ISC has a range of  governmentwide responsibilities related to protecting nonmilitary  facilities. Despite these improvements, security at Mt. Leveraging Limited Resources for Security Improvements Is Viewed by Interior Officials as a Challenge

In addition to the range of challenges with protecting icons and  monuments, Interior officials were also concerned about the department’s  ability to leverage limited resources for its protection initiatives in terms of  security staffing and funding. GSA was focused on security at the federal building before the September  11 terrorist attacks. In addition, Interior has made management changes, including creating a  central security office, intended to enhance its homeland security  initiatives, and has recently developed a uniform risk management  methodology for national icons and monuments. These actions should help  Interior address the major challenges it faces—which include balancing  security and Interior’s mission related to access and education; addressing  jurisdictional and competing stakeholder issues; securing icons and  monuments in rugged, remote areas; and leveraging limited staff and  funding resources. As Interior moves forward, it could link the results of its risk assessments  and related risk rankings to its security funding priorities. Also, a set of guiding  principles for balancing security with its core cultural and educational  mission—which Interior lacks but other organizations with complex  environments have developed—could help in addressing the challenges. These challenges  include balancing security and public access, addressing jurisdictional and  competing stakeholder issues, securing federally leased space, and  adjusting to the transfer of FPS to DHS. These actions have included  working with ISC to develop security standards, continuing with upgrades  that GSA began implementing after the Oklahoma City bombing, and  establishing a memorandum of agreement with DHS related to FPS. Regarding GSA, we recommend that the Administrator establish a  mechanism—such as a chief security officer position or formal point of  contact—that could serve in a liaison role with FPS and tenant agencies,  work to address the challenges GSA faces related to security in buildings it  owns and leases, and enable GSA to define its overall role in security given  the transfer of FPS to DHS. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to (1) identify any challenges that the Department of  the Interior (Interior) faces in protecting national icons and monuments  from terrorism, as well as related actions intended to address these  challenges, and similarly, (2) determine any challenges the General  Services Administration (GSA) faces related to the protection of federal  office buildings it owns or leases and the actions that have been taken.
Why GAO Did This Study

The threat of terrorism has made physical security for federal real property assets a major concern. Protecting these assets can be particularly complex and contentious for agencies whose missions include ensuring public access such as the Department of the Interior (Interior) and the General Services Administration (GSA). GAO's objectives were to (1) identify any challenges that Interior faces in protecting national icons and monuments from terrorism, as well as related actions intended to address these challenges; and similarly, (2) determine any challenges GSA faces related to the protection of federal office buildings it owns or leases and actions that have been taken.

What GAO Found

Interior faces a range of major challenges in protecting national icons and monuments from terrorism--these include balancing security and public access; addressing jurisdictional and competing stakeholder issues; and securing assets in rugged, remote areas. In addition, there was concern among Interior officials about the department's ability to leverage limited resources for security. Since September 11, 2001, Interior has improved security at high-profile sites, created a central security office to oversee its security efforts, developed physical security plans required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, and developed a uniform risk management and ranking methodology. As Interior moves forward, linking the results of its risk rankings to security funding priorities at national icons and monuments is an important next step. Also, given Interior's complex and often contentious environment, setting forth the guiding principles by which the department balances its core mission with security could have benefits. Other organizations have used guiding principles to foster greater transparency in complex environments. GSA also faces a range of major challenges, some similar to Interior's, that include balancing security and public access, addressing jurisdictional and competing stakeholder issues, securing federally leased space, and adjusting to the transfer of the Federal Protective Service (FPS) from GSA to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Actions GSA has taken to address the challenges include working to develop security standards for securing leased space and establishing a memorandum of agreement with DHS on security at GSA's facilities. However, despite these actions, GSA lacks a mechanism--such as a chief security officer position or formal point of contact--that could serve in a liaison role with FPS and tenant agencies, work to address the challenges GSA faces related to security at its buildings, and enable GSA to better define its overall role in security given the transfer of FPS to DHS.