Asset Management, As Done By the IRS
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
This Internal Revenue Service (IRS) “asset management” initiative is the cornerstone of current efforts to provide effective stewardship over the IRS field inventory of approximately 18 million square feet. In January 2005, the IRS embarked upon a massive effort to analyze a field portfolio of roughly 645 assets. This effort was accomplished through guidance and direction from IRS Headquarters by a field staff spread out through 14 territories across the U.S.
Written policy and guidance was established to develop asset management plans for each asset in the IRS “field” inventory of 18 million square feet. The process involved a number of steps. First, the staff analyzed each asset to determine how well it met current mission requirements and established IRS real property standards. These standards and requirements include such things as location considerations, building and space quality, efficiency, UFAS, fire/safety, security, furniture, space allocations, business unit adjacencies, and space configuration.
The process involved identification of deficiencies in the attainment of IRS standards as mentioned above, with a specific emphasis on identifying the “space gap”. The space gap is basically the difference in how much square footage the IRS should have in these facilities if they applied the IRS space allocations standards, compared to how much square footage they do have in each location.
Once these deficiencies and space gaps were identified, options were gamed and analyzed to improve the situation for each asset, and a project concept was developed, as appropriate, to send forward as a recommendation for approval.
IRS is currently developing measures to monitor progress in implementing the asset management plans. Through the asset management initiative, IRS has accomplished the following:
- Gained a better understanding of the condition, utility and function of each building in the field inventory.
- Reviewed options available to move towards the IRS standard and increase the real and personal property support for the mission at each location, and in context with other locations in the same geographical area.
- Identified over 1 million square feet for potential disposal.
- Developed sound and defensible recommendations for real estate projects based on cost, benefits, and time constraints associated with available options.
- Commenced implementation of projects based on the recommendations and available resources.
This approach overall will help to improve utilization and right-size the IRS portfolio, provide quality space to IRS employees in the right location, and manage the inventory to improve effectiveness and efficiency. This initiative has been implemented within the spirit and intent of the President’s Management Agenda and Executive Order on Real Property Management, and has excellent application potential in other Federal agencies.
Contact:
Naida Meares, Chief, Policy and Program Development
Dept. of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
AWSS, Real Estate and Facilities Management Division, naida.l.meares@irs.gov
