affected: Department of Transportation: Transportation Security Administration
Status: Open
Comments: In January 2009, we issued a report on the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Screening Partnership Program (SPP). Specifically, we reviewed the extent to which the design of TSA's study of the cost and performance of passenger and checked baggage screening services at selected SPP and non-SPP airports affected the usefulness of the study; the extent to which TSA had taken actions to identify and eliminate any unnecessary overhead/supervisory redundancies at SPP airports between TSA and contractor personnel; and what factors airport operators cited as having contributed to airports' decisions about whether to participate in the SPP. Among other things, we found limitations associated with the study, and we recommended that if TSA plans to rely on its comparison of costs and performance of SPP and non-SPP airports for future decision making, that the agency update its study to address the limitations we identified, for example, by including various cost elements that were excluded and conducting statistical tests to determine the level of confidence in any observed differences in screening performance. TSA generally agreed with our findings and recommendation.