GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol 

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548 

February 10, 2006 

The Honorable Wayne Allard 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch 

Committee on Appropriations 

United States Senate 

The Honorable Jerry Lewis 

Chairman 

Committee on Appropriations 

House of Representatives 

Subject: Architect of the Capitol: Addressing Staffing and Training Issues Is 

Important for Efficient and Safe West Refrigeration Plant Operations 

The West Refrigeration Plant Expansion (WRPE) project is the centerpiece of an 

effort to expand the capacity of the Capitol Power Plant (CPP) to meet the U.S. 

Capitol’s growing heating and cooling needs and to update plant equipment, some of 

which dates to the 1950s. CPP generates steam and chilled water to provide heating 

and cooling for the Capitol and 23 surrounding facilities that, together, encompass 

about 16 million square feet of space. CPP will also serve the 580,000-square-foot 

Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), which is under construction. When completed, the 

WRPE project will increase CPP’s chilled water production capacity by about 23 

percent and enable central operation of CPP’s chillers.1

 The WRPE construction 

contract was awarded in March 2003, work is ongoing, and the project is now 

scheduled for completion in March 2006. Future contract changes may, however, 

extend this date to June 2006. The budget for the WRPE project and associated 

administrative expenses is $81.7 million. Several modifications have been made to 

the WRPE contract to incorporate other capital improvements at CPP. The budget 

for these modifications is $19.2 million, bringing the total budget for the base WRPE 

project and related projects to $100.9 million. For clarity, we refer in this report to 

the base WRPE project and related projects collectively as the WRPE project. 

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC), who manages CPP, is responsible for 

commissioning the new West Refrigeration Plant equipment. According to the 

General Services Administration (GSA), which provides guidance to federal agencies 

 

1

The base WRPE contract provides for a distributed controls system that uses a computer program, 

rather than human operators, to monitor and control CPP’s chillers. A contract modification is funding 

a similar system for CPP’s boilers. 
on managing their facilities, commissioning is a systematic process to ensure, by 

verification and documentation, that all of a facility’s systems perform interactively 

as designed and intended to meet the owner’s operational needs. AOC and its 

contractors are carrying out the commissioning process, including a three-stage plan 

prepared by the construction contractor for testing the performance of the new 

WRPE equipment. AOC is also responsible for ensuring that CPP is staffed efficiently 

and that CPP personnel have the knowledge and skills to operate the plant safely. 

Over the years, we have reported on AOC’s management of CPP several times and 

made recommendations for improvement. Our most recent report, issued in April 

2005, included recommendations on CPP’s staffing.2

 As requested, this report 

updates our prior work and evaluates AOC’s (1) commissioning activities to date and 

plans for commissioning the new equipment without disrupting current operations 

and (2) plans for staffing the modernized power plant efficiently and ensuring that 

CPP personnel are trained to operate it safely. In addition, the report estimates the 

costs to complete the WRPE project, taking into account the possible effects of 

anticipated contract changes, operational issues, and other challenges to a timely and 

successful startup. 

To evaluate AOC’s commissioning activities to date and plans for commissioning the 

new equipment, we reviewed GSA’s guidance on commissioning,3

 visited CPP, and 

interviewed CPP managers and a construction management consultant retained by 

AOC. We also reviewed the equipment-testing plan prepared by the construction 

contractor. To support our evaluation of the commissioning activities and plans, we 

retained an engineering consultant who specializes in heating and cooling plant 

operations. To evaluate AOC’s plans for staffing the modernized plant efficiently and 

ensuring that CPP personnel are trained to operate it safely, we reviewed our 

guidance on strategic training and development,4

 interviewed CPP managers, and 

reviewed AOC’s response to the staffing and training recommendations we made in 

our April 2005 report. Additionally, we randomly selected and interviewed five CPP 

operators to learn about the deployment and content of the training from their 

perspective. To estimate the costs to complete the WRPE project, we reviewed 

AOC’s cost and schedule information related to the construction contract and 

identified contract changes, operational issues, and other challenges that could affect 

the project’s costs and schedule. The same engineering consultant who helped us 

evaluate AOC’s commissioning plan assisted us in developing our cost analysis, 

which includes, for each cost component, a range of costs to account for variations in 

circumstances, from best to worst case. We conducted our review from June 2005 

through December 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. 

 2

GAO, Capitol Power Plant: Actions Needed to Improve Operating Efficiency (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 

8, 2005), issued as unnumbered correspondence. This work was mandated in the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Section 1101 of Division G, Title I of Pub. L. No. 108-447 118 

Stat. 2809, at 3185 and 3186 (2004)). 

3

GSA, Public Buildings Service, Office of the Chief Architect, The Building Commissioning Guide

(Washington, D.C., April 2005). 

4

GAO, Human Capital: A Guide for Strategic Training and Development Efforts in the Federal 

Government, GAO-04-546G (Washington, D.C.: March 2004).

