We  recommended that GSA, along with OMB and federal agencies, assess,  analyze, and identify any limitations in how agencies collect and report  FRPP data. Government-wide Data Were Generally Reliable for Reporting on Real Property Disposals in Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015

Our analysis of FRPP found that disposal data were generally reliable for  domestic, federally owned buildings (hereafter referred to as “buildings”)  for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Specifically, for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, we  found the following pertaining to the completeness, reasonableness, and  internal consistency of the data, based on our data reliability guidance:
Completeness of the data: All of the buildings reported as disposed of  included values for the disposal date, square feet, and annual O&M  cost data fields. OMB’s reporting of FRPP data was also generally reliable. Using FRPP data, we were able to replicate  OMB’s reported data, despite minor inconsistencies in reporting. We traced the differences in our analysis  and the data OMB reported and we identified three minor inconsistencies,  all of which led to some over-reporting of building disposals; we discuss  this over-reporting in more detail later in this report. Given that these inconsistencies resulted in minor differences in the  number of building disposals, we determined that they did not affect the  overall reliability of the government-wide disposal data. Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Improve Government- wide Real Property Data and Additional Opportunities Exist to Improve Data and Reporting on Disposed Buildings

		OMB, GSA, and Selected Agencies Have Taken Steps to Improve Reliability of Government- wide Real Property Data That Should Also Help Improve Disposal Data

Our work found that the federal government has demonstrated continued  commitment to improving the management of federal real property by  executing a number of reform efforts, many of which should improve  federal real property data, as described below. To improve the reliability of FRPP disposal data, we recommend that the  Administrator of GSA implement a data validation procedure to prevent  reporting the same building disposal multiple times. Agency Comments

We provided a draft of this report to OMB, GSA, and the Departments of  Agriculture, Energy, and the Interior for review and comment. Reliability and reporting of government-wide disposal data: To assess the  reliability of government-wide data and reporting on domestic, federally  owned buildings’ disposal data in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 we (1)  examined information sources and methods OMB used to report on the  number of buildings disposed of, square feet reduced, and O&M costs  avoided for fiscal years 2014 and 2015; (2) analyzed data from GSA’s  FRPP; (3) replicated the figures OMB used in its June 2015 and  September 2016 testimonies; and (4) reviewed the data underlying  OMB’s reported disposals to assess the extent that these data accurately  reflected the building disposals that were intended to be reported.
Why GAO Did This Study

Disposal of unneeded buildings—for example through demolition, sale, or transfer to other federal agencies—has the potential to save the government millions of dollars. To this end, OMB has developed policies to reduce space in federal buildings and identify buildings for disposal. Recent progress notwithstanding, GAO's body of work on real property has found limitations in the overall reliability of data in GSA's government-wide database. OMB has reported on the status of federal real property disposals for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
GAO was asked to examine the reliability of the data used to report disposals and any efforts to improve the data. This report assesses (1) the reliability and reporting of government-wide disposal data for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, and (2) steps OMB, GSA, and three selected agencies have taken to improve disposal data. GAO analyzed the most recent FRPP data, agency documents, and interviewed OMB, GSA, and agency officials. GAO selected the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and the Interior based on the highest numbers of disposed buildings.

What GAO Found

GAO's analysis showed that government-wide data were generally reliable for reporting on real property disposals for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
The General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP) serves as the building inventory database for most of the largest federal agencies. FRPP's data on real property disposals were generally complete, reasonable, and internally consistent, based on GAO's guidance for assessing data reliability. For example, the disposal date, disposal method, and buildings' square footage data generally met these criteria.
The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) reporting of FRPP disposal data for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 was also generally reliable. Based on analysis of FRPP data, GAO was able to replicate OMB's reported numbers on building disposals, despite minor inconsistencies. GAO identified three minor inconsistencies in its analysis and OMB's reporting, all of which led to some over-reporting of building disposals. For example, the data showed 134 buildings as disposed of in multiple years. Given that these inconsistencies resulted in small differences in the number of buildings reported, GAO determined that the inconsistencies did not affect the overall reliability of government-wide reporting of disposal data.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends (1) that GSA implement a data validation procedure to prevent reporting a building as disposed of multiple times and (2) that OMB, in coordination with GSA, establish a procedure to verify that its reports include data as intended. GSA and OMB agreed with GAO's recommendations and identified steps to implement them.