The Inspector General’s Statement of Management Opportunities and Performance Challenges (continued)


Balancing Safety and Security with Preservation and Heritage


The AOC’s mission of “Serve, Preserve, Inspire” recognizes the desire that all construction and renewal projects maintain the historical heritage of the Capitol campus. This is done, in part, through the use of historically accurate, custom-designed and manufactured pieces such as plasterwork and moldings, security bollards and barricades, security systems and devices, and ironwork which can add substantial cost and time to these projects. For example, some security projects or project components could include modified commercial-off-the-shelf solutions vice specific, engineered or tailored elements. Projects of this nature should give due consideration of alternatives to include materials and designs used while accounting for planning and cost schedules that maintain the balance between safety and security risks in addition to vulnerabilities with preservation and heritage.


Duplication of Effort without a Working Capital Fund


The management of large construction projects and other programs that cross multiple funding streams poses challenges and risks to the AOC that are not typical to other agencies. Though adequate planning and design can mitigate some of these challenges, unforeseen circumstances can increase the risks and vulnerabilities posed to the AOC. To offset these risks, the AOC establishes program operating practices and procedures with some overarching across the agency and many, specific to the jurisdiction. Due to the lack of a working capital fund which would allow some Senate and House allocations to combine, there are many integral AOC operational redundancies at the jurisdiction level, thus creating waste, inefficiencies and unnecessary duplication of effort that could be mitigated through certain centralization efforts.


Conclusion


All federal agencies have areas where improvements are needed. This Statement, is viewed from the OIG’s perspective and should be taken in that context. The AOC has much to be proud of as it has worked to reduce or eliminate elements of the previous years’ challenges. The progress being made on these challenges is very encouraging and the two expanded and two new management challenges included above will serve to improve the AOC’s efforts to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, as well as improve the effectiveness of its operations.


As the OIG finds additional specific challenges, we will inform management with findings and recommendations via audits, inspections and evaluations, and investigations. Our intent of these findings and recommendations is to improve the AOC’s operations to meet its overall mission to “Serve, Preserve and Inspire” and to support the AOC by decreasing the potential for fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.


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Section IV • Other Information


ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL


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