Defense Infrastructure: Demolition of Unneeded Buildings Can Help Avoid Operating Costs
NSIAD-97-125
Published: May 13, 1997. Publicly Released: Jun 04, 1997.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed selected aspects of the services' management of facilities infrastructure and their use of demolition as an element of facilities management, focusing on: (1) the services' funding obligations for maintenance and repair over the last 10 years, changes in building square footage in the space to be maintained, and the impact of the changes on facility maintenance and repair; (2) the potential for demolition to reduce excess facilities infrastructure and avoid recurring costs; (3) the services' plans for demolition; and (4) their overall infrastructure management strategies.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress may wish to consider requiring DOD and the services to provide 7 to 10 years of comparable trend data on square footage of space being maintained and other measurements, such as plant replacement value and other facility unit measures, along with their operation and maintenance budget submissions and justification each year. |
Closed – Implemented
|
In response to congressional concerns about the validity of its infrastructure data (square footage; expenditures per square foot for O&M, etc), OSD has created a database to provide on-going trend data on the infrastructure holdings and costs of the military services for the property they maintain. Thus, although Congress did not formally require DOD to create the database, OSD has taken the initiative to do so, based on the manifest concerns of the Congress about the need for such data. Further, OSD is requiring the services to provide standardized data, so that all the data can be immediately compared across the services, both for management and budget purposes. In effect, OSD is implementing the recommendation with precisely the metrics recommended by GAO. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the services to use consistent and common criteria, to the extent feasible, for developing: (1) accurate and reliable trend data on infrastructure condition, including square footage, plant replacement value, and other relevant measurements; and (2) costs associated with their current infrastructure and possible reduction options, including information on deferring facility maintenance and demolishing excess facilities. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD has taken action, but has not directed the services to use the same criteria. In April 1999, DOD established facility category codes and cost factors, and it created a real property database for fiscal years 1989-1999, which it says provides it with the ability to establish and monitor trends. In addition, DOD established a Demolition Program that is in its second year. However, DOD has not directed the services to use consistent and common criteria for assessing infrastructure conditions because each service still has its own individual approach that is not necessarily consistent.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should use the trend data as a starting point in formulating an overall strategic plan for facilities infrastructure that links to the departmentwide strategic planning requirements set forth in the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). |
Closed – Implemented
DOD developed a Defense Facilities Strategic Plan in September 1998, but it is not yet fully implemented or fully incorporated into the GPRA.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should require the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marine Corps to demolish excess infrastructure to the maximum extent feasible when facilities are being replaced by new construction. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD said that it had considered but dropped, as too limiting and unenforceable, the idea of adding to its Defense Planning Guidance the requirement that all of the services demolish old facilities whenever possible if they are being replaced by new construction. Instead, to accomplish the same intent, DOD has increased emphasis on demolition through the Defense Reform Initiative. Rather than concentrate on individual construction and demolition projects, DOD has had the services create and fund central demolition programs, and has shown evidence of ensuring that progress continues to be made in this area.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Base closuresBudget obligationsDemolitionFacility maintenanceMaintenance costsMilitary budgetsMilitary cost controlMilitary downsizingMilitary facilitiesSurplus federal property