**REAL PROPERTY POLICYSITE NEWSLETTER**

**News and Views on Real Property and Workplace Policy**

**SUMMER 2004**

*INVESTMENTS IN FEDERAL FACILITIES:*

*ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE 21^ST^* *CENTURY.*

(by the National Research Council)

***What New Strategies Are Needed to Manage the Government\'s Facilities
Valued at over \$300 Billion?***

**[INSIDE:]{.underline}**

**New Initiatives**

-   Investments In Federal Facilities: Asset Management Strategies For
    The 21^st^ Century.

**Sustainability**

White River Maintenance Facility: A Sustainable Solution Tailored to a
Remote Location

-   

-   Number range CHAPTERPutting Electronic Products in Their Place

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-   Going Green Online: Federal Agencies Make Buying Green Office
    Supplies Easy

-   Setting the Standard for Sustainability

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-   

**Telework**

-   

-   Telework: The Future Is Now At GSA's Office of Real Property

# Planning

# GRPIS Team Follows Lewis & Clark: GRPIS at a Glance

# 

**Portfolio Inventory**

-   Federal Real Property Profile Summary Report Released!

-   New Web Federal Real Property Profile Wows Feds at Interior
    Conference

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-   New Inventory on the Net Enhanced for Customers

**Best Practices**

-   Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation Honors
    Winners...Includes First Best Adopted Practice Award Winner

# Succession Planning

# GSA Provides Learning Experience for College Generation

# Newsroom

This is the twenty-ninth issue of Real Property Policysite, a quarterly
publication of the Office of Real Property, Office of Governmentwide
Policy, U.S. General Services Administration, Washington, DC. Our
newsletter shares the latest information on public and private sector
real estate and workplace initiatives, trends, and best practices.

New Initiatives

Investments in Federal Facilities: Asset Management Strategies for the
21^st^ Century.

**(excerpts from the report published with permission from the Committee
on Business Strategies for Public Capital Investment, National Research
Council)**

At a fundamental level, choices made today about investments in
facilities and infrastructure directly affect the future quality of
shelter, workplaces, and the delivery of services.

Facilities now owned by the Federal Government are valued at over \$300
billion. In addition, it spends over \$25 billion per year for
acquisition, renovation, and upkeep. Despite the size of these sums,
there is a growing litany of problems with federal facilities that
continues to put a drain on the federal budget and compromise the
effectiveness of federal services.

This problem is not new, however, and several studies have addressed it
over the last 20 years or so. One question that continues to be asked is
whether private sector facilities investment and management experience
can be applied to the federal government to address its growing
facilities problems?

To examine this issue in detail, the sponsoring agencies of the Federal
Facilities Council (FFC) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to
develop guidelines for making improved decisions about investment in and
renewal, maintenance, and replacement of federal facilities.

The NRC was asked to review both public and private practices used to
support such decision making and identify appropriate objectives,
practices, and performance measures. To carry out the study, the NRC
formed the ad hoc Committee on Business Strategies for Public Capital
Investment.

**[Findings and Recommendations]{.underline}**

After examining practices for facility investment and management used by
private-sector and some not-for-profit organizations, the committee
arrived at 10 principles/policies followed by best practice
organizations.

**Principles And Policies For Facilities Investments And Management**

As the committee reviewed the types of analyses, the processes, and the
decision making environments that private sector and other organizations
use for facilities investments and management, it focused on identifying
principles and policies used by best practice organizations, as defined
by the committee. The committee found that, in matters of facilities
investment and management, best practice organizations do the following:

-   Principle/Policy 1. Establish a framework of procedures, required
    information, and valuation criteria that aligns the goals,
    objectives, and values of their individual decision making and
    operating groups to achieve the organization\'s overall mission;
    create an effective decision making environment; and provide a basis
    for measuring and improving the outcomes of facilities investments.
    The components of the framework are understood and used by all
    leadership and management levels.

-   Principle/Policy 2. Implement a systematic facilities asset
    management approach that allows for a broad based understanding of
    the condition and functionality of their facilities portfolios\--as
    distinct from their individual projects\--in relation to their
    organizational missions. Best practice organizations ensure that
    their facilities and infrastructure managers possess both the
    technical expertise and the financial analysis skills to implement a
    portfolio based approach.

-   Principle/Policy 3. Integrate facilities investment decisions into
    their organizational strategic planning processes. Best practice
    organizations evaluate facilities investment proposals as mission
    enablers rather than solely as costs.

-   Principle/Policy 4. Use business case analyses to rigorously
    evaluate major facilities investment proposals and to make
    transparent a proposal\'s underlying assumptions; the alternatives
    considered; a full range of costs and benefits; and the potential
    consequences for their organizations.

-   Principle/Policy 5. Analyze the life cycle costs of proposed
    facilities, the life cycle costs of staffing and equipment inherent
    to the proposal, and the life cycle costs of the required funding.

-   Principle/Policy 6. Evaluate ways to disengage from, or exit,
    facilities investments as part of the business case analysis and
    include disposal costs in the facilities life cycle cost to help
    select the best solution to meet the requirement.

