Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional Direction in Government-Wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural Disaster Resilience (GAO-21-596)
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released this report, in response to congressional requests, to determine how agencies prevent or reduce natural disaster damage to real property. As the largest real property owner in the United States, the federal government has assets that are exposed to a high level of risk from extreme weather and climate-related events. The federal government has an opportunity to enhance natural disaster resilience of their real property through effective asset management.
The report addresses: (1) how selected agencies have incorporated natural disaster resilience into their assets, and (2) the extent to which government-wide guidance directs federal agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience into asset management. This report assessed four agencies: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the General Services Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
GAO found that the selected agencies varied in how they incorporated resilience into their asset management. GAO also found that federal government guidance and requirements on asset management direct agencies to address risks like climate change, but the guidance does not explicitly direct these agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience into asset management decisions.
With these conclusions, GAO recommends that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should direct federal agencies to assess applicable risks from natural disasters and apply these assessments to their asset investment decisions.
Publication Date: September 14th, 2021
Related Organizations:
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
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- Agency guidance/policy
- Assessment
- Case study
- Communication
- Policy analysis/recommendations
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