Courthouse Construction: Improved 5-Year Plan Could Promote More Informed Decisionmaking
GGD-97-27
Published: Dec 31, 1996. Publicly Released: Dec 31, 1996.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' (AOC) 5-year courthouse construction plan, focusing on whether the 5-year plan: (1) reflects the judiciary's most urgent courthouse construction needs; and (2) provides information needed by decisionmakers to evaluate the relative merit of project proposals.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
---|---|---|
Administrative Office of the United States Courts | The Director, AOC, should work with the Judicial Conference Committee on Security, Space, and Facilities to make improvements to the 5-year plan. These improvements should be aimed at making the plan more informative and a more useful tool for helping Congress to better understand project priorities and individual needs. At a minimum, the plan should fully disclose the relative urgency of competing projects. |
Closed – Implemented
AOC has hired Ernst & Young to examine its capital construction process. The initial phase of this process is scheduled for completion next year, but Ernst & Young envisions additional research may be required to get definitive strategies to improve this area. GAO plans to monitor Ernst & Young progress, and when AOC implements Ernst & Young recommendations and staff are available, GAO anticipates revisiting AOC's process to see if it addresses the recommendations.
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Administrative Office of the United States Courts | The Director, AOC, should work with the Judicial Conference Committee on Security, Space, and Facilities to make improvements to the 5-year plan. These improvements should be aimed at making the plan more informative and a more useful tool for helping Congress to better understand project priorities and individual needs. At a minimum, the plan should articulate the rationale or justification for projects, including information on the conditions that are driving urgency, such as specific concerns or operational inefficiencies. |
Closed – Implemented
AOC has hired Ernst & Young to examine its capital construction process. The initial phase of this process is scheduled for completion next year, but Ernst & Young envisions additional research may be required to get definitive strategies to improve this area. GAO plans to monitor Ernst & Young progress, and when AOC implements Ernst & Young recommendations and staff are available, GAO anticipates revisiting AOC's process to see if it addresses the recommendations.
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Appropriated fundsCongressional oversightConstruction costsFederal courtsFederal office buildingsGovernment facility constructionPrioritizingStrategic planningFederal judiciaryConstruction