OBO in 2001 began instituting organizational and management reforms designed to cut costs, put in place standard designs and review processes, and reduce the construction period for new embassies and consulates. OBO now has mechanisms to more effectively manage the embassy construction program, including (1) an annual Long-Range Overseas Buildings Plan to guide the planning and execution of the p

GAO found that: (1) the program manager and contracting officer jointly prepared a competitive acquisition strategy, developed the source selection process, and ensured that the request for proposals and acquisition strategy were consistent; (2) the program manager ensured that the evaluation criteria did not restrict competition, and evaluated contractor technical and cost proposals; and (3) the

Although UMTA has taken significant steps to ensure that only meritorious projects are approved for UMTA capital assistance, GAO found that UMTA does not require project reassessment, even if changed conditions indicate that the project will not meet its original objectives. GAO found that a postapproval assessment of the Philadelphia Airport High Speed Line and the Queens Trunk Line might have p

The ASTF was supposedly fully funded at $437 million in 1977 but, since that time, it has experienced a significant cost overrun, estimated at $138.4 million. The Air Force entered into the construction contract with a design that was not well suited to its revised procurement plan which provided for two concurrent procurements, one for construction and the other for the acquisition of equipment.

The program provides that, following construction completion, occupancy and/or operation, and a reasonable shakedown period, the completed facility will be assessed by a team of representatives from the disciplines of architecture, engineering, and psychology (quality of life). The team will examine all aspects of the project by considering what the original goals were, if they were met, and if t

GAO believes that significant cost savings and mission benefits might be achieved by acquiring and converting existing Roll-On/Roll-Off ships for the Maritime Prepositioning Ships fleet. These ships are currently in the Merchant Marine or are under construction. By doing this, the Department of Defense could reduce the number of ships slated for new construction and could satisfy its mission requ

Two construction projects for Fort Pickett, Virginia, a 500-person theater/classroom and a petroleum distribution system, were submitted for funding under two separate programs. Submitting a project under two different programs overstates the Army's facilities requirements, and the cost of these two projects alone exceeds the requirements by almost $1 million. It is not known how widespread this

The Department of Defense (DOD) is violating the spirit and purpose of the law in the performance of minor construction projects. DOD and the services are mishandling project development, approval, funding, and execution by permitting incremental construction. The most prevalent questionable practice is dividing a project's funding or construction to avoid funding limitations. A 1977 amendment to

Previous reports have identified construction problems at Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-insured housing projects in Rhode Island. In addition, the HUD Inspector General noted similar problems in the areas served by the Department's Philadelphia, San Antonio, Boston, and Albany Offices. HUD should take immediate steps to ascertain whether the problems and deficiencies noted are

The NASA commitment to acquire the necessary facilities for $300 million in 1971 dollars lacked some documentation and definition. Therefore, it could not be used as a baseline against which the progress of the shuttle facility program could be assessed. Based on NASA's current estimate of $458.2 million, a net increase, including inflation, of $48.2 million has occurred since the program's incep