More Effective Leasing Procedures and Practices Could Help GSA Reduce Delays in Meeting Federal Space Needs
PLRD-82-46
Published: May 10, 1982. Publicly Released: May 10, 1982.
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Highlights
The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for meeting federal agencies' needs for office space and is the central authority for federal space management and leasing. However, GSA often fails to satisfy these needs within its 6-month goal to provide requested space. GAO reviewed three GSA regions to determine the extent of delays in providing space, the reasons for the delays, the effects of the delays, and the actions needed to improve timeliness.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services, to ensure that agencies with delegated leasing authority follow sound and consistent leasing procedures and practices, should establish a program for the systematic monitoring of agency compliance with the governmentwide regulation. |
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, to ensure that agencies with delegated leasing authority follow sound and consistent leasing procedures and practices, should furnish agencies granted leasing authority with GSA directives, instructions, and other publications on the scope, availability, and implementation of federal leasing policies, regulations, and procedures. |
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, to reduce delays and improve performance, should prepare a complete inventory of the space requests backlog and a plan of action to reduce and monitor the backlog. |
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, to reduce delays and improve performance, should improve the level of resources devoted to leasing by reducing the attrition rate for leasing personnel and supplementing the leasing resources as needed. |
In fiscal 1983, the GSA central office allocated an additional 44 personnel positions to its regions to be used for leasing on other activities as needed.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services, to ensure that agencies with delegated leasing authority follow sound and consistent leasing procedures and practices, should issue the Government-wide regulation specifying the policies and procedures which the agencies must follow in acquiring leased space. |
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, to reduce delays and improve performance, should delegate leasing authority on a trial basis for small blocks of space in nonurban areas. Delegations should be monitored by GSA and expanded or terminated based on agency performance. |
GSA believes that it has made significant progress in monitoring the nationwide program to reduce processing time for space acquisition to an acceptable level. Delegation of leasing authority would be counterproductive to efforts to improve space utilization and control reduction in space for agencies.
|
| General Services Administration | The Administrator of General Services should maintain statistics on the volume of agency space requests and disclose in the annual report to Congress information on GSA performance in filling space requests and the factors that impede service. |
GSA has implemented an automated system for inventory of space requests, but sees no useful purpose in disclosing information about its performance in the annual report. It plans to use the data as a basis for reporting when requested by congressional committees and Members of Congress.
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Topics
Agency missionsFederal property managementLeasing policiesOffice buildingsProgram evaluationReal estate leasesLeased spaceSmall businessReal propertyFederal agencies