Chapter 1. Administration

Topics on this page: 1.1 Plan of the Manual

Table of Contents

1.1 Plan of the Manual

1.1.1 Policy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) Real Property Management will foster mission success through initiatives and practices that promote occupant health, productivity, and efficiency. HHS will maximize the benefit derived from available resources and timely delivery of those benefits through efficient and effective portfolio management. Appropriate stewardship of HHS owned, leased, or otherwise managed properties includes full and balanced consideration of socio-economic, environmental, and national cultural priorities.

  1. In accordance with the Federal Management Regulation (FMR), executive agencies must ensure that the management, operation, maintenance, and disposal of Government-owned and leased buildings is performed in a manner that provides for quality space and services consistent with operational needs and accomplishes overall Government objectives. The management, operation, and maintenance of buildings and building systems must:
    1. Be optimized to meet the agencies' missions;
    2. Be in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory mandates;
    3. Meet nationally recognized and relevant standards;
    4. Ensure a safe and healthy workplace free of environmental and other hazards;
    5. Be climate resilient, utilize 100% carbon free electricity, utilize construction materials with lower embodied emissions, are cost effective, and energy and water efficient; and
    6. Be at an appropriate level to maintain and preserve the physical plant assets.
  2. Expanding upon the FMR real property policies, the Federal Real Property Council (FRPC) has established guiding principles for all Federal Agencies to integrate with their real property management initiatives. HHS embraces and adopts the Federal Real Property Council's (FRPC) ten guiding principles applicable to Federal real property asset management and will align HHS-specific asset management objectives and requirements with those principles including:
    1. Support agency missions and strategic goals
    2. Use public and commercial benchmarks and best practices
    3. Employ life-cycle cost-benefit analysis
    4. Promote full and appropriate utilization
    5. Dispose of unneeded assets
    6. Provide appropriate levels of investment
    7. Accurately inventory and describe all assets
    8. Employ balanced performance measures
    9. Advance customer satisfaction
    10. Provide for safe, secure, and healthy workplaces
  3. Organization of the Facilities Program Manual
    1. The HHS Facilities Program Manual consists of chapters, which represent major subject categories. The chapters are broken down into four sections which establish HHS policies, administrative requirements, guidance, and information, and reporting for Departmental facilities-related subjects.  Website links and appendices are included in the manual as necessary to provide additional information and references to source information.
    2. The numbering system for manual chapters shall be in accordance with the recommended guidelines in the HHS General Administrative Manual (GAM).

      Example:
      • 1 Chapter
        • 1.1 Section
          • 1.1.1 Sub-Section
            • 1.1.1.1 Sub-Sub-Section
              • 1.1.1.1.1) Paragraph
                • 1.1.1.1.1).a) Sub-paragraph
                  • 1.1.1.1.1).a).i Item
                  • 1.1.1.1.1).a).ii Item

Each section has in general four sub-sections as follows: Policy, 1-1-1; Administrative Requirements, 1-1-2; Guidance and Information, 1-1-3; and Reporting Requirements, 1-1-4.

  1. Effective Date
    1. The FPM is issued by the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA), under the delegated authority of the Secretary.  This manual is effective when signed by the ASA.  Future amendments to the manual will be electronically forwarded with an HHS Issuance Notice and added to the electronic document on the Program Support Center website https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/psc/index.html. The date of the HHS Issuance Notice shown at the top of each page of each chapter/section shall be the effective date of the change.

1.1.2 Administrative Requirements

This sub-section describes the development, maintenance, and distribution of the Facility Program Manual.