Page 2 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Results in Brief 

The WRPE commissioning process has been effective thus far, although the bulk of 

the equipment testing remains to be done. According to our analysis, AOC’s 

commissioning activities to date and commissioning plans are consistent with GSA’s 

commissioning guidance and are designed to allow the new plant equipment to start 

up without disrupting CPP’s current operations. GSA’s guidance calls for document 

reviews, checklists, functional performance tests, and training in the use of the 

equipment. This process is intended to ensure that the equipment meets 

specifications and performs as intended. AOC and its contractors have been 

performing the activities GSA recommends. Since March 2003, when construction 

began, CPP project managers and AOC’s construction management consultant have 

been reviewing documents and monitoring WRPE construction and equipment 

installation activities. In addition, starting in November 2005, a commissioning agent 

retained by AOC, as we recommended, has been overseeing the construction 

contractor’s execution of the contractor’s three-stage plan for testing the functional 

performance of the equipment—the heart of the commissioning process.5

 Under this 

plan, which consists of a series of checklists, the contractor is testing the functioning 

of individual components, the manual operation of system components, and the 

automatic operation of system components. According to AOC, the functional testing 

has proceeded without incident, and overall plant operations have continued without 

disruption. However, most of the functional testing lies ahead, and the training for 

operators in the use of the equipment, which the equipment manufacturers will 

provide, has not started yet. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the commissioning

process will be determined by how well the new systems function when CPP assumes 

full responsibility for their operation. 

By contrast, AOC has made less progress in planning to staff the modernized power 

plant efficiently and ensure that CPP personnel are trained to operate it safely. 

Specifically, AOC has just begun to address long-standing CPP staffing 

recommendations and has not developed a plan for evaluating the training provided 

to CPP operators. As far back as 1996, an AOC engineering consultant found that 

CPP was overstaffed and recommended staffing reductions. Most recently, in

November 2004, a different AOC engineering consultant recommended a reduction in 

CPP staffing from 88 to 46 positions. In October 2005, AOC contracted with the same 

consultant it retained in 2004 for an updated workload-based staffing study, a draft of 

which was recently delivered to AOC for review. According to AOC, the new study 

includes a proposed organizational chart and an implementation plan for achieving 

the recommended organizational structure. While this draft study is a step toward 

staffing CPP more efficiently, it will not be completed in time to guide AOC’s 

investments in training required for the new equipment’s operation. As a result, AOC 

is providing training for all plant operators, even though fewer operators may be 

 5

The commissioning agent retained by AOC had been involved with the project as a subcontractor to

AOC’s construction management consultant. We recommended that, given the importance of the 

commissioning process, AOC have a direct relationship with an independent commissioning agent. In 

November 2005, AOC entered into a new contract for commissioning services with the same firm that

was formerly a subcontractor to AOC’s construction management consultant. 

Page 3 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
needed after a new staffing plan is in place. To help ensure that CPP personnel are 

trained to operate the modernized plant safely, AOC has planned, developed, and 

begun to implement training for CPP operators that addresses safe plant operations, 

but AOC has not developed a plan for evaluating the training and using the evaluation 

results to guide future training investments or to help implement a new staffing plan. 

Without an evaluation plan, AOC cannot ensure that CPP personnel have acquired the 

skills needed to operate the modernized plant safely or that the best prepared 

operators are included in CPP’s restructured workforce. Feedback from AOC’s 

construction management consultant and our interviews with CPP operators have 

raised concerns about how well the initial training has prepared CPP staff to operate 

the new equipment. To address these concerns, AOC plans to hire a startup 

contractor to provide technical assistance for up to 8 weeks after WRPE’s 

completion. AOC believes this technical assistance will help CPP staff operate the 

new equipment safely, without damaging it, and will help AOC identify and address 

any gaps in operators’ training. We are recommending that AOC develop and 

implement an updated workload-based staffing plan based on the results of its most 

recent consultant’s study, evaluate the training provided to CPP operators, and use 

the evaluation results in implementing the updated staffing plan. 

We estimate that the cost to complete the WRPE project could differ from the $101 

million budgeted for it, potentially ranging from about $98 million to nearly $106 

million, depending on the outcomes of negotiations over future contract changes and 

the level of training and contractor technical support that CPP operators need. 

Currently, the WRPE construction contract is scheduled for completion in March 

2006, but because of these contract changes, CPP project managers expect that it will 

be delayed until June 2006. Among the contract changes that are likely to have the 

greatest impact on WRPE’s cost and schedule are those that affect the design and 

construction of the fire sprinkler system, the configuration of chilled water pipes, and 

the design and construction of the distributed controls system for the chillers. As 

commissioning progresses, funds are also likely to be needed for troubleshooting and 

repairs, as well as for startup support if operators require additional technical 

assistance.

We provided a draft copy of this report to AOC for review and comment. AOC 

officials provided oral comments in which they generally concurred with our 

recommendations and offered technical clarifications and updated information

concerning staffing and training efforts. 

Background 

The director of CPP, who reports to the AOC Chief Operating Officer, is responsible 

for managing 95 full-time-equivalent staff and an operating budget that, in fiscal year 

2005, totaled approximately $33 million.6

 The director’s position has been vacant 

since May 2005, but AOC is now working to fill the vacancy and expects to hire a new 

director in January 2006. 

