by Brianna Crandall — February 15, 2016—A report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found some inefficiencies and security risks in federal buildings as a result of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the General Services Administration (GSA) not having key practices in place or clearly defined collaborative policies and procedures for day-to-day operations.
The Federal Protective Service (FPS) within DHS has joint responsibility along with GSA for protecting federal facilities held or leased by GSA. FPS has primary responsibility for the security and protection of buildings and their occupants, whereas GSA has primary responsibility for security fixtures, maintenance, and building access.
A 2006 memorandum of agreement (MOA) between FPS and GSA addresses their roles, responsibilities, and operational relationships concerning the security of GSA-controlled space. However, some information in the MOA is outdated and incorrect as it does not reflect policy and organizational changes affecting roles and responsibilities, says GAO.
In August 2015, FPS and GSA officials renewed negotiations to update the MOA, but the two have not yet fully agreed on current roles and responsibilities related to facility protection, and they have not set a time frame for completion, according to the report.
While each agency has some individual policies for collaboration, GAO says the two agencies have made limited progress in agreeing on several key practices.
GAO recommended that FPS and GSA take actions to improve their collaboration in several areas, including defining common outcomes, agreeing on roles and responsibilities, and communicating compatible policies and procedures.
Reaching agreement on these practices will help to enhance the agencies’ ability to protect federal facilities and to improve day-to-day operations at the regional level.
DHS specifically concurred with GAO’s recommendations, and GSA agreed to work with FPS to address the findings.
The GAO report, Homeland Security: FPS and GSA Should Strengthen Collaboration to Enhance Facility Security, GAO-16-135, is available on the GAO Web site.