-   Principle/Policy 7. Base decisions to own or lease facilities on the
    level of control required and the planning horizon for the function,
    which may or may not be the same as the life of the facility.

-   Principle/Policy 8. Use performance measures in conjunction with
    both periodic and continuous long term feedback to evaluate the
    results of facilities investments and to improve the decision making
    process itself.

-   Principle/Policy 9. Link accountability, responsibility, and
    authority when making and implementing facilities investment
    decisions.

-   Principle/Policy 10. Motivate employees as individuals and as groups
    to meet or exceed accepted levels of performance by establishing
    incentives that encourage effective decision making and reward
    extraordinary performance.

###### Recommendations

Adapting these principles to the Federal government requires
consideration of a number of special aspects of its operational
environment including goals and missions, the nature of federal
facilities investments, and the annual budget process among others.

Despite the differences between the private and public sector, the
committee concluded that all the principles could be adapted in varying
form to the Federal environment. It has therefore made recommendations
to aid in developing an overall framework based on suitable adaptations
of the identified principles and policies.

-   **The** **Federal** **Government should adopt a framework for
    facilities investment** **decision-making** **and management that
    incorporates the ten principles/policies used by best-practice
    organizations.**

Establishment of one or more pilot projects in this context might be
advisable.

-   **Federal facilities asset management programs should be updated to
    enable individual project decisions relative to its entire
    facilities portfolio.**

Facilities asset management approaches are now being adopted that allow
for a broad-based understanding of agency and department facilities
portfolios.

-   **Congress and the administration should jointly lead an effort to
    streamline federal policies, regulations, and processes about
    facilities disposal.**

Current policies hinder efforts to dispose of unneeded facilities.

-   **For those departments and agencies with more facilities than they
    need to support their missions, Congress and the administration
    should jointly consider implementation of extraordinary measures
    such as the process used for military base realignment and closure
    (BRAC).**

-   **Organizational missions should be used as guidance for facilities
    investment decisions, and those investments should be integrated
    into organizational strategic planning processes.**

Proper integration will provide better information about total long term

costs of programs and initiatives; the senior facilities program manager
should be

involved in strategic planning processes.

-   **A business-case analysis should be used for all significant
    facilities investment proposals.**

Although no standard format can be adapted readily, each agency can and

should develop such an analysis. The formats adopted should be agreed to
by the

appropriate agency oversight entities in Congress and the
administration.

-   **Each** **Federal agency should use life-cycle costing for all
    significant facilities investment decisions.**

The life-cycle analysis should include a full range of facilities
investment alternatives; the staff equipment, and technologies inherent
to the alternatives; and the costs of the required funding. While
life-cycle analyses are currently conducted for some large projects, no
instance was found where the analysis also included project staffing,
equipment, and the required technologies.

-   **Congress and the administration should jointly lead an effort to
    revise the budget scorekeeping rules to support facilities
    investments that are cost effective in the long term.**

Currently the cost of a project is "scored" in the year requested, which
has resulted

in disincentives for making cost-effective, long term decisions.
Amending the rules,

which will not be easy, should take into account the long-term interests
of the

government and the public and other objectives and values as well.

-   **Every major facility proposal should include the strategy and
    costs for**

**exiting the investment as part of its business-case analysis.**

Consideration of exit strategies for alternative proposals will help
make their consequences clearer. In addition, such consideration should
lead to better decisions about facility design.

-   **Decisions about whether to own or lease facilities should be based
    on the**

**level of control desired and the planning horizon for the function.**

Currently criteria for such decisions are not clear or uniform. A
clearly stated rationale linked to the agency mission is required for
effective own vs. lease decisions.

-   **Performance measures combined with continuous feedback and
    evaluation should be used to monitor investments, measure their
    outcomes, and improve the** **decision making** **process.**

Measuring investment results is challenging, but efforts are underway to
develop such indices and measures. At the same time, no efforts to
collect long-term feedback---which is essential for effective outcomes
measurement---appear to be underway.

-   **In addition, the decision-making process should be made
    transparent to**

**enhance accountability by illustrating the points at which decisions
are made.**

Such a step can help link responsibility and authority for decision
making.

-   **Congress and the administration should encourage and allow greater
    use of**

**alternative approaches for acquiring facilities.**

Allowing more wide-spread use of approaches such as public-private
partnerships and capital acquisition funds, raises concern about the
transparency of the funding source and whether they account for state
and local governments or other constituencies' perspectives.
Nevertheless, such approaches should be encouraged, although pilot
programs should be implemented as a first step.

###### Recommendations for Implementation

Transforming the environment for federal facilities investments and
management will

require leadership and commitment from all levels of government.
Collaborative and

concerted efforts by Congress and the administration will be important
for implementation of an overall framework. While recommendations
similar to those given

above have been made in the past, success has been limited. To increase
the likelihood of success this time,

-   **Legislation should be enacted and executive orders issued that**

would establish an executive-level commission to determine how the
identified principles can be applied for facilities investment within a
stated period.

-   **Concurrently, department and agency working groups should be
    established to work with the commission.**

Such an effort will result in improved alignment between federal
facilities portfolios and missions; responsible stewardship of these
facilities; substantial investment and cost savings; better use of
available resources; and creation of a collaborative environment for
decision making.

###### For More Information

Copies of *Investments in Federal Facilities: Asset Management
Strategies for the 21st* *Century* are available from the National
Academy Press; call (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3314 (in the Washington
metropolitan area), or visit the NAP Web site at **books.nap.edu.**

Sustainability

White River Maintenance Facility: A Sustainable Solution Tailored to a
Remote Location

(by Bob Harding, GSA Office of Real Property)

Mount Rainier National Park in Washington is currently completing
construction of a maintenance facility and employee housing complex that
will be powered by a photovoltaic (PV) array, with minor auxiliary use
of propane. This system will be the largest remote hybrid solar energy
system in Washington State. Since 1931, the site has been powered by
diesel, with the related noise and pollution concerns. More recently,
liquid propane fired units have been used to provide power. The White
River Entrance facility is a gateway to the eastern side of the Park.

The Park has installed a new 20-kilowatt solar hybrid system that brings
reliable electrical power to this remote area of Mount Rainier without a
connection to an electric utility (off-grid). This installation is part
of a replacement project of antiquated facilities and was designed to
optimize the use of the photovoltaic installation. The installation
consists of Siemens solar modules covering 90 linear feet of the roof of
the new maintenance building, taking advantage of the 12:12 pitch ratio.
The system also includes a 20kW, 208 VAC 3 phase inverter, an industrial
flooded battery bank, and an on-demand propane generator. The inverter
includes a real-time data system and remote control capability that
permits Park staff to monitor and control key system operating
parameters from the Park's headquarters located at Longmire.

The system design was based on load data provided by a study conducted
in conjunction with the Washington State University Energy program,
augmented by onsite solar observation throughout the year. These
observations suggested that the most efficient location for sitting the
solar array was on top of a maintenance structure built in 1930. In
1999, above average snowfall severely damaged this building and
collapsed a building adjacent to it. After stabilizing the building, NPS
took the opportunity to advance the program year for replacing the
structure to coincide with separate funding that had been approved to
fund the solar system.

Prior to commencing construction, Park staff investigated emerging
construction technologies before deciding upon an E-block construction
system. This system incorporates Styrofoam blocks that are assembled,
braced and then pumped with concrete. These walls provide an R rating of
50, a five-hour fire resistance rating, and may be covered with any type
of siding. A combination of park day labor, permanent park journeymen
and contractors helped to control construction costs.

As part of the overall construction process, the electric shop undertook
additional energy conservation measures to ensure the most efficient
operation possible including replacing lighting, refrigerators and water
pumps with newer, more efficient models. The new equipment requires a
reduced load resulting in lower cost and a smaller solar electric
system.

The project has been recognized by the Department of Energy as a 2003
Federal Energy Saver Showcase Award Winner. The system provides a 95%
energy savings over the previous generation system. In addition, it
highlights the potential for utilizing photovoltaic as a viable power
source in the Pacific Northwest. The switch to photovoltaic generation
improves air quality by reducing the Park's overall emissions, a key to
maintaining its Wilderness designation.

Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1889, comprising 235,625
acres in west-central Washington. In 1988, 97% of the Park was
designated as Wilderness. The Park includes Mount Rainier (14,410 ft.),
an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice, as
well as outstanding examples of old growth forests and sub alpine
meadows. Because the Park is relatively accessible to the highly
populated Puget Sound area, the number of annual visitors exceeds
2,000,000.

Number range CHAPTERPutting Electronic Products in Their Place

**(by** **Christopher Kent, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency** **-**
**article provided by Jonathan Herz, GSA Office of Real Property)**

Ever wonder where your old computer is now? Was it sent to a landfill?
Was it exported to the Pacific Rim to be destroyed by children to
capture a few cents worth of copper? Were parts of it reincarnated to
help create a newer, faster computer? Is someone else---a student
maybe---tapping away on the same keyboard your fingers knew so well?
Your computer is equally likely to have traveled down any of these
routes.

Computers and electronics have quickly become part of our daily lives,
but many people are unaware of how employers make purchasing decisions
for these products and how they eventually dispose of them. Yet the path
of a computer - from the time it is designed to when it arrives on your
desk to when it becomes obsolete a few years later---can have a dramatic
effect on the environment. Used and obsolete electronics, such as
computers, printers, mobile phones, and fax machines, are part of an
increasing and complex material stream that poses new challenging waste
and environmental management problems.

**What Makes Them So Special?**

Electronic products are made up of a combination of precious and other
metals, engineered plastics, glass, and other materials---all valuable
resources that are all too often sent to landfills without a second
thought. Some electronic products contain hazardous or toxic substances.
Products containing cathode ray tubes (CRTs), circuit boards, batteries,
and mercury switches can contain lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and
some types of flame retardants, which can pose serious environmental
risks if not properly managed. This growing, changing product stream
presents new challenges and responsibilities in designing and managing
electronic products to reduce their life-cycle environmental impacts.

People tend to think of computers as clean technology, but electronic
equipment contains such hazardous substances as lead, mercury, chromium,
cadmium and beryllium. Some states are even categorizing CRT monitors as
hazardous waste. There is a growing awareness that it's not right just
to throw it away. Electronic waste (e-waste) is the most rapidly growing
waste problem in the world. It is a crisis of quantity and toxicity
posing occupational and environmental health threats. The stronger
occupational safety regulations are, the more money it costs to dispose
of old electronic equipment. There is a report by the Basal Action
Network and the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition
\<[http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/technotrash.pdf\>]{.underline} that
reveals the current \'escape valve\' to handle this problem - exporting
the e-waste crisis to Asia. Some recyclers send electronic waste to
third-world countries for cheap disposal under conditions dangerous to
workers there.

As one of the largest consumers of electronics products, the Federal
Government has a unique opportunity to set the pace for environmentally
sound electronics procurement and end-of-life management. And the
Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) is doing just that. Launched in May
2003, the year-long pilot phase set the stage for a purchasing and
end-of-life challenge that encourages environmentally sound electronics
management at all federal facilities and agencies.

"Electronic products today are replaced so frequently that it is
important to have a balanced electronics management program. That is why
the Federal Electronics Challenge encourages electronics management from
purchasing to disposal, addressing the entire life cycle," said Charles
Johnson, Department of Defense (DOD) Representative in the Office of the
Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE).

The Federal Electronics Challenge is a purchasing, operations, and
end-of-life management challenge issued for federal facilities or
agencies that want to:

-   Purchase greener electronics products,

-   Manage their electronic assets in an environmentally sound manner

-   Receive assistance to change their current practices, and

-   Gain national recognition for their efforts.

The Challenge is open to all federal agencies and facilities. FEC is
sponsored by OFEE, EPA, DOD, GSA, and the Federal Network for
Sustainability, with additional agencies likely. Partners will learn the
importance of applying environmentally sound electronics management
principles throughout a product's life cycle stages---from the
acquisition and procurement of environmentally preferable products to
the operations and maintenance phase to end-of-life management of those
products.

After completing a baseline survey, partners will set realistic goals to
improve the management of their electronic assets and will track their
progress. Depending on a partner's commitment level and achievements,
partners can qualify for a bronze, silver, or gold award. The more the
partners do, the higher the recognition they will receive with Gold
partners receiving White House recognition. Partners will also receive
technical assistance, networking opportunities, and additional tools and
resources as they work to reduce their environmental footprint.

**Get Involved!**

*Pilot Partners*

The FEC Steering Committee is targeting facilities in Washington, DC;
Great Lakes; and West Coast regions of the country for the pilot phase.
For more information on how you can sign up to become a partner in the
Federal Electronics Challenge, visit

\<[www.federalelectronicschallenge.net]{.underline}\>.

*Stakeholders*

FEC welcomes information from the electronics industry, recyclers, and
non-government organizations. For more information on how you can become
involved, visit \<[www.federalelectronicschallenge.net]{.underline}\>.

Recruitment for the FEC pilot phase is currently underway and has
already garnered interest from several federal agencies. For more
information about the Federal Electronics Challenge, opportunities to
join and the wide variety of tools developed to help Federal Facilities
reduce their environmental impact, visit
\<[www.federalelectronicschallenge.net]{.underline}\>, or contact
Christopher Kent at (202) 564-8842 or via e-mail at
kent.christopher@epa.gov.

# 

Number range CHAPTER**Going Green Online: Federal Agencies Make Buying
Green Office Supplies Easy**

**(by** **Holly Elwood, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - article
provided by Jonathan Herz, GSA Office of Real Property)**

Like many Federal agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) buys most office supplies from a variety of sources using
individual purchase cards. Unfortunately, this prevents the agency from
receiving group discounts. In addition, due to the limited purchasing
information available from credit card companies, it is difficult to
track and manage what specifically is being bought with EPA's purchase
cards.

Moreover, it is challenging to train purchase card holders on how to buy
"green" products in accordance with federal green purchasing
requirements; ensure they will remember to ask about the environmental
attributes of each product they consider buying; and get the answers
they need from each vendor in a timely fashion so they can buy products
that meet EPA's performance, cost, and environmental requirements. As
the agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment
and for administering the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)
and Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Programs
\<www.epa.gov/epp\> and \<www.epa.gov/cpg\>, EPA decided it should green
their purchases of office supplies by greening their upcoming office
supplies blanket purchase agreement (BPA).

In March, EPA launched an effort to purchase all non-electronic office
supplies via an agency-specific e-catalog---an online directory of
products and services available for sale under a pre-negotiated BPA with
a commercial vendor, Corporate Express. EPA purchase card holders use
the EPA e-catalog, \<www.epasupplies.com\>, to select from a large array
of office supplies, including those that meet the CPG requirements for
recycled-content and the Executive Order (E.O.) 13101 mandate to
purchase environmentally preferable products and services---products
and/or services that have a lesser or reduced impact on the environment
and human health when compared to competing products or services that
serve the same purpose.

**[Just How Popular Are Purchase Cards]{.underline}?**

-   In 2002, government agencies charged over \$15 billion dollars on
    more than 400,000 purchase cards.

-   EPA estimates annual office supply expenditures of \$5 million, or
    about 14 percent of its \$35.8 million total purchases via 2,000
    purchase cards.

-   The Army spends approximately \$100 million on office products each
    year, or about 6 percent of its \$1.7 billion in purchases via
    100,000 purchase cards.

**[Benefits]{.underline}**

**According to federal agency staff interviewed for** ***Buying Green
Online: Greening Government E-Procurement of Office Supplies*** **the
benefits of buying office supplies through BPAs include:**

-   **Cost savings through group discounts.**

-   **Reduced time spent on routine processing of orders.**

-   **Improved tracking and monitoring capabilities.**

-   **Increased availability of up-to-date product information.**

-   **Ease of use.**

-   **Increased ability to meet mandatory source-of-supply
    requirements.**

-   **Increased ability to meet agency-specific purchasing goals.**

-   **Improved satisfaction of customers and procurement
    professionals.**

To develop its e-catalog, EPA identified and interviewed procurement and
environmental staff from several government agencies that already have
e-catalogs in place for purchasing office supplies and, in some cases,
direct their purchasers to buy green products. EPA has made the lessons
learned via these interviews available in a report that can serve as a
resource for federal agencies and others working to green their
purchases through current or future BPAs. The report, ***Buying Green
Online: Greening Government E-Procurement of Office Supplies**,* is
available at \<www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/buying_green_online.pdf\>. It
includes federal agency success stories, EPA's green criteria for office
supplies, EPA's RFP language for its BPA, and a chart describing a range
of federal office product e-catalogs.

To improve tracking of purchases and ensure they are taking advantage of
requisite group discounts, some of the agency representatives EPA
interviewed have made their agency's e-catalog the only authorized
mechanism for the purchase of office supplies.

###### Drivers

**Agencies successful in greening the product offerings in their
agency-specific e-catalogs cited the following drivers for their green
procurement programs:**

-   **Legal requirements.**

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-   **Improved access to green products.**

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-   **Increased purchase of green products.**

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-   **Improved tracking and monitoring of green purchases.**

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-   **Improved environmental performance for the agency.**

Others have limited the products available via their e-catalog to those
that meet EPA's recycled content guidelines in an effort to increase the
purchase and use of green products.

Although other government agencies have set up successful programs for
encouraging the online purchase of green office products, EPA's green
purchasing criteria, located in Appendix A of the Buying Green Online
Report noted above, are more comprehensive than those of other agencies.
EPA will modify and augment these green purchasing criteria as office
products with additional positive environmental attributes become
available. EPA's BPA also requires recycling of all used toner
cartridges and batteries. Vendor evaluation criteria used in the award
of the BPA included having an Environmental Management System (EMS) in
place or in development and having green fleet purchase and maintenance
programs.

"Buying office supplies through this new system eliminates the big 'ifs'
from the process. When purchase card holders buy through this online
e-procurement system, it's guaranteed that they are buying products that
meet federal green purchasing requirements---and other government
purchasing requirements as well. We've created a win-win green solution
that will work for everyone," said Kerrie O'Hagan, EPA's Purchase Card
Program Manager.

**(sidebar)**

**As a result of limiting offerings to products compliant with EPA's
recycled content guidelines, the Department of Energy's Sandia National
Laboratories reported that purchases of recycled content products
increased from less than 50 percent of overall purchases in 2000 to more
than 80 percent in 2002.**

**[For More Information]{.underline}**

To view EPA's Buying Green Online Report, visit:
**www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/buying_green_online.pdf**. For more information
contact Holly Elwood of EPA at (202) 564-8854 or via e-mail at
elwood.holly@epa.gov.

### Number range CHAPTERSetting the Standard for Sustainability 

**(submitted by Alison Kinn Bennett, Green Building Projects Manager,
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, article provided by Jonathan Herz, GSA Office of Real
Property)**

Over the past few years, the building design and construction
communities have made substantial efforts to incorporate sustainability
into their practices to reduce the environmental impact of development.
In December 2003, ASTM International (formerly the American Society for
Testing and Materials) Committee E6 on Performance of Buildings,
Subcommittee E6.71 on Sustainability, demonstrated a commitment to green
building by finalizing revisions to Standard E2129---"Standard Practice
for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products."
The revised standard is intended to facilitate the dialogue on
sustainability issues among a variety of building professionals,
including:

-   Planners

-   Developers

-   Architects

-   Engineers

-   Interior designers

-   Contractors

-   Building materials and product manufacturers

Specifically, the standard features a comprehensive questionnaire,
organized by the Construction Specifications Institute's
MasterFormat^tm^. Responses will provide users with information to
assess the overall environmental sustainability of specific building
products such as concrete, masonry, insulation, wood, sealants, HVAC
systems, and floor coverings.

(Sidebar)

**ASTM is a nonprofit organization comprised of more than 30,000
individuals from 100 nations. Since 1898, ASTM has provided a global
forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus
standards, which serve as the basis for manufacturing, research and
development, product testing, procurement, and**

**regulatory activities around the world. For nearly five years, EPA's
EPP Program has worked with ASTM to develop an array of environmental
standards. To find out more about ASTM standards development,** **visit
\<www.astm.org\>.**

EPA hopes the revised standard will enable the building industry to push
sustainable building design and construction to new limits. "This
standard and others demonstrate ASTM\'s tremendous contribution to the
advancement of sustainable building. ASTM is developing invaluable
resources for Federal agencies as they strive to meet mandates under the
Greening the Government Executive Orders and the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act," said Alison Kinn Bennett, sustainable
building project manager for EPA's EPP Program, who chaired the Data
Collection Task Group that developed this standard.

Additional efforts by ASTM's Subcommittee on Sustainability include a
standard on environmentally preferable product specifications and a
guide that identifies the general principles of sustainability relative
to buildings.

To learn more about these ASTM Standards, contact Alison Kinn Bennett at
(202) 564-8859 or via e-mail at kinn.alison@epa.gov (article from EPA\'s
\"Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Update\" Spring 2004 edition).

### 

### Telework

**Telework: The Future Is Now At GSA's Office of Real Property**

**(by Dee McFadden Wallace, GSA Office of Real Property)**

GSA's Office of Real Property has released a newly developed 13-minute
video focusing on and promoting advances in telework and workplace
technology. The video,"Telework: The Future Is Now At GSA's Office of
Real Property" features demonstrations of a wide array of advances in
teleworking and in associated technology tools.

The video highlights on-going work arrangements and workplace
development activities in the Office of Real Property (MP) located in
GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy. MP produced the video to increase
Federal agency awareness of actual and ongoing benefits being achieved
through advances in telework and to facilitate the growth and optimal
utilization of Federal telework. While designed for Federal agencies,
the video's contents are applicable to the private sector and other
public sector organizations. To obtain a copy of the video (CD format),
contact Dee McFadden-Wallace at (202) 501-1823 or via e-mail at
Dee.McFadden-Wallace@gsa.gov.

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# Planning

# 

# GRPIS Team Follows Lewis & Clark: GRPIS at a Glance

**(by Gary Jordon, GSA Office of Real Property)**

In May, the Governmentwide Real Property Information Sharing (GRPIS)
Team headed back out to the Pacific Northwest to begin the Program's
eleventh GRPIS Study in Portland, Oregon. As in previous GRPIS Studies,
the team has visited Federal agencies to explain the benefits of the
GRPIS Program, update field professionals of new legislation and ways to
implement new regulations. Agency visits also provide opportunities to
learn of emerging good practices, learn what the pressing real property
related issues are that field professionals are facing, and to help
facilitate federal partnerships. Based upon the reception the GRPIS Team
received, a new GRPIS Council composed of federal real property
professionals will form in the fall.

Recently, the GRPIS Team was contacted about conducting a GRPIS Study
encompassing the State of North Dakota. The Minot, ND Job Corps Center
expressed their desire for a GRPIS council after learning of the
benefits that the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center was able to realize
as part of the Heartland GRPIS Council in the Kansas City area. While
the present GRPIS councils are centered in major metropolitan areas, a
venture into North Dakota will allow the GRPIS Program to expand into a
rural area of the United States by determining effective ways to serve a
remotely-based constituency.

Conducting a GRPIS Study in a rural area, with the eventual formation of
a council, will utilize video and teleconferencing means of
communicating. The GRPIS Team expects that the lessons learned in a
rural area will be transferable to outlying member agencies of existing
councils. A study in a rural area will also identify and highlight the
real property related issues that a rural area encounters. The GRPIS
Team plans to begin a North Dakota Study in late summer.

By popular council demand, the GRPIS Team has partnered with Sandia
National Laboratory (New Mexico) to present the RAMPART/GSA software
program. RAMPART is a risk-based screening program designed to assist
building managers in determining what further studies may be needed in
security and emergency systems. At numerous council meetings, Susan
Carson of Sandia National Laboratory, demonstrated the software by
selecting the meeting facility as a test case.

RAMPART makes a screening-level assessment of the risks associated with
a given building in the face of certain hazards, calculating the risk
arising from five natural hazards (earthquake, tornado, hurricane,
winter storm, and flood); crime (inside and outside the building); and
terrorism. Risk from fire will be added to the list of hazards addressed
by RAMPART in release 3. Sandia National Laboratory is actively looking
for a federal agency to sponsor a more comprehensive terrorism component
to RAMPART. The software is free to federal agencies, developed under a
contract with the General Services Administration. Agencies wishing to
acquire the software should e-mail her at sdcarso@sandia.gov.

Other topics presented and discussed at recent GRPIS Council meetings
have included: Outsourcing/A-76; implications of Executive Order 13327
-- Federal Real Property Asset Management; implementing Executive Order
13148 -- Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental
Management; federal agencies collaborating with the Job Corps to meet
human resource needs, and federal agencies collaborating to procure real
property related services.

**Portfolio Inventory**\
\
**Federal** **Real** **Property** **Profile** **Summary** **Report
Released!**

##### 

##### (by Ken Holstrom, GSA Office of Real Property)

A Bulletin announcing the issuance of the FY2003 Federal Real Property
Profile Summary Report was signed by Office of Governmentwide Policy
Associate Administrator Marty Wagner on April 14, 2004 and appeared in
the Federal Register on May 7, 2004. The report provides an overview of
the Government\'s real property assets categorized in three major areas:
buildings, land, and structures. The notice also informs readers where
they can obtain copies of the report and who they can contact for
further information. Contact Ken Holstrom via e-mail at
kenneth.holstrom@gsa.gov.

New Web Federal Real Property Profile Wows Feds at Interior Conference

**(by Ron Rice, GSA Office of Real Property)**

The Department of the Interior held a Facilities and Asset Management
Conference in Orlando, Florida from May 3-7 2004. The theme was
"Stewardship of Federal Assets, United Commitment to Excellence."

Also commited to excellence is GSA\'s Office of Real Property in leading
edge management of the government\'s portfolio assets. The Office\'s
McDonald Peoples gave an important overview of the latest developments
in the Internet Application of the Federal Real Property Profile
(FRPP-IA).

The conference audience learned about the two main components of the
FRPP-IA (the Annual Summary Report and the Internet Application), how
the Annual Report is compiled and what critical data is needed from the
agencies to produce the report.

The attendees came away with an important message about the Internet
Application, the new features that have been incorporated and changes
being planned for the future. Many lessons were learned\...the use of
the Internet Application as a management tool, where to find the
application on the Internet, its main functions, and where to find the
FRPP-IA summary report on the GSA portal \-\-- all important tools for
today\'s Federal asset manager.

##### New Inventory on the Net Enhanced For Customers

**(by Ron Rice, GSA Office of Real Property)**

To date in FY 2004, there have been significant enhancements and
developments to the Federal Real Property Profile -- Internet
Application (FRPP -- IA). The FRPP -- IA has been relocated to a
GSA-owned server and migrated to Version 3, which allows for additional
reportable fields, new usage codes, occupancy information, and
functionality to maintain GSA survey information within the FRPP. The
GSA survey information was migrated and incorporated into the FRPP
database.

The FY 2003 FRPP Summary Report of federally owned and leased real
property was also issued online and in paper format. The Profile
reflects the data reported by steward agencies at the end of FY 2003.
The report can be found on the GSA web site at
**www.gsa.gov/realpropertyprofile**, where it can be read, printed or
downloaded. The Data Call requesting agency information for the FY 2004
FRPP was issued on July 2, 2004. A customer focus group meeting to gain
agency input and discuss customer issues and concerns was held on June
25, 2004 at GSA Headquarters.

**Best Practices**

Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation Honors Winners...Includes
First Best Adopted Practice Award Winner

**\
(by** **Reza Motamedamin, GSA Office of Real Property)**

***GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO \"ADOPT\" BEST PRACTICES***

The call for Entries for the 2004 GSA Achievement Award for Real
Property Innovation has come and gone. In its place is a stellar
assortment of Real Property and Innovative Workplace entries from
throughout the Federal Government.

In particular, this year\'s entries for the *[ADOPTED BEST
PRACTICE]{.underline}* category illustrate the *success* of the awards
program to facilitate the adoption and implementation of successful best
practices between agencies.

Winners from the Department of the Interior (DOI), Defense (DoD), and
the Department of the Army will take home this year's awards for Best
Innovative Policy, Practice and Best Adopted Practice.

DOI won the Best Innovative Policy award for their entry, "Guidelines
for Wireless Telecommunication Facilities," which provides a clear
roadmap to both public and private sector organizations for the
installation of wireless telecommunication facilities, such as cellular,
PCS, WiFi, and other wireless communication networks within the
75,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area in Northern California.

DoD won the Best Innovative Practice award for their entry, "Military
Housing Privatization Initiative," using new authorities provided by
Congress to use private sector expertise and capital to accelerate
improvements to housing inventory; which under traditional methods would
cost over \$30 billion and take 30 to 40 years.

The Department of the Army's entry, "Army Strategic Master Space Plan,"
will take home the first Best Adopted Practice award. Army adopted the
best practice for strategic planning that originated at the Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) for developing a strategic master space plan to
meet its real property management challenges.

Two Honorable Mentions go to the General Services Administration's,
Public Buildings Service for their entries, "Best Value" Facilities
Management Partnership" and "GSA's Environmental Risk Index."

The entries will also be published in the Best Practices Newsletter this
fall and on our website\'s E-Practice database at
**www.gsa.gov/realpropertypolicy**.

The Award Ceremony will be held in Washington, DC on October 7, 2004,
and is open to everyone. For more information contact Tanya Gross at
(202) 501-2904 or via e-mail at tanya.gross@gsa.gov.

### Succession Planning

# 

# GSA Provides Learning Experience for College Generation

**(by Cindy Quan, GSA Office of Real Property)**

# 

# *REFLECTION ON SPRING SEMESTER EXPERIENCE WITH GSA*

My \"Cornell in Washington\" journey kicked off on February 2, 2004 at
GSA, in the Office of Governmentwide Policy, Office of Real Property,
Innovative Workplaces Division under the supervision of Stan
Kaczmarczyk. While I expected a great 3-month learning experience in the
field developed by my Professor, Frank Becker, what I truly gained from
working with the best and brightest minds was invaluable.

Although I had never before experienced what it would be like to "hit
the ground running," from day one in the 6200 corridor of the GSA
headquarters building, I was put to the test on my semester long run.
Working with the Integrated Workplace Team consisting of Mike Atkinson,
Rob Obenreder, Jonathan Herz of GSA, and Diane Hartley and Tara Auclair
from Spaulding & Sly Colliers, to develop a Business Case for the
Integrated Workplace was the heart of my job. Being a part of this
collaborative team made me realize how much my opinions and input would
be valued and taken into consideration for the final document. It was on
the second day of the job after the team meeting, when it dawned upon me
that I wasn't going to be an "intern" for three months, but a team
player. As the Business Case evolved from seedling ideas to a coherent
PowerPoint, I was able to see my educational contribution reflected in
the organization and presentation of the material.

As time flew by this semester and my experience became even more
solidified, I knew that I wanted to pass on the knowledge that I had
gained to future Cornell students in the Facilities Planning &
Management field. Luckily, a preplanned trip to Cornell allowed me to
get the ball rolling in establishing a permanent connection between
future students and GSA. While the Cornell in Washington Program allows
students to find their own externship, knowledge of the right places to
work that best fit the student is crucial. After three days of
canvassing for GSA and meeting with students in the Design and
Environmental Analysis Department in the College of Human Ecology to
answer their questions about my experience, I had broadened the
knowledge base of the innovative work happening in the Federal
Government. Continuing efforts will be made in my role as the President
of the Cornell Chapter of the International Facilities Management
Association to spread awareness of the groundbreaking work in the
facilities field.

When I look back at the past three months, I can honestly say that I
have had the best learning experience in my life. My fit with the
Innovative Workplaces Division is due in great part to the curriculum
put together by Frank Becker and William Sims, Professor and Director of
the Facilities Planning and Management program at Cornell. With courses
in interior design, human factors and ergonomics, facilities management,
real estate, business management, and economics, students in this field
are well rounded in understanding the vast influences of the facilities
field.

Through the people I met and worked with on a daily basis, I have been
able to get a taste of the real world. I am ecstatic about starting my
summer internship with Goldman Sachs in New York City in their Corporate
Services Division, which I obtained only after talking about my working
experience at GSA. I will truly miss all the people who make the Office
of Real Property so unique and are so passionate about their work. What
they might not realize is: their influence is wider and greater
throughout the world than they think. Without innovative minds, new
solutions to old problems will never arise.

Cindy Quan will be a senior in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell
University next fall. She is a dual major in Policy Analysis &
Management and Design & Environmental Analysis, concentrating in
Facilities Planning and Management and Consumer Business. After she
graduates in 2005, she hopes to work in real estate development.

**(Sidebar)**

####### Newsroom

######## SUSTAINABILITY - \"THE COSTS AND REWARDS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN\"

The article \"The Costs and Rewards of Sustainable Design (Do LEED-EB
Buildings have a measurable economic impact?)\" was included in our
Spring 2004 Policysite issue from [Today\'s Facility
Manager]{.underline} magazine.

Correction: The following important information is added here for
reference. The article was reprinted with permission from the editor of
[Today\'s Facility Manager]{.underline} magazine, the October 2003
issue. The article was authored by Mr. Michael Arny, president of the
Madison, Wisconsin-based Leonardo Academy and chair of the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC) LEED-EB Committee. Footnotes for the article
include:

1 The Financial Power of EnergyStar®,USEPA, 1998.\
2 Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, August
2003 (also see www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/chap5.pdf).\
3 Experience Exchange Report, Building Owners and Managers Association
International, 2002.\
4 \"Liquid Gold,\" by Anne Gonzales, Sacramento Business Journal, March
17, 2003.\
5 BOSTI Association, 2001.\
6 BOSTI Association, 2001. 7 \"Greening The Building And The Bottom
Line,\" Rocky Mountain Institute, 1994.

For more about Today\'s Facility Manager magazine and valuable
information on quality operation, design and maintenance of facilities,
visit **www.facilitycity.com**.

## *ON THE NET: WWW.GSA.GOV/REALPROPERTYPOLICY*

## 

Check out this [one-stop Internet source]{.underline} for information
for today\'s Federal real property asset managers and workplace
development experts. From the latest in \"green\" design to current real
estate regulations to a \"library\" of best practices for your office to
adapt to your strategic needs. This and much more\...E-Real Estate,
performance measures, telework, real estate laws and the latest
Executive Order 13327, \"Federal Real Property Asset Management.\"