 6

The $33 million operating budget primarily consists of payroll, maintenance, and utility costs. The 

utility costs largely consist of fuel and electricity to operate the boilers and chillers. 

Page 4 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Located at New Jersey and E Streets, Southeast, in Washington, D.C., CPP consists of 

four main facilities:7

 a steam plant constructed in 1908; the East Refrigeration Plant, 

constructed in 1938; and the West Refrigeration Plant and administration building, 

constructed in 1978. WRPE, whose construction AOC is managing under an ongoing 

contract, will add approximately 25,000 square feet to the West Refrigeration Plant. 

This additional space will house new machines for generating chilled water (see fig. 

1). The contract also provides for installing a centrally operated distributed controls 

system for CPP’s chillers. AOC has budgeted $81.7 million for this contract and 

associated administrative expenses. AOC is also completing other projects related to 

CPP operations under the same contract, including installing a centrally operated 

distributed controls system for CPP’s boilers, a fuel oil tank, and an emergency 

generator, and modernizing the plant’s electrical system. AOC is using multiple

funding sources—primarily specific appropriations but also some CPP operating 

funds—to pay for these other projects, the combined budgeted cost of which is $19.2 

million. In total, the budgeted cost of the WRPE project—including both the base 

project and the related projects—is $100.9 million. According to CPP project 

managers, the new WRPE chillers were manually tested before December 1, 2005, 

meeting a contract milestone. The WRPE project is now scheduled for completion by 

March 16, 2006; however, CPP project managers told us that pending contract 

changes are likely to delay its completion until June 2006.8

 

 7

CPP does not currently produce electric power. According to AOC officials, CPP stopped producing 

power in 1952. 

8

Other work under the contract, such as the installation of the distributed controls system in the boiler 

plant, is likely to continue beyond this date. 

Page 5 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Figure 1: CPP West Refrigeration Plant Expansion Project Site and New Chiller (photo) 

E Street SE

Administration

South Capitol Street

Existing

West Refrigeration

Plant

West Refrigeration

Plant expansion

East

Refrigeration

Plant

Boiler

plant

Virginia Ave. SE

New Jersey Ave. SE

Sources: GAO (map); AOC (photo).

295

The East and West Refrigeration Plants are used to generate chilled water for comfort 

cooling and equipment cooling. Together, these facilities currently have a nominal 

chilled water production capacity of 37,700 tons.9

 The base WRPE project will 

provide three new 5,400-ton chillers, which will replace obsolete chillers in the East 

Refrigeration Plant. The obsolete chillers in the East Refrigeration Plant will be

removed, and two new 3,000-ton chillers,10 temporarily located in the East 

Refrigeration Plant, are proposed to be moved to WRPE after it is completed. The 

expanded West Refrigeration Plant (WRP), including both the existing WRP and the 

WRP expansion, will then produce all of CPP’s chilled water and will have a total 

production capacity of 46,200 tons, an increase of nearly 23 percent over CPP’s 

current capacity. The East Refrigeration Plant will be available for alternative uses, 

such as housing a cogeneration system11 that AOC is currently considering. 

 9

The rate at which a chiller produces cooling is generally expressed in tons per hour. One ton of 

cooling is equal to the amount of cooling provided by 1 ton (2,000 pounds) of ice melting in 1 day 

(12,000 British thermal units per hour). The West Refrigeration Plant houses four 6,000-ton chillers, 

and the East Refrigeration Plant contains two new 3,000-ton chillers and four obsolete chillers (three

2,200-ton chillers—two of which were taken out of service in July 2005—and one 1,100-ton chiller). 

 

10AOC purchased these chillers in September 2004 to supplement chilled water production in case of 

disruptions during construction. 

11A cogeneration system is a combustion turbine generator that produces electricity and uses the heat

from the combustion to produce steam.

Page 6 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
As part of our work for Congress, we have reported on AOC’s management for 

several years. Recently, we have testified several times on AOC’s management of the 

Capitol Visitor Center, which is under construction.12 In a September 2005 testimony, 

we identified incidents at CPP that we said could affect CPP’s ability to provide 

chilled water and steam. For example, in July 2005, two chillers in CPP’s East 

Refrigeration Plant were taken out of service because of a significant refrigerant gas 

leak that went undetected by CPP staff. AOC does not plan to repair the chillers 

because they are scheduled for demolition. In addition, in June 2005, one of CPP’s 

two coal-burning boilers was damaged by a fire that, according to a CPP incident 

report, was caused by operator error. CPP has since repaired the damaged boiler. 

We further testified that management issues at CPP, including the absence of a 

staffing plan for WRPE, could affect WRPE’s and CPP’s operational readiness, and we 

stated that it was essential to fill the CPP director’s position with an experienced 

manager who is also an expert in the production of chilled water and steam. 

Commissioning Activities to Date and Commissioning Plans Are Consistent 

with Federal Guidance on Achieving Intended Performance

AOC’s commissioning activities to date and plans for commissioning the new WRPE 

equipment are consistent with GSA’s guidance and are designed to allow the new 

plant equipment to start up without disrupting current operations. GSA’s guidance 

calls for several activities during construction to help ensure that a facility’s systems 

perform interactively as designed and intended. These activities include reviewing 

submittals for performance parameters, developing and using construction 

checklists, conducting functional performance tests, and providing training. See 

table 1 for details. 

