Performance

& Accountability 

Highlights

FISCAL YEAR 2020

Architect of the Capitol

SERVE

PRESERVE

INSPIRE
Figure 1 

Map of the Capitol Campus

FISCAL YEAR 2020

Performance and 

Accountability Highlights

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

Who We Are: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) cares for 

more than 18.4 million square feet of facilities, more than 

570 acres of grounds and thousands of works of art. The 

AOC’s employees work behind the scenes day and night to 

provide Congress and the Supreme Court with facilities 

and infrastructure to conduct their business. We inspire the 

public by providing tours and exhibits of the U.S. Capitol, 

the surrounding grounds and the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Established: The AOC traces its beginnings to 1793 and was 

formally established by congressional legislation in 1876.

Branch of Government: Legislative

Leadership: J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol

Number of Permanent Employees: 2,251 as of September 

30, 2020

FY 2020 Budget Authority: $728.5 million (includes $25 

million in supplemental funding)

Mission: Serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve 

America’s Capitol and inspire memorable visitor experiences.

Did You Know?

The AOC serves as steward for the U.S. Capitol 

Building, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the 

House and Senate office buildings, the Library 

of Congress buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court 

Building, the U.S. Botanic Garden, the Capitol 

Power Plant and other surrounding grounds 

and facilities. The major facilities on the Capitol 

campus that fall under the AOC’s care are 

depicted in Figure 1. A virtual tour of the 

Capitol campus is available at www.capitol.gov.

To learn more about the Architect of the Capitol, watch our video, “We Are AOC”: www.aoc.gov/about-us/who-we-are.

2020 Performance and Accountability Highlights ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Table 1

Summary of High-Level Key Performance Indicators

HIGH-LEVEL KEY PERFORMANCE 

INDICATOR

FY 2019 

TARGET

FY 2019 

ACTUAL

FY 2019 

RESULTS

FY 2020 

TARGET

FY 2020 

ACTUAL

FY 2020 

RESULTS

STRATEGIC GOAL: Maintain Awe-Inspiring Facilities

Energy and Sustainability 

Targets. Reduce energy intensity 

use, reduce potable water use, 

divert building occupancy waste, 

compost nonconstruction waste 

and divert construction and 

demolition debris.

5 of 5 

Component 

Targets Met

4 of 5 

Component 

Targets Met

Not Met

5 of 5 

Component 

Targets Met

4 of 5 

Component 

Targets Met

Not Met

New! Facility Condition Index. 

Reduce the percent of AOC major 

buildings in poor or fair condition.

New Measure 

for FY 2020 44.4% Not 

Applicable < 44.4% 48.1% Not Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Provide Extraordinary Services

New! TripAdvisor Ratings.

Establish a baseline customer 

experience benchmark.

New Measure 

for FY 2020 4.5 Not Applicable 4.5 Met

Customer Satisfaction with 

Projects. Maintain high customer 

satisfaction with projects.

≥ 90.0% 95.9% Met ≥ 90.0% 95.0% Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Foster an Innovative and Empowered Workforce

Employee Nonmandatory 

Training. Provide training 

to employees in skills and 

abilities applicable to their 

responsibilities.

> 33.3% 36.4% Met > 33.3% 30.0% Not Met

Injuries and Illnesses Rate.

Reduce the annual injuries and 

illnesses rate.

≤ 2.33% 2.23% Met ≤ 2.23% 1.67% Met

STRATEGIC GOAL: Operate as One Team, Dedicated to One Mission

Number of Days to Fill a 

Position. Average number of 

days to fill a position from the 

initial request to the date the 

employee is on board (recruiting 

action / direct hire).

< 150 Days

< 60 Days

115 Met

37 Met

Met < 150 Days

< 60 Days

113 Met

45 Met

Met

P E R F O R M A N C E R E S U LT S I N B R I E F 

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the AOC tracked progress toward 

four strategic goals: (1) Maintain Awe-Inspiring Facilities, 

(2) Provide Extraordinary Services, (3) Foster an Innovative

and Empowered Workforce and (4) Operate as One Team,

Dedicated to One Mission. Eight strategic objectives,

16 strategies and 42 key performance indicators (KPI)

support the goals. Table 1 summarizes the high-level KPIs

measuring the agency’s most critical actions taken in line

with the Strategic Plan.

View the AOC’s FY 2020 performance highlights video: 

www.aoc.gov/PAR. Above The AOC led the legislative branch in preparing for and 

responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the early adoption of 

face coverings for employees who were required to work on-site.

≥ 4.5 
F I N A N C I A L R E S U LT S I N B R I E F 

As evidence of our commitment to financial accountability 

and transparency, in FY 2020 the AOC:

 Received its 16th consecutive unmodified (clean) audit

opinion on its financial statements

 Received its ninth consecutive Certificate of Excellence

in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) award from the

Association of Government Accountants, plus a Best-inClass CEAR award for Ease of Accessibility to MultiMedia Information

 Prioritized the AOC’s COVID-19 mitigation

efforts by ensuring funds were available for personal

protective equipment (PPE), cleaning supplies and

support contractors.

