The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Real Property managers were tasked with the responsibility of preparing the real property records according to accounting standards which were implemented in 1990 by the Chief Financial Officer’s Act. These standards have become more encompassing each year with additional legislation and requirements of existing legislation, which are implemented each year. To meet this responsibility they were not relieved of any existing responsibilities, their staff size did not increase, their information systems were not equipped to meet the new requirements, and their existing staff did not believe in the new requirements.
The NOAA’s Facilities and Acquisition Management Division (FAMD) has gone through great lengths to establish and define accounting practices and policies relating to NOAA’s Real Property portfolio. The division has implemented (with great reception and success) bureau wide accountability reporting on the Agency’s entire Real Property inventory, and has developed a policy manual that is used by NOAA employees, and can also be used by other Agency’s to account for their Real Property consistent with Federal accounting principles, and Federal Accounting Standards and Advisory Board’s (FASAB) guidelines.
For more information, contact Mr. Roy Eckert at (301) 713-2227 or via e-mail at Roy.W.Eckert@noaa.gov.
