Park Service Maintenance Needs, Past GAO Findings, and Government-Wide Asset Guidance

The Park Service defines deferred maintenance as maintenance that was  not performed when it should have been or was scheduled to be and is  delayed for a future period. Park Service Allocated $1.16 Billion on Average in Fiscal Years 2006 through 2015 to Maintain Assets

In fiscal years 2006 through 2015, the Park Service allocated $1.16 billion  on average to operate and maintain the agency’s assets. Most recently,  in fiscal year 2015, the Park Service allocated $1.08 billion to  maintenance, which was about one-third of the total funding the agency  received that year. Deferred Maintenance Averaged $11.3 Billion from Fiscal Years 2009 through 2015, and Paved Road Maintenance Accounted for Nearly Half

The Park Service’s deferred maintenance averaged about $11.3 billion  from fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2015. In each of those years,  deferred maintenance for paved roads made up the largest share of the  agency’s deferred maintenance. The majority of the Park Service’s deferred maintenance in fiscal year  2015 was for assets in park units that were established more than 40  years ago. Specifically, about $10.5 billion in deferred maintenance was  for park units established more than 40 years ago. Park Service Uses Information on the Importance and Condition of Assets to Prioritize Maintenance Decisions, but the Agency Has Not Evaluated This Process

The Park Service uses several tools to rate an asset’s importance and  condition and assign maintenance priority to its assets. Once projects are identified, park unit staff use the Park  Service’s Capital Investment Strategy to rank maintenance projects for  funding decisions. Park unit staff also enter projects into the  agency’s Project Management Information System. Fiscal year 2015 was the first budget year in which projects ranked using  the strategy were funded, and as such some regional and park unit  officials said that it is too soon to determine if the Capital Investment  Strategy is meeting its objectives, such as maintaining the condition of its  high-priority assets. The Park Service does not have a plan or time frame for evaluating  whether the strategy has been successful. A senior official said that the  agency had not determined what is needed to begin such an evaluation  and that it would be beneficial to verify that the Capital Investment  Strategy is achieving intended outcomes and if changes need to be  made. According to the National Academies Federal Facilities Council,  investments made in assets are not often immediately visible or  measurable but are manifest over a period of years, and it is important  that agencies track the outcomes of those investments to improve  decision making about those investments and to improve asset  management. Recommendation for Executive Action

To ensure that the elements of the agency’s process for making asset  maintenance decisions are achieving desired outcomes, we recommend  that the Secretary of the Interior direct the Director of the Park Service to  evaluate the Capital Investment Strategy and its results to determine if it  is achieving its intended outcomes or if changes need to be made. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to examine (1) how much the National Park Service  (Park Service) has allocated to maintain assets in fiscal years 2006  through 2015, (2) the amount and composition of the Park Service’s  deferred maintenance in fiscal years 2009 through 2015, (3) how the Park  Service makes asset maintenance decisions, and (4) the actions the Park  Service is taking to help address its maintenance needs. According to the Park Service, deferred maintenance data from the end of  fiscal year 2015 were the most current data available when we began this  review. This sample is not generalizable to all park units.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Park Service manages more than 75,000 assets, including buildings, roads, and water systems, at 413 park units across all 50 states. In 2015, the agency estimated that its deferred maintenance on these assets was $11.9 billion.
GAO was asked to review how the Park Service manages its maintenance needs. This report examines, among other things, (1) agency allocations to maintain assets in fiscal years 2006 through 2015, (2) the amount and composition of the agency's deferred maintenance in fiscal years 2009 through 2015, and (3) how the agency makes maintenance decisions. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed Park Service allocation data for fiscal years 2006 through 2015 and deferred maintenance data in fiscal years 2009 (first year data for all assets was available) through 2015 (most current data available); reviewed planning and guidance documents and compared the process for making asset management decisions to guidance developed by the National Academies, among others; and interviewed Park Service officials at headquarters, all seven regions, and 21 park units selected to include those with large and small amounts of deferred maintenance, among other things. This sample is not generalizable to all park units.

What GAO Found

In fiscal years 2006 through 2015, the Department of the Interior's National Park Service (Park Service) allocated, on average, $1.16 billion annually to maintain assets. In fiscal year 2015, allocations to maintenance accounted for about one-third (or $1.08 billion) of the agency's total funding of $3.3 billion. The largest portion of maintenance funds in fiscal year 2015 was allocated to facility operations, which includes maintenance that is routine in nature, such as maintenance of trails.
The Park Service's deferred maintenance—maintenance of its assets that was not performed when it should have been and is delayed for a future period—averaged $11.3 billion from fiscal years 2009 through 2015. Bridges, tunnels, and paved roadways consistently made up the largest share of the agency's deferred maintenance, accounting for half of all deferred maintenance in fiscal year 2015. Older park units have the most deferred maintenance, with $10.5 billion in fiscal year 2015 in park units established more than 40 years ago.
The Park Service uses several tools to determine an asset's importance and condition and assign maintenance priority. Park unit staff assess the condition of the asset and identify maintenance projects. Once identified, park unit staff use the agency's Capital Investment Strategy to evaluate and rank projects. Projects score higher if they target critical assets with deferred maintenance. Fiscal year 2015 was the first budget year in which projects ranked using the strategy were funded, and regional and park unit officials said that it is too soon to determine if the strategy is meeting its objectives, such as maintaining the condition of its most important assets. However, the Park Service does not have a plan or timeframe for evaluating whether the strategy has been successful. A senior official said that the agency has not determined what is needed to begin such an evaluation and that it would be beneficial to verify that the Capital Investment Strategy is achieving intended outcomes. According to the National Academies Federal Facilities Council, it is important that agencies track the outcome of investments to improve decision making and asset management. Evaluating the strategy may help the Park Service determine if the strategy is achieving intended outcomes or if changes need to be made.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Park Service evaluate the Capital Investment Strategy and results to assess whether it has achieved its intended outcomes. The Department of the Interior agreed with GAO's recommendation.