Defense Infrastructure: Improved Guidance Needed for Estimating Alternatively Financed Project Liabilities.

摘要

To effectively manage facilities, DOD has pursued a strategy including base realignment and closure, privatizing certain base assets, and leasing underused property. To do so, DOD leverages private capital using alternative financing agreements that rely at least in part on means other than full up-front appropriations. The House Armed Services Committee directed GAO to assess the impact of base closures on such agreements and how DOD captures costs associated with projects in the BRAC process. This report (1) describes existing projects on DOD's U.S. bases, as of September 30, 2011; how project legal agreements protect the government's financial interests; and circumstances where DOD could face financial liabilities in the event of base closure; and (2) determines the extent to which DOD's process for estimating costs and savings of base closure candidates captures these liabilities and other costs. GAO reviewed documents; collected information from DOD on projects active as September 30, 2011; and interviewed officials.