We Provide Expertly Managed . . .

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) was created in 1949 to efficiently and economically provide workspace, furnishings, services, supplies and procurement support for Federal civilian agencies--to enable Federal employees to do their jobs, and to save taxpayers money. Today, GSA supports both civilian and military agencies, doing business with every part of the Federal workforce.

GSA encompasses the Public Buildings Service (PBS), the Federal Supply Service (FSS), the Federal Technology Service (FTS), the Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), and the staff offices that support them. Working together, GSA leaders and employees, regions and headquarters, policy-writers and service-deliverers join forces day after day in a concerted effort to thrill our customers as we fulfill our mission. This Annual Report discusses what we did and how we did it in Fiscal Year 1997.

GSA provides for Federal agencies. We get things for them, do things for them, deliver things to them, and make it possible for them to get what they need to serve the taxpayers. We provide space they work in, products they work with, technology tools they use, services they need daily, and solutions to their own unique problems. We write common-sense regulations that enable Federal agencies to get their money's worth when they spend nearly $200 billion a year for top-quality products and services. We formulate policies, promote best practices and innovation, conduct training and provide databases. We foster good management practices, assist in managing Government assets and advance Government social objectives.

While GSA's mission hasn't changed since 1949, the nature of our business is no longer as clearly delineated as when the agency was established. In 1997, after years of reinventing, downsizing and revising the way we do business, we provide more and better choices at better value than ever. The following table compares GSA services in 1949 and 1997 and illustrates the difference between then and now.

We Provide	What it Meant Then	What it Means Now
Federal workspace	Constructing, leasing and maintaining Government buildings	Acquiring and managing real-property assets, creating "virtual" offices and sponsoring telecommuting centers
Products that Federal employees need to do their work	Procuring just paper, pencils, desks and chairs	Negotiating a contract for "seat management" of computer workstation
Federal telecommunications	A row of operators at a switchboard	E-mail, cellular phones, beepers, voice-mail, direct dialing to anyone, anywhere
Procurement	Complex solicitations, lengthy competitions, regulations, supervision	Typing a charge-card number into a form on the Internet for routine purchases
Best practices	A Government determination of what cost least	The latest and best, what the customer wants now, at the very best value
Skills	Available in-house expertise	The best public or private-sector expertise
Choice	Use of GSA products and services was mandatory	Use of GSA is becoming non-mandatory; agencies may choose other providers if they offer better value
Governmentwide management policies	Command and control	Interagency collaboration

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