The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) continuously looks for new ways to deliver on its mission to provide value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission support services across the Federal Government. GSA identifies the most complex and interconnected risks to mission execution by using a cross-enterprise perspective. This collaborative process empowers agency leaders to strategically allocate resources, helping the agency to stay ahead of emerging risks.
GSA identifies risks to the agency’s most critical activities by administering the GSA Risk Survey followed by interviews to collect information from key employees on their perception of risk to the organization. The results are captured in GSA’s Enterprise Risk Profile to identify areas for improvement or strategic opportunities. The risk profile is created on a 2-year cycle, and is validated and refreshed to reflect the current environment.
GSA strengthened its enterprise risk approach by establishing the Enterprise Risk and Strategic Initiatives (ERSI) Board in 2022. This governance body translates enterprise-level risk strategies into actionable initiatives and implements sound risk-management principles across GSA functions and programs. Over the past year, the ERSI Board identified and began to address complex, interconnected, and distributed risks to mission delivery.
Current focus areas for enterprise risk management efforts include:
- Supply chain disruptions — As the Federal Government’s leading provider of acquisition services and schedules, GSA works closely with thousands of suppliers. The agency recognizes the threat posed by supply chain disruptions and is working with partners to mitigate the effects on mission execution. GSA’s Supply Chain Risk Management Executive Board, a governance body established in 2020, prioritizes policies, processes, and oversight to continually identify, monitor, and manage potential supply chain risks.
- Changes to the Federal real estate portfolio — GSA manages over 8,400 real estate assets that provide workspace for nearly 1 million Federal employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most agencies leveraged telework to maintain operations. Even with agencies returning to facilities in larger numbers, the increased use of hybrid work models means that long-term demand for office space will likely be lower, resulting in excess capacity. GSA continues to engage with customers to better understand their future space requirements, identify possible opportunities to reduce or consolidate space, and develop alternative workspace solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The agency also seeks expanded access to funds needed to maintain GSA-controlled Federal assets in a good state of repair, which supports long-term efforts to right-size and modernize GSA’s real estate portfolio.
- Advancing to zero trust — GSA is working to improve cybersecurity identification, deterrence, and protection against malicious actions and actors by implementing a zero-trust architecture. Yet, current funding levels are insufficient to achieve this goal. GSA is advocating for adequate resources through the FY 2025 budget process to invest in a zero-trust architecture and mitigate the ever-growing risk of cyberattacks, including those that artificial intelligence and large language models may help proliferate.
- Keeping pace with workforce needs — The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic challenges have resulted in changing real estate needs, supply chain disruptions, and a rapidly shifting Federal technology landscape. As a result, GSA is working harder than ever to develop and retain a mission-ready workforce. GSA continues to identify, acquire, and develop new skills and competencies that will enable the agency to deliver on its mission years into the future. GSA is also identifying and implementing strategies to mitigate an over-reliance on just-in-time hiring of experienced mid-career talent for selected mission-critical occupations.
- Responsibilities to safeguard Federal assets — Customer agencies are increasingly asking GSA for guidance, resources, and other forms of assistance regarding risks from the observed and expected changes in climate. As highlighted in the Climate-Related Financial Risk section of this Agency Financial Report, GSA developed a Climate Change Risk Management Plan. The plan lays out the detailed metrics, timeframes, and steps GSA is taking to adapt and manage the fiscal and physical risks posed by climate change and to secure Federal real property and supply chain investments. GSA also continues to identify and assess climate-related risk through an internal climate vulnerability assessment that relies on actionable science from the latest U.S. National Climate Assessment.
Each of the risks described above, if not effectively managed, has the potential to disrupt GSA’s capability and capacity to meet its organizational objectives and execute its mission. Engaged leadership and an increased willingness to partner across business units to manage risk promotes transparency and cultivates a proactive response to emerging threats. By monitoring critical risks, GSA can effectively allocate resources and strengthen operations, ultimately maximizing value to customer agencies and taxpayers.
U.S. General Services Administration