Executive Guide

Federal spending on major physical capital investments is expected to exceed $68 billion in fiscal year 1999. Although agencies historically make large numbers of capital acquisitions each year, past management problems and years of budget restraint have led to an increased focus on strengthening capital decision-making and management. To help make federal investments in capital assets more effective, the Office of Management and Budget and GAO have been seeking to improve decision-making regarding the purchase of new assets and infrastructure. The goal is to give taxpayers the highest and most efficient returns and ensure that existing assets will be adequately maintained. This executive guide identifies organizational attributes that are important to the capital decision-making process as a whole, as well as capital decision-making principles and practices used by outstanding state and local governments and private industry.