The National Park Service Faces Challenges in Managing Its Deferred Maintenance

Submitting OIG:

Report Description:

We found that the NPS was unable to effectively identify and manage its deferred maintenance due to inaccurate and unreliable data.

Short / Alternative Report Title:

Date Issued:

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Department of the Interior

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

2020-CR-066

Component, if applicable:

National Park Service

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Inspection / Evaluation

Questioned Costs:

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
Final-Evaluation-ReportNPS-Deferred-MaintenancePublic.pdf	4.98 MB

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
2020-CR-066-01	Open	No
We recommend that the NPS develop and implement policies and procedures that define the circumstances and timeframe in which to enter work orders into its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System).
2020-CR-066-02	Open	No
We recommend that the NPS update current policies and procedures to clarify when to classify existing work orders as deferred maintenance in its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System).
2020-CR-066-03	Open	No
We recommend that the NPS identify and update deferred maintenance data in its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System) to ensure all data are accurate and complete.
2020-CR-066-04	Open	Yes
We recommend that the NPS develop and implement a monitoring mechanism for deferred maintenance data in its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System) to routinely verify that deferred maintenance data are accurate and complete. This monitoring mechanism should define the roles and responsibilities for each facility management level.
2020-CR-066-05	Open	Yes
We recommend that the NPS develop and implement policies and procedures that provide guidance for appropriately estimating the cost of maintenance projects.
2020-CR-066-06	Open	Yes
We recommend that the NPS include accurate estimates for all existing and future work orders based on the guidance developed under Recommendation 5.
2020-CR-066-07	Open	No
We recommend that the NPS verify that existing Health, Life, and Safety work orders address the original hazard, are completed, and are closed.
2020-CR-066-08	Open	Yes
We recommend that the NPS develop and implement an oversight mechanism that monitors Health, Life, and Safety work orders to verify the original hazards are addressed and completed within the required timeframes.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

2020-CR-066-01

Open

We recommend that the NPS develop and implement policies and procedures that define the circumstances and timeframe in which to enter work orders into its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System).

2020-CR-066-02

Open

We recommend that the NPS update current policies and procedures to clarify when to classify existing work orders as deferred maintenance in its maintenance software system (e.g., the Facility Management Software System).

2020-CR-066-03

Open