 12See GAO, Capitol Visitor Center: Schedule Delays Continue; Reassessment Underway, GAO-05-

1037T (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 15, 2005); Capitol Visitor Center: Status of Schedule, Fire Protection, 

Cost and Related Issues, GAO-06-180T (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 18, 2005); and Capitol Visitor Center, 

Update on Schedule and Cost, GAO-05-251T (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 16, 2005). 

Page 7 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
 

Table 1: Facility Construction Commissioning Activities

Commissioning activity GSA’s description

Review submittals • Evaluate product documentation provided by contractor for items

intended to be used or installed during construction 

• Documents include engineering drawings, product data sheets, and 

operating and training manuals

Develop and use construction 

checklists

• Checklists are tools for ensuring that product type and performance 

information specified in the contract documents is transferred to workers

• In completing checklists, all parties are assured that the contract 

requirements are satisfied 

• Checklists cover activities from delivery and storage of products and 

materials to installation and startup steps 

• Completion of checklists is reviewed during periodic site visits

Conduct functional performance

tests

• Functional performance tests are the focal point of the commissioning 

process and are intended to evaluate the ability of the components of a

system to work together to meet performance criteria

• Functional performance tests are performed after construction checklists

are complete 

• Outcomes of tests are recorded using photographs, forms, or other 

means

• Retesting is done as necessary

Provide training • Training is conducted to teach operating personnel about required care,

adjustment, maintenance, and operation of equipment and systems

Source: GAO analysis of GSA’s The Building Commissioning Guide. 

Since March 2003, when AOC awarded the WRPE construction contract, CPP project 

managers and AOC’s construction management consultant have been working 

together to monitor building construction and equipment installation activities. The 

project managers have overall responsibility for administering the construction

contract, and the construction management consultant provides administrative 

support. The consultant has coordinated the reviews and approvals of all submittals 

prepared by the construction contractor and has conducted field inspections to 

ensure that construction and equipment installation work meets contract 

specifications. Given the importance of the commissioning process to ensuring that 

WRPE meets its designed intent, we suggested to AOC in June 2005 that it provide 

strong oversight of the process. AOC subsequently retained an independent 

commissioning agent, who had previously been involved with the WRPE project as a 

subcontractor to AOC’s construction management consultant, to provide dedicated 

oversight of the activities outlined in the construction contractor’s testing plan. This 

commissioning agent will also be providing training to CPP operators to familiarize 

them with the new plant equipment, as discussed in the next section, and 

coordinating the equipment-specific training provided by the equipment 

manufacturers as part of the commissioning process. 

The operation of WRPE’s chilled water generating system is being tested according to 

the construction contractor’s three-stage plan. This plan includes functional testing 

of the individual components (stage one), manual operation of system components 

(stage two), and automatic operation of system components (stage three). Each 

Page 8 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
stage of the plan is based on sequenced checklists that detail testing procedures.13

 

According to CPP project managers, as of December 1, 2005, system components had 

been installed, and the three new chillers were manually operational, as planned. The 

CPP project managers reported that stage one testing, which began in October 2005, 

was largely complete and that stage two testing, which began in mid-November 2005, 

was ongoing. According to AOC officials, the testing has proceeded thus far without 

incident, and CPP has continued to operate without disruption. However, most of the 

testing lies ahead. Specifically, the stage three testing is to begin in February 2006 

and continue for the duration of the construction contract. AOC’s commissioning 

agent has started to provide familiarization training to CPP operators, but the 

manufacturer-provided, equipment-specific training has not yet begun. 

AOC Lacks a Staffing Plan for CPP and Has Not Determined How It Will 

Evaluate Operator Training

To operate the modernized power plant efficiently and safely, AOC needs an 

appropriate number of staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to properly 

operate and maintain the new equipment and the new distributed controls systems. 

AOC has long recognized that CPP is overstaffed, but has not implemented staffing 

reductions and has only recently contracted for and received an updated draft study 

that it plans to use in establishing a new CPP staffing structure. AOC is providing 

training for all plant operators but has not yet determined how it will evaluate the 

training. 

Studies Have Long Identified Overstaffing, but AOC Has Just Begun to Address 

Staffing Recommendations 

In 1996, in a technical and economic evaluation of CPP operations, an AOC 

engineering consultant reported that CPP was overstaffed compared with similar 

plants and estimated that a reduction in the number of staff from 86 to 61 would 

reduce CPP’s staffing costs by about 29 percent.14 In a March 2004 report on CPP, we 

noted that there had been little change in CPP’s staffing since 1996 and recommended 

that AOC update the portion of its 1996 study related to staffing.15 AOC then 

contracted with a different engineering consultant to update the 1996 study. This 

updated study, which was issued in November 2004 and took the ongoing WRPE 

project into consideration, indicated that current staffing levels were high, and 

recommended a reduction in CPP staffing, from 88 to 46 positions.16 In our April 2005 

report, we recommended that, by the end of September 2005, AOC develop an

implementation plan for adopting its consultant’s November 2004 recommendations, 

including the CPP staffing reduction. In October 2005, AOC contracted with the same 

 13The WRPE construction contractor has prepared the checklists for stages one and two of the testing

plan but has yet to prepare checklists for stage three. AOC project managers expect to receive the 

third stage of the plan in February 2006. 

14See AOC, Capitol Power Plant Technical and Economic Evaluation of Plant Operations 

(Washington, D.C., April 1996). 

15GAO, Capitol Power Plant Utility Master Plan, GAO-04-456RNI (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 1, 2004). 

16See AOC, Utility Master Plan (Washington, D.C., 2004). 

Page 9 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
consultant it retained in 2004 to develop an updated staffing study. This new study, a 

draft of which was recently delivered to AOC, includes benchmarking and workload 

analyses that the consultant used to develop a proposed organizational chart and an 

implementation plan to achieve the recommended organizational structure. While 

this draft study is a step toward staffing CPP more efficiently, it was not completed in 

time to guide AOC’s investments in training. As a result, AOC is providing training for 

all plant operators, even though fewer operators may be needed after a new staffing 

plan is in place. 

AOC Contractors Are Providing Training That Addresses Safe Plant Operations, but 

AOC Has Not Developed a Plan for Evaluating the Training 

Training is critical to the WRPE project’s success because operators will need 

updated knowledge and skills to efficiently and safely operate the advanced 

technologies that are being installed. When construction is complete, state-of-the-art 

equipment will replace aging system components that date as far back as the 1950s. 

Furthermore, the new plantwide distributed controls systems will fundamentally 

change CPP’s operating methods: Operators will have a lesser need to directly control 

system components because certain functions will be automatically maintained by 

the distributed controls systems. 

AOC has planned and developed training for CPP operators and is implementing this 

training in stages. AOC’s construction management consultant has already provided 

refresher training, lasting approximately 9 months, for all CPP operators on the 

fundamentals of chilled water and steam systems.17 AOC’s commissioning agent has 

started to provide additional training for operators on chiller and boiler systems, as 

well as on the operation and maintenance of the distributed controls systems. This 

operator training includes two 8-hour sessions per week, to be offered from 

November 2005 through March 2006 according to a schedule that will allow operators 

from all shifts to receive instruction. AOC’s intent is to provide each operator with 8 

hours of training every other week. Finally, AOC’s commissioning agent will 

coordinate with the WRPE construction contractor to schedule manufacturerprovided training on specific equipment. 

The operator training that AOC is implementing seems designed to help ensure that 

CPP personnel are trained to operate the modernized plant safely. For example, 

AOC’s contract with the commissioning agent specifies that the training will address, 

among other topics, safe operating practices and procedures. In addition, under the 

contract, the commissioning agent will describe training objectives for major system 

components, identify what operators must be able to do upon completing the 

training, and test operators’ knowledge of the subject matter twice each month. 

While AOC has planned, developed, and implemented training for CPP operators that 

addresses safe plant operations, it has not developed a plan for evaluating whether 

the training is achieving the desired outcome—preparing CPP staff to operate the 

modernized power plant safely. Our Guide for Assessing Strategic Training and 

Development Efforts in the Federal Government provides a model framework for 

 17According to a CPP official, weekly 2-hour training sessions were scheduled for operators from

February through December 2004. 

Page 10 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
training.18 This framework is designed to help organizations target their training and 

development investments strategically and avoid wasting resources on efforts that 

are irrelevant, duplicative, or ineffective. Figure 2 shows the four components of this 

framework—planning, development, implementation, and evaluation—and the 

relationships between them. 

Figure 2: Strategic Training and Development Process

Evaluation

Demonstrate how training and development efforts 

contribute to improved performance and results.

Planning/

front-end analysis

Develop a strategic approach 

that establishes priorities and 

leverages investments in training 

and development to achieve 

agency results.

Design/

development

Identify specific training and 

development initiatives that,

in conjunction with other 

strategies, improve individual 

and agency performance.

Implementation

Ensure effective and 

efficient delivery of training 

and development opportunities 

in an environment that supports 

learning and change.

Source: GAO.

Without an evaluation component for its training program, AOC lacks a systematic 

means of obtaining feedback on the training’s results. As our guide indicates, such 

feedback is important for determining whether training investments are being 

targeted strategically or being wasted. Additionally, without an evaluation 

component, AOC managers cannot determine how well the training has prepared 

CPP staff to operate the plant safely, and they cannot identify and address any 

specific training gaps or weaknesses. Having objective, consistent information on 

operators’ performance in training will be important to AOC when it implements its 

updated staffing plan and makes staffing decisions. 

