	Background

AOC is responsible for the operation, maintenance, renovation, and new  construction of the buildings and grounds of the Capitol Hill complex. Congress subsequently directed GAO to conduct a  review of the management of AOC’s operations and, later, to monitor  AOC’s progress in addressing recommendations that arose from the  review. Our January 2003 report contained 35 recommendations designed to assist  AOC in transforming itself into a more strategic and accountable  organization. AOC Is Making Progress in Becoming More Strategic and Accountable, but Completing the Management Transition and Other Critical Actions Remain

During the last year, AOC has filled nine key leadership positions, revised  its strategic plan to better align its activities with its mission and goals, and  continued initiatives to improve internal controls and accountability. These actions have furthered AOC’s progress in establishing a foundation  for becoming a more strategic and accountable organization. In general, the Architect’s responsibilities include overall  management of AOC, support and representation on boards and  commissions—including the Capitol Police Board—and management of  the CVC project, while the COO’s responsibilities involve developing the  agency’s strategic and performance plans, proposing organizational and  staffing changes needed to carry out AOC’s mission, and reviewing and  directing the operational functions of AOC. Given these factors, it will be  challenging for one person to fulfill the critical roles of the Architect and  the COO in completing the CVC and continuing AOC’s progress in  becoming more strategic and accountable. While AOC has defined its mission and goals in its revised strategic plan,  the agency has not identified how best to deliver the services—through  outsourcing or in-house resources—that support the mission and goals  and has not determined whether its workforce has the skills and capacity  to deliver those services. Further Progress in Improving Financial Management, IT Management, and Project Management Requires Ongoing Commitment

AOC has made progress in financial management, IT management, and  project management, but sustained commitment is required to continue  progress on the long-term efforts in these areas, many of which are needed  to improve AOC’s internal controls and accountability. Implementing this  key effort impacts other AOC initiatives. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

In responding to a draft of this report, AOC generally agreed with our  assessment of the agency’s overall progress, but noted that 2 additional  recommendations—1 on institutionalizing financial management practices  to support budgeting, financial, and program management and 1 on  developing a rigorous approach for collecting worker safety data—should  be considered implemented. Appendix I: Status of AOC’s Progress on Recommendations

Since January 2003, we have made 64 recommendations in nine areas to  improve the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) strategic management and  accountability framework, which is needed to drive the agency’s  transformation effort and address long-standing program issues. Over the past year, AOC has  implemented 21 recommendations, bringing the total number of  implemented or closed recommendations to 43 out of 64, or 67 percent. As a result, AOC has implemented 6 of our strategic  management recommendations over the year. However, AOC’s senior management needs to continue supporting the full  implementation of key financial management and accountability efforts  that are critical to AOC’s operations. However, more work remains to fully implement our  recommendations. For example, AOC has  established performance measures, including measures to track the quality  and costs of projects. The  performance measures are also in AOC’s revised strategic plan and the  Senate and House business plans.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for the operation, maintenance, renovation, and new construction of the Capitol Hill complex, including the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Senate and House Office Buildings. In 2003, at the request of Congress, GAO issued a management review of AOC that contained recommendations designed to help AOC become more strategic and accountable. Subsequently, Congress directed GAO to monitor AOC's progress in implementing recommendations. This is the fourth status report on AOC's progress and summarizes GAO's assessment of AOC's overall progress and remaining actions in becoming more strategic and accountable, including AOC's responses to specific recommendations GAO made in January 2003 and subsequently. To assess AOC's progress, GAO analyzed AOC documents; interviewed AOC officials; and relied on the results of related GAO reviews, including reviews of the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). AOC generally agreed with GAO's assessment of its progress, but noted that 2 additional recommendations--1 on financial management practices and 1 on collecting worker safety data--should be considered implemented. GAO acknowledges AOC's efforts in these areas, but maintains that further steps are necessary to fully implement these recommendations.

What GAO Found

AOC has made progress in becoming more strategic and accountable, but critical actions are needed to sustain and build on this progress. To date, AOC has filled key leadership positions, revised its strategic plan, improved communication, and continued initiatives to improve internal controls and accountability. AOC is thus establishing a foundation for becoming more strategic and accountable. However, completing the transition to new leadership--including the transition to a new Architect of the Capitol (a position that is now vacant)--and other actions remain to bring about lasting improvements in performance. For example, AOC must integrate nine new managers into the agency while ensuring its continued progress. In addition, the Chief Operating Officer faces the challenge of performing the Architect of the Capitol's responsibilities and his own during the CVC project's completion and AOC's management transition. Furthermore, although AOC has revised its strategic plan to better focus on its mission and goals, it has not determined whether it can better deliver the services that support its mission and goals through outsourcing or in-house resources. Finally, a continued focus on communication and other areas that are key to greater internal control and accountability--including financial, information technology, and project management--is needed to sustain and further AOC's progress to date. For example, full implementation of AOC's cost accounting system--a key financial management initiative--is needed to more accurately track facilities management cost measures. Improvements in project management could be achieved, in part, by applying lessons learned in managing the CVC project. Appendix I of this report summarizes AOC's progress on recommendations that GAO has made since January 2003 to help AOC establish a strong strategic management and accountability framework. This year, AOC has implemented 21 recommendations. For example, AOC implemented 6 of the strategic management recommendations, including the development of congressional protocols and the involvement of stakeholders in developing the revised strategic plan. For project management, AOC implemented 7 recommendations, including the development of performance measures. Implementing these 21 recommendations brings the total number of implemented or closed recommendations to 43 out of 64.