 Deployed a financial system integration with the

U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Collection

Information Repository (CIR), which reduces manual

data entry and improves internal controls.

Table 2

Select Financial and Related Nonfinancial Data 

($ in millions)

 FY 2020 FY 2019

PERCENT 

CHANGE

Total Assets $3,498.7 $3,384.4 3%

Total Liabilities $403.7 $409.5 (1%)

Total Net Position $3,095.0 $2,975.0 4%

Earned Revenues $86.8 $69.1 26%

Total Net Cost of 

Operations $627.3 $609.5 3%

Total Appropriations 

(per Statement of 

Budgetary Resources)

$728.5 $749.8 (3%)

Facility Space 

Managed (sq. ft.)

More than 

18.4 million

More than 

18.4 million —%

Grounds Managed 

(acres)

More than 

570 

More than 

570 —%

Permanent Employees 

at Fiscal Year-End 2,251 2,236 1%

Table 3

Independent Auditor’s Internal Control Findings

CATEGORY FY 2020 FY 2019

Material Weaknesses None None

Significant Deficiencies None None

Figure 2

Summary of Total Assets

As of September 30, 2020, the AOC’s property, plant and 

equipment represented more than two-thirds of the 

agency’s total assets.

Figure 3

Summary of Total Liabilities

As of September 30, 2020, the AOC’s contingent and 

environmental liabilities amounted to nearly 20 percent of 

total liabilities.

Figure 4

Trend in Total Appropriations 

In FY 2020, the AOC’s appropriations included $25 million 

of supplemental funding via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 

and Economic Security Act.

2020 Performance and Accountability Highlights ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

D

L

d
A backlog in deferred maintenance and capital renewal projects is one of the most significant management challenges identified in the AOC’s 

Performance and Accountability Report.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION IN BRIEF

The AOC has identified the following as the agency’s most 

significant challenges for FY 2021 and beyond:

Backlog in Deferred Maintenance and Capital Renewal 

Projects. Resource constraints have deferred maintenance 

and delayed important capital renewal work, causing 

deterioration of buildings and grounds. Significant 

investments are needed for preservation and to ensure 

the future safety of building occupants and visitors. As of 

September 30, 2020, the AOC estimated the backlog at 

$1.78 billion.

Campus Security. The AOC is responsible for supporting 

the U.S. Capitol Police and providing security functions 

around the Capitol campus. The AOC continues to focus 

on meeting security requirements while also ensuring that 

safety, preservation and accessibility needs are met.

Energy Stewardship and Sustainability. The AOC targets 

energy use reductions on an annual basis. This fiscal year, 

the AOC completed its first full year of the Capitol Power 

Plant’s cogeneration system operations. This program, along 

with the Refrigeration Plant Revitalization Program and 

planned upgrades to the Library of Congress facilities, will 

enable further energy efficiencies.

Management of Concurrent Construction Projects.

The AOC is concurrently undertaking multiple major 

construction, renewal and restoration projects. To ensure 

success, the AOC must establish that each project is 

delivered safely, is high quality and remains on time and 

within budget, while creating minimal disruptions to the 

agency’s clients.

Attracting and Retaining a Skilled and Engaged Workforce.

The AOC requires a skilled and engaged workforce to achieve 

its mission and deliver services to stakeholders. The AOC’s 

human capital strategy includes attrition management and 

efforts to attract and retain talented staff.

Workplace Safety and Health. The AOC is responsible for 

ensuring that safety and health standards are met for those 

who work at or visit the Capitol campus. The AOC does this 

while addressing operational needs, applicable regulations and 

challenging working conditions that are unique to Capitol Hill.

The AOC’s Office of Inspector General identified additional 

management opportunities and performance challenges 

facing the organization: auditability and documentation to 

support decisions, lack of whistleblower protection, property 

accountability and surplus property disposal, duplication 

of effort without a working capital fund, identifying and 

managing waste and holding personnel accountable for waste, 

and records retention and access.

The AOC Performance and Accountability Highlights

provides a summary of the AOC’s FY 2020 Performance 

and Accountability Report, following the Citizen-Centric 

Reporting model established by the Association of 

Government Accountants. The full report is available 

online at: www.aoc.gov/par

For more information about the Architect of the Capitol, 

visit our website at: www.aoc.gov.

This report 

is issued 

with data as 

of November 

23, 2020.

2020 Performance and Accountability Highlights ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
U.S. Capitol | Washington, DC 20515

www.aoc.gov

The complete FY 2020 AOC 

Performance and Accountability Report is available online at:

www.aoc.gov/PAR

SERVE | PRESERVE | INSPIRE