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Courthouse Construction: Information on Project Cost and Size Changes Would Help to Enhance Oversight

GAO-05-673 Published: Jun 30, 2005. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2005.
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Highlights

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the federal judiciary are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar courthouse construction initiative aimed at addressing the housing needs of federal district courts and related agencies. From fiscal year 1993 through fiscal year 2005, Congress appropriated approximately $4.5 billion for 78 courthouse construction projects. GAO (1) compared estimated and actual costs for recently completed courthouse projects and determined what information GSA provided to Congress on changes to proposed courthouse projects, (2) identified factors that contributed to differences between the estimated and actual costs of seven projects selected for detailed review, and (3) identified strategies that were used to help control the costs of the seven selected projects.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
General Services Administration To improve the usefulness of the information on courthouse construction projects that GSA provides to Congress, the Administrator of GSA, when requesting funding for those projects, should identify and explain changes in estimated costs and building size from the information provided to Congress in prior project prospectuses or fact sheets.
Closed – Implemented
GSA's Internal Controls and Audit Followup Division reported to us that on 3/21/06, this recommendation was fully implemented.

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Topics

Construction costsCost analysisCost controlCost overrunsCourts (law)Federal courtsGovernment facility constructionProgram evaluationProgram managementCost estimates