Air Traffic Control: Better Guidance Needed for Deciding Where to Locate Facilities and Equipment
RCED-95-14
Published: Dec 01, 1994. Publicly Released: Dec 01, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) process for selecting locations for its three terminal area projects, focusing on how FAA: (1) prioritizes locations; (2) analyzes the costs and benefits of its decisions; (3) documents its location decisions; and (4) could improve its decisionmaking process.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to revise current guidance--the Call for Estimates, and the agency's acquisition policy--as necessary to ensure that program sponsors use consistent approaches. |
In response to GAO's recommendation, FAA revised its guidance for the FY 1998 Call for Budget Estimates. FAA's revised guidance is included in FAA Order 2500.55B, dated January 24, 1996.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to revise current guidance--the Call for Estimates, and the agency's acquisition policy--as necessary to ensure that program sponsors document what factors they used in location-selection decisions, including benefit-cost analyses when warranted by the project's cost. This would allow FAA to rank eligible locations from a national perspective and help ensure that scarce facilities and equipment resources are targeted to the highest-priority needs. |
The agency concurred with the recommendation. Amended guidance was issued by FAA's Budget Office in May 1995.
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Topics
Air traffic control systemsAir transportationAvionicsCost controlFederal procurementFederal procurement policyInformation systemsNavigation aidsRadar equipmentTransportation safety