General Services Administration
The General Services Administration (GSA) was established by section 101 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C.A. § 751). The GSA sets policy for and manages government property and records. More specifically, the GSA's duties include the construction and operation of buildings; procurement and distribution of supplies; utilization and disposal of property; management of transportation, traffic, and communications; and management of the government's automatic data processing resources program. Like a large business conglomerate, the GSA conducts business in many different areas and operates on different levels of organization: the central Washington, D.C., office, eleven regional offices, and field activities.
First Level of Hierarchy
The first level of hierarchy in the GSA consists of the Office of Ethics, administrator, deputy administrator, chief of staff, Board of Contract Appeals, and Office of the Inspector General.
The Office of Ethics governs the standards of ethical conduct for the agency's employees.
The Board of Contract Appeals resolves disputes concerning contracts with the GSA and other independent agencies, such as the Department of the Treasury. It operates as an independent tribunal within the agency.
The Office of the Inspector General audits and investigates the agency and its various offices. This office informs Congress of problems and mismanagement in the agency and recommends changes. The office also maintains a toll-free telephone number for complaints concerning fraud, waste, and mismanagement in agency programs.
Second Level of Hierarchy
The second level of the GSA hierarchy comprises the Federal Supply Service, Information Technology Service, Public Buildings Service, and Office of Federal Telecommunications System 2000.
Federal Supply Service
The Federal Supply Service (FSS) provides low-price, quality goods and services to federal departments and agencies. Its services include governmentwide programs for the management of transportation, mail, and travel; audits of transportation; management of a federal fleet; and management of aircraft owned or operated by civilian agencies in support of government missions.
The FSS provides over $8 billion annually in common-use goods and services to federal agencies. It emphasizes purchasing environmentally safe products and services and supplies over three thousand environmentally oriented products to the federal government, such as retread tires, shipping boxes made with recycled materials, and water-saving devices.
The service also coordinates a worldwide program for the management of government property, through the Office of Property Disposal, which is responsible for allocating excess personal property among the agencies and donating or disposing of property through public sales.
The FSS Interagency Fleet Management Program controls approximately 145,000 vehicles, including over 10,000 alternative fuel vehicles. The FSS also acts as the government's civilian freight manager by providing rating and routing services to customer agencies and overnight delivery of small packages at reduced rates, and managing the postpayment audit of freight and passenger transportation bills.
Information Technology Service
The Information Technology Service (ITS) directs governmentwide programs for automated data processing and local telecommunications equipment and services, coordinates programs for federal records and information management practices, and provides information to the public through the Federal Information Center.
The ITS helps federal agencies manage information resources through the Office of Information Technology Integration (ITI). The ITI provides assistance through three programs: the Federal Systems Integration and Management System, Federal Computer Acquisition Center, and Federal Information System Support Program. The ITS also procures automatic data processing and telecommunications hardware, software, and services involving information resources of governmentwide agencies.
In addition to technical assistance, the service provides various management assistance programs and policies to governmentwide agencies concerning information-related functions and activities. It is in charge of the GSA's governmentwide telecommunications service and assists with the interagency Information Resources Management infrastructure. It also provides internal information systems management for the GSA.
The ITS's Office of Information Security supports all government activities conducting sensitive and classified national security, diplomatic, and Department of Defense missions.
Another program overseen by ITS is the Federal Information Center Program, which is a clearinghouse for information about the federal government. The center answers questions regarding government programs and refers people to the appropriate agency. Depending upon their geographic location, residents may be able to access the center through a toll-free telephone number. Another resource, the Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog Program, provides information on federally operated programs that offer domestic assistance, such as loans, grants, and insurance, to interested persons.
The ITS also offers the Federal Information Relay Service to help hearing-impaired and speech-impaired individuals communicate with the government.
The service manages numerous programs that maintain information on equipment, goods, and services bought by the government. The information is available to the public.
Also within the ITS is the Office of Emerging Technology. It plans, manages, and directs activities that promote the identification, development, and use of current and emerging technologies in the federal government.
Public Buildings Service
The Public Buildings Service (PBS) designs, builds, leases, repairs, and maintains approximately seventy-three hundred federally controlled buildings in the United States. The service is also responsible for property management information systems throughout the government and for the maintenance of public utilities and their costs.
The Office of the Commercial Broker and its eleven regional offices and various facility support centers work with real estate professionals to acquire and lease space for federal agencies. The Office of Property Management manages all aspects of the properties and ensures that the properties adhere to energy conservation, handicapped-accessibility, and historic preservation requirements. The Office of Business Development directs the national strategic plans and programs for real property and also manages the long-term strategic and business direction of the PBS.
The Office of the Fee Developer represents the fee developer in agency dealings of national scope with representatives of the other executive branches and with representatives of other government and private-sector interests.
The Office of the Federal Protective Service supplies law enforcement and security devices and services, such as bomb threat investigations, to properties under the agency's control. It provides standards for the operation of a uniformed force and investigates criminal offenses not involving GSA employees. It provides these services through regional centers.
The Office of Property Disposal utilizes and disposes of the government's surplus real property. The property is disposed of by reallocation; transfer to a local public body for an authorized public use, such as for operation as a homeless shelter; or sale through negotiated or public competitive sales.
Office of Federal Telecommunications System 2000
The Office of Federal Telecommunications System 2000 (FTS2000) provides common-user, long-distance telecommunications services through contracts from private companies. It manages the government program involving data processing and local telecommunications equipment and services.
Third Level of Hierarchy
The third level of hierarchy at the GSA consists of several offices that support all GSA services: the Offices of Acquisition Policy, the Chief Financial Officer, Enterprise Development, Portfolio Management, Governmentwide Real Property Policy, Equal Employment Opportunity Program, General Counsel, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Public Affairs, and Management and Human Resources.
The Office of Portfolio Management manages all aspects of the portfolio management business line at the national level.
The Office of Acquisition Policy directs and coordinates the agency's acquisitions policy program. It develops and administers guiding principles that are applicable to all federal agencies. This office also coordinates the Federal Procurement Data System and manages training and recruitment for employees involved with acquisition.
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is in charge of the overall financial management within the GSA, including developing and maintaining agency accounting systems; developing policies and procedures; and reviewing fees, royalties, rents, and other charges imposed by the agency for its goods and services. Other responsibilities include the commercial activities program and the executive information system.
The Office of Enterprise Development plans, implements, and evaluates preference programs for agency procurement, including but not limited to the Small Business Program, Minority Business Enterprise Program, and Subcontracting Program. The office carries out many of its main duties through five regional business centers.
The Office of Government-wide Real Property Policy provides overall direction in governmentwide policy and related activities regarding real property.