  1. Development and Maintenance
    1. The Real Property Policy and Strategy (RPPS) Branch, Real Property Management Services (RPMS), Real Estate, Logistics, and Operations (RLO), Program Support Center (PSC), Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA), Office of Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for the maintenance of this manual.
    2. Changes to the HHS Facilities Program Manual will be issued by the RPPS/RPMS/RLO/PSC/ASA/OS/HHS
    3. Users of this manual are encouraged to submit proposed corrections, updates, and improvements to RPMS at the following email HHS-PSC-RealProperty@psc.hhs.gov for consideration.
    4. It is RPMS's standard practice to solicit input on proposed changes from affected parties prior to publishing a change to the manual.
  2. Distribution
    1. The HHS Facilities Program Manual will be electronically distributed to each HHS Operating Division (OPDIV) and Staff Division (STAFFDIV) responsible for the budget formulation, planning, design, construction, leasing, operation, maintenance, remediation, and disposal of HHS Facilities. Compliance with HHS policy guidelines and requirements outlined in the manual is the responsibility of each HHS OPDIV and STAFFDIV. Appropriate distribution within each OPDIV shall be assured at the OPDIV level. Recipients should include those responsible for operations and maintenance requirements throughout the real property life cycle.
    2. The manual will also be updated and posted on the PSC Web site as an external link on the Real Property Policy and Strategy (RPPS), Real Property Management Services (RPMS), Real Estate, Logistics, and Operations (RLO) webpage https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/psc/real-property-policy-strategy/index.html
  3. Procedures
    1. Executive agencies must manage, administer, and enforce the requirements of agreements (such as Memoranda of Understanding) and contracts that provide for the delivery of occupancy services. Executive agencies must provide occupancy services that substantially conform to nationally recognized standards. As needed, executive agencies may adopt other standards for buildings and services in federally controlled facilities to conform to statutory requirements and to implement cost-reduction efforts.
    2. Executive agencies with delegation of authority from GSA must provide building services, such as custodial, solid waste management (including recycling), heating and cooling, landscaping and grounds maintenance, tenant alterations, minor repairs, building maintenance, integrated pest management, signage, parking, and snow removal, at appropriate levels to support Federal agency missions

1.1.3 Guidance and Information

To effectively manage and optimize utilization of real property asset, link investment, operational, and disposal decisions to core mission activities.  A clear understanding of the agency's mission that drives the allocation and use of available resources (human capital, physical capital, financial capital, and technology/information capital), and an effective decision-making framework are critical elements to support agencies' efforts. HHS facilities shall be operated and maintained to best meet the functional, safety, and environmental needs of the programs and missions they house.

  • Real Property Management decision-making will support agency missions and strategic goals.
  • Functional Needs: HHS shall operate and maintain an environment in which occupants can perform their work with maximum efficiency. Real Property Management decision-making will support agency missions and strategic goals. Appropriate levels of investment will be made to protect real property assets and to advance customer satisfaction.
  • Safety, Health and Security: HHS buildings shall operate and maintain an environment that is safe and healthy for occupants, and that, to the greatest extent possible, offers them maximum protection during emergencies or disasters.
  • Environmental: HHS facilities shall comply with all applicable Federal, state, and local environmental laws, statutes, and regulations, protect the environment, and avoid or reduce the generation of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants at the source.
  • Climate Resiliency: HHS strives to technologies and design strategies to mitigate risk and climate change and to develop climate-ready facilities against climate hazards: heat, extreme heat, wildfires, drought, and flooding.  HHS shall actively plan proactively to assess climate change information to determine the climate sensitivity and adaptive capacity to a climate hazard to maximize HHS resource utilization while minimize risks to facility operations across HHS' real property portfolio.
  • Carbon Neutrality:  HHS committed to reduce its carbon footprint and environmental impacts from its operations and procurement activities.  HHS is focused on achieving 100 percent carbon-free electricity, 100 percent zero-emission vehicle acquisitions, net-zero emissions from Federal procurement, 65 percent reduction of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operations from 2008 levels, and sustainability focused workforce.
  • Economy: HHS facilities shall be operated and maintained at the most reasonable cost in terms of combined recurring and one-time expenditures, without compromising other mission requirements. HHS will accurately inventory and describe its assets in order that full and appropriate utilization of space can be promoted. Life-cycle cost-benefit analysis shall be employed to explore alternatives for satisfying new requirements. HHS will dispose of unneeded assets in accordance with all applicable Federal laws and regulations.
  • Conservation and Resources: Energy and water conservation shall be given prime consideration in the operation and maintenance of HHS buildings. Products, materials, and systems shall be selected with a view toward minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources.
  • Preservation of historic and cultural resources shall be given full consideration in maintenance and operations of HHS controlled real property assets and all federally assisted undertakings.
  1. Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings

    HHS real property investment decisions must be integrated with and supportive of core mission activities to effectively manage and optimize real property assets. Facilities shall be planned and delivered to best meet the functional, safety, and environmental needs of the programs and missions they house, meeting the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings

1.1.4 Reporting

This section contains a consolidated list of OPDIV facility reporting requirements.  The basis for each report is described in more detail in the referenced chapter of the manual that covers the content of the specific deliverable.

OPDIVs shall electronically submit the deliverables identified in this section of the manual in accordance with the deliverable instructions per the reporting frequency.  If a deliverable is unable to be submitted in accordance with the deliverable due date, the planned recipient of the report shall be notified within 3 working days after the due date that the report is not available for submission with a date for when the report will be submitted.

OPDIV reporting guidance for each deliverable contained in this section of the manual is available via submission of your question to the PSC mailbox.

List of facility reporting requirements:

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