State Department: Need to Improve Maintenance Management of Overseas Property
NSIAD-90-216
Published: Sep 24, 1990. Publicly Released: Nov 05, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Department of State's maintenance of its overseas facilities at 14 posts.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | The Secretary of State should revise the Foreign Affairs Manual to make annual building condition assessments a requirement and direct FBO to provide training and assistance to posts to ensure that annual surveys are effectively completed. |
Closed – Implemented
State has revised the Foreign Affairs Manual to require annual condition assessments. The results of the assessments are to be recorded in annual inspection summary reports. FBO will provide detailed instructions to posts regarding the preparation of the annual reports.
|
| Department of State | The Secretary of State should improve maintenance operations and increase accountability of maintenance resources by incorporating key elements of the FBO Buildings Maintenance Handbook into the Foreign Affairs Manual to require overseas posts to identify their maintenance needs and standardize post maintenance operations. |
Closed – Implemented
State has revised the Foreign Affairs Manual to require posts to identify maintenance needs and standardize post maintenance operations. This action was completed in March 1992.
|
| Department of State | The Secretary of State should improve maintenance operations and increase accountability of maintenance resources by expediting development of a property reporting system that identifies expenditures for routine maintenance and individual special maintenance projects on all U.S.-owned and long-term leased properties. |
Closed – Not Implemented
FBO cites lack of resources and low priority as reasons for not taking recommended action. The conceptual plan to link the FBO Real Estate Management System with State's Central Financial Management System in 1994 provided some increase in accountability for resources.
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Topics
Americans employed abroadFacility maintenanceFacility managementFacility repairsFederal agency accounting systemsFederal facilitiesFederal property managementInternal controlsMaintenance costsManagement information systems