energy reduction requirements. Some of AOC’s most notable recent cost savings result from reduced energy consumption across Capitol Hill, and innovative cost avoidance strategies such as the Return to Work program—a program to return long-term workers’ compensation employees to positions that have been designed to accommodate their limitations.

Across AOC, a new initiative that capitalizes on the exchange of institutional and professional knowledge has been implemented. The Exchange of Critical Expertise and Learning (ExCEL) Program serves to improve organizational productivity, enhance strategic efficiencies and increase employee knowledge. This in-house resource is especially important as dwindling training budgets have made it increasingly difficult to provide third-party training opportunities and a growing number of employee retirements are expected.

AOC’s efforts to prioritize and find efficiencies, especially in the areas of energy conservation and sustainability, are paramount to minimizing AOC operational costs. However, as AOC exhausts opportunities for efficiencies and savings that are the easiest to achieve or produce the largest return on investment, future efficiencies will be more challeng- ing to find and expensive to achieve. In this challenging economic time, AOC will continue to correct deficiencies and prevent facility or system failures by being judicious in its investment decisions and ensuring resources go to the highest priority projects.

AOC remains focused on implementing efficiencies that streamline operations and reduce costs to limit the impact of current budgetary stresses. By constantly searching for innovative ways to improve its stewardship of taxpayer dollars, management ensures that the agency is able to meet its core mission.

Deferred Maintenance and Capital Renewal Backlog

Key Challenge: The AOC specializes in maintaining the historic and other facilities entrusted to its care. These facilities are both effective workplaces for Congress and the Supreme Court and are destinations that millions visit and enjoy all year long. In many instances, the craftsmanship of the dedicated men and women who work at the AOC has successfully masked the serious conditions or fragile states that these facilities are in, or have temporarily stemmed further deterioration. However, these temporary patches are just that—temporary. Addressing the growing deferred maintenance and capital renewal needs across Capitol Hill to ensure the historic fabric of the Congressional buildings and grounds is preserved before the damage becomes too great is a significant ongoing challenge.

As with all deferred maintenance, the longer scheduled and necessary preventive maintenance and repairs are delayed, the greater the risk that problems will become worse and more costly. In addition, capitol renewal needs include projects needed to improve the functionality of the facilities, making them more efficient, comfortable and safe. This would include, for example, replacing or repairing key building systems such as heating, cooling, lighting, plumbing, fire and life-safety, as well as upgrades to improve accessibility and structural integrity. The AOC continues to 

Photo Caption: Stone preservation across Capitol Hill is emerging as a top priority for AOC. Investments in exterior stone repair projects at the U.S. Capitol, Russell Senate Office Building and the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory will pay long-term dividends and preserve these historic buildings for decades to come.