How GSA benefits the public

In the face of a changing world, we strive to make government work better. We’re leading in a number of ways: preparing for the workplace of the future, making access to federal contracting more equitable, and much more. Our focus, every day, is on delivering an effective and efficient government for all Americans.

We continue to evolve and adapt, leveraging our expertise and innovative thinking at every turn. Over the past year, our talented and diverse workforce continued to develop and implement human-centered, data-driven solutions — including those that address challenges like climate change and the global pandemic — and deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services.

Ensuring federal workplaces evolve to meet the needs of the future

Our Public Buildings Service manages one of the nation’s largest and most diverse real estate portfolios. As agencies across government continue to adjust to a world transformed by COVID-19, PBS is helping shape the workplace of the future. We offer workspace services and solutions that allow agencies to more quickly respond to their current and emerging workplace needs. We also use the buying power of the government to shape market trends and directly support the economic activity of local communities. This helps our partner agencies focus on their core missions and accelerates the federal government’s transition to modern, efficient, and carbon-pollution-free facilities.

Recently passed legislation further supports our efforts. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides us $3.4 billion for upgrades to dozens of border stations and land ports of entry. This will enhance border security, strengthen commerce and supply chains, and facilitate the efficient transportation of people and cargo. The Inflation Reduction Act provides us with an additional $3.4 billion in funding for GSA to invest in low-carbon materials for federal construction projects, to support emerging technologies, and to convert more facilities into high-performance green buildings.

New federal courthouse in downtown San Antonio stands three stories and includes a 235,000-square-foot building with eight courtrooms and 13 chambers. Photograph by Daniel W. Torres Photography

Our real estate activities provide a wide array of cost-saving, job-creating benefits across the country, for example:

• Supporting local communities. We completed a new $144-million federal courthouse in San Antonio, which serves the needs of a fast-growing region. We also modernized a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Massachusetts, which can now serve and provide care to more veterans each year.
• Realizing cost savings for the American people. In Denver, we converted a 150,000-square-foot vacant warehouse into a highly efficient, modern work environment for the U.S. Department of the Interior, saving taxpayers nearly $6 million a year. We also avoided nearly $6 million in future lease costs by reducing the rental footprint of the Internal Revenue Service in the Pacific Rim Region.
• Facilitating public-private partnership. We worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to manage more than a dozen public-private donation projects to improve the facilities at border stations.

Modernizing the federal marketplace

Our Federal Acquisition Service uses the collective buying power of the federal government to provide agencies with valuable and innovative products and services, which enable them to deliver on their missions. One of our most important acquisition-related efforts is modernizing and simplifying the buying and selling process for agencies, acquisition professionals, and suppliers, especially our small businesses partners.

We also leverage federal buying power to address big challenges, such as climate change, working alongside industry partners and the federal community to find new ways to reduce the government’s carbon footprint. This includes offering agencies a growing number of zero-emission and clean technology vehicles. We also support the development of electric vehicle infrastructure, helping the government lead the way toward a greener, more fuel-efficient future.

Beyond cross-cutting governmentwide priorities, there are many agency-specific examples of how we provide value to the public through procurement-related activities, including:

• Improving critical IT infrastructure. We executed a complex IT data center network acquisition, supporting a $750 million exchange partnership with the Department of Transportation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, known as the Volpe Exchange Project.
• Giving small businesses equitable access to the federal marketplace. We created more opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses through the STARS III contract vehicle.
• Supporting cybersecurity. We supported the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency DEFEND portfolio, which protects more than 40 federal agencies.
• Providing assistance during crises. We supported natural disaster emergency relief by awarding 18 agreements to streamline acquisition support in times of crisis. These agreements give small businesses preference and provide a means of rapidly and efficiently awarding orders within hours. We also developed a new agreement with the Centers for Disease Control to provide rapid and direct access to our Multiple Award Schedule for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments for products and services they need in public health emergencies.

Making government work better through technology

We lead the way on federal technology. Our Technology Transformation Services and IT portfolios improve the public’s digital interactions with government by providing solutions that make agencies’ services more accessible, equitable, efficient, and effective for the American people.

A major part of our efforts in this area centers on making sure government websites are human centered and deliver what people need when they need it. For example, we provide governmentwide guidance for web design, supporting pages the public visits billions of times each month.

Other examples of how our work improves how the public engages with government include:

• Advancing digital government. We administer Digital.gov, which helps the federal community learn, build, deliver, and measure digital services; we provide services such as the U.S. Web Design System that help websites meet Section 508 standards; and we offer cybersecurity products and services that enhance security, improve resilience, protect information, and more.
• Simplifying federal purchasing. We’ve streamlined how the federal government purchases products and services with the launch of buy.gsa.gov, a one-stop-shop for buying through GSA.

Additional benefits to the public

In addition to the above, GSA provides benefits to the public in many ways. A few examples include:

• Developing key governmentwide policies. We implement policies and programs that guide the government. For example, we help tackle climate change through strengthening requirements in acquisition planning for all agencies.
• Supporting public art. We commission public art for federal building construction projects, engaging with artists from communities across the country who want to contribute to the vibrancy of federal architecture.
• Serving as a model employer. We continue to lead the government in developing new paths to public service, offering workplace flexibility and support, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles to support our workforce and the millions of people they serve.

Conclusion

In these extraordinary times, GSA is no ordinary agency. Our expertise, commitment, creativity, and productivity are readily apparent. Our drive to succeed puts us among today’s top-performing federal agencies, as evidenced by our rise to fourth overall among midsize agencies in the 2021 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings.

As the nation contends with climate change, public health challenges, and other major concerns, we’re sharing our expertise, developing innovative solutions, and working with our many partners across all levels of government to meet the moment and to deliver on our mission for the American people.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility