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United States General Services Administration

Mission Statement

Scope

The General Sercices Administration (GSA) is a central management agency that sets Federal policy in such areas as federal procurement, real property management, and information resources management. GSA also oversees diversified governmentwide operations involving buildings management, telecommunications, consumer information distribution, child care in the Federal workplace, and the Federal Recycling Program. GSA employs about 19,600 people nationwide.

Travel Management

Over 920,000 Federal employees hold Federal travel charge cards. GSA's 1994 Federal Travel Directory lists discount air and rail fares for over 3,700 domestic and international city-pair markets and thousands of hotels and motels in over 2,000 cities worldwide. Travel arrangements are handled by 113 commercial travel agencies under contract with GSA.

Commercial Credit Card Program

GSA's contract for the use of commerical credit cards provides financial and cash mangement control, reduces the administrative costs of small purchases, and enhances the ability to track spending, forecast requirements, consolidate purchases, and pay vendors promptly for small purchases. Over 765 Federal organizations participate using 72,800 cards to purchase over $1 billion in goods and services for the Federal Government.

Transportation Audits

GSA audits freight and passenger transportation invoices and recovers excess charges paid by Federal agencies when invoices are not bases on the lowest applicable rates. In fiscal year 1993, GSA collected $19 million in commercial transportation overcharges.

Fleet Management

GSA's Interagency Fleet Management System provides 145,000 vechicles and all related services to many Federal agencies. The network of 69 Fleet Management Centers generates annual sales of over $535 million. Maintenance Control Centers in Regional Offices manage over $73 million in repairs and services provided by the private sector.

Aircraft Management

GSA develops regulations, policies, and procedures for aircraft management and safety for 16 federal departments and independent agencies operating 1,485 aircraft at an annual cost of about $993.2 million.

Business Service Center

Through the third quarter of fiscal year 1994, GSA Business Service Centers have provided guidance and assistance to more than 113,642 businesses interested in doing business with GSA and other Federal agencies and have issued 10,648 solicitations and received 34,719 bids for contracts.

Accounting

In addition to managing about 115 funds, GSA provides cross-servicing support for 53 client agencies. Through the third quarter of fiscal year 1994, GSA processed $6.7 billion in billings for supplies and services, made more than 1,329,000 payments totaling $4.8 billion, and saved $2.3 million by earning 97 percent of available early payment discounts.

Public Buildings

GSA provides space for over on million workstations for Federal employees in 1,773 government-owned and 6,401 leased buildings. GSA spends about $4.4 billion a year for real estate management activities including acquistion of sites and buildings, construction, leasing, repairs, alterations, maintenance, and protection.

Supply

Through the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 1994, Federal agencies purchased supplies and services worth approximately $2.0 billion through GSA`s Federal Supply Schedules. Addionally, orders worth $676 million were placed for items with a competitive or continuing demand through the Stock Program, and orders worth $947 million for products through the direct delivery Special Order Program.

Telecommunications

GSA provides local and long-distance telecommunications services to over 1.7 million Federal users. Using advanced digital capabilities to connect telephones, computers, fax machines, and video conference facilities, GSA supports communications in day-to-day operations and emergency situations.

Investments in the Environment

GSA helps the Federal Government save energy, recycle used materials, and purchases products with environmental benefits.

Federal Recycling Program: GSA's Recycling Program enables Federal agencies to recycle used office materials, glass, aluminum cans, polystyrene, and newspaper. During fiscal year 1994, more than 500,000 Federal employees recycled around 38,000 tons of material. Nearly $370,000 in revenue was generated from the sale of recycled material; about $2 million was saved in dumping fees; and more thatn $4 million was saved in transportation costs to and from landfills.

Procurement: GSA provides about 3,000 environmentally oriented products for Federal use. These include more than 900 recycled products. Overall sales for environmental items exceeded $300 million for fiscal year 1993. The recycled products include copier paper, retread tires, recharged toner cartridges for laser printers, and building insulation. GSA also establishes contracts for energy efficient appliances and computers and offers a variety of paints, coatings, adhesives, and cleaning products that have been reformulated to be less environmentally detrimental.

