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National Park Service Needs a Maintenance Management System

RCED-84-107 Published: Jun 01, 1984. Publicly Released: Jun 01, 1984.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the potential for increased efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining the national park system.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, NPS, to develop overall NPS policy on the purpose, goals, and objectives of park maintenance programs.
Closed – Implemented
Reports issued by the NPS Maintenance Management Task Force, on November 29, 1984, and MMS Steering Committee, on March 29, 1985, established an overall NPS policy on the purpose, goals, and objectives of the NPS park maintenance programs. An accomplishment report will be prepared when MMS is designed, tested, and implemented.
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, NPS, to design, test, and implement in the national park system a maintenance management system which includes the key management elements discussed in this report. To help in designing a system, NPS officials may want to obtain information from organizations such as Parks Canada, which have maintenance management systems in operation.
Closed – Implemented
Full implementation of the NPS servicewide maintenance management system is completed. The system has been installed in all 250 park units, and all appropriate staff have completed training.
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, NPS, to develop NPS guidelines on the system and processes needed to properly manage maintenance in the parks.
Closed – Implemented
The contract, awarded in June 1986, required the contractor to develop NPS guidelines on the system and processes needed to manage maintenance in the parks. Action on this recommendation was completed in March 1987. The guidelines and user manuals developed by the contractor were sent to printing. An accomplishment report will be prepared once MMS is fully implemented.
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director, NPS, to develop a training program which focuses on planning, organizing, directing, and reviewing activities associated with a maintenance system and ensure that maintenance managers and other appropriate park and regional personnel receive the training.
Closed – Implemented
The contract that NPS awarded in June 1986 requires the contractor to develop a training program and provide training to key NPS personnel. All of the originally planned training is complete. Further training is being developed to improve management and administrative skills in the field.

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Topics

Cost controlFacility maintenanceFederal property managementGovernment facilitiesNational parksRecreation areasSafetyTrails (Transportation)EngineeringRecreation