Figure 2  shows NOAA’s aircraft flight hours and associated costs for fiscal years  2004 to 2013. NOAA officials also told us that  they expect the line offices’ missions will expand in the future, thereby  increasing their need for aircraft services. NOAA Has Numerous Efforts to Improve Aircraft Asset Planning and Management, but It Is Too Early to Determine Whether They Reflect Leading Practices

NOAA has 34 efforts aimed at improving its aircraft asset planning and  management, according to agency officials, some of which are ongoing  while others are under way or planned; however, because most of these  efforts are not yet fully implemented, it is too early to determine whether  they will reflect OMB leading practices in capital asset programming. NOAA expects to complete all 34 efforts by fiscal year 2017. NOAA Faces Challenges in Improving Its Aircraft Asset Planning and Modernizing Its Fleet

In its efforts to improve aircraft asset planning and management, NOAA  faces challenges related to the development of a comprehensive and  integrated capital asset plan, and decisions regarding the modernization  of its fleet. As  noted, NOAA does not currently have a capital asset plan for aircraft  even though leading practices OMB has identified encourage  agencies to have capital asset plans as a part of their strategic  planning efforts. As noted, NOAA is working to develop a capital asset plan  through an approach under which it is creating multiple stand-alone  plans that together are intended to serve as the agency’s capital asset  plan for aircraft. In addition, critical planning information and analysis on different types  of assets will be spread across different documents, which may add to  NOAA’s challenge of ensuring that information is sufficiently linked  and integrated to serve as a single comprehensive plan. NOAA is in  the early stages of some of these planning efforts and has not yet  determined how, or whether, it will link and integrate the plans with  one another. NOAA faced  challenges in finalizing a planning effort in the past; in 2009, OMAO  developed a draft “aircraft recapitalization plan” intended to address  the agency’s future aircraft needs. The agency began its current planning  effort 4 years later, in 2013. For example,  NOAA’s two operational P-3 Orion planes are in high demand for  hurricane work. Because large capital assets such as aircraft may take many years to  acquire, NOAA faces decisions about whether to invest in additional  costly service life extensions or replace the two operational P-3  Orions and another aging plane in its fleet, one of its de Havilland  Twin Otter aircraft. Linking and integrating its multiple planning efforts  could help NOAA demonstrate that it has a capital asset plan consistent  with these leading practices. Without such a plan, NOAA risks making  decisions that will make it difficult for the agency to effectively address  future challenges. NOAA’s complex approach  to developing a capital asset plan presents challenges. Recommendation for Executive Action

To ensure that NOAA has sufficient information and analysis to guide  long-term decisions regarding its aircraft, we recommend that the  Secretary of Commerce direct the NOAA Administrator to ensure that the  agency links and integrates its multiple planning efforts as it finalizes a  capital asset plan for aircraft. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report examines (1) the status of the National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) efforts to improve its aircraft asset  planning and management and the extent to which these efforts reflect  leading practices and (2) the challenges NOAA faces in improving its  aircraft asset planning and management. To determine the extent to which NOAA’s efforts reflect  applicable guidance and leading practices, we reviewed Office of  Management and Budget (OMB) guidance to identify leading practices  that are important for effective asset planning and management. In these interviews, we discussed  NOAA’s long-term strategic planning and management for aircraft,  NOAA’s previous efforts to issue an aircraft capital asset plan, and  NOAA’s work to complete and implement the 34 aircraft planning and  management efforts, among other things.
Why GAO Did This Study

NOAA's aircraft play a critical role in collecting scientific data to help NOAA advance understanding of changes in the environment and manage ocean and coastal resources. NOAA uses its aircraft for a wide range of scientific missions. In fiscal year 2013, NOAA's aircraft flew hundreds of flights and logged about 3,900 flight hours. NOAA officials predict that expanding mission needs will lead to increased demand for aircraft services. To address such challenges, NOAA has been working to improve its capital asset planning and management for aircraft.
A House committee report on the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, mandated GAO to examine various issues regarding NOAA's aircraft. This report examines (1) the status of NOAA's efforts to improve its aircraft planning and management and the extent to which these efforts reflect leading practices and (2) challenges NOAA faces in improving its aircraft asset planning and management. GAO analyzed aircraft cost and flight hour data from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year 2013, reviewed agency planning and management documents, and interviewed agency officials. GAO reviewed capital asset planning guidance from OMB to identify leading practices.

What GAO Found

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce has 34 efforts aimed at improving its aircraft asset planning and management, some of which are ongoing, while others are under way or planned; however, because these efforts are not yet fully implemented, it is too early to determine whether they will reflect the leading practices in capital asset management that have been identified by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Among NOAA's initiatives are efforts to enhance its process for scheduling aircraft use among NOAA offices and to develop new aircraft performance metrics. NOAA's efforts also include the development of multiple long-term plans that together are intended to constitute a capital asset plan for aircraft. OMB leading practices encourage agencies to have capital asset plans—which help provide agencies with information and analysis to make long-term decisions about acquiring and managing capital assets—as a part of their strategic planning efforts, but NOAA currently does not have such a plan for its aircraft. NOAA expects to complete its various improvement efforts related to aircraft asset planning and management by fiscal year 2017.
NOAA faces challenges in improving its aircraft asset planning and management. NOAA's complex approach to creating a capital asset plan for aircraft may present challenges because it will comprise multiple stand-alone plans, and critical planning information and analysis on different types of assets will be spread across different documents. NOAA is in the early stages of some of these planning efforts and has not yet determined how, or whether, it will link and integrate the plans with one another to ensure that they will serve as a comprehensive plan. NOAA has faced challenges in finalizing a capital planning effort in the past. In 2009, NOAA leadership suspended a planning effort intended to address the agency's future aircraft needs in order to incorporate additional aircraft-related information, according to NOAA officials; the agency subsequently began its current planning effort 4 years later, in 2013. The importance of a capital asset plan is underscored by the significant decisions NOAA faces regarding its aircraft fleet, particularly its two operating P-3 Orion aircraft that are in high demand for hurricane work (see fig.). For example, given that the P-3 Orion aircraft are nearly 40 years old, NOAA faces decisions on whether to invest in additional costly service life extensions or replace the aircraft. Linking and integrating its multiple planning efforts could help NOAA demonstrate that it has a capital asset plan consistent with OMB guidance. Without a capital asset plan in place, NOAA risks making decisions that will not allow the agency to effectively address future challenges.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the NOAA Administrator ensure that the agency links and integrates its multiple planning efforts as it finalizes a comprehensive capital asset plan for aircraft. NOAA concurred with the recommendation.