Energy: From 1985 to 1993, GSA reduced energy use in Federal buildings by 9.7 percent, nearly fulfilling the goal of reducing energy consumption 10 percent by 1995. GSA invests a significant amount of repair and alterations funding in energy conservation technologies each yar to reduce energy costs and to modernize buldings for improved comfort and productivity.

Water: GSA's Water Management Strategy is a nationwide monitoring and conservation effort that includes the evaluation and installation of water conserving systems and fixtures in its buildings. A GSA water conservation guidebook is now available for all managers of Federal facilities.

Vehicles: To conserve energy, protect the environment, and stimulate the manufacture of vehicles using alternative fuels (methanol, ethanol, and compressed natural gas), GSA has become a leader in the alternative fuel industry. With the acquisition of 4,000 alternative fuel vehicles in 1994, GSA now has a fleet of 10,000 such employees.

Employee Friendly Programs: GSA operates telecommuting centers to let Federal employees work closer to their homes, helping employees work closer to their homes, helping employees save gasoline and reduces traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and pollution. Since 1980, the Federal Ridesharing Program has promoted the use of carpools, vanpools, and public transportation as a way to conserve gasoline, improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and reduce commuter expense. Nearly 65 percent of all GSA employees nationwide rideshare or use public transportation to commute to work.

Health and Safety

GSA promotes a fafe and healthful environment for its clients and employees by climinating hazards in Federal facilities under its control. For example, over 50 percent of all GSA-controlled space is now protected with automatic sprinklers. GSA improved safety in Federal buildings by testing for and controlling radon. For safety in fleet vehicles, since 1991, GSA has been purchasing passenger sedans equipped with airbags; other Federal agencies can order the vehicles from GSA contracts.

Child Care

GSA helps Federal clients establish work-site child care centers. Currently 96 centers operate in GSA managed space with a total licensed capacity for over 7,000 children. Plans are underway to establish over 30 new centers in the next three years.

Helping the Homeless

Under the provisions of the 1987 McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, GSA has assigned a total of 54 real estate properties valued at $88.5 million for use by the homeless and donated personal property worth more than $51.1 to public agencies and qualifying non-profit organizations serving the homeless.

Real Property Disposals

GSA sell unneeded Federal real estate, transfers it to other Federal agencies, or donates it to State and local governments and non-profits insitutions for public benefit. Through the third quarter of fiscal year 1994, GSA disposed of 140 parcels of land resulting in sales of $33.5 million, Federal transfers worth $3.8 million, and donations worth $45.6 million.

Personal Property Management

GSA transferred personal property worth $1.64 billion to Federal and State agencies in the third quarter of fiscal year 1994.

Technical Assistance

GSA supports over 125 Federal organizations in improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of their information processng resources. Contracts with over 75 vendors provide Federal agencies with technical expertise in computer security system planning, business and scientific programming, systems acquisition, and systems integration.

Technology for Disabled Persons

GSA provides leadership in assuring that members of the public and Federal employees with disabilities maintain access to informations systems. The Federal Information Relay Services is a governmentwide telephone service that supports communications when one party has a speech and/or hearing impairment. The Clearinghouse on Computer Accommodation (COCA) assists Federal agencies in making computer and telecommunications accessible to people with disabilities.

Technology Acquisition

GSA's Federal clients buy between $1.5 and $2 billion each year in computers and telecommunicaions hardware, software and services from over 1,000 companies with Multiple Award Schedules. To help agencies acquire technology, GSA trains senior managers in the purchase of Multiple Award Schedules. To help agencies acquire technology, GSA trains senior managers in the purchase of major informations systems. The Federal Computer Acquisition Center assists agencies in the purchase of major information systems.

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