Although AOC has not developed a plan for evaluating its training for CPP operators 

or evaluated the initial 9-month refresher training, it has some evidence that the 

initial training was not as effective as intended. For example, some operators 

achieved low scores on tests administered by the construction management 

consultant during the initial training. The consultant gave these tests informally, but 

provided the results to us at our request.19 Additionally, CPP managers said, some 

operators were ambivalent about the training and skipped classes. The CPP 

operators we spoke with about the training varied in their assessments of it. Some 

acknowledged the training’s value, while others were concerned that the training was 

not “hands on” or specific to the new equipment being installed as part of the 

expansion. As discussed, however, “hands-on,” equipment-specific training will be 

provided by manufacturers during the commissioning process. 

 18GAO-04-546G.

19Names of test takers were redacted from documents to maintain confidentiality.

Page 11 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
To address concerns about the ability of CPP staff to operate the new equipment, 

AOC managers said they plan to hire a startup contractor to provide technical 

assistance to CPP operators for up to 8 weeks after the WRPE contract’s completion. 

Cost to Complete WRPE Project Will Depend on Contract Changes and 

Operational Issues 

We estimate that the cost to complete the WRPE project will range from about $98 

million to nearly $106 million, depending on AOC’s resolution of proposed contract 

changes and the level of training and contractor technical support that CPP operators 

will need. Although the WRPE construction contract is currently scheduled for 

completion in March 2006, it may be delayed until June 2006 because of contract 

changes. Our analysis of the cost to complete the project appears in enclosure I. 

Through October 2005, nearly $100.9 million has been budgeted for the WRPE 

project, and over $95.1 million has been obligated for construction and administrative 

costs, leaving an unobligated balance of approximately $5.7 million.20, 21 AOC’s 

October 2005 progress report on WPRE’s construction indicates that future costs may 

exceed the amount of funding that remains. According to the progress report, 65 

contract changes are pending resolution between AOC and its construction 

contractor. As the project progresses, AOC anticipates additional changes to account 

for such activities as troubleshooting during commissioning tests and providing 

technical support to operators during the initial weeks of plant operations. Our 

analysis to estimate the project’s cost at completion provides for a range of costs, 

from best to worst case, to account for the variability associated with forecasting 

these changes. Specifically, our analysis shows that the negotiated amount of these 

changes is likely to result in costs ranging between $2.9 million and $10.7 million. 

Given the project’s unobligated $5.7 million balance, the settlement of these changes 

will yield approximate results ranging from a $2.8 million surplus to a $5 million 

shortfall (see fig. 3). Our analysis takes into account the likelihood that the project’s 

completion date could be extended from March to June 2006. 

 20Financial information is based on unaudited CPP project records used in preparing AOC’s October

2005 WPRE monthly progress report. 

 

21Numbers may not add because of rounding. 

Page 12 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Figure 3: WRPE Budget Breakdown, Including Cost to Complete Projections 

Dollars (in millions)

Source: GAO analysis of AOC data.

Budget Wor Best case st case

Total budget and cost- $100,869,891 $105,906,627 $98,119,553

to-complete projections

1,375,000 1,382,000 1,499,054 Boiler deaerator tank 

and feedwater pumps

1,625,000 1,608,071 1,623,071 Emergency

generator

Miscellaneous projects 802,945 802,945 802,945

$360,000 $331,090 Condensor, water 

filtration, basin heating $331,090

6,461,650 5,188,793 6,312,527 Distributed controls

system—boiler house

81,670,076 80,922,451 87,174,798 West Refrigeration 

Plant Expansion

($2,750,338

under budget) 

($5,036,736

over budget)

Projected costs

Project

Electric modernization 4,400,000 3,957,544 4,122,544

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

Total budget

Fuel oil tank 4,175,220 3,926,659 4,040,598

Pending or anticipated changes that may have a significant impact on the project’s 

cost and schedule include the following:

• Redesign of fire sprinkler system. After reviewing design documentation for 

the fire sprinkler system, AOC’s Fire Marshall determined that changes were 

necessary to make the system compliant with the current fire code. Because 

of the Fire Marshall’s decision, the construction contractor needed additional 

time to make design changes and prepare new submittals. As a result, 

sprinkler system components have not been ordered. The construction 

contractor does not expect the installation to be completed until August 2006, 

but AOC officials believe it can be completed by June 2006. Discussions 

between the two parties to resolve this issue are ongoing. Even if the fire 

sprinkler system is not operable when WRPE is turned over to AOC, AOC’s 

Fire Marshall said steps could be taken that would enable him to issue a 

conditional occupancy permit so that CPP staff could operate the plant and its 

equipment. 

• Reconfiguration of chilled water pipes. AOC officials indicated that, because 

of the chiller failure in the East Refrigeration Plant in July 2005, they wanted to

gain greater operational flexibility and decided to configure WRPE and the 

West Refrigeration Plant as separate facilities rather than as one plant, as 

originally planned. This decision means that AOC needs to add components to 

Page 13 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
the West Refrigeration Plant’s piping system instead of demolishing that 

facility’s chilled water distribution pipes. AOC officials anticipate making 

changes to the West Refrigeration Plant’s piping system under a separate 

contract at an estimated cost of $600,000. AOC expects this work to be 

completed before the WPRE contract is completed in March 2006. AOC 

officials also expect to receive a $150,000 credit from the construction 

contractor for the pipe demolition work that was part of the base WRPE 

project’s scope but is no longer required. 

• Changes to the design of the WRP/WRPE distributed controls system. 

Because of an earlier decision to upgrade the distributed controls system for 

the chillers, AOC stopped installation work on June 24, 2005, in order to 

resolve procurement issues and redesign the system. In November 2005, AOC 

issued a modification directing the construction contractor to proceed with 

the system’s installation according to the revised design. The cost of the 

system upgrade and its impact on the contract’s schedule are pending 

negotiation between AOC and the contractor. CPP project managers indicated 

that tying the existing WRP into the distributed controls system is contributing 

to the delay in completing the contract. 

• Commissioning troubleshooting. According to GSA’s guidance, problems 

should be expected when equipment is tested as part of the commissioning 

process. In September 2005, AOC estimated, on the basis of its construction 

management consultant’s experience, that $500,000 may be needed for 

troubleshooting and repair work. Because commissioning is in its initial 

stages, it is still too early to assess the impact of troubleshooting on the 

project’s cost and schedule.

• Operational issues. As discussed, AOC plans to hire a startup contractor for 

up to 8 weeks after WRPE is finished to provide technical assistance to CPP 

operators. AOC managers said they were unsure whether this amount of 

startup support would be sufficient and recognized that additional support 

may be needed. To the extent that additional support is needed, AOC’s costs 

are likely to increase. 

Conclusions 

AOC’s commissioning activities to date and plans for commissioning new CPP 

equipment, if fully implemented, should allow AOC to test the equipment thoroughly 

and bring it on line with minimal disruption to current operations. Nevertheless, the 

majority of the systems testing remains to be done and could prove more challenging 

than the completed testing. Additionally, the WRPE project still faces budgetary risks 

and schedule uncertainties, especially those stemming from the impact of contract 

changes that have not yet been negotiated. 

AOC’s plans for staffing the modernized power plant efficiently and ensuring that 

CPP personnel are trained to operate it safely also face risks and uncertainties. AOC 

has delayed implementing recommendations to reduce CPP’s staffing, and now has 

just a few months to develop an efficient staffing plan before WRPE is scheduled to 

Page 14 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
be completed. AOC also lacks assurance that CPP staff will be prepared to operate 

the new equipment safely since it has not yet completed the training of CPP 

operators, and has not developed a plan to evaluate the training. Additionally, 

without some form of evaluation, AOC is missing an opportunity to measure its 

operators’ preparedness, prior to implementing its consultant’s updated staffing plan. 

Recommendations for Executive Action

To ensure that CPP is staffed efficiently and that CPP personnel are trained to

operate the modernized power plant safely, we recommend that the Architect of the 

Capitol 

 

• develop and implement a staffing plan for CPP that is based on the results of 

its most recent consultant’s study and 

• evaluate the training provided to CPP operators and use the evaluation results 

in implementing the staffing plan. 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 

We provided a draft copy of this report to AOC for review and comment. AOC 

officials provided oral comments in which they generally concurred with our 

recommendations and offered technical clarifications and updated information

concerning staffing and training efforts. 

Regarding CPP staffing, AOC indicated that it is continuing to review the draft 

staffing plan received from its consultant in December 2005 and is working to 

develop new position descriptions based on this plan. AOC also noted that its 1996 

consultant study attributes overstaffing to a lack of system automation and suggested 

that it will not be possible to begin implementation of revised staffing plans until 

completion of the ongoing WRPE project. We note, however, that AOC’s 2004 

consultant report lists additional reasons for CPP overstaffing. Specifically, the 2004 

report states that there are no cross responsibilities between different operation 

segments, and that over many years of operations, additional levels of management 

have been added. 

Concerning evaluation of operator training, AOC indicated that it has modified its 

training structure to include two weekly tests—one theoretical written test and one 

field test on actual equipment—that are used to assess operators’ knowledge and 

highlight areas in which additional training may be needed. While this is a step in the 

right direction, given the imminent startup of the new equipment, AOC still faces 

challenges in establishing a systemic means of evaluating training and using the 

feedback to ensure that its staff is fully prepared to safely operate the modernized 

plant. This involves a look at not just operators’ knowledge, but also an assessment 

of how training contributes to improving performance and achieving a greater 

capacity to meet new and emerging challenges. 

- - - - - 

Page 15 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce the contents of this report 

earlier, we plan no further distribution until 30 days from the report date. At that 

time, we will send copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees 

and the Architect of the Capitol. Copies will also be made available to other 

interested parties on request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on 

GAO’s Web site at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me at (202) 

512-2834 or goldsteinm@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional 

Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff 

who made major contributions to this report are listed in enclosure II. 

Mark L. Goldstein 

Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues 

Enclosures 

Page 16 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Enclosure I 

Estimated Cost to Complete the West Refrigeration Plant Expansion Project 

Tables 1 through 3 provide our estimates of the costs to complete the Architect of the 

Capitol’s (AOC) West Refrigeration Plant Expansion (WRPE) project. As shown in 

tables 1 and 2, the entire project consists of the expansion and several smaller capital 

projects. Table 1 shows the amounts provided, obligated, and remaining for each 

project through October 2005. Table 2 shows the additional amounts that we 

estimate will be required for each project in the best and worst cases. These amounts 

will depend on the outcomes of negotiations over potential change orders and other 

actions. Finally, table 3 shows our estimates of the costs to complete the entire 

project and the remaining funds in the best and worst cases. 

Table 1: Funds Provided to AOC, Obligated, and Remaining for the WRPE Project

Project 

Funds

provideda Obligationsb

Unobligated

balancec

West Refrigeration Plant Expansion $81,670,076 $78,028,511 $3,641,565 

Distributed controls system—boiler house 6,461,650 5,188,793 1,272,857 

Fuel oil tank 4,175,220 3,913,059 262,161

Boiler deaerator tank and feedwater pumps 1,375,000 1,375,000 0

Electric modernization 4,400,000 3,957,544 442,456

Emergency generator 1,625,000 1,580,071 44.929

Condenser water filtration and basin heating 360,000 331,090 28,910 

Miscellaneous projects

d

 802,945 802,945 0

Total $100,869,891 $95,177,013 $5,692,878

Sources: Federal legislation and AOC.

Notes: Our analysis is based on unaudited project financial information provided by AOC.

a

Includes appropriations for construction and related activities for fiscal years 2003 and 2004, authorized reprogramming, and 

Capitol Power Plant (CPP) operation funds. 

b

Through contract modification 48. 

c

Authorized reprogramming would be required to combine the funding for these separate projects. 

d

These projects are being funded with CPP operating funds. 

Page 17 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Table 2: Our Best- and Worst-Case Estimates of Potential Additional Funding Needed for WRPE 

Project Best casea

Worst caseb

West Refrigeration Plant Expansion $2,893,940 $9,146,287 

Distributed controls system—boiler house 0 1,123,734 

Fuel oil tank 13,600 127,539 

Boiler deaerator tank and feedwater pumps 7,000 124,054

Electric modernization 0 165,000

Emergency generator 28,000 43,000 

Condenser water filtration and basin heating 0 0

Total $2,942,540 $10,729,614 

Sources: Federal legislation and AOC.

Notes: Our analysis is based on unaudited project financial information provided by AOC.

a

Our analysis of best possible outcomes of potential change orders (PCO). This includes PCOs currently being negotiated, 

identified as estimates of future work, and previously denied. 

b

Our analysis of worst possible outcomes of PCOs. This includes PCOs currently being negotiated, identified as estimates of 

future work, and previously denied.

Table 3: Our Best- and Worst-Case Estimates of the Cost to Complete the Entire WRPE Project and

Remaining Funds 

Amount/estimate Best case Worst case 

Funding provided 

through October 2005 $100,869,891 $100,869,891 

 Obligations through

 October 2005 95,177,013 95,177,013

 Potential additional 

 funding needed 2,942,540 10,729,614

Estimated cost to

complete 98,119,553 105,906,627 

Remaining funds 2,750,338 (5,036,736) 

Sources: Federal legislation and AOC.

Note: Our analysis is based on unaudited project financial information provided by AOC. 

Page 18 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
Enclosure II 

GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 

GAO Contact 

Mark L. Goldstein, (202) 512-2834 or goldsteinm@gao.gov 

Staff Acknowledgments 

In addition to the contact named above, Terrell Dorn (Assistant Director), Michael 

Armes, George Depaoli, Timothy DiNapoli, Elizabeth Eisenstadt, Kimberly 

Gianopoulos, Susan Michal-Smith, and Walter Vance made key contributions to this 

report. 

(543136) 

Page 19 GAO-06-321R Architect of the Capitol
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further 

permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain copyrighted images or 

other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to 

reproduce this material separately. 
GAO’s Mission The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation and 

investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its 

constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and 

accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO 

examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; 

and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help

Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO’s 

commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of 

accountability, integrity, and reliability. 

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no cost

is through GAO’s Web site (www.gao.gov). Each weekday, GAO posts 

newly released reports, testimony, and correspondence on its Web site. To

have GAO e-mail you a list of newly posted products every afternoon, go 

to www.gao.gov and select “Subscribe to Updates.” 

The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2 each. 

A check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent of 

Documents. GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or 

more copies mailed to a single address are discounted 25 percent. Orders 

should be sent to: 

U.S. Government Accountability Office 

441 G Street NW, Room LM 

Washington, D.C. 20548 

To order by Phone: Voice: (202) 512-6000 

TDD: (202) 512-2537 

Fax: (202) 512-6061 

Contact: 

Web site: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov

Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470 

Gloria Jarmon, Managing Director, JarmonG@gao.gov (202) 512-4400 

U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7125 

Washington, D.C. 20548 

Paul Anderson, Managing Director, AndersonP1@gao.gov (202) 512-4800

U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 

Washington, D.C. 20548 

Obtaining Copies of 

GAO Reports and 

Testimony

Order by Mail or Phone 

To Report Fraud,

Waste, and Abuse in 

Federal Programs 

Congressional 

Relations 

Public Affairs 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER