The Social Security Administration's Management of Personal Property at Headquarters Needs Improvement

Highlights

GAO reviewed the management of personal property, which consists of office furniture and equipment, required for operations at the Social Security Administration (SSA) headquarters.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Social Security Administration	SSA should make annual physical inventories of personal property as required by SSA regulations.	Closed – Implemented Annual inventories are being conducted on a routine basis.
Social Security Administration	SSA should develop and maintain accurate inventory records of stored personal property.	Closed – Implemented SSA is developing an automated property accountability system which will improve its ability to inventory stored property. However, development of the system was halted until the SSA Financial/Administrative Integrated Management System (FAIMS) is completed. FAIMS is not scheduled to begin until May 1987. SSA issued a solicitation on the system to be implemented by October 1989.
Social Security Administration	SSA should adequately coordinate the disposal of excess personal property with GSA.	Closed – Implemented Improvements were made in coordinating property disposal with GSA.
Social Security Administration	SSA should make annual property accountability surveys at SSA headquarters.	Closed – Implemented Property accountability surveys are made as part of the routine property inventories.
Social Security Administration	SSA should require that custodial officers obtain signed receipts when they issue sensitive property.	Closed – Not Implemented SSA initially agreed with this recommendation, but after implementing it, SSA found that it was too cumbersome to use and the effort was not economically sound. GAO had no basis to disagree.
Social Security Administration	SSA should emphasize to property management officials the need for controls over sensitive property to avoid loss or theft.	Closed – Implemented Property management officers were reminded of their responsibilities by memorandum in August 1983. Periodic reminders will be issued in the future.

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Topics

Government Operations

Federal agency reorganizationFederal property managementInventory controlMonitoringOffice equipmentPersonal propertyProperty disposalProperty lossesProperty managementSurveys