GSA's Cleaning Costs Are Needlessly Higher Than in the Private Sector
AFMD-81-78
Published: Aug 24, 1981. Publicly Released: Aug 24, 1981.
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Highlights
GAO conducted a review of the office building cleaning services of the General Services Administration (GSA). By examining the productivity of GSA custodians and comparing their performance to that of private sector custodial firms, GAO was able to identify areas where improvement could yield important cost savings.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should explore with OMB the use of a streamlined approach for making OMB Circular A-76 cost comparisons for cleaning activities. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should complete the cost comparisons required by OMB Circular A-76 as rapidly as possible to determine whether cleaning services should be provided by in-house staff or contract personnel and develop a plan to implement the study results. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Appropriation legislation has precluded contracting out for three fiscal years and is expected to continue.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should allow contractors the flexibility to clean when they deem it most productive. Daytime cleaning constraints should not be imposed unless the cost effectiveness can be documented. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should eliminate the minimum labor hour requirement from cleaning contracts. Thorough preaward surveys and on-site inspections that utilize random sampling techniques should be used to ensure quality. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should require that cleaning contracts with disadvantaged businesses be obtained at a cost reasonably close to that of competitively bid contracts. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should revise the set-aside determination for small businesses so that large contractors can bid on some cleaning contracts, especially those for larger buildings. |
Closed – Not Implemented
GSA is precluded by appropriation legislation from contracting.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should use renewal options, at least on a pilot basis, in cleaning contracts. |
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
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Topics
CompensationCost analysisCost controlFederal facilitiesLabor costsMaintenance (upkeep)PrivatizationProcurementProperty and supply managementService contractsSmall